The German alphabet uses the same 26 letters as English. While the letters look familiar, many of them sound quite different. Mastering these sounds is the first step toward speaking German clearly.

German also has four special characters that are not in the English alphabet: three vowels with umlauts (Ä, Ö, Ü) and the Eszett (ß).

The Ä/ä is the easiest umlaut. It sounds like the 'e' in "bet."

The Ö/ö has no direct English equivalent. To make the sound, say "ee" but round your lips as if you were about to say "oh."

The Ü/ü is also tricky. Try saying "ee" but purse your lips as if you're whistling. It's a sound that comes from the front of your mouth.

The ß, called Eszett or "sharp S," is pronounced like a voiceless 's', as in "snake." It typically follows a long vowel or diphthong. You'll never see it at the beginning of a word. In Switzerland, and when typing on keyboards without the character, it is often replaced with "ss".

Just like in English, some letters in German make new sounds when they're paired up. These are called diphthongs. There are also a few consonant combinations to watch out for.

Two consonant sounds, ch and r, can be challenging for English speakers.

The sound of ch changes depending on the letters that come before it. After a, o, u, or au, it's a hard, throaty sound from the back of your throat, similar to the sound in the Scottish word "loch." After any other vowel or consonant, it's a soft, airy sound made by pushing air through the top of your mouth, almost like the 'h' in "huge."

The German r is often pronounced in the back of the throat with a slight gargling sound, very different from the English 'r'. However, when it comes at the end of a syllable, it often sounds more like a short "ah".

That's a quick tour of the German alphabet and its sounds. Practice them out loud to get comfortable with the new noises.