German w

Voiced labiodental fricative — NOT English 'w'

ConsonantIPA: /v/

Practice Words

WasserWeinwirwaswieWeltwohnenwissenwunderbarWetter

Accent-Specific Pronunciation Guide

How you approach this sound depends on your English accent. Find yours below for personalised coaching.

American English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

German 'w' is pronounced as English 'v' — NOT as English 'w'. 'Wasser' = 'vasser', 'Wein' = 'vine'. Simply use your English 'v' sound wherever you see German 'w'. Upper teeth on lower lip, voiced friction.

Bridge from: vine, very (v (English v))

Common mistakes:

•Using English 'w' (bilabial) — the most common mistake
•It's v, not w — this is pure spelling confusion

Drill sequence:

vine → Wein (same sound!)
very → wir → veer
water → Wasser → v-asser

British English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

German w = English v. 'Wein' = 'vine'. Simple substitution — the sound is identical to your v.

Bridge from: vine, very (v)

Common mistakes:

•Using English w

Drill sequence:

vine → Wein

Australian / NZ English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

German w = English v. 'Wein' = 'vine'. Upper teeth on lower lip. Don't use the English 'w'.

Bridge from: vine (v)

Common mistakes:

•Using English w

Drill sequence:

vine → Wein
very → wir

Irish English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

German w = English v. Use your v sound for German w.

Bridge from: vine (v)

Common mistakes:

•Using English w

Drill sequence:

vine → Wein

Scottish English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

German w = English v. Simple substitution.

Bridge from: vine (v)

Common mistakes:

•Using English w

Drill sequence:

vine → Wein

Indian English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

German w is pronounced as 'v' — upper teeth on lower lip with voiced friction. Hindi व can be either a labio-dental approximant or fricative depending on speaker. For German, make sure it's a clear fricative: upper teeth firmly touching lower lip. 'Wasser' = 'vasser'.

Bridge from: vine, Hindi व (v / ʋ)

Common mistakes:

•Using Hindi approximant ʋ instead of clear fricative v
•Using English bilabial w

Drill sequence:

English vine → Wein
Upper teeth on lower lip → clear v → Wasser

South African English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

German w = English v. Wein = vine. Simple substitution. If you know Afrikaans, same rule.

Bridge from: vine (v)

Common mistakes:

•Using English w

Drill sequence:

vine → Wein

Nigerian / W. African English

Small AdjustmentDifficulty: 2/5

German w = English v. Say 'vine' — that's 'Wein'. Upper teeth on lower lip, voiced friction. Do NOT use the English 'w' sound. This is the most common mistake all English speakers make.

Bridge from: vine, very (v)

Common mistakes:

•Using English w
•Not enough friction (needs clear v, not approximant)

Drill sequence:

vine → Wein
very → wir
v-asser → Wasser

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you pronounce the German German w?▾

The German German w is written as v in IPA. Voiced labiodental fricative — NOT English 'w'. The technique varies by your English accent — scroll down for personalised coaching for American, British, Australian, Irish, Scottish, Indian, South African, and Nigerian speakers.

Is the German German w hard for English speakers?▾

It depends on your accent. For some English accents, this is a direct transfer (you already make this sound). For others, it's genuinely new. Check the accent-specific section below to see your difficulty rating.

What words use the German German w sound?▾

Common practice words include: Wasser, Wein, wir, was, wie, Welt. These are good starting points for drilling this sound.