German people!?

Question

i am english
and i learn German in my school.
How do pronounce "ich"?
one of my german teachers said you say "ish", and the other said "ickhh"
which is correct?

Answer 1

BOTH are correct. I am not a German but American as well and I lived in Weimar and while their I learned that in Berlin it is with an IKK and most elsewhere like Bavaria, Thurngia regions it is Ish sounding. The same goes with the word Dich. Example

"Ich Liebe Dich" Ikk liebe Dikk or Ish Leibe Dish both are correct, it just indicates what region you are from just as you can tell a New Yorker from a Texan but both speak native English.

Hope that helps some, that was the hardest thing for me to learn in German was the grammar. So tell both teachers that both are correct. If they are German they would know that already.

(Kenga is correct its not really ish but similiar hard to spell it out thats the closest i can think of but its not 100% accurate but most Germans will understand you and appreciate you talking to them in their language

Answer 2

ICK in Berlin or around there, ISH around the greater Frankfurt area, and ICH (making a sound sort of in between hissing and clearing a potato chip out of your throat) in most other places. I was raised speaking German and I pronounce the ICH (sorry I can't make that sound in writing), not the ICK or the ISH. You can pick whichever one is easier, all of them will work.

Answer 3

The "ch" sound is difficult to explain maybe something like imitating a hissing cat. Pronouncing it as "k" or "sh" in words with German origin is found in regional dialects. (Words with Latin or Ancient Greek origin are a topic of their own)
Here's a link to a site where it is spoken:

http://www.utils.ex.ac.uk/german/pronounce/pronozun.html

Have a look at no 7 or 12 read the lines first and then click on the symbol to actually hear it spoken by native speakers.

Answer 4

It's a regional thing-it depends on the part of Germany you're speaking in. When I was in German 1, my teacher (who comes from Germany) said the most common way to pronounce it is ick, so I'd go with the ick pronunciation.

Answer 5

the ick useage comes from the area of Berlin. The ich usage is more over all. Even the Germans tend to identify one as comming from Berlin by their useage of ick! Yes it is pronounced like ish!

Answer 6

yeah i spent two years in berlin and i always said "ich" like "ickhhh" but it depends on where you go...
either way people will now what you're saying.

Answer 7

They are both correct. It's just regional.