German · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "glücklich" in German?

Q: How do you pronounce glücklich in German?

glücklich is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈɡlʏk.lɪç/. It means “happy.” GLUEK-likh. A short front-rounded ü, then ck as a plain k, and the soft ich-laut right at the end.

GLUEK-likh. A short front-rounded ü, then ck as a plain k, and the soft ich-laut right at the end.

glücklich /ˈɡlʏk.lɪç/

The weight sits on the first syllable and the -lich suffix takes none of it, which is true of every adjective built this way — freundlich, natürlich, wirklich all follow the pattern. Recognising the suffix therefore tells you where the beat is before you have worked out what the word means.

Listen: glücklich

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Sound it out

gl A hard g and a bright, forward l.

ü Short and front-rounded: tongue where it goes for the i in sit, lips pursed. The ck behind it guarantees the shortness.

ck A single k. Like doubled consonants elsewhere, the two letters mark the vowel rather than lengthening the sound.

lich The common adjective suffix, always unstressed, ending in the soft ich-laut.

Hear it in a sentence

Ich bin heute glücklich.

I'm happy today.

Listen: Ich bin heute glücklich.

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Ich bin heute glücklich puts two soft ich-lauts in the same short sentence, one ending ich and one ending glücklich, with heute's oy diphthong between them. Saying it aloud is a compact workout: front hiss, diphthong, rounded vowel, front hiss again.

Where English speakers slip

Beginners land on 'GLOOK-lick', which flattens both of the word's German features at once — the rounded front vowel becomes a plain oo, and the palatal hiss becomes a k. Deal with them separately. Round the lips while keeping the tongue forward for the ü, then finish the word by hissing at the roof of your mouth rather than stopping the air.