Long and short pronunciation of vowels in German

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Long and short pronunciation of vowels

It is not always clear whether a vowel should be pronounced long or short, but we can often tell from the spelling.

  • Long vowels:
    a/ä, e, o/ö and u/ü are pronounced as long vowels if they are followed by h or ß, or a single b, k, d, f, n, m, p, s, t or z. We pronounce i as a long vowel if it is followed by e.

beten

to pray

Sahne

cream

Söhne

sons

Fuß

foot

Miete

rent

  • Short vowels:

a/ä, e, i, o/ö and u/ü are pronounced as short vowels if they are followed by ck, ch, tz or a double consonant.

Rock

skirt

lachen

to laugh

Mütze

cap

Männer

men

Mitte

middle


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