Do any speakers of standard German pronounce Ä differently than E, and in which linguistic contexts and/or regional locations/dialects?

Asked by Last Modified  

1 Answer

Follow 5
Answer

Please enter your answer

German has a wide range of variation when it comes to dialect. There are 16 Federal States and 3 city-states in Germany, and almost everywhere, one can find a slight variation in the dialect. So, some of the German may pronounce Ä differently than E. Below is a comment made by a linguistic expert...
read more
German has a wide range of variation when it comes to dialect. There are 16 Federal States and 3 city-states in Germany, and almost everywhere, one can find a slight variation in the dialect. So, some of the German may pronounce Ä differently than E. Below is a comment made by a linguistic expert on a website: “In standard pronunciation, short "ä" is [ɛ], and short "e" is [ə], [ɛ], or [e], where the last one occurs in foreign words ("Methode" [meˈtoːdə]) but rarely in native ones ("lebendig" [leˈbɛndɪk]). That means that most of the time, there is no audible difference between short "ä" and "e". For instance, the vowels in "nässer" and "besser" are the same, namely [ɛ].” “Long "ä" is [ɛː], long "e" is usually [eː], so the long vowels are clearly distinguished. “Dialects often differ. Many North Germans, for instance, will consistently replace [ɛː] by [eː], and if I remember correctly, there are South German dialects that make a difference between short "ä" and "e". “For non-native speakers: Replacing short [e] by [ɛ] is unproblematic. Short [e] is rare, there is no risk of semantic ambiguities, and many people will simply not notice it. Replacing long [ɛː] by [eː] or vice versa can lead to semantic ambiguities ("ich sehe/ich sähe"). It will be noticed and it's considered as a mistake, but it's a mistake that is also common among native speakers, so I think that you will be understood.” read less
Comments
Dislike Bookmark

Related Questions

How much time does it take to speak german language fluently?
(if you want to speak, discuss and understand) A1 can never be less than 60 hours. Its minimum. If exam preparation is included, it reaches upto 100 hours. If culture is included it is 120 hours. A2 will...
Mohsen

Wat is the best app to learn German language 
You can download Deutsche welle , Duolingo and learn German with Anja -these three will be helpful for initial and further levels.
Mayur

One hours 700.
Yes, I am interested.
Gagan
0 0
9
What is difficult to master in German language?
Articles n cases need more practice bt nothin is difficult as such.
Sunita
I am looking out for language teacher (German). However, I am confused about how much should I expect to spend on tuitions. Also, how much training time is sufficient for a teacher to teach me Level A1. (For ex. Rs. 6000/3 months.etc) I understand, I need to practice as well in order to pass the course. But would appreciate a general info. From those who have done this in past.
I would never suggest you to join a tutor who is ready to teach u A1 or B1 in 6000 rupees. Reputed institute like Goethe is not a fool, which is charging high fees for all levels because this is very extensive...
Nikhil

Now ask question in any of the 1000+ Categories, and get Answers from Tutors and Trainers on UrbanPro.com

Ask a Question

Related Lessons

Present Continuous Tense auf Deutsch

Priyankush

0 0
0
Feelings Or Moods
Happy Mood: Prima! - Great. Ausgezeichnet! - Excellent. Sad Mood: Nicht besonder! - Not great. Very sad Mood: furchtbar - Terrible.
D

Deleted U.

0 0
0
the house
Das Haus. House Das Dach. Roof Der kamin. Chimney Die Terrasse. Terrace Der Balkon. Balcony Der Garten. Garden Die Garage. Garage Das Fenster. Window Die...

Kreative Language Hub

0 0
0
German Learning Tip - Practice Speaking
The only way to learn to speak a language, is by actually SPEAKING. You can study for years, and master all of the grammar rules, but unless you actually practice speaking, you will never speak well. When...

Anjali

0 0
0
Articles in German
There are basically there Articles in German: Definite article: the Der Die Das Indefinite Article: a/an ein Eine Ein Example: This is a book Das ist ein Buch. Das means also this/ that.

Aditya Sharma

0 0
0

Recommended Articles

Career as a Language Translator

In today’s era of globalization, English as the primary official language has lost much of its sheen. Regional languages are much in demand and with countries like China, Japan and Korea making their presence felt in the international scenario, the career prospects for a Language Translator have increased multifold. Translation...

Read full article >

Job Prospects for German Language Learners

Due to globalization of the Indian economy, the demand for learning foreign languages is on the rise. ITES (Information Technology Enabled Service) and Outsourcing have brought a lot of job opportunities paving the way for the learning foreign languages. German is the native language of more than 100 million people in...

Read full article >

Learning foreign language in India

If you think English is enough to communicate with anybody in this world, you are sadly misinformed. Statistically the highest spoken foreign language in the world is Chinese with 20.7%, followed by English at 6.2%. That means that 93.8% of people do not speak English. This makes it necessary to learn another foreign language...

Read full article >

Career Benefits of Learning Foreign Languages

Bilingual candidates are high in demand in multinational corporations around the world. Today, we live in a fast-paced life where business dynamics are changing every day. So organisations need people who have the right language skills and trending technical knowledge to meet and solve business requirements. Candidates...

Read full article >

Find Learn German near you
Learn German in Delhi
Learn German in Bangalore
Learn German in Pune
Learn German in Chennai
Learn German in Mumbai
Learn German in Hyderabad
Learn German in Noida
Learn German in Gurgaon
Learn German in Kolkata
Learn German in Faridabad
Online German Language Classes

Looking for German Language Classes?

Learn from the Best Tutors on UrbanPro

Are you a Tutor or Training Institute?

Join UrbanPro Today to find students near you