German · Difficult words
How to pronounce beschäftigt in German
beschäftigt
Busy
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
beschäftigt is pronounced /bəˈʃɛftɪkt/ in German. In beschäftigt: Keep a narrow channel for air and use a soft “sh” sound. In clusters, connect it directly to the following consonant. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
Speak with an AI partner · 7 days free
Find the sounds in beschäftigt
Read beschäftigt in these IPA segments: bə · ˈʃɛftɪkt. Dots and stress marks identify the boundaries shown in the reference; these symbols are not English spelling. The mark /ˈ/ comes immediately before the main stressed syllable. Give that syllable a little more prominence without swallowing the others.
1.The sh sound /ʃ/
In beschäftigt: Keep a narrow channel for air and use a soft “sh” sound. In clusters, connect it directly to the following consonant.
Watch out: Do not insert an extra vowel inside a consonant cluster.
2.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In beschäftigt: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide.
Watch out: Avoid turning this vowel into English “ay”.
3.Front-vowel position
In beschäftigt: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front.
Watch out: Do not decide vowel quality from English spelling alone.
Hear it in context
Kann ich später zurückrufen? Ich bin beschäftigt.
Can I call back later? I'm busy.
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
beschäftigt 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 beschäftigt
How do you pronounce beschäftigt?
beschäftigt is pronounced /bəˈʃɛftɪkt/ in German. In beschäftigt: Keep a narrow channel for air and use a soft “sh” sound. In clusters, connect it directly to the following consonant. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In beschäftigt: Keep a narrow channel for air and use a soft “sh” sound. In clusters, connect it directly to the following consonant. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
