Z und TS
Z and TS Sound
German Z is ALWAYS /ts/ — never the English 'z' buzz. Same as 'ts' in 'cats'. Also appears as -tz- (Katze) and -tion (Nation = /natsi̯oːn/). Even 'Zoo' = /tsoː/, not English 'zoo'.
Sounds
| IPA | Beispiel | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| /ts/ initial | Zeit | time |
| /ts/ middle | Herz | heart |
| /tsi̯oːn/ | -tion: Nation | nation |
Minimal Pairs
Zoo /tsoː/
zoo
zu /tsuː/
to
Zug /tsuːk/
train
Zahn /tsaːn/
tooth
Tips
Every time you see Z, think 'ts'. Zug = Tsug, Zeit = Tsait, zusammen = tsuzammen.
-tion in German is always /tsi̯oːn/, never 'shun' like in English.
Common Mistakes
Pronouncing Z as English /z/
Related Sounds
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