How to Pronounce German W, V, J and QU
Read any word with w, v, j or qu correctly and stop saying Wasser with an English w.
Four letters that English speakers read wrong almost every time. The sounds themselves are easy; only the spelling is different.
Memorize the swap: w = v, v = f, j = y.
Tap any word to hear it.
w is always [v]
German w is the English v: top teeth on the lower lip, voice on. There is no English 'w' sound in German at all.
- Don't round your lips; bite the lower lip lightly instead.
- This includes schw and zw: schwer, zwei.
w[v]
English v: teeth on lower lip
Wo wohnt ihr?
Where do you live?
Wir trinken Wasser, keinen Wein.
We're drinking water, not wine.
v is usually [f]
In native German words, v is simply f. That covers the most common v-words, including the prefixes ver- and vor-.
- Vater, viel, vier, von: all start with f.
- ver- and vor- are always [f]: vergessen, vorne.
v in German words[f]
plain English f
prefixes ver-, vor-[f]
f, never v
v = f, w = v
different spelling, same sound
v in loanwords is [v]
Words borrowed from Latin, French or English keep a real v. You'll hear it mostly between vowels and in international words.
v in loanwords[v]
English v, as in 'vase'
j is [j], qu is [kv]
German j is the English y in 'yes'. qu is k followed by German w, so it sounds like 'kv'.
- ja sounds like 'yah', never 'jah'.
- A few French loans use a soft 'zh': Journalist.
- qu: say k, then bite your lip for v.
j[j]
English y in 'yes'
j in French loans[ʒ]
like 's' in 'measure'
qu[kv]
k + v, no English w
Ja, die Jacke ist bequem.
Yes, the jacket is comfortable.
Common mistakes
✗ English w, as in “water”
✓ [ˈvasɐ] — teeth on lip, v
German has no English w sound.
✗ “Vah-ter” with v
✓ [ˈfaːtɐ] — starts with f
In native words the letter v is f.
✗ “jah” with English j
✓ [jaː] — like 'yah'
German j is the English y sound.
✗ “kwelle” with English w
✓ [ˈkvɛlə] — k + v
The u in qu becomes a German w.
How to practise
- Say 'vee' with your teeth on your lip, then Wasser, Wein, wo.
- Drill vier – wir ten times: f, v, f, v.
- Read 'Vater, viel, vier, von, voll' with a clear f each time.
- Say 'k-v, k-v', then Quelle and bequem.
Questions learners ask
Why is W pronounced like V in German?
German spelling kept the letter w after the sound shifted to [v]. So the English v sound is spelled w.
Is Volkswagen pronounced with an f?
Yes, in German it is 'Folks-vah-gen': the v is f and the w is v.
When is v pronounced as v in German?
Mainly in loanwords like Vase, Video, Klavier and November. Native words like Vater, viel and vier use f.