German · Difficult words
How to pronounce brauchen in German
brauchen
to need
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
brauchen is pronounced /ˈbʁaʊ̯xən/ in German. In brauchen: Keep the back of the tongue near the soft palate and release a stream of air, as in Scottish “loch”. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in brauchen
The reference transcription for brauchen is /ˈbʁaʊ̯xən/. 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 back ch sound /x/
In brauchen: 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.
2.Back rounded vowels
In brauchen: Round your lips and keep the tongue toward the back. Follow the closer /u/ or more relaxed /ʊ/ quality written in the IPA.
Watch out: Avoid inserting a y sound before the vowel unless the IPA includes /j/.
3.An open vowel
In brauchen: 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”.
Hear it in context
Wir brauchen Milch und Eier.
We need milk and eggs.
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
brauchen 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 brauchen
How do you pronounce brauchen?
brauchen is pronounced /ˈbʁaʊ̯xən/ in German. In brauchen: Keep the back of the tongue near the soft palate and release a stream of air, as in Scottish “loch”. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In brauchen: Keep the back of the tongue near the soft palate and release a stream of air, as in Scottish “loch”. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
