German · Difficult words
How to pronounce Erkältung in German
Erkältung
Cold (illness)
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
Erkältung is pronounced /ɛrˈkɛltʊŋ/ in German. In Erkältung: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in Erkältung
Read Erkältung in these IPA segments: ɛr · ˈkɛltʊŋ. 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 open /ɛ/ vowel
In Erkältung: 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”.
2.Back rounded vowels
In Erkältung: 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/.
Hear it in context
Ich bleibe heute wegen einer Erkältung zu Hause.
I'm staying home today because of a cold.
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
Erkältung 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 Erkältung
How do you pronounce Erkältung?
Erkältung is pronounced /ɛrˈkɛltʊŋ/ in German. In Erkältung: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In Erkältung: Keep the vowel open, like the vowel in many pronunciations of English “bed”, without a final glide. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
