German Umlauts: How to Pronounce ä, ö, and ü
The three German umlaut vowels are the biggest pronunciation challenge for English speakers. Here's exactly how to produce each one.
German Umlauts: ä, ö, and ü
German has three vowels that don't exist in standard English: ä, ö, and ü. They're marked with two dots (the umlaut diacritic) and represent genuinely different sounds from a, o, and u.
Why Umlauts Matter
Umlauts change meaning:
- schon (already) vs schön (beautiful)
- schwul (gay) vs schwül (humid)
- Mutter (mother) vs Mütter (mothers)
- fordern (to demand) vs fördern (to promote)
Ignoring the dots and saying the base vowel will either change the meaning or mark you as a beginner who hasn't learned the basics.
How to Produce Each Sound
ä [ɛ] or [ɛː]
The easiest umlaut. It's simply the "e" in "bed":
- Short ä: like "bed" — Bäcker (baker), Hände (hands)
- Long ä: like a stretched "bed" — Mädchen (girl), wählen (to choose)
Most English speakers produce this sound naturally. The challenge is recognising that "ä" in spelling = this sound, not "a."
ö [ø] or [œ]
This is where it gets interesting. There is no English equivalent.
How to produce it:
- Say "eh" (as in "bed")
- Freeze your tongue in that exact position
- Round your lips as if saying "oh"
- The resulting sound is ö
You're combining the tongue position of a front vowel (like "eh") with the lip rounding of a back vowel (like "oh"). English never does this — front vowels are always unrounded in English.
Practice words:
- Short ö: Löffel (spoon), öffnen (to open), können (can)
- Long ö: schön (beautiful), Vögel (birds), hören (to hear)
Australian speakers: Your "nurse" vowel (in "bird," "word") is remarkably close to ö. You may already produce this sound.
ü [y] or [ʏ]
The most challenging umlaut. Also no English equivalent.
How to produce it:
- Say "ee" (as in "see")
- Freeze your tongue in that exact position (high and forward)
- Round your lips as if saying "oo" (as in "food")
- The resulting sound is ü
Like ö, you're combining a front tongue position with rounded lips. But ü is higher than ö — your tongue is in the "ee" position, not the "eh" position.
Practice words:
- Short ü: fünf (five), Glück (luck), Stück (piece)
- Long ü: Tür (door), Bücher (books), grün (green)
The "ee-oo" slide trick: Say "ee" and slowly round your lips toward "oo," keeping your tongue still. At some point during the slide, you'll pass through ü.
Common Mistakes
- Saying "oo" instead of ü — your tongue needs to be forward (like "ee"), not back (like "oo")
- Saying "oh" instead of ö — your tongue needs to be forward (like "eh"), not back (like "oh")
- Not distinguishing long from short — German umlauts come in long and short versions, just like the base vowels
The French Connection
French has the same sounds:
- ö ≈ French "eu" (as in "peu")
- ü ≈ French "u" (as in "tu")
If you learn these sounds for German, you get them for French as well. Two languages for the price of one.
Explore more:
Frequently Asked Questions
What are German umlauts?
Umlauts are the two dots placed over vowels (ä, ö, ü) that change their pronunciation. They create front-rounded vowels that don't exist in most English dialects.
How do you pronounce ö and ü?
For ö: say 'eh' with rounded lips. For ü: say 'ee' with rounded lips. The trick is keeping the tongue position for one vowel while shaping the lips for another.
Can I just ignore umlauts?
No — umlauts change word meaning. 'Schon' (already) vs 'schön' (beautiful), 'Mutter' (mother) vs 'Mütter' (mothers). They're essential for being understood.
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