Hayford Amedji-dela Anyidoho

1. Capital Letters in German

One distinct feature of German spelling is the mandatory use of capital letters for all nouns, whether they occur at the beginning, middle, or end of a sentence. Unlike English, where capitalization is reserved for proper nouns and the pronoun “I,” German capitalizes every noun.

Examples:

Der Mann und die Frau arbeiten jeden Tag am Computer.
The man and the woman work at their computer every day.

This practice emphasizes the importance of nouns in German sentences. However, personal pronouns differ: ich (I) is not capitalized, whereas Sie (you, formal) always is.

2. Unique Characters in the German Alphabet

German includes specific characters not found in English. These influence pronunciation and meaning, making them essential for learners.

a) The Sharp ‘S’ (ß)

The letter ß, or Eszett, is pronounced as the English “s” in “sun” or “basic.” It appears after vowels that are pronounced long, such as ei, ie, and after a, o, u when they are long.

Examples:

heißen (to be called)

Straße (street)

groß (big)

b) Umlauts (ä, ö, ü)

Umlauts are critical for both pronunciation and meaning. Adding an umlaut to a vowel can completely change a word’s definition.

Examples:

Mutter (mother) → Mütter (mothers)

musste (had to) → müsste (should/ought to)

Key Learning Points for German Learners:

1. Always capitalize nouns, regardless of their position in the sentence.

2. Recognize the unique letters ß and umlauts (ä, ö, ü) and understand their impact on pronunciation and meaning.

3. Practice common examples to reinforce these differences and internalize the rules.

By mastering these fundamental spelling rules and unique characters, learners can significantly improve their understanding and communication in German.