LingoDrop
German · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "das Herz" in German?
dass HAIRTS. A breathed h, the r darkening the e, and the z as 'ts'.
One beat, ending on an affricate. The plural Herzen adds a syllabic-n ending, which lets the ts run into a nasal rather than stopping dead — so the plural feels smoother to say than the singular, which is unusual for a German noun.
Listen: das Herz
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Hear it in a sentence
Mein Herz schlägt schnell.
My heart is beating fast.
Listen: Mein Herz schlägt schnell.
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Mein Herz schlägt schnell contains two sch clusters of different shapes: schlägt runs sh into l and holds a long ä before its devoiced g, while schnell runs sh into n. Practising the two side by side is a good way to hear how German builds these onsets.
Where English speakers slip
Reading z as an English z gives 'hairz', which flattens the word's ending entirely. It is a full 'ts'. The r is the second correction, since an American r would stretch and colour the vowel from the middle of the mouth rather than darkening it from the back.