The German Alphabet & Spelling
Good news: German uses the same 26 letters as English, plus just four extra characters (ä, ö, ü, ß). The catch is that many letters have different names and sounds — German „W“ sounds like English "v", and German „E“ sounds like "ay". If you read German words with English letter sounds, you'll be misunderstood.
Spelling out loud (buchstabieren) is a real A1 survival skill. You'll need it to give your name at a doctor's office, book a hotel room, or set up a phone contract. Master the letter names once, and every German word you ever see becomes pronounceable.
The 26 letters and their German names
Every German letter has a fixed name, and unlike English, German spelling is highly regular — once you know the names and sounds, you can pronounce almost any word you read.
| Letter | German name (approx.) | Letter | German name (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | ah | N | enn |
| B | bay | O | oh |
| C | tsay | P | pay |
| D | day | Q | koo |
| E | ay | R | err |
| F | eff | S | ess |
| G | gay | T | tay |
| H | hah | U | oo |
| I | ee | V | fow |
| J | yot | W | vay |
| K | kah | X | iks |
| L | ell | Y | üpsilon |
| M | emm | Z | tset |
The most important traps for English speakers: E is "ay" (not "ee"), I is "ee" (not "eye"), J is "yot", V is "fow", W is "vay", and Z is "tset".
The four special characters: ä, ö, ü, ß
German adds three umlaut vowels and one special consonant. They are not decorations — they change the meaning of words (schon = already, schön = beautiful).
| Character | Name | Sound | If you can't type it |
|---|---|---|---|
| ä | A-Umlaut | like "e" in bed | ae |
| ö | O-Umlaut | like "i" in bird (lips rounded) | oe |
| ü | U-Umlaut | say "ee" with rounded lips | ue |
| ß | Eszett / scharfes S | sharp "s" as in kiss | ss |
When spelling out loud, say the umlaut name: M-Ü-L-L-E-R is „emm – ü – ell – ell – ay – err“. The ß is called „Eszett“ or „scharfes S“ and never starts a word.
Spelling out loud: buchstabieren
These are the phrases you'll actually use in real life:
| German | English |
|---|---|
| Wie schreibt man das? | How do you write/spell that? |
| Können Sie das bitte buchstabieren? | Can you spell that, please? |
| Ich buchstabiere: ... | I'll spell it: ... |
| Das schreibt man mit Doppel-S. | You write that with a double S. |
| groß / klein geschrieben | written with a capital / lowercase letter |
Two useful conventions: doubled letters are announced with Doppel- („Doppel-T“ for tt), and Germans often clarify letters with city names: „B wie Berlin, M wie München“ (B as in Berlin, M as in Munich).
📖 Examples
Wie schreibt man deinen Namen?
How do you spell your name?
Können Sie das bitte buchstabieren?
Can you spell that, please?
Ich buchstabiere: M-Ü-L-L-E-R.
I'll spell it: M-Ü-L-L-E-R.
Mein Name ist Weiß, mit Eszett.
My name is Weiß, with an eszett.
„Kaffee“ schreibt man mit Doppel-F.
You write "Kaffee" with a double F.
Wie heißt dieser Buchstabe auf Deutsch?
What is this letter called in German?
„Schon“ und „schön“ sind zwei verschiedene Wörter.
"Schon" and "schön" are two different words.
Mein Vorname beginnt mit J wie Julia.
My first name starts with J as in Julia.
⚠️ Common Mistakes
Saying German „E“ like English "ee" and „I“ like English "eye"German „E“ = "ay", German „I“ = "ee"
The two languages swap these sounds. If you spell your email address with English letter names, a German will write down completely different letters.
Pronouncing „W“ as in English "water" and „V“ as in English "very"German „W“ sounds like English "v" (Wasser = "vasser"); German „V“ usually sounds like "f" (Vater = "fahter")
English speakers map these letters to their English sounds, but German shifted both — there is no English "w" sound in German at all.
Dropping umlauts: writing „schon“ when you mean „schön“Keep the umlaut, or replace it with -e if you can't type it: „schoen“
Umlauts change meaning, not just pronunciation. *Schon* means "already" and *schön* means "beautiful" — dropping the dots creates a different word.
Reading „ß“ as the letter B and writing „Strabe“„ß“ is a sharp S: Straße, or „Strasse“ if ß is unavailable
The ß looks like a capital B to English eyes, but it has nothing to do with B. It is always replaced by ss, never by b.
✏️ Exercises
Test your understanding. Click an option or type your answer, then check.
Which character exists in German but not in the English alphabet?
How is the German letter „W“ pronounced in words like „Wasser“?
What is the letter ß called in German?
You can't type „ü“ on your keyboard. What is the correct replacement?
The German letter „J“ (as in „Januar“) sounds like which English sound?
How do you announce the double T when spelling „Mutter“ out loud?
Wie ___ man „Müller“? (schreiben)
Können Sie Ihren Namen bitte ___? (buchstabieren)
Ich ___ meinen Namen: A-N-N-A. (buchstabieren)
Wie ___ dieser Buchstabe auf Deutsch? (heißen)