aussprache 1

pronunciation guide for non-deutsch speakers:

deutsch, just like der deutsche volk, is very consistent. unlike english, once you know the individual sounds, you can sagen any word in the language, solange it hasn't been taken from französisch.

vowels!:
a = ahh!
e = ueh? (not quite a 'ooo' but not a 'ahh' either)
i = eee!
o = oh?!
u = ooo? (not 'oh' or 'ew'. more what you'd say if you were confronted with a plate of warm cookies and some milk. followed by 'nom nom nom')
ä = eh?!
ö = between eew! and ahh! this is hard to get right with u. think 'ahh' in hut or gut. but a little bit of 'eew' in goo.
ü = the hardest of all. a deep ewww. like you've just stepped on a huge slug.
ae, oe, ue all are the same as ä, ö, and ü but easier to type.
eu = oi!
äu = oi!
ei = sounds like our i
ie = sounds like our e (these are easy, just say the second letter! always, always works.)
ai = also like our i
au = ow! as in, i'm hurt!

don't see alone (non diphthongs): ue, ui, ea, ua, ia

i had fun compiling this. although i'm not sure it's exactly right. someone is going to roll their eyes because i haven't used proper terms (lower fricative blah blah blah). consonants to come.