RECOMMENDED
REFERENCE MATERIALS |
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Don't
try to learn everything on this page at one sitting. You
can refer back to this page over & over again, so
you can take off into the Internet in any direction (from
anywhere) and when you want to figure out a particular
sound, come back to this page and LOOK FOR THE SOUND
IN QUESTION.
...
unless of course you're somewhat anal retentive and have
to know everything at one time. Of course you are welcome
to attack the whole alphabet at once, then go on to sing
it.
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BOTTOM
LINE: If you had been born in Köln THAT SAME MOUTH
wouldn't have any problem speaking 100% absolutely, totally,
completely, and utterly AKZENTFREI ... You would NOT have
an accent. Period. So, ... how much you gonna practice?
OK ... so you would speak "Kölsch." |
Double
Vowels & Diphthongs |
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AA |
Like
English "aaaah" - really long |
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aa |
Paar |
Saar |
Haar |
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Aal |
Saal |
Waage |
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AI
- AY - EI - EY |
All
sound the same, like English "eye."
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ai |
Maier |
Mainz |
Hain |
ay |
Mayer |
Bayern |
Kayak |
ei |
Meier |
fein |
dein |
ey |
Meyer |
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au |
Haus |
Maus |
Sau |
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ÄU
- EU - OI - OY |
All
sound the same, like English "oy."
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äu |
äußern |
Häuser |
Säule |
eu |
heute |
Leute |
Beutel |
oi |
toi
toi toi |
Boiler |
Koinos |
oy |
Goya |
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EE
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Like
English "ehh?!" -
really long |
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ee |
Meer |
Heer |
Himbeer |
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IE
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Like
English "eeee" -
really long |
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ie |
die |
Vieh |
Riese |
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riechen |
mies |
sieht |
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OO
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Like
English "oooohhh" -
really long |
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oo |
Moos |
Boot |
kooperativ |
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Be
aware that there are many variables involved in learning
pronunciation. |
When
you learned your language, you applied sounds, tones, nuances,
and many other variables that you "imported" from your parents,
from the folk of your region, as well as from your educators. |
Be
ready to hear other pronuncations of these sounds from people
in different regions: especially from the Bavarians! |
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