How to Pronounce the German ß (Eszett)
Pronounce ß as a clean, sharp s, tell ß from ss by the vowel before it, and read Swiss and all-caps spellings.
ß, called Eszett or 'scharfes S', is simply a sharp, voiceless s. It never sounds like B and never buzzes like z.
What ß really tells you is something about the vowel before it: that vowel is long.
Tap any word to hear it.
ß and ss: always a sharp s
Both spellings give the same hissing s as in 'bus'. A single s between vowels, by contrast, buzzes like z.
ß[s]
voiceless 's' as in 'bus', never 'b'
ss[s]
exactly the same sharp 's'
single s before a vowel[z]
buzzing 'z' — the sound ß never makes
buzzing z vs sharp s
only the s changes
Long vowel: ß. Short vowel: ss
The sound is identical, so the spelling signals the vowel. After a long vowel or a diphthong write ß; after a short vowel write ss.
ß after a long vowel[s]
the vowel before stays long
ß after ei, au, äu, eu[s]
a diphthong before ß
ss after a short vowel[s]
the vowel before is short and quick
short a vs long a
same root, vowel length decides
short o, then long ie
dass, Swiss spelling and capital ẞ
The 1996 spelling reform moved ß out of words with short vowels. Old books still show daß and Kuß.
- Now ss after short vowels: dass, Kuss, Schluss.
- Switzerland never uses ß: Strasse, gross, heissen — same pronunciation.
- In capitals, write SS or ẞ: STRASSE or STRAẞE.
- ß never starts a word, so lowercase ß is what you'll see.
same sound, different job
same word, same sound
Ich weiß, dass die Straße groß ist.
I know that the street is big.
Wie heißen Sie?
What's your name?
Common mistakes
✗ “Strabe”, reading ß as B
✓ [ˈʃtʁaːsə] — long a, sharp s
ß is an s-letter; it has nothing to do with B.
✗ “high-zen” with a buzzing z
✓ [ˈhaɪ̯sn̩] — voiceless hiss
Single s between vowels buzzes; ß never does.
✗ “fuss”, with a short u
✓ [fuːs] — long 'oo', like 'fooce'
ß signals a long vowel before it.
How to practise
- Read Straße, groß, Fuß, süß, stretching every vowel before ß.
- Contrast Masse – Maße five times; only the a changes length.
- Hiss through heißen, weiß, draußen with no buzz on the s.
- Contrast reisen – reißen: feel your throat buzz, then stop buzzing.
Questions learners ask
How do you pronounce ß in German?
Like a clear, voiceless s, as in 'bus'. It never sounds like B or like a buzzing z.
When do you write ß instead of ss?
Write ß after a long vowel or a diphthong (Straße, heißen) and ss after a short vowel (Klasse, muss). The s sounds the same; only the vowel before it differs.
Why doesn't Switzerland use ß?
Swiss Standard German dropped ß during the 20th century and writes ss everywhere, as in Strasse. Pronunciation doesn't change.