Stimmhaft vs stimmlos
Voiced vs Voiceless Consonants
Voiced consonants (b, d, g) use vocal cords; voiceless (p, t, k) don't. German voiceless stops are strongly aspirated — a puff of air. Final devoicing (Auslautverhärtung) means voiced consonants become voiceless at the end of a syllable.
Sounds
| IPA | Beispiel | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| /b/ vs /p/ | Bein / Pein | leg / pain |
| /d/ vs /t/ | Dank / Tank | thanks / tank |
| /g/ vs /k/ | Gasse / Kasse | alley / register |
Minimal Pairs
backen
to bake
packen
to pack
Garten
garden
Karten
cards
Tips
Hold your hand before your mouth — with p, t, k you should feel a puff of air (aspiration).
German uses stronger aspiration than many languages — especially for p, t, k at word start.
Common Mistakes
Not aspirating p, t, k enough
Related Sounds
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