Pauses
Where you stop and for how long. Too many pauses in the middle of a sentence stand out, fitting pauses at sentence boundaries help the listeners.
German pronunciation practice: listen, speak, compare
Pronunciation is a criterion of its own in the scoring of speaking exams. With Sprachfuchs you record yourself speaking and see how fast you speak, where you pause, how your intonation runs and which sounds stand out.
- Measurement of pauses, speed and pitch contour.
- Hints on single sounds, with practice words.
- As an orientation for practice, not as a grade.
Example
Pronunciation
The word Bücher sounded like “Bicher”.
Round your lips as for “u”, tongue forward as for “i”.
The sound moves into your training
Example of a pronunciation hint. Your own feedback depends on what you say.
What is measured
Four things you can hear in pronunciation.
Sprachfuchs analyses your recording technically and explains the results in simple words. The measurement is an orientation for practice. It does not replace an assessment by a teacher and gives no exam result.
Speed
How fast you speak. Too fast gets hard to understand, too slow seems unsure.
Intonation
The course of your pitch. Questions and statements sound different in German, a flat melody seems monotonous.
Single sounds
Hints on sounds that often cause trouble, for example ü, ö, ch or the r, with words to practise.
How to practise
Better pronunciation in three steps.
- Speak and record. You speak a task or a practice sentence. The recording stays part of your evaluation.
- Look at the hints. You see what stands out, with an explanation and the mouth or tongue hint where it makes sense.
- Repeat with a purpose. You practise the marked sounds and words once more and hear whether something has changed.
Five tips
Small habits that improve pronunciation.
- Start slowly. Speak slowly and clearly first, then raise the speed. Clean speaking comes before fast speaking.
- Practise minimal pairs. Words that differ in only one sound (Hüte, Hütte; Kissen, Küssen) sharpen the ear.
- Compare with a recording. Repeat a sentence and listen to it next to the model.
- Repeat the melody. Hum the melody first, then say it with words.
- Short and regular. Five minutes a day help more than an hour a week.
Frequently asked questions about pronunciation
How accurate is the pronunciation measurement?
It is an orientation for practice. It was checked against a single speaker and does not judge whether someone passes the exam. A pronunciation hint is a suggestion, not a verdict.
Does this replace a teacher?
No. A teacher hears things a measurement does not capture and can show you mouth and tongue. Sprachfuchs adds recordings and regular practice.
What happens to my recording?
The recording is sent to an AI provider to be converted into text, and that provider may also operate outside the EU. Details are in the privacy policy (German).
In which languages does the explanation work?
The hints are written in German and translated into your language where needed. You find the selection in the app.
What does practice cost?
The first exam with evaluation is free, without payment details. More on the pricing page.
More to practise.
Pronunciation is part of speaking. Here is how to continue.
Try the pronunciation evaluation.
Register and take the first exam including the speaking part and evaluation for free.
Start freeSprachfuchs is an independent practice service and is not affiliated with the Goethe-Institut, ÖSD or telc. We name the exams only to describe the style of our tasks.
Editorial team Sprachfuchs · Last updated: 12 Nov 2026