The Letter "U" in German In Standard German

"U" is the twenty-first letter of the German alphabet. It is a vowel and is one of the important and frequently used letters in German.

Uppercase Form	U
Lowercase Form	u
Name	u
Common Sounds	/uː/, /ʊ/, /u/

Pronouncing "U"

The sound of "u" changes based on the letters around it, whether it carries the word stress, and whether the word is originally German or borrowed.

"U" as /uː/

Say "u" long when it is at the end of a word, when the word changes to add a vowel in other forms, before another vowel, or in the prefix "ur-". Some words with "st" or "tsch" also keep a long "u".

Example

du → /duː/

you (sing.)

Blut → /bluːt/

blood

Ursache → /ˈuːɐ̯zaxə/

cause

Dusche → /ˈduːʃə/

shower

"U" as /ʊ/

Say "u" short and relaxed when it is followed by two or more consonants that stay together in all forms of the word. The negative prefix "un-" always has this short sound.

Example

Buchstabe → /ˈbʊxʃtaːbə/

letter

unglücklich → /ˈʊnɡlʏklɪç/

unhappy

"U" and Vowel Length

The difference between a long /uː/ and a short /ʊ/ can change the meaning of a word.

Example

Buße → /ˈbuːsə/

penance

Busse → /ˈbʊsə/

buses

"U" in Letter Combination

"U" combines with other letters to form fixed sounds in German.

"uh"

An "u" with an "h" after it guarantees a long /uː/, no matter what follows.

Example

Schuh → /ʃuː/

shoe

"ui"

The group "ui" is rare and sounds like /ʊɪ/, as in expressions of surprise or disgust.

Example

pfui → /pfʊɪ/

ugh

"U" and "Ü"

It is very important to hear and say the difference between "u" and "ü". The two dots change the vowel sound completely and often mark a plural form or a different word.