Rhythmus & Silben
Rhythm & Syllables
German is stress-timed: stressed syllables are longer and louder, unstressed syllables are reduced (often to Schwa). This creates a rhythmic pattern different from syllable-timed languages like French. Compound words have primary stress on the first element and secondary stress on the second.
Sounds
| IPA | Beispiel | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| Stress-timed | ARbeiten | to work |
| Compound | HAUSaufgabe | homework |
| Reduction | heute /hɔʏtə/ | today |
Minimal Pairs
überSETZen
to translate
ÜBERsetzen
to ferry across
Tips
Exaggerate the difference between stressed and unstressed syllables. German needs contrast!
Clap the rhythm of sentences to feel the stress-timed pattern.
Common Mistakes
Giving equal stress to all syllables
Related Sounds
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