Practicing pronunciation with audio | Learn German in English

German lesson set in a contemporary Berlin everyday setting: In a language classroom, two adults use audio to slow down a sentence and practice clearer pronunciation..

EN → DE / Level: A1

About This Lesson

Use Practicing pronunciation with audio to practice German conversation, pronunciation, vocabulary, grammar, and quizzes.

Dialogue

A

Kann ich das Audio anhören?

kahn ikh dahs OW-dee-oh AHN-hur-en? Can I listen to the audio?
B

Lass uns das Audio zusammen anhören.

lahs oons dahs OW-dee-oh tsoo-ZAHM-en AHN-hur-en. Let's listen together.
A

Es ist zu schnell für mich.

ess ist tsoo SHNELL fyr mikh. It's too fast for me.
B

Ich mache es langsamer.

ikh MAH-khuh ess LAHNG-zah-mer. I'll slow it down.
A

Wie spreche ich diesen Satz aus?

vee SHPREKH-uh ikh DEE-zən zahts ows? How do I pronounce this sentence?
B

Hör es dir einmal an, dann sprich mir nach.

HUR ess deer EYN-mahl ahn, dahn SHPRIKH meer NAHKH. Listen once, then repeat after me.
A

Lass mich es noch einmal versuchen.

lahs mikh ess nokh EYN-mahl fer-ZOO-khen. Let me try again.
B

Das klingt jetzt klarer.

dahs klinkt yetst KLAH-rer. That sounds clearer now.

Word by Word

Kann In “Kann ich das Audio anhören?”, “Kann” asks whether the speaker is allowed to do something. It is used at the beginning of a question with “ich” and an action. Use this when asking another person for permission, such as to listen or try something.
ich “ich” means “I” and refers to the person speaking. In “Kann ich” and “Ich mache”, it identifies the speaker as the person who wants to listen or will change the audio. Use “ich” when talking about your own action, ability, or experience.
das “das” has two functions in this dialogue: in “das Audio” it means “the”, while in “Das klingt” it refers to the audio or result as “that” or “it”. It comes before the noun in the first phrase and begins the sentence in the second. Use it to refer either to the specific audio or to what has just been heard.
Audio “Audio” means an audio recording or audio file. In “das Audio anhören”, it is the thing being listened to. Use it when referring to a recording in a lesson or another listening activity.
anhören “anhören” means “to listen to” something, especially an audio recording. In both dialogue lines, it is used with “das Audio” as the object. Use it when telling someone what recording or sound you want to listen to.
Lass In “Lass uns das Audio zusammen anhören”, “Lass” introduces a suggestion to do something together. In “Lass mich es noch einmal versuchen”, it introduces a request for permission to do something oneself. Use it with “uns” for “let’s” or with “mich” for “let me”, followed by an action.
uns “uns” means “us” in “Lass uns das Audio zusammen anhören”. It identifies the speaker and listener as the people who should listen together. Use it after “Lass” when suggesting a shared activity.
zusammen “zusammen” means “together” and shows that the speaker and listener will perform the activity jointly. In “das Audio zusammen anhören”, it describes the shared listening. Use it with an activity when two or more people do it as a group.
Es At the start of “Es ist zu schnell für mich”, “Es” refers to the audio and means “it”. In “mache es langsamer”, the lowercase form “es” refers to the same thing as the object being changed. Use it to refer back to an object or situation already understood from the conversation.
ist “ist” means “is” and connects “Es” with the description “zu schnell”. It states how the audio seems to the speaker. Use it in a sentence that describes something with an adjective, as in “Es ist ...”.
zu In “zu schnell”, “zu” means “too” and shows that the speed is more than the speaker can comfortably follow. It comes directly before the adjective “schnell”. Use “zu” before a description when something exceeds a suitable or acceptable degree.
schnell “schnell” means “fast” and describes the speed of the audio. In “zu schnell für mich”, it explains why the speaker is having difficulty. Use it when describing the speed of speech, audio, movement, or another activity.
für In “für mich”, “für” means “for” and marks the person affected by the judgment that the audio is too fast. It is followed here by “mich”. Use “für” with a person when explaining who something is suitable, difficult, or important for.
mich “mich” means “me” in “zu schnell für mich”. It identifies the speaker as the person for whom the audio is too fast. Use it after “für” when describing something from your own perspective.
mache In “Ich mache es langsamer”, “mache” expresses the speaker’s action of making the audio slower. It is used with “es” for the thing being changed and “langsamer” for the new speed. Use this pattern when explaining that you will adjust something to a slower setting.
langsamer “langsamer” means “slower” and describes the new speed in “mache es langsamer”. It shows that the audio will be changed so it plays at a reduced speed. Use it when asking for or describing a reduction in speed.
Wie “Wie” means “how” and opens the question “Wie spreche ich diesen Satz aus?”. It asks for the method or pronunciation of something. Use it at the beginning of a question when you need to know how to perform an action.
spreche In “Wie spreche ich diesen Satz aus?”, “spreche” refers to the speaker producing the words aloud. Together with the final particle “aus”, the construction asks how the sentence should be pronounced. Use this form when asking about your own pronunciation of a sentence or word.
diesen “diesen” means “this” and points to one specific sentence in “diesen Satz”. It comes directly before the noun it identifies. Use it when indicating the particular sentence, word, or item currently being discussed.
Satz “Satz” means “sentence”. In “diesen Satz”, it identifies the complete sentence whose pronunciation the learner wants to know. Use it when talking about a sentence in a lesson, exercise, or conversation.
aus In “Wie spreche ich diesen Satz aus?”, “aus” is the separable particle that completes the verb meaning “pronounce”. It is placed at the end of the question while “spreche” remains near the beginning. Use this construction when asking or talking about how a sentence is pronounced.
Hör “Hör” is a direct instruction to listen in “Hör es dir einmal an”. It tells one person to listen to the audio once. Use it when giving a simple listening instruction, especially in a lesson or practice exercise.
dir In “Hör es dir einmal an”, “dir” means “to you” and shows that the listener is listening to the audio for themselves. It is part of the instruction directed at the learner. Use this expression when telling someone to listen to something themselves.
einmal “einmal” means “once” or “one time” in “Hör es dir einmal an”. It limits the listening instruction to one hearing before the next step. Use it when asking someone to perform an action one time.
an In “Hör es dir einmal an”, “an” is the particle that completes the listening expression. It appears at the end of the instruction rather than next to “Hör”. Use this separated form when telling someone to listen to a specific thing.
dann “dann” means “then” and marks the next step after listening. In “dann sprich mir nach”, it connects the listening step with the repetition step. Use it to give instructions in a clear sequence.
sprich In “sprich mir nach”, “sprich” is a direct instruction to speak. The following particle “nach” changes the instruction into repeating what another person has said. Use this expression when asking a learner to imitate a model sentence or pronunciation.
mir In “sprich mir nach”, “mir” means “to me” and identifies the speaker whose words should be repeated. It shows who provides the pronunciation model. Use it when directing someone to repeat your words.
nach In “sprich mir nach”, “nach” is the particle that adds the meaning of repeating after someone. It does not mean a time after something in this sentence. Use it with the instruction to repeat a speaker’s words or pronunciation.
noch In “noch einmal”, “noch” contributes the meaning “again” or “one more time”. It shows that the learner wants another attempt after trying before. Use it with “einmal” when asking to repeat an action.
versuchen “versuchen” means “to try” in “Lass mich es noch einmal versuchen”. It names the action the speaker wants permission to perform again. Use it after “Lass mich” when asking to make another attempt.
klingt “klingt” means “sounds” in “Das klingt jetzt klarer”. It evaluates how the learner’s pronunciation or the audio comes across to the listener. Use it with “Das” and a description when giving feedback about a sound or spoken result.
jetzt “jetzt” means “now” and places the clearer result in the present moment. In “Das klingt jetzt klarer”, it contrasts the current sound with how it sounded during the earlier attempt. Use it when commenting on a change that can be noticed at this moment.
klarer “klarer” means “clearer” and describes an improvement in the sound or pronunciation. In “Das klingt jetzt klarer”, it gives positive feedback after the learner tries again. Use it when saying that speech, an explanation, or a sound is easier to understand than before.

