German · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "schnell" in German?

Q: How do you pronounce schnell in German?

schnell is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ʃnɛl/. It means “fast.” SHNEL. sch is sh, running straight into an n — a cluster English cannot start a word with — and the doubled l keeps the vowel short.

SHNEL. sch is sh, running straight into an n — a cluster English cannot start a word with — and the doubled l keeps the vowel short.

schnell /ʃnɛl/

Nothing to place: one short vowel between two clusters. The comparative schneller and the adverb use both add unstressed syllables behind it without disturbing anything, which is worth noting because this word functions as adjective and adverb with no change of form — German does not add anything equivalent to English -ly.

Listen: schnell

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Sound it out

schn sh followed immediately by n. Hold the sh for a moment, then bring the tongue up for the n without letting a vowel slip in between.

e Short and open, as in bed. The doubled l behind it guarantees the shortness.

ll One bright, forward l. The doubled spelling is about the vowel in front.

Hear it in a sentence

Das Auto ist sehr schnell.

The car is very fast.

Listen: Das Auto ist sehr schnell.

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Das Auto ist sehr schnell keeps the adjective bare after ist. Auto begins with a glottal catch and the 'ow' diphthong, so there is a small audible break between ein and Auto whenever they appear together — German does not run vowel-initial words into what precedes them.

Where English speakers slip

English has no word beginning 'shn', so speakers reduce it to 'sn' and produce 'snell'. Practise by saying the end of English wash and then adding a n straight after the sh. The l is the second thing: keep it bright and forward rather than letting it darken the way English does at the end of bell.