German · Difficult words
How to pronounce nie in German
nie
Never
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
nie is pronounced /niː/ in German. In nie: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in nie
The reference transcription for nie is /niː/. 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.Front-vowel position
In nie: 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.
Hear it in context
Ich esse nie Koriander.
I never eat cilantro.
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
nie 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 nie
How do you pronounce nie?
nie is pronounced /niː/ in German. In nie: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In nie: Listen for the distinction between the closer /i/ and the more relaxed /ɪ/ when shown. Keep your tongue toward the front. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
