German · Food & drink
How to pronounce Messer in German
Messer
Knife
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
Messer is pronounced /ˈmɛsɐ/ in German. In Messer: Let the ending relax into a short central vowel. The IPA /ɐ/ represents a vowel, rather than a strongly pronounced consonant r. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in Messer
The reference transcription for Messer is /ˈmɛsɐ/. 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 reduced r vowel /ɐ/
In Messer: Let the ending relax into a short central vowel. The IPA /ɐ/ represents a vowel, rather than a strongly pronounced consonant r.
Watch out: Avoid adding a full English “er” with a curled tongue.
2.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In Messer: 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”.
3.A clear /s/
In Messer: 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
Vorsicht, das Messer ist sehr scharf.
Careful, the knife is very sharp.
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
Messer 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 Messer
How do you pronounce Messer?
Messer is pronounced /ˈmɛsɐ/ in German. In Messer: Let the ending relax into a short central vowel. The IPA /ɐ/ represents a vowel, rather than a strongly pronounced consonant r. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In Messer: Let the ending relax into a short central vowel. The IPA /ɐ/ represents a vowel, rather than a strongly pronounced consonant r. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
