Go to the homepage of our German Course The German Consonant 'r' University of Portsmouth
German vocalic 'r' Includes sound files!

Click here to listen to the soundsThe German vocalic 'r' is so-called because it is pronounced as a vowel, not a consonant. Sometimes referred to as a 'dark schwa', vocalic 'r' is articulated with the tongue slightly lower and further back in the vowel area than the 'schwa' sound heard at the end of such German words as 'Liebe', 'Katze' and 'Ratte'.

Vocalic 'r' can only be used in certain specific situations which are outlined below. Its most common usage is in unstressed "-er" syllables at the end of German words. Click either here or on the sound icon on the left to hear four German words ending in a vocalic 'r'. The words are listed in the box below along with their English translation.

Bruder
(brother)
   Schwester
(sister)
Mutter
(mother)
   Vater
(father)


Click here to listen to the soundsThe vocalic 'r' is also used in the final position in a word when the 'r' follows a long vowel. Click either here or on the sound icon on the left to listen to the following six words, all of which end with a vocalic 'r' after a long vowel. The words themselves are provided in the box below along with their English translation:

Tor
(gate; goal)
   Uhr
(clock)
mehr
(more)
   vier
(four)
Bier
(beer)
   Chor
(chorus)


Click here to listen to the soundsVocalic 'r' is also heard when the letter 'r' follows a long vowel but precedes another consonant. Click here or on the sound icon to listen to the following four words in which vocalic 'r' occurs before a following consonant.

Pferd
(horse)
   Herd
(cooker)
spürte
(felt)
   führte
(led)


Click here to listen to the soundsYou will also hear vocalic 'r' in the unstressed German prefixes er-, ver-, zer- and her-. Click here or on the sound icon to listen to the vocalic 'r' in four words containing these prefixes.

erlauben
(to allow)
   vergessen
(to forget)
zerstören
(to destroy)
   hereinkommen
(to come in)



Distinguishing between vocalic 'r' and consonantal 'r' Includes sound files!

Click here to listen to the soundsIn the following pairs of words, the first word contains a vocalic 'r' in final position. The second word in each pair however contains a consonantal 'r'. Click either here or on the sound icon to note the distinction between the sounds that are made in each pair of words.

jünger
(younger)
   die jüngere
(the younger one)
Meer
(sea)
   Meere
(seas)
clever
(clever)
   der clevere
(the clever one)


Click here to listen to the soundsFinally, click here or on the sound icon to listen to these words in which vocalic 'r' and consonantal 'r' occur within the same word. Note in particular how adding an '-in' suffix can change the articulation of what was previously a vocalic 'r' sound.

Frankfurter
(Frankfurter sausage)
   Bruder
(brother)
Lehrer
(male teacher)
   Lehrerin
(female teacher)
Reporter
(male reporter)
   Reporterin
(female reporter)


Weiter! How to pronounce the German consonant 's'


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