Go to the homepage of our German Course German vowels: long and short 'u' University of Portsmouth
German vowels: long and short 'u'  Includes sound files!

Click here to listen to the soundsThe short German 'u' vowel
The short German 'u' sound - which can only be written 'u' - is similar to the 'u' vowel in the English words 'push' and 'foot'. The German sound is shorter however and requires the lips to be much more rounded. Click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear four German words containing this short 'o' vowel:

Hund
(dog)
   Butter
(butter)
Wunsch
(wish)
   Pult
(desk)


Click here to listen to the soundsThe long German 'u' vowel
The long German /u:/ vowel - which can be written 'u' or 'uh' - does not have an exact equivalent in English. It is a little like the vowel sound in the English words 'hoot' and 'boot' but the lips are much more rounded in German and the sound must not be allowed to glide off into a diphthong. Click either here or on the sound icon on the left to listen to six German words containing this long 'u' vowel.

Tuch
(cloth)
   Grube
(ditch)
Uwe
(boy's name)
   Ute
(girl's name)
Stuhl
(chair)
   Uhr
(clock)


Click here to listen to the soundsDistinguishing between long and short German 'u' vowels
To practise distinguishing between the long and short German 'u' vowels, click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear four pairs of German words. The first word in each pair contains a long 'u' vowel, whereas the second contains a short 'u' vowel.

Buch
(book)
   Busch
(bush)
Huhn
(chicken)
   Hund
(dog)
Pfuhl
(pond)
   Pfund
(pound)
Ufer
(riverbank)
   unten
(below)


Weiter! German long and short 'ü' vowels


Go back to the top of the page

Print this Document Print This Page

Homepage: Paul Joyce German Course
© Paul Joyce