What is the difference in pronouncing 'ß' and 'ss'?

'ß'- examples: Spaß; groß- the vowel before the ß, is pronounced longer  'ss'- examples: essen, Kasse, Russland, vergessen, besser- The vowel before the 'ss' is pronounced shorter It is also known that Diphthong (ei, au, ie, eu) are prounced longer(e.g. außerdem, genießen)  Beware: It is important to note that these sounds may be similar to already existing letters such as 's'. Hence this rule may not help to choose between 's' and 'ss' and/or ß.These rules are mainly applied in Germany. In Switzerland, these may vary.

NK
Answered by Nivedah K. German tutor

5220 Views

See similar German GCSE tutors

Related German GCSE answers

All answers ▸

How can I get to grips with German word order?


When do I use "sein" and when do I use "haben" in the past tense


Are there any tricks that can help me learn the gender of nouns in German?


Beschreibe bitte deine letzten Sommerferien.


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning