One spelling, two sounds
The letters ch are in ich, nicht, auch, machen, Buch. Both sounds are made by letting air scrape through a narrow gap, without voice. For the soft ich-Laut the gap is at the front of the mouth, for the hard ach-Laut at the back. You never have to guess: the letter before the ch decides.
What comes before the ch
| Before the ch | Sound | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| e, i, ä, ö, ü, ei, eu, äu | soft ich | echt, nicht, möchte, Bücher, leicht |
| l, n, r | soft ich | Milch, manchmal, durch |
| the ending -chen | soft ich | Mädchen, Brötchen |
| a, o, u, au | hard ach | Nacht, doch, Buch, auch |
The two sounds, side by side
ich
I
ach
oh, ah
The ich-Laut: soft, forward
Your tongue is high at the front of the mouth, as if you were about to say the y of yes. Instead of voice, you send air through the narrow gap. Your lips stay spread, as in a smile.
Words with the ich-Laut
nicht
not
möchte
would like
Milch
milk
Mädchen
girl
The ach-Laut: hard, back
The back of the tongue rises towards the soft palate, where a k is made. But it does not block the air: it leaves a gap and lets the air rasp through. Scottish loch and the composer Bach have it.
To build it, say k and freeze the moment the tongue touches. Lower the tongue a hair so the air can escape, and keep breathing out. It should feel like gently clearing your throat.
Words with the ach-Laut
auch
also, too
Buch
book
machen
to do, to make
Nacht
night
The sound follows the vowel
When a word gets an Umlaut, the vowel moves to the front and the ch follows it. The spelling stays, the sound changes.
das Buch
the book
die Bücher
the books
die Nacht
the night
die Nächte
the nights
Two spellings to know
chs = ks
When ch and s are in the same syllable, they sound like ks, with no scrape at all.
sechs
six
der Fuchs
the fox
-ig = -ich
At the end of a word, -ig is pronounced like -ich, with the soft sound.
zwanzig
twenty
richtig
right, correct
In everyday sentences
Listen and repeat
Ich spreche ein bisschen Deutsch.
I speak a little German.
Was machst du?
What are you doing?
Das verstehe ich nicht.
I don't understand that.
Ich komme auch mit.
I'm coming along too.
Gute Nacht!
Good night!
