German · Difficult words

How to pronounce Zahn in German

Zahn

Tooth

tsahn/t͡saːn/

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

Zahn is pronounced /t͡saːn/ in German. In Zahn: Make a short t closure and release it straight into s, as at the end of English “cats”. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

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Find the sounds in Zahn

The reference transcription for Zahn is /t͡saːn/. 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. 1.The joined /ts/ sound

    In Zahn: Make a short t closure and release it straight into s, as at the end of English “cats”.

    Watch out: Do not read German z as the voiced z in English “zoo”.

  2. 2.An open vowel

    In Zahn: Open the jaw for the a-like vowel shown in the IPA. Keep it continuous and follow the recording’s tongue position.

    Watch out: Do not substitute the English diphthong in “day”.

  3. 3.A clear /s/

    In Zahn: 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

Dieser Zahn tut weh.

This tooth hurts.

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

Zahn 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 Zahn

How do you pronounce Zahn?

Zahn is pronounced /t͡saːn/ in German. In Zahn: Make a short t closure and release it straight into s, as at the end of English “cats”. Listen to the word on its own, then compare it with the example sentence.

What should I listen for first?

In Zahn: Make a short t closure and release it straight into s, as at the end of English “cats”. Start at 0.75×, then return to 1.00× to hear the natural rhythm.

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