Schwa-Laut
Schwa Sound
The Schwa /ə/ is the most common unstressed vowel in German. It appears in: endings -e (bitte), -en (kommen), -er (Mutter → /mʊtɐ/), prefixes be- (bekommen), ge- (gemacht). It's a neutral, very short 'uh' sound. In natural speech, -en often reduces to just /n/.
Sounds
| IPA | Beispiel | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| /ə/ -e | bitte | please |
| /ən/ -en | kommen | to come |
| /ɐ/ -er | Mutter | mother |
Minimal Pairs
lebe
live (verb)
Leben
life (noun)
gehe
go (verb)
gehen
to go (infinitive)
Tips
Don't stress the Schwa — it should be quick and neutral, almost swallowed.
In natural speech, -en reduces to /n/: 'kommen' → 'kommn', 'haben' → 'habn'.
Common Mistakes
Pronouncing every -e ending as a full vowel
Related Sounds
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