German · Difficult words
How to pronounce fünfzehn in German
fünfzehn
Fifteen
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
fünfzehn is pronounced /ˈfʏnft͡seːn/ in German. In fünfzehn: Round the lips while keeping the tongue forward. Hear the difference between the closer /y, ø/ and the more open /ʏ, œ/. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in fünfzehn
The reference transcription for fünfzehn is /ˈfʏnft͡seːn/. 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.Rounded front vowels
In fünfzehn: Round the lips while keeping the tongue forward. Hear the difference between the closer /y, ø/ and the more open /ʏ, œ/.
Watch out: Replacing these with English “oo” or “oh” loses the front-vowel quality.
2.The joined /ts/ sound
In fünfzehn: 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”.
3.A steady /e/ vowel
In fünfzehn: Keep the tongue toward the front and sustain a single /e/ vowel. Listen for its exact height in the recording.
Watch out: English “ay” often ends with a glide; do not automatically carry that glide into this vowel.
Hear it in context
Der Unterricht endet um fünfzehn Uhr.
Class ends at 15:00.
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
fünfzehn 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 fünfzehn
How do you pronounce fünfzehn?
fünfzehn is pronounced /ˈfʏnft͡seːn/ in German. In fünfzehn: Round the lips while keeping the tongue forward. Hear the difference between the closer /y, ø/ and the more open /ʏ, œ/. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In fünfzehn: Round the lips while keeping the tongue forward. Hear the difference between the closer /y, ø/ and the more open /ʏ, œ/. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
