The German Consonant 'k'
The German consonant 'k' is most often pronounced in the same way as the final letter of the English word 'cook'. The /k/ phoneme is a velar plosive, which means that it is articulated in the soft palate or velum towards the back of the vocal tract. The closure is thus formed further back in the oral passage than with other consonants. Unlike the phoneme /g/, the vocal cords do not vibrate as the consonant is articulated, which makes /k/ a 'voiceless' consonant.
Click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear a native speaker say six German words all beginning with the letter 'k'. The words themselves are given in the box below along with an English translation:
Sounds 1: 'k' in initial position |
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kalt
(cold) |
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Kaffee
(coffee) |
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Kino
(common) |
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kommen
(to come) |
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Kuchen
(cake) |
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kein
(not a, none) |
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Now click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear four German words in which the letter 'k' appears as the first letter in a consonant cluster at the beginning of a word. The words themselves are supplied in the box below along with an English translation:
Sounds 1: 'k' + consonant in initial position |
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klein
(small) |
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klasse!
(great!) |
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krank
(ill) |
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Krieg
(war) |
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Next, click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear four German words in which the letter 'k' appears in medial position. The words themselves are given in the box below along with their English translation:
Sounds 3: 'k' in medial position |
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Theke
(bar; counter) |
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Paket
(packet) |
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Socke
(sock) |
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lecker
(tasty) |
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Now click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear a native speaker pronounce four German words in which the letter 'k' appears at the end of a word. The words themselves are supplied in the box below along with an English translation. Note how the letters 'k' and 'g' are pronounced in the same way, i.e. as the phoneme /k/, when they appear at the end of a word.
Sounds 3: 'k' in final position |
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Streik
(strike) |
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Kuckuck
(cuckoo) |
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Rock
(skirt; rock music) |
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Glück
(happiness) |
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How to pronounce German 'k' in consonant clusters
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