German · Difficult words
How to pronounce bezahlen in German
bezahlen
to pay
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
bezahlen is pronounced /bəˈtsaːlən/ in German. In bezahlen: Make a short t closure and release it straight into s, as at the end of English “cats”. 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 bezahlen
Read bezahlen in these IPA segments: bə · ˈtsaːlən. 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 joined /ts/ sound
In bezahlen: 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”.
2.An open vowel
In bezahlen: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position.
Watch out: Do not substitute the English diphthong in “day”.
3.A clear /s/
In bezahlen: Let air pass through a narrow groove near the front of the mouth. Keep the sound unvoiced.
Watch out: Do not add voicing and turn /s/ into /z/.
Hear it in context
Können wir bitte bezahlen?
Can we please pay?
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
bezahlen 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 bezahlen
How do you pronounce bezahlen?
bezahlen is pronounced /bəˈtsaːlən/ in German. In bezahlen: Make a short t closure and release it straight into s, as at the end of English “cats”. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In bezahlen: Make a short t closure and release it straight into s, as at the end of English “cats”. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
