German alphabet
Below is the German writing system (Latin (German)) — 30 letters. Each card shows the glyph, its traditional name, an English-friendly pronunciation hint, and a short example word with translation. Tap any glyph to copy it to your clipboard.
- A
- Name:
- a
- Sound:
- ah
- Example:
- Apfel — apple
- B
- Name:
- be
- Sound:
- beh
- Example:
- Brot — bread
- C
- Name:
- ce
- Sound:
- ts / k
- Example:
- Café — café
- D
- Name:
- de
- Sound:
- deh
- Example:
- Dach — roof
- E
- Name:
- e
- Sound:
- eh
- Example:
- Ende — end
- F
- Name:
- ef
- Sound:
- ef
- Example:
- Frau — woman
- G
- Name:
- ge
- Sound:
- geh
- Example:
- gut — good
- H
- Name:
- ha
- Sound:
- h
- Example:
- Haus — house
- I
- Name:
- i
- Sound:
- ee
- Example:
- Insel — island
- J
- Name:
- jot
- Sound:
- y
- Example:
- Jahr — year
- K
- Name:
- ka
- Sound:
- k
- Example:
- Kind — child
- L
- Name:
- el
- Sound:
- l
- Example:
- Liebe — love
- M
- Name:
- em
- Sound:
- m
- Example:
- Mutter — mother
- N
- Name:
- en
- Sound:
- n
- Example:
- Nacht — night
- O
- Name:
- o
- Sound:
- oh
- Example:
- Ohr — ear
- P
- Name:
- pe
- Sound:
- p
- Example:
- Park — park
- Q
- Name:
- ku
- Sound:
- kv
- Example:
- Quelle — source
- R
- Name:
- er
- Sound:
- r (uvular)
- Example:
- rot — red
- S
- Name:
- es
- Sound:
- s / z
- Example:
- Sonne — sun
- T
- Name:
- te
- Sound:
- t
- Example:
- Tag — day
- U
- Name:
- u
- Sound:
- oo
- Example:
- Uhr — clock
- V
- Name:
- fau
- Sound:
- f
- Example:
- Vater — father
- W
- Name:
- we
- Sound:
- v
- Example:
- Wasser — water
- X
- Name:
- iks
- Sound:
- ks
- Example:
- Xylophon — xylophone
- Y
- Name:
- ypsilon
- Sound:
- ue / y
- Example:
- Typ — type
- Z
- Name:
- zett
- Sound:
- ts
- Example:
- Zeit — time
- Ä
- Name:
- ä-Umlaut
- Sound:
- eh
- Example:
- Bär — bear
- Ö
- Name:
- ö-Umlaut
- Sound:
- ur
- Example:
- schön — beautiful
- Ü
- Name:
- ü-Umlaut
- Sound:
- ue
- Example:
- über — over
- ß
- Name:
- Eszett
- Sound:
- ss
- Example:
- Straße — street
Frequently asked questions
How many letters are in the German alphabet?
The German writing system shown here uses 30 letters. Some are core, others are diacritic variants or extended forms used in modern usage.
Are the pronunciation hints accurate?
Sounds are described for English speakers as a starting point. They're guides, not strict IPA — listen to a native speaker once you know the basic shape of each letter.
Can I type German after learning these letters?
Yes — combine this chart with our German keyboard to type real words. Letters connect, change form or stack depending on the script's rules.
Why do some letters look different in the example word?
Many scripts (Arabic, Hebrew, Cyrillic cursive, Hangul blocks) shape letters by position or combine them into syllables. The chart shows the standalone form; examples show contextual forms.