German · Difficult words
How to pronounce gleich in German
gleich
Same
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
gleich is pronounced /ɡlaɪ̯ç/ in German. In gleich: Raise the tongue toward the hard palate and let air flow through a narrow gap. The sound is light and unvoiced. 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 gleich
The reference transcription for gleich is /ɡlaɪ̯ç/. Read adjacent consonants together without inserting extra vowels. Listen for the vowel quality and timing in the full recording; this reference does not mark a separate main stress.
1.The ich sound /ç/
In gleich: Raise the tongue toward the hard palate and let air flow through a narrow gap. The sound is light and unvoiced.
Watch out: English sh uses a different tongue position. Do not replace /ç/ with k.
2.Front-vowel position
In gleich: 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.
3.An open vowel
In gleich: 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
Die Schuhe sind gleich groß.
The shoes are the same size.
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
gleich 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 gleich
How do you pronounce gleich?
gleich is pronounced /ɡlaɪ̯ç/ in German. In gleich: Raise the tongue toward the hard palate and let air flow through a narrow gap. The sound is light and unvoiced. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In gleich: Raise the tongue toward the hard palate and let air flow through a narrow gap. The sound is light and unvoiced. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
