German · Difficult words
How to pronounce achtzig in German
achtzig
Eighty
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
achtzig is pronounced /ˈʔaxt͡sɪç/ in German. In achtzig: Raise the tongue toward the hard palate and let air flow through a narrow gap. The sound is light and unvoiced. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in achtzig
The reference transcription for achtzig is /ˈʔaxt͡sɪç/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. The mark /ˈ/ comes immediately before the main stressed syllable. Give that syllable a little more prominence without swallowing the others.
1.The ich sound /ç/
In achtzig: Raise the tongue toward the hard palate and let air flow through a narrow gap. The sound is light and unvoiced.
Watch out: English sh uses a different tongue position. Do not replace /ç/ with k.
2.The back ch sound /x/
In achtzig: Keep the back of the tongue near the soft palate and release a stream of air, as in Scottish “loch”.
Watch out: Do not close the airflow completely as you would for k.
3.The joined /ts/ sound
In achtzig: Make a short t closure and release it straight into s, as at the end of English “cats”.
Watch out: Do not read German z as the voiced z in English “zoo”.
Hear it in context
Uroma wird im Sommer achtzig.
Great-grandma turns eighty in the summer.
Listen once, say it aloud, then replay at 1.00×. Keep the word connected to the surrounding sentence rather than giving every syllable equal weight.
Pronunciation and variety
achtzig is presented using Standard German. Regional accents and connected speech can change details. The isolated word and the example let you compare the dictionary form with a short spoken context.
The English-style respelling is approximate. Use the IPA and recording together for vowel quality and consonants that do not have an exact English equivalent.
Meaning and everyday use
Questions about achtzig
How do you pronounce achtzig?
achtzig is pronounced /ˈʔaxt͡sɪç/ in German. In achtzig: Raise the tongue toward the hard palate and let air flow through a narrow gap. The sound is light and unvoiced. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In achtzig: Raise the tongue toward the hard palate and let air flow through a narrow gap. The sound is light and unvoiced. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
