The alphabet & spelling
In the Goethe A1 speaking exam you must spell a word — usually your name or city. The magic phrases:
- Wie schreibt man das? — How do you write that?
- Buchstabieren Sie bitte. — Please spell it.
The table gives every letter’s name the way Germans say it. For an email address: @ is at and the dot is Punkt.
Practice your own name out loud until it’s automatic.
| Buchstabe | Name | sounds like |
|---|---|---|
| A | ah | ah |
| B | beh | bay |
| C | tseh | tsay |
| D | deh | day |
| E | eh | ay |
| F | eff | eff |
| G | geh | gay |
| H | hah | hah |
| I | ih | ee |
| J | jott | yot |
| K | kah | kah |
| L | ell | el |
| M | emm | em |
| N | enn | en |
| O | oh | oh |
| P | peh | pay |
| Q | kuh | koo |
| R | err | air |
| S | ess | ess |
| T | teh | tay |
| U | uh | oo |
| V | fau | fow (as in cow) |
| W | weh | vay |
| X | ix | iks |
| Y | Ypsilon | üpsilon |
| Z | zett | tset |
Tip
Traps for English speakers: E sounds like English A and I like English E; V is "fau" and W is "weh"; Y is called Ypsilon and sounds like "üpsilon".