German and English are close cousins, which makes the differences sneaky: the sounds that differ are few, but they sit in very common words. The two big stories are the th pair, and the end of the word — German devoices final consonants by rule, English keeps them buzzing.
And then there is w: German w is the English v, so English needs the lips to learn a rounding German reserves for u.
German w is v. English w wants no teeth at all — both lips round into a small circle and glide, as in Wasser said through a kiss.
Hear the pair side by side →The overcorrection that follows: once w clicks, very can turn into wery. If the word is spelled with v, the teeth do touch the lip.
Hear the pair side by side →No German word needs θ, so think slides toward sink. Tongue tip between the teeth, air over it, no voice.
Hear the pair side by side →The voiced th of this buzzes between the teeth — same buzz as German s in Sonne, new address.
Hear the pair side by side →Auslautverhärtung: German turns final d into t (Rad, Rat — same sound). English keeps them apart — bed ends with the voice still on.
Hear the pair side by side →Same rule, same fix: English eyes ends in a buzz, ice in a hiss, and the buzz has to survive the end of the word.
Hear the pair side by side →And again with g: English dog ends voiced — the throat keeps humming through the final consonant.
Hear the pair side by side →Apple's vowel is opener than ä — the jaw drops further than German front vowels go.
Hear the pair side by side →Which of these are actually yours? That is the part no list can know.
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