German

Diction Basics Five pure vowels: a e I o u (with open and closed positions) 3 umlauts: Six diphthongs: ai au u ei eu ie One consonant is used as a vowel: Y Long and Short vowels: Each vowels has along and short form depending on which consonant followes. As a rule, an H, a consonant, or another vowels will stretch the preceding vowel; two consonants will shorten it. SCHAL (shawl) and WIESE (meadow) have long vowels. SCHALL (echo) and HUND (dog) are short ones. Den = [den] Denn = [dn] In Deutsch, each vowel has an open/closed sound; the closed sound has a longer duration: Vowel closed/lon open/short i i e e a a o o u u [x] achlaut - feel breath o over and on sides of tonue [] ichlaut

Dipthongs ai ay ei au mixed vowels

ey [a]

Mixed vowel 2/3 RULE: 2/3 Tongue + Jaw 1/3 Lip position [unt nt nt nt] German Consonants: Condensed tips A plosive at the end of a syllable is unvoiced A double consonant spelling calls for a longer consonant sound ch after a front vowel or a consonant is [] ch after a back vowel is [] ach-laut h after a vowel on in the same syllable is silent j is [j] qu is [kv] r is a one-flip [r], though in unstressed syllables spelled er this is typically reduced to [UPSIDE DOWN A] i as a suffix is []

i y e

u o