German Pronunciation Analyzer & Trainer
Type any German word to inspect syllable stress (separable vs. inseparable prefixes, -ieren, long/short vowels), ß vs. Swiss ss spelling, and consonant cluster rules — then practice saying tricky phrases aloud using your browser’s de-DE speech tools.
1. German Word Stress & Sound Breakdown
verstehen
Unstressed prefix "ver-" -> stress falls on the root syllable immediately after it
Inseparable prefix "ver-"
Never stressed and never detached in a sentence (ver- stays attached).
Initial sp- / st- (/ʃp/, /ʃt/)
Pronounced with a crisp "sh" sound at the start of the root syllable.
2. Interactive Pronunciation & Shadowing Deck
Listen to each German phrase with de-DE synthesis, then speak aloud (microphone check works in supported browsers such as Chrome/Edge; otherwise use Listen & Shadow).
Mütter müssen üben
Mothers must practice
Tip: Hold rounded lips while raising your tongue forward for ü.
3. Six Crucial German Minimal Pairs
u vs ü
o vs ö
a vs ä
ei vs ie
ch vs sch
Final -d
German Digraph & Consonant Quick Reference
Open 30-Letter Alphabet Soundboard →After back vowels (a, o, u, au), ch is throat-fricative /x/ (Bach). After e, i, ä, ö, ü, ei, eu, äu or consonants (l, n, r), ch is palatal /ç/ (ich).
Pronounce the second vowel louder as a quick memory hook: ie sounds like "ee" (wie), ei sounds like "eye" (mein).
Both diphthongs sound identical: "oy" as in toy (Deutsch, Häuser).
At the start of a word or root syllable, s before p or t sounds like "sh" (Sprechen -> Shprechen). Inside/end stays crisp /st/ (fast).
sch is English "sh"; tsch is English "ch" in church.
Standard German softens final -ig to -ich (wichtig -> /ˈvɪçtɪç/). Final b/d/g at syllable ends turn voiceless: /p, t, k/ (Hund -> /hʊnt/).
Pronunciation FAQ
Which syllable is stressed in German words?
Native German words almost always stress the root syllable — usually the first syllable (AR-beit, KRAN-ken-haus). Inseparable prefixes (be-, emp-, ent-, er-, ge-, ver-, zer-) are never stressed (ver-STE-hen); miss- is usually unstressed in verbs (miss-ACH-ten) but stressed in nouns (MISS-er-folg, MISS-ver-ständ-nis). Separable prefixes (an-, auf-, aus-, ein-, mit-, vor-, zurück-) always take primary stress (AUF-ste-hen). Verbs ending in -ieren stress the "ie" (stu-DIE-ren).
Does my voice leave my browser during microphone practice?
The optional voice-check drill uses your browser’s built-in Web Speech API (SpeechRecognition) configured for de-DE. No GermanLogic server receives or stores your audio. On browsers without SpeechRecognition (such as Firefox or some mobile browsers), the trainer automatically switches to Listen & Shadow mode using de-DE speech synthesis.
Why does German final B, D, G sound like P, T, K?
German applies final obstruent devoicing (Auslautverhärtung): voiced consonants b, d, g at the end of a word or syllable lose vocal-cord vibration and sound like p, t, k. Compare Tag ("Tahk") with its plural Tage ("Tah-ge"), or Hund ("Hunt") with Hunde ("Hun-de").
How is "ch" pronounced at the start of words like Chemie or China?
In Standard German (Bundesdeutsch), initial "ch" before e or i is pronounced as a soft Ich-Laut (/ç/), while before a, o, u, or a consonant (Chaos, Charakter, Christ) it is usually pronounced as /k/. In southern Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, Chemie and China are also commonly heard with /k/.