Long and Short Vowels
German vowels come in long and short versions, and the difference can change a word's meaning. Learn the spelling signals that tell you which one to use.
Why vowel length matters
In English, stretching a vowel rarely changes what a word means. In German it can. The classic pair is die Stadt (city, short a — a quick "shtat") and der Staat (state, long a — a stretched "shtaht"). Same consonants, different vowel length, completely different word.
The rule of thumb: a long vowel is the same sound held roughly twice as long, calm and steady. A short vowel is quick and clipped, and the consonant after it arrives immediately. Getting length right does more for a clear German accent than almost anything else at A1.
die Stadt
the city
short a
der Staat
the state
long a
Spelling signals for a long vowel
German spelling usually tells you the length. Three signals mean LONG:
First, a doubled vowel: aa, ee, oo, as in das Boot or der Tee. Second, a vowel followed by a silent h: the h is not spoken, it only stretches the vowel, as in die Uhr (sounds like "oo-a", no h sound) and das Jahr. Third, the combination ie, which is simply a long ee sound (more on it in the diphthong lesson).
A vowel at the end of a stressed syllable is usually long too, as in du and wo.
das Boot
the boat
oo = long o
der Tee
the tea
ee = long e
die Uhr
the clock
silent h stretches the u
das Jahr
the year
silent h stretches the a
Spelling signals for a short vowel
The main signal for SHORT is a double consonant right after the vowel: die Mutter (short u), der Ball (short a), bitte (short i), kommen (short o). Two or more different consonants after the vowel usually mean short as well, as in die Stadt with its dt.
A useful minimal pair to practise: der Ofen (oven, long o — only one f) versus offen (open, short o — double ff). Say them back to back until you feel the difference: "OH-fen" versus "OFF-en".
die Mutter
the mother
tt = short u
der Ball
the ball
ll = short a
der Ofen
the oven
long o
offen
open
short o
Train your ear with pairs
The fastest way to learn vowel length is to practise contrasting pairs out loud. Try kommen (to come, short o) against wohnen (to live, long o — the silent h gives it away). Exaggerate at first: make your long vowels twice as long as feels natural, and cut your short vowels off sharply.
When you read any new German word, do a two-second check: is there a double consonant after the vowel (short)? A double vowel, silent h or ie (long)? This one habit will let you pronounce most new words correctly on the first try.
kommen
to come
short o
wohnen
to live
long o
Check yourself
Quick checks on this lesson. Get at least three quarters right to mark it as completed.
Which spelling almost always signals a LONG vowel?
Practise what you learned
Sound and word recordings on this page come from Wikimedia Commons contributors and are used under Creative Commons licences. See the audio credits for authors and sources.