Zaban
Chapter 3 of 17 · Explore the German path

The script · Chapter 3 of 17

Read nine real words before you learn anything else

Work out nine real German words before you meet any grammar, then finish the spelling system with eleven more letter pairs. All nine words come back in the stories at the end.

≈ 4 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter
  • The ten rules are all these nine words need; each hint names the rule the word turns on.
  • Try each word once, reveal it, say it aloud. All nine return in the readings.
  • Eleven more spellings follow, and the spelling system is finished.
  • Four sounds need your mouth told what to do; the instructions are under the table.

Nine words from the story at the end of this path. Work each one out before you reveal it. Six of nine is a good first pass.

Nine words for the story

Say the word aloud, then reveal.

  1. der Hund

    A final d hardens to t.

    Show answer +
    der Hunddair hoont“the dog”
  2. die Katze

    tz says ts; final e is “uh”.

    Show answer +
    die Katzedee KAT-suh“the cat”
  3. das Haus

    au is the “ow” of “cow”.

    Show answer +
    das Hausdass howss“the house”
  4. der Wald

    w says v; final d hardens.

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    der Walddair valt“the forest”
  5. der Vogel

    v says f; lean on the first syllable.

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    der Vogeldair FOH-gul“the bird”
  6. der Fuchs

    chs is a plain “ks”.

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    der Fuchsdair fooks“the fox”
  7. die Maus

    au again.

    Show answer +
    die Mausdee mowss“the mouse”
  8. der Baum

    au once more.

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    der Baumdair bowm“the tree”
  9. die Sonne

    A single s before a vowel says z.

    Show answer +
    die Sonnedee ZON-uh“the sun”

Eleven more spellings, and the system is finished

These are the spellings the first ten rules left out. Take one row at a time.

What you seeWhat it saysIn a word
eithe sound in “my”meinmine“my”
iea long “ee”wievee“how”
ch after a, o, u, au“kh” — the back scrapeNachtnahkht“night”
ch anywhere else“ch” — the soft front hissichich“I”
sch“sh”Schneeshnay“snow”
sp-, st- starting a word“shp-”, “sht-”StundeSHTOON-duh“hour”
eu, äu“oy”, as in “boy”neunnoyn“nine”
äe as in “bed”; long, the vowel in “air”Bärbair“bear”
ö“ur” — see the keyschönshurn“beautiful”
ü“ew” — “ee” with rounded lipsTürtewr“door”
ßa sharp s — one letter, not a capital Bweißvice“white”

The trick for ei and ie: say the second letter — ei says “I”, ie says “E”. And j says y: jayah“yes”.

Two words that turn on the new pairs

  1. die Nacht

    The ch follows an a.

    Show answer +
    die Nachtdee nahkht“the night”
  2. schön

    sch is “sh”; ö is “ur”.

    Show answer +
    schönshurn“beautiful”
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