German · Difficult words
How to pronounce Verspätung in German
Verspätung
Delay
Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.
Verspätung is pronounced /fɛɐ̯ˈʃpɛːtʊŋ/ in German. In Verspätung: Keep a narrow channel for air and use a soft “sh” sound. In clusters, connect it directly to the following consonant. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
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Find the sounds in Verspätung
Read Verspätung in these IPA segments: fɛɐ̯ · ˈʃpɛːtʊŋ. Dots and stress marks identify the boundaries shown in the reference; these symbols are not English spelling. The mark /ˈ/ comes immediately before the main stressed syllable. Give that syllable a little more prominence without swallowing the others.
1.The sh sound /ʃ/
In Verspätung: 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.
2.The reduced r vowel /ɐ/
In Verspätung: 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.
3.The open /ɛ/ vowel
In Verspätung: 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
Der Zug nach Köln hat zwanzig Minuten Verspätung.
The train to Cologne has a twenty-minute delay.
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
Verspätung 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 Verspätung
How do you pronounce Verspätung?
Verspätung is pronounced /fɛɐ̯ˈʃpɛːtʊŋ/ in German. In Verspätung: Keep a narrow channel for air and use a soft “sh” sound. In clusters, connect it directly to the following consonant. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.
What should I listen for first?
In Verspätung: Keep a narrow channel for air and use a soft “sh” sound. In clusters, connect it directly to the following consonant. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.
