German Pronunciation: How exactly do you pronounce the German Umlaute “ä”, “ö” and “ü”? Try this:

‘Long’ (i.e. stressed):

– “ä” as in “Käse” is like an English person saying “air”.
– “ü” as in “müde” is like a Scottish person saying “grew”. (make the sound “ee” as in “cheese” and then make your lips into an “o” shape)
– “ö” as in “blöd” is like an English person saying “burn”. (make the sound “a” as in the word “may” and then make your lips into an “o” shape)

‘Short’ (i.e. unstressed):

– “ä” as in “hängen” is pronounced like the English word “ten”.
– “ü” as in “Mütter” is like the English word “wit” but round your lips as if whistling.
– “ö” as in “Hölle” is like an English person saying “her”.