German (Deutsch) is a West Germanic language primarily spoken in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg, and parts of Belgium and Italy. It belongs to the Indo-European language family and is closely related to English, Dutch, and the Scandinavian languages.
Today, German is spoken by approximately 95 million native speakers and about 130 million total speakers worldwide. It is the most widely spoken native language in the European Union and serves as an official language in several countries.
The German alphabet has 30 letters – 5 basic vowels, 3 umlaut letters (ä, ö, ü), 1 Eszett (ß), and 21 consonants. German uses the same basic Latin script as English but includes special characters that are essential for proper German spelling and pronunciation.
Below is the breakdown of all letters and characters used in German.
German Vowel Letters
The German alphabet has 5 basic vowel letters: a, e, i, o, u. These vowels form the foundation of German pronunciation and are essential in forming syllables and words.
German Vowels (Lowercase)
German Vowels (Uppercase)
German Umlaut Letters
German has 3 umlaut letters: ä, ö, ü (and their uppercase forms Ä, Ö, Ü). These letters are crucial for proper German pronunciation and spelling, representing sounds that don't exist in English.
German Umlaut Letters (Lowercase)
German Umlaut Letters (Uppercase)
German Eszett (ß)
The Eszett (ß) is a unique German letter representing the "ss" sound. It is used in specific contexts and has both lowercase (ß) and uppercase (ẞ) forms.
The Eszett is an essential part of German orthography and cannot be simply replaced with "ss" in all cases.
German Consonant Letters
German has 21 consonant letters. These consonants work with vowels and umlauts to form the rich sound system of German.
German consonants include some sounds that are challenging for English speakers, such as the "ch" and "r" sounds.
German Consonants (Lowercase)
German Consonants (Uppercase)
Special Characters in German
German writing uses punctuation marks and symbols including period (.), comma (,), question mark (?), exclamation (!), and German-specific quotation marks („ ") and (« »).
These characters help structure German text and provide clarity in written communication.
Digits in German
German uses the standard Arabic numerals 0–9, but with German number names: null, eins, zwei, drei, vier, fünf, sechs, sieben, acht, neun.
Note that German uses comma (,) as the decimal separator instead of period (.).
Frequently Asked Questions
How many letters are in German?
The German alphabet has 30 letters: 5 basic vowels (a, e, i, o, u), 3 umlaut letters (ä, ö, ü), 1 Eszett (ß), and 21 consonants.
What are German umlauts?
German umlauts are ä, ö, and ü. They represent specific vowel sounds and are essential for proper German pronunciation and spelling. Each umlaut can also appear in uppercase form: Ä, Ö, Ü.
Where is German spoken?
German is the official language of Germany, Austria, and one of the official languages of Switzerland. It is also spoken in Luxembourg, parts of Belgium and Italy, and by German communities worldwide.
How many people speak German?
German is spoken by approximately 95 million native speakers and about 130 million total speakers worldwide, making it the most widely spoken native language in the European Union.
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