s, ß, sch, sp and st
German has a whole family of s-spellings, each with a predictable sound. Learn when s buzzes like z, when ß and ss hiss, and why sp and st start with a sh-sound.
s before a vowel: a buzzing z
When a single s stands at the start of a word or syllable, directly before a vowel, it is voiced — it buzzes like the z in English "zoo". So die Sonne (the sun) starts with "zon", sieben (seven) with "zee", and sagen (to say) with "zah".
This surprises English speakers, because in English an initial s always hisses. In German, if a vowel follows, let it buzz. At the very end of a word, s is a plain hiss again: das, was, es.
die Sonne
the sun
sieben
seven
sagen
to say
ß and ss: always a sharp hiss
The letter ß (Eszett) and the double ss are never voiced — they are always the sharp, clean hiss of the ss in English "hiss". So heißen (to be called) is "HIGH-ssen" and die Straße (the street) is "SHTRAH-sse".
The spelling even tells you about the vowel before it: ß follows a long vowel or a diphthong (Straße, heißen), while ss follows a short vowel (essen, das Wasser). Either way, the sound is identical — sharp s, no buzz.
heißen
to be called
die Straße
the street
essen
to eat
das Wasser
the water
sch: the German sh
The three-letter combination sch is exactly the English sh in "shoe" (IPA ʃ). It is one of the most common sounds in German: die Schule (the school), schnell (fast), schön (beautiful).
Read sch as a single unit. It is never "s-k" and never "s" plus "ch" — the three letters together simply mean sh.
die Schule
the school
schnell
fast, quick
sp and st: shp and sht at the start
At the beginning of a word or word stem, sp and st are pronounced shp and sht: sprechen (to speak) is "SHPRE-chen", die Stadt (the city) is "shtat", die Sprache (the language) is "SHPRAH-che".
This also works inside longer words when the sp or st starts a stem: verstehen (to understand) is ver-SHTAY-en, because -stehen is the stem. But when st or sp is in the middle or at the end of a stem, it stays plain: der Herbst (autumn), die Post (post office). Rule of thumb for A1: at the front of a word, say shp and sht.
sprechen
to speak
die Stadt
the city
die Sprache
the language
verstehen
to understand
the stem -stehen starts with the sht-sound
Check yourself
Quick checks on this lesson. Get at least three quarters right to mark it as completed.
At the start of a word, how is st pronounced, as in "die Stadt"?
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.