Chapter 4: Vowel Sounds

Mastering Vowel Length

In English, the duration of a long vowel can vary depending on the word context. For example, when a long vowel is followed by fortis consonants (which are pronounced more forcefully), its duration shortens. Hence, the vowel in beat is shorter than the one in bead. This principle will guide our selection of English reference words to approximate short and long German vowel sounds.

Compared to English, German vowel length is far more consistent and plays a crucial role in distinguishing similar words. For this reason, it’s essential that you get used to the correct duration of German vowel sounds. Linguists have found that long vowels in German average 180 milliseconds (ms) in duration, while short vowels last around eighty ms. You don’t need to memorize these exact timings – just remember that long vowels take about twice as long to speak as short vowels.

German vowel length is not just about duration, though, it is also about sound. For most German vowels, the sound itself changes between the short and long versions, as detailed in this chapter.

The German 'A'

This vowel is both common and essential, appearing in everyday exclamations like aha! and ach ja! (oh yes!). While its pronunciation differs from English, we can use familiar reference words to approximate the correct sounds.

• Short German 'A' sounds like English Mother

• Long German 'A' sounds like English Father

Say the English word mother and notice how the vowel sound ends abruptly due to the following t. Now, compare this to the word father, where the vowel sound is more sustained. This contrast closely mirrors the distinction between the short and long German a.

While the above English words offer good approximations, they do not perfectly match the German vowel sounds. To refine your pronunciation of the short German a, open the mouth slightly wider when saying mother. This produces the correct sound. For the long German a, say father, but produce the sound slightly further forward in your mouth; ensure that it doesn’t glide into a diphthong. The audio recordings will help you acquire the right sound.

Next, preview Chapter 5: Consonant Sounds