close front unrounded vowel
as in LiebePronunciation laboratory · no AI
Every sound.
Made visible.
Hear the sounds of German, see where they are formed and compare the distinctions your ear is learning to notice.
Open the chart ↓- Symbols shown
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Select a symbol to hear its example word.
German IPA chart
Vowels shape an open stream of air. Consonants interrupt or narrow it. Choose any card to inspect the sound.
V
Vowels
14 soundsnear-close front vowel
as in bitteclose-mid front vowel
as in Seeopen-mid front vowel
as in Bettopen front vowel
as in Mannopen back vowel
as in Tagopen-mid back rounded vowel
as in dortclose-mid back rounded vowel
as in Brotnear-close back rounded vowel
as in Mutterclose back rounded vowel
as in gutschwa
as in bitteclose front rounded vowel
as in überclose-mid front rounded vowel
as in schönopen-mid front rounded vowel
as in HölleC
Consonants
24 soundsvoiceless bilabial plosive
as in Passvoiced bilabial plosive
as in Ballvoiceless alveolar plosive
as in Tagvoiced alveolar plosive
as in dannvoiceless velar plosive
as in Kindvoiced velar plosive
as in gutvoiceless labiodental fricative
as in Fischvoiced labiodental fricative
as in Wasservoiceless alveolar fricative
as in Tassevoiced alveolar fricative
as in Sonnevoiceless postalveolar fricative
as in Schulevoiceless palatal fricative
as in ichvoiceless velar fricative
as in Bachvoiceless glottal fricative
as in Hausbilabial nasal
as in Mannalveolar nasal
as in neinvelar nasal
as in singenalveolar lateral approximant
as in Lichtalveolar trill
as in rotuvular French/German r
as in rotpalatal approximant
as in javoiceless postalveolar affricate
as in Deutschvoiceless alveolar affricate
as in Zeitvoiceless labial affricate
as in Pferd/i/ close front unrounded vowel
Keep the tongue high and forward; leave the lips relaxed.
- Sound type
- Vowel
- Position
- Front
- Action
- Close
- Voice
- Voiced
Put two sounds
side by side.
Useful contrasts reveal the small physical distinction that changes a word.
Which sound
did you hear?
Play an example, then identify its IPA symbol. This exercise uses the sounds currently visible in the chart.
0 correct · 0 attempted
Listen first, then choose a symbol.
Read the mouth,
not the alphabet.
- 01
Listen before copying
Play the whole example word. Notice where the target sound sits and what comes immediately before and after it.
- 02
Find the contact point
Use the mouth diagram to place the tongue and lips. A few millimetres can separate two phonemes.
- 03
Practise contrasts
Compare sounds that learners commonly merge. Hearing the distinction makes producing it much easier.