The German Ö

For American Speakers

Say ‘her’ — but REMOVE the R completely. Just the vowel. Americans: this means you need to actively stop your tongue from curling. Say ‘huh’ and round your lips. That’s Ö.

For British Speakers

Say ‘bird.’ That vowel IS the German Ö. You make this sound constantly — ‘her,’ ‘learn,’ ‘turn,’ ‘word.’ That’s all Ö.

For Australian / NZ Speakers

Say ‘bird’ — your vowel there, without any R colouring, is essentially the German Ö. You make this sound dozens of times a day.

For Irish Speakers

Your ‘bird’ has an R in it, so let’s take a different route. Say ‘egg’ and round your lips into an O. Your tongue is making an ‘e’ shape, your lips are making an ‘o’ shape. That blend is Ö.

For Scottish Speakers

Say ‘bird’ — focus on just the vowel, drop the R. Now round your lips into an O shape. The blend of your tongue position and rounded lips gives you Ö.

For Indian Speakers

For South African Speakers

For Nigerian / W. African Speakers