German · Difficult words
How to pronounce schlecht in German
schlecht
Bad
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
schlecht is pronounced /ʃlɛçt/ in German. In schlecht: 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.
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Find the sounds in schlecht
The reference transcription for schlecht is /ʃlɛçt/. 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 schlecht: 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.The sh sound /ʃ/
In schlecht: Keep a narrow channel for air and use a soft “sh” sound. In clusters, connect it directly to the following consonant.
Watch out: Do not insert an extra vowel inside a consonant cluster.
3.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In schlecht: 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”.
Hear it in context
Das Wetter ist heute schlecht.
The weather is bad today.
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
schlecht 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 schlecht
How do you pronounce schlecht?
schlecht is pronounced /ʃlɛçt/ in German. In schlecht: 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 schlecht: 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.
