The alphabet

What this is for: spelling names clearly

In German, when you spell a name (on the phone, at reception, in a form), you often use the pattern:

• Letter + “wie” + example word
• A wie Apfel = “A as in apple”

This avoids confusion between letters that sound similar (e.g., B / P, D / T).

How to build the spelling pattern (step by step)

1. Say the letter.
2. Say wie (“as in”).
3. Say a simple word that starts with that letter.

• M wie Maus
• T wie Tisch
• J wie Junge

When spelling a whole name, you can also just say the letters with hyphens:

• M-U-L-L-E-R

German special letters: Ä, Ö, Ü (umlauts)

German has three extra vowels. They are separate letters, not just “A/O/U with dots”.

Practical tip: If someone cannot type umlauts (e-mail address, login), German often uses:

• Ä → ae, Ö → oe, Ü → ue
• Example: Müller → mueller

German ß (Eszett): what you must know for spelling

• ß is a single letter (not “b”).
• It typically appears after long vowels or diphthongs in standard spelling.
• Example: Straße

Typing tip: If you cannot type ß, it is often written as ss (especially in emails/usernames). But in correct spelling, ß ≠ ss.

• Weiß → can become weiss in an email address

Common “real life” traps (and how to avoid them)

• Umlauts in emails: Write ue/oe/ae (not the umlaut).
• Don’t mix up Ö and O: If your name has Jörg, spell it clearly: J-Ö-R-G.
• Be careful with ß: When spelling, say “Eszett” if needed.
• Say it slowly: Germans expect a calm, paced spelling in professional contexts.

Mini self-check: can you do it without thinking?

• Can you use the pattern “X wie …” confidently?
• Can you clearly separate Ä/Ö/Ü from A/O/U?
• Do you know the common substitutions for typing? ä→ae, ö→oe, ü→ue, ß→ss
• Can you spell your own first and last name as letters with hyphens?