German · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "vier" in German?

Q: How do you pronounce vier in German?

vier is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /fiːɐ̯/. It means “four.” FEER, or more exactly 'FEE-uh'. German v is pronounced f, so this word begins just like English fee.

FEER, or more exactly 'FEE-uh'. German v is pronounced f, so this word begins just like English fee.

vier /fiːɐ̯/

One stressed syllable, and the long vowel makes it noticeably more drawn out than drei or acht when you count aloud. The vocalised r adds a light second beat without ever becoming a full syllable of its own.

Listen: vier

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Sound it out

v In native German words the letter v says f — vier, von, Vater, viel. Only in borrowings such as Vase or Video does it buzz like an English v.

ie Long 'ee'. The e after the i is a length marker, not a separate sound.

r Vocalised at the end of the syllable into a soft 'uh', so the word finishes with a slight two-part vowel.

Hear it in a sentence

Wir brauchen vier Stühle.

We need four chairs.

Listen: Wir brauchen vier Stühle.

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Wir brauchen vier Stühle packs several German signatures together: Stühle opens with 'sht', because st at the start of a word always does, and its ü is the umlaut plural of Stuhl. Brauchen carries the harsh ach-laut, since its ch follows the back vowel of au.

Where English speakers slip

The spelling shouts 'veer' at an English reader, and that is where nearly everyone starts. German v is f. There is a second confusion worth heading off: vier means four, für means for, and viel means much — three lookalikes separated only by their vowels, so the long 'ee' in this one needs to be unmistakably long.