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The German Consonant 'b' Includes sound files!

When the German consonant 'b' appears either at the start or in the middle of a word, it is pronounced in a similar way to its English equivalent. In both languages, the sound is a bilabial plosive, i.e. in order to make the 'b' sound, both lips must be placed together. The airstream is then stopped as it passes through the vocal tract, causing a minor explosion when it is released.

Click here to listen to the soundsClick either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear a native speaker pronounce a number of German words beginning with the letter 'b'. The words themselves are given in the box below along with an English translation:

Baum
(tree)
   Bank
(bank)
Berg
(mountain)
   Bier
(beer)
Boot
(boat)
   Buch
(book)


Click here to listen to the soundsNow click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear a native speaker pronounce a number of German words in which the letter 'b' appears in the middle. The words themselves are supplied in the box below along with an English translation:

Liebe
(love)
   Baby
(baby)
Robben
(seals)
   glauben
(to believe)


Click here to listen to the soundsBut when the German consonant 'b' appears at the end of a word it is pronounced as a /p/. Click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear a native speaker pronounce a number of German words in which the letter 'b' appears at the end of a word, and note how the sound has changed. The words themselves are supplied in the box below along with an English translation:

Lob
(praise)
   taub
(deaf)
gab
(gave)
   Kalb
(calf)

This change in sound at the end of the word is not as surprising as it may seem. The /b/ and /p/ phonemes are both bilabial plosives and only differ in that you use your vocal cords to form the sound /b/, i.e. it is 'voiced', whereas we do not use our vocal cords to make the /p/ sound i.e. we call it 'voiceless'. To put this to the test:

  • Put your fingers lightly on your throat such that they rest on your voice box.
  • Say the German word Bein (= leg) and feel how your vocal cords vibrate as you form the initial sound.
  • Now say the German word Pein (= agony). Note that there is no vibration in your vocal cords this time.


Click here to listen to the soundsTo help you distinguish between the /b/ and /p/ sounds that the letter 'b' can make depending on its position in the word, listen to the following pairs of words. In the first word of each pair, 'b' will be pronounced /b/ as it appears in the middle of the word. In the second word in each pair, the letter 'b' appears at the end of a word, and is therefore pronounced as a /p/. Click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear these pairs of words which you can read in the box below:

lieben
(to love)
   lieb
(kind)
rauben
(to rob)
   Raub
(robbery)
Diebe
(thieves)
   Dieb
(thief)
Diebstahl
(theft)
   gelb
(yellow)


Weiter! How to pronounce German 'ch'


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