How to pronounce Ö and Ü in German

In German, there are special vowels called umlauts. Two of them are Ö and Ü. Their pronunciation is a mix of two other vowels.

Pronouncing Ö

The Ö is a mix of U and E. To pronounce Ö correctly, you need to round your lips like you do for U, but position your tongue like you do for E.

Lip position for Ö

When you say U, your lips are rounded strongly, as if you are making a kissing face. Try this with words like:

• Uhu
• nur
• Gut

Hold this lip position.

Tongue position for Ö

When you say E, your lips are a little tense, almost like you are smiling. But the tongue position is more important: your tongue rests low, near your bottom teeth. Try this with words like:

• Ewig
• liegen
• stehen

Remember this tongue position.

Practicing Ö

To make the Ö sound, put your lips in the U position (rounded strongly) and your tongue in the E position (low near your teeth). Start with a U and then move your lips forward while your tongue stays low.

Long Ö is often easier to practice. It sounds long and tense. Here are some examples:

• schön
• böse
• hören
• möglich

Short Ö sounds shorter and more relaxed. The tongue position stays the same, but your mouth is a bit more open. Examples of this are:

• können
• völlig
• plötzlich

Pronouncing Ü

The Ü is a mix of U and I. To pronounce Ü correctly, you need to round your lips like you do for U, but position your tongue like you do for I.

Lip position for Ü

For U, your lips are rounded strongly, as you learned for Ö. This is the strongest lip rounding in German. Examples are:

• nur
• gut
• rufen

Keep this strong rounding.

Tongue position for Ü

For I, your mouth is also a bit tense, but your tongue is further back in your mouth and your mouth is almost closed. Examples of words with I are:

• viel
• mir
• wir

Remember this tongue position.

Practicing Ü

To make the Ü sound, put your lips in the U position (rounded strongly) and your tongue in the I position (further back in your mouth). Start with a U and then slowly round your lips further while your tongue stays back.

Long Ü is also a good place to start practicing. It sounds long and tense. Here are some examples:

• Übung
• natürlich
• Kostüm
• grüne
• süß

Short Ü sounds shorter and more relaxed. The tongue position stays the same, but your mouth is a bit more open. Examples of this are:

• müssen
• Küste
• Glück
• Glücklich

A trick for the tongue position

The main difference between U and Ü, and between O and Ö, is in the tongue position, not the lips. The lips always stay rounded for umlauts.

To check your tongue position, you can place a pencil between your teeth. Not too deep, just about one centimeter.

• Say a U or an O: Your tongue will not touch the pencil. It stays back in your mouth.
• Say a Ü or an Ö: The tip of your tongue will touch the pencil. Your tongue moves forward.

This trick helps you feel how your tongue moves forward for umlauts while your lips stay rounded.