I've a hard time pronouncing 'r' in german and any word that has 'r' in it. I also have problem with 'twelve'

Question

despite many repetitions. I've been listening to the language cd and studying the alphabet pronunciation guide for the past few days but still can't say it exactly like the instructor does. Does that mean German is not for me? I'm a complete beginner. Any advice?

Answer 1

No, neither of those things mean that German is not for you. They are typical beginner's problems.

"Zwölf" is probably giving you trouble because of the consonant cluster the the beginning - tsv. That will come with practice.

As for the "r": Keep practicing, but even if you never get it right, don't worry about it too much. Many English native speakers who speak excellent German still use the "wrong" r. It makes it very obvious that they're not native speakers, but they're still perfectly understandable anyway - it doesn't hinder communication at all. So even if you never get it right, you can still speak German. :)

Answer 2

I shouldn't worry too much about pronunciation difficulties. It's normal when beginning to learn a foreign language. E.g. most Germans have a problem with the English 'th' and it doesn't stop them learning English.

The best way to learn to speak the lingo is to go to a country where they speak German or failing that, try and find a native speaker who is willing to give you some conversational practice.

Answer 3

Don't give up.

I always had problems saying schläfst. My German teacher advised me to just say schläf then st, like two separate words. That helps. You could do that with zwölf. Say ts, then völf.

My "r" sound isn't too good. I try to copy it from the way my 3-year old daughter says it. I'm a bit erratic, but it helps to try to copy one particular individual.

If all else fails, just talk with an accent. Say the "r" as in your native language until you're ready to try it the German way.

Answer 4

Keep with it, you'll get it eventually! At first I had loads of problems with my German pronunciation. To help with the R's, I just went around saying R in german over and over again. Basically "err, err, err, err..." ad nauseum.

For the "zw" sound, you might like some tongue twisters to try out. "Zwischen zwei Zwetschgenzweigen sitzen zwei zwitschernde Schwalben" was always my favorite. I provided a link that has some fun tongue-twisters and their pronunciations. Enjoy!

Answer 5

I also have some trouble with a section of their grammar ,but that doesn't stop me from learning a whole language,it's a poor excuse and you should go back and study German and until you know it, the r problems will have gone away.

Answer 6

I am sorry I dont have any great answers for you, However, I am an American living in Germany (my husband is German) and I can tell you that the two things you mentioned have been difficult for me as well..Especially for me because the part of Germany I live in they really roll that (R) (southern German dialect)
I wish ya all the best in your efforts to learn German, it is a difficult language to learn but I am sure its right for you, you just have to practice, practice, practice..
Good luck,
Kym

Answer 7

"twelve" (="zwoelf") is pronounced as tsvulve, the u like in burn.The toughest part is probably the tsv.Take your time, say the ts first, followed by a v, that should do the trick.

About the r : keep in mind that your tongue should not, like when saying an american r, be raised, but flat on the ground instead.Its a bit like a snoring sound, ecept you do not inhale, but exhale.If you speak spanish, just try saying "perro" the way spanish would say it, the r in it is similar to german "rolling" r.