Tyler Wynn
The German language does not traditionally contain the 'th' sound as it is pronounced in English. Instead, German speakers will often substitute the 'th' sound with a 'z' sound, as in the well-known stereotype, You will give me zee location of zee plans. However, some German words do contain the letter combination 'th', and in these cases, the 'th' is pronounced as two distinct sounds: the 't' sound followed by the 'h' sound. This pronunciation is seen in loanwords like Thriller and Bluetooth, as well as in some proper names and Greek-derived words.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation of 'th' in German | Aspirated, voiced 't' sound followed by an 'h' sound |
| English loanwords in German | Pronounced with English 'th' sound, e.g. "Thriller" |
| Older German spelling | Some words used "th" instead of "t", e.g. "Thal" |
| New High German | Contains "th" spellings, absent in Middle High German |
| German accent in English | Often mimicked as pronouncing 'th' as 'z', e.g. "zee" |
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What You'll Learn
German words with 'th' instead of 't'
The German language has some words with "th" instead of "t". However, this is a matter of spelling rather than pronunciation, as the "th" in German is typically pronounced as a "t" sound followed by an "h" sound. For example, the German word "Theater" is pronounced with a voiced "t" sound and a following "h" sound, as in "Thomas" in English.
Historically, German had the sound /θ/ represented by the letter "þ", which disappeared from the language. As a result, the distinction between /θ/ and /t/ was lost, leading to uncertainty about whether to write certain words with "th" or "t". This resulted in variations in spelling, with some words, like "Thal" (originally pronounced with a "/d/" sound, as in the English word "dale"), being written with "th", while others, like "denken", were written with "t".
In 1901, an orthography reform standardized the spelling, replacing "th" with "t" in words like "Thal", which became "Tal", and "Thier", which became "Tier". Today, "th" is mostly found in proper names, such as "Goethe", and Greek-derived loanwords, such as "Thron".
When it comes to loanwords from English, like "thriller", there is variation in pronunciation among Germans. Younger people tend to pronounce them the English way, while older individuals often substitute the "th" sound with an "s", "f", or "t" sound due to difficulty in producing the "th" sound.
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Pronouncing 'th' in German
The "th" sound does not exist in German. While some German words contain "th", such as "Theater", the sound is simply that of a “t” followed by an “h” sound—unlike the English "th" sound.
Some German speakers may pronounce the "th" sound in loanwords, such as "Thriller", in the English way. However, many Germans, particularly older speakers, are unable to produce the English "th" sound, so substituting a "t" sound is perfectly acceptable.
The use of "th" in German words like "Thal" and "Thier" is a result of orthography. German once distinguished between the sounds /θ/ and /t/, but the sound /θ/ disappeared from the language. This left some uncertainty about the spelling of certain words, with "th" appearing in some words that were originally pronounced with a /d/ sound, like "Thal". In 1901, orthography reforms removed this distinction, replacing "th" with "t" in words like "denken". Today, "th" only survives in proper names, like "Goethe", and Greek-derived loanwords, like "Thron".
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German loanwords with 'th'
The German language does have words with the "th" sound, but they are typically loanwords from Greek or English. German words of Greek origin with a "th" include "ethisch", "Thema", and "Thron". English loanwords with "th" are less common but include "Thriller".
In German, the "th" sound is pronounced as it is written: aspirated. The "t" sound is voiced, followed by an "h" sound. This is distinct from the English "th" sound, which is pronounced differently depending on whether it is voiced or unvoiced.
In High German, the "t" sound traces back to the "d" sound in Proto-Germanic. The "th" digraph in German may have originated from Old High German fricatives, which set a precedent for loanwords. However, some speculate that the use of "th" in German words may have been an orthographic fluke.
German pronunciation can be challenging for English speakers due to differences in vowel sounds and consonant combinations. Vowels in German can be pronounced as either “long” or “short," which affects the stress and duration of the vowel sound. Consonant combinations like "ch" can vary in pronunciation across different regions, sometimes sounding like "ck" or "sh."
While German has borrowed some English loanwords with "th", it is important to note that the pronunciation of these loanwords may be adapted to fit the German phonetic system. For example, younger Germans may pronounce "Thriller" the English way, while older Germans may substitute a different sound due to difficulty producing the English "th" sound.
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German words with 'th' in older spelling
The German language does have a "th" sound, but it is not common and is mostly found in loanwords from English like "thriller" or "Bluetooth". While some Germans, particularly younger folks, may pronounce these loanwords with the English "th" sound, many older Germans substitute it with a "t" or "sr", "sw" or "tr" sound, as in "sriller", "swiller", or "triller".
Historically, the German language used an older spelling where the letter "t" was sometimes written as "th" in certain words like "Thun", "Thal", and "Thier". This older spelling may have served to distinguish aspiration or as a vowel length marker, as in the words "Thal/Tal", "Zahl", and "Pfahl". However, this usage of "th" was eventually phased out in German orthography. By the time of the 1901 Orthography Conference, the "'h' after the 't' was dropped, and words began to be spelled with just a "t".
Today, the German letter "t" is typically pronounced as an aspirated "t", similar to the English pronunciation. For example, the German word "Tür" was previously written as "Thür" until around 1900, but both spellings are pronounced with an aspirated "t" sound. This aspirated "t" sound is common across German words, while an unaspirated "t" (closer to "d") is not typically found in German.
In summary, while German does have a "th" sound, it is mainly limited to loanwords from English. Historically, German orthography employed "th" in certain words, but this spelling has been replaced by "t", which is consistently pronounced as an aspirated "t" in German.
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German 'th' in comparison to English 'th'
The "th" sound in German is distinct from the "th" sound in English. In German, "th" is pronounced as a t sound followed by an h sound. For example, the German word "Theater" is pronounced with a t sound, not a "th" sound as in English.
In German, the "th" sound is not a common sound, and it is often substituted with a t or d sound in everyday speech. Some German speakers may pronounce the "th" sound as a z sound, as in "zee", but this is not accurate. This pronunciation is a stereotype often used by native English speakers to mimic a German accent.
In German orthography, the use of "th" and "t" has varied over time. In older German spelling, some words were written with "th" instead of "t", such as "Thal" or "Thier". However, this distinction was lost, and in 1901, orthography reforms replaced "th" with "t" in many words. Today, "th" survives mainly in proper names and Greek-derived loanwords.
In English, the "th" sound is more common and has two main pronunciations: the voiced "th" sound, as in "the", and the unvoiced "th" sound, as in "thing". English words of German origin with "th", such as "Thriller", are usually pronounced with the English "th" sound.
Overall, while German does have a "th" sound, it is distinct from the English "th" sound and is not as prevalent in the language. German speakers may substitute the "th" sound with a t or d sound, and the use of "th" in German orthography has evolved over time.
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Frequently asked questions
German does not have a 'th' sound as English speakers may assume when mimicking a German accent. The 'th' sound in German is pronounced as a t or aspirated, with the t sound voiced followed by an h sound.
Loanwords like "thriller" are pronounced with the 'th' sound as in English.
Some German words have 'th' instead of 't' due to the orthographic distinction between /θ/ and /t/. However, this distinction was lost, and the 1901 orthography reform replaced 'th' with 't' in words like 'Thier', which became 'Tier'. Now, 'th' only survives in proper names and Greek-derived loanwords.
