Consonants |
IPA |
Examples |
English approximation |
Native |
b |
Been [beːn][1] |
ball |
ɕ |
liicht [liːɕt], Bieg [biəɕ][1][2] |
she, but more of a y-like sound |
d |
Iddi [ˈidi][1] |
done |
f |
Fësch [fəʃ][1] |
fuss |
ɡ |
Gitt [ɡit][1] |
guest |
h |
hei [hɑɪ] |
hut |
j |
Jong [joŋ], bëllegen [ˈbələjən][3] |
yard |
k |
Kiischt [kiːʃt][1] |
cold |
l |
liesen [ˈliəzən] |
last |
m |
Maul [mæːʊl] |
must |
n |
Nues [nuəs] |
not |
ŋ |
eng [eŋ] |
long |
p |
Paart [paːt][1] |
puck |
ʀ |
Rou [ʀəʊ], Comptoir [ˈkõːtwaːʀ][4] |
Northumbrian burr |
ʁ |
Kugel [ˈkuːʁəl],[1][2] Parmesan [ˈpɑʁməzaːn][5] |
s |
Taass [taːs][1] |
fast |
ʃ |
Schnéi [ʃnəɪ][1][2] |
shall |
t |
Taart [taːt], Jugend [ˈjuːʁənt][1] |
tall |
ts |
Zuch [tsuχ][1] |
cats |
tʃ |
Brëtsch [bʀətʃ],[1] d'Stad [tʃtɑt] |
match |
v |
wëschen [ˈvəʃən][1] |
vanish |
χ |
Sprooch [ʃpʀoːχ],[1][2] Force [foχs][5] |
Scottish loch |
z |
Summer [ˈzumɐ][1] |
hose |
ʒ |
Juli [ˈʒuːliː][1][2] |
pleasure |
Marginal consonants |
bv |
Kampf opginn [ˈkɑmbv ˈopɡin][6] |
obvious |
dz |
spadséieren [ʃpɑˈdzəɪəʀən][1][7] |
heads |
dʒ |
Jeans [dʒiːns][1] |
jeans |
pf |
Pflicht [pfliɕt] |
cupful |
w |
zwee [tsweː], Comptoir [ˈkõːtwaːʀ][8] |
we |
ʑ |
héijen [ˈhəɪʑən][1][2] |
measure, but more of a y-like sound |
|
Vowels |
IPA |
Examples |
English approximation |
Monophthongs |
ɑ |
Kapp [kɑp] |
art |
aː |
Kap [kaːp], waarm [vaːm][5] |
Australian bad |
æ |
Käpp [kæp] |
back |
ə |
Fësch [fəʃ],[9] Drogen [ˈdʀoːɡən],[10] Böcker [ˈbəkɐ][11] |
roughly like hurt |
e |
drécken [ˈdʀekən][9] |
let |
eː |
Been [beːn] |
Scottish pays |
ɛː |
Stär [ʃtɛːɐ̯],[12] nämlech [ˈnɛːmləɕ] |
bed |
i |
Gitt [ɡit] |
tip |
iː |
siwen [ˈziːvən], Kiischt [kiːʃt] |
Scottish and South African be |
o |
So [zo], Sonn [zon] |
off |
oː |
Sprooch [ʃpʀoːχ] |
story |
u |
Hutt [hut] |
put |
uː |
Tut [tuːt], Luucht [luːχt] |
true |
Non-native monophthongs |
ɑ̃ː |
Chance [ʃɑ̃ːs] |
French vin blanc |
ɛ̃ː |
Dinde [dɛ̃ːt] |
French vin blanc |
õː |
Comptoir [ˈkõːtwaːʀ] |
French Mont Blanc |
œː |
Interieur [ˈɛ̃ːtəʀiœːʀ], flirten [ˈflœːtən][11] |
roughly like herd |
øː |
Blöd [bløːt] |
y |
Hüll [hyl] |
roughly like shoe, but shorter |
yː |
Süden [ˈzyːdən] |
roughly like shoe |
Diphthongs |
ɑɪ |
Gebai [ɡəˈbɑɪ], deier [ˈdɑɪɐ] |
price |
ɑʊ |
Mauer [ˈmɑʊɐ] |
roughly like spa water |
æːɪ |
räich [ʀæːɪɕ] |
England and Wales share yachts |
æːʊ |
Maul [mæːʊl] |
England and Wales share walls |
əɪ |
Schnéi [ʃnəɪ] |
a yacht |
əʊ |
Schoul [ʃəʊl] |
goat |
ɛːɐ̯ |
Stär [ʃtɛːɐ̯][5] |
traditional RP square |
iə |
liesen [ˈliəzən], Biergem [ˈbiəʑəm]ⓘ[13] |
roughly like yearn |
iːɐ̯ |
wier [viːɐ̯][5][13] |
see other |
oːɐ̯ |
Joer [joːɐ̯][5] |
Scottish no other |
uə |
Buedem [ˈbuədəm], Lëtzebuerg [ˈlətsəbuəɕ][13] |
roughly like word |
uːɐ̯ |
kuerz [kuːɐ̯ts][5][13] |
too upbeat |
Non-native diphthongs |
oɪ |
Euro [ˈoɪʀoː] |
boy |
øːɐ̯ |
Röhr [ʀøːɐ̯] |
roughly like herd |
yːɐ̯ |
Lürmann [ˈlyːɐ̯mɑn] |
roughly like you utter |
Reduced vowels |
ɐ |
Mauer [ˈmɑʊɐ][5] |
nut or sofa |
|
Suprasegmentals |
IPA | Examples | Explanation |
ˈ |
Kugel [ˈkuːʁəl] |
primary stress, as in dearest /ˈdɪərəst/ |
ˌ |
Méckebaatsch [ˈmekəˌbaːtʃ] |
secondary stress, as in commandeer /ˌkɒmənˈdɪər/ |
|