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

I am looking for a German language tutor/institute (not online) who can teach A2 level in AMBALA/nearby Ambala (not in Chandigarh/Tricity) if anyone is available, then you can reply. I will contact you.
Learn German Online. A1 till C1 Levels. ONE TO ONE CLASS Spoken Fluency Guaranteed. Attend free demo lectures.
Darpan
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
Is it possible for me to learn German language myself?
No vishal.. you need a teacher who can clear your doubts and basic concepts. So it is advisable to learn it from a professional.
Vishal
0 0
6
For seeking admission in any German University upto what degree of difficulty level should I opt for?
You need to complete with atleast b1 level,but it is better to do b2
Sreeja
What is the difference between IGCSE and CBSE ?
CBSE is Central Board of Secondary Education whereas IGCSE is International General Certificate of Secondary Education. Students from any Boards can join IGCSE Board in the 9th grade whereas aspirants...
Oscar Sivale

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

Ask a Question

Related Lessons

frei Präfixe Präpositionen Deutsch Verben

Priyankush

0 0
0
Do you know the methods / types of learning?
If you dont know , then this is the time to learn which will make you a real efficient learner. There are Four different learning methods. 1. Visual 2.Auditory 3. Communicative 4. Motor learning. No...
M

Malarvizhy P.

0 0
0
Days in german
German English Der Sonntag. Sunday Der Monntag. Monday Der Dienstag. Tuesday Der Mithwoch. Wednesday Der Donnerstag. Thursday Der Freitag. Friday Der Samstag. Saturday

Kreative Language Hub

0 0
0
be Präfixe Präposition Deutsch Verben Lesson #4

Priyankush

0 0
0
Spanish Tips : Plurals
Spanish Plural Words:

Suraina J.

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 Mumbai
Learn German in Chennai
Learn German in Hyderabad
Learn German in Noida
Learn German in Jaipur
Learn German in Gurgaon
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