Pronouncing German words and phrases accurately.

    OCR
    GCSE

    Candidates must demonstrate precise control over the German phonological system, distinguishing clearly between short and long vowels and articulating umlauts (ä, ö, ü) with accuracy to avoid ambiguity. Mastery of consonant clusters and specific fricatives, notably the distinction between the Ich-Laut /ç/ and Ach-Laut /x/, is essential for high-level performance. Responses must exhibit authentic prosody, employing correct word stress in compound nouns and appropriate sentence intonation to convey nuance and intent.

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    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

    Vowel Quantity and Quality - Differentiation between long/tense and short/lax vowels, and accurate production of rounded front vowels (Umlauts) to distinguish meaning (e.g., 'schon' vs 'schön').
    Consonant Articulation - Production of the glottal stop (Knacklaut), aspiration of voiceless plosives (p, t, k), and the fricative variations of 'ch', 'z' (ts), and 'v' (f).
    Prosodic Features - Application of primary stress on the root syllable of native words, stress shifts in separable verbs, and rising/falling intonation contours in interrogatives.

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