German · Difficult words

How to pronounce wollen in German

wollen

to want

VAWLUHN/ˈvɔlən/

Standard German · Choose 1.00× to hear the original pace.

wollen is pronounced /ˈvɔlən/ in German. In wollen: Round the lips and keep a relatively open jaw. Sustain one vowel rather than moving toward a w sound. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

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Find the sounds in wollen

The reference transcription for wollen is /ˈvɔlən/. 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. 1.The open /ɔ/ vowel

    In wollen: Round the lips and keep a relatively open jaw. Sustain one vowel rather than moving toward a w sound.

    Watch out: English “oh” often moves during the vowel; follow the steadier sound in the recording.

Hear it in context

Wir wollen früh los.

We want to leave early.

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

wollen 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 wollen

How do you pronounce wollen?

wollen is pronounced /ˈvɔlən/ in German. In wollen: Round the lips and keep a relatively open jaw. Sustain one vowel rather than moving toward a w sound. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

What should I listen for first?

In wollen: Round the lips and keep a relatively open jaw. Sustain one vowel rather than moving toward a w sound. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.

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