Grammar Points

nachsprechen → Sprich ... nach

Sprich den Satz noch einmal nach.

SHPRIKH den zahts nokh EYN-mahl NAHKH.

Repeat the sentence after me once again.

The separable prefix nach- moves to the end in the imperative.

langsamer und klarer

Sprich den Satz langsamer und klarer nach.

SHPRIKH den zahts LAHNG-zah-mer oont KLAH-rer NAHKH.

Repeat the sentence more slowly and more clearly.

Comparative forms ending in -er express “more slowly” and “more clearly.”

German Vocabulary

anhören verb
AHN-hur-en to listen to
Audio noun
OW-dee-oh audio recording
aussprechen verb
OWS-SHPREKH-en to pronounce spreche ... aus
einmal adv
EYN-mahl once
hören verb
HUR-en to listen Hör
langsamer adj
LAHNG-zah-mer slower
machen verb
MAH-khen to make mache
nachsprechen verb
NAHKH-SHPREKH-en to repeat after someone sprich ... nach
noch einmal phrase
nokh EYN-mahl again
Satz noun
zahts sentence
schnell adj
SHNELL fast
zusammen adv
tsoo-ZAHM-en together

Quiz

Word Order

Arrange the words in the correct order.

Can I listen to the audio?

Show AnswerKann ich das Audio anhören?

Let's listen together.

Show AnswerLass uns das Audio zusammen anhören.

It's too fast for me.

Show AnswerEs ist zu schnell für mich.

Spelling

Tap the letters to spell the word.

to make

Show Answermache

audio recording

Show AnswerAudio

together

Show Answerzusammen

fast

Show Answerschnell