Master The German Alphabet: Comprehensive Pronunciation Guide A to ß and Ü

The German alphabet, known as the Deutsche Alphabet, is fundamentally similar to the Latin alphabet used in English.It consists of 26 standard letters, just like in English, but with the addition of a few special characters, including umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and the Eszett (ß). To fully understand its structure and usage, it’s helpful to explore both its historical and linguistic background.

Historically, the German script has evolved from the Latin alphabet, which was introduced to the Germanic tribes by the Romans. Before the widespread adoption of the Latin script, early Germanic languages used runic alphabets, such as the Elder Futhark. The transition to the Latin alphabet began around the 8th century with the spread of Christianity, which brought Latin as the liturgical language.