On 14/05/2018 22:34, David Rance wrote:

No, it depends on the word. Fuchs (fox) is pronounced "fooks" but the
"ch" in "Achtung" is pronounced like the Scottish "loch". To be
pedantic, "fooks" has a shorter "oo" sound than in English.

If that's correct it must be a regional accent. SWMBO disagrees. That's
with a degree in languages.

OTOH the inhabitants of their capital really do say "ish bin ein
Berliner"... not Ich as I'd have expected...

Andy

On Mon, 14 May 2018 23:13:54 Vir Campestris wrote:

On 14/05/2018 22:34, David Rance wrote:
No, it depends on the word. Fuchs (fox) is pronounced "fooks" but
the "ch" in "Achtung" is pronounced like the Scottish "loch". To be
pedantic, "fooks" has a shorter "oo" sound than in English.

If that's correct it must be a regional accent.

Not at all. I am talking about "Hochdeutsch" pronunciation.

SWMBO disagrees. That's with a degree in languages.

A degree in languages doesn't necessarily teach one about pronunciation.
I have a degree in music. That doesn't mean that I can play a musical
instrument. I can, of course, but I didn't study that as part of my
degree course.

OTOH the inhabitants of their capital really do say "ish bin ein
Berliner"... not Ich as I'd have expected...

Actually they would say, "Ich bin Berliner."

"Ich bin ein Berliner" was a famous gaff by JFK. ("I am a doughnut!")

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On 15/05/2018 09:13, David Rance wrote:
On Mon, 14 May 2018 23:13:54 Vir Campestris wrote:

On 14/05/2018 22:34, David Rance wrote:
Â*No, it depends on the word. Fuchs (fox) is pronounced "fooks" but
the "ch" in "Achtung" is pronounced like the Scottish "loch". To be
pedantic, "fooks" has a shorter "oo" sound than in English.

If that's correct it must be a regional accent.

Not at all. I am talking about "Hochdeutsch" pronunciation.

SWMBO disagrees. That's with a degree in languages.

A degree in languages doesn't necessarily teach one about pronunciation.
I have a degree in music. That doesn't mean that I can play a musical
instrument. I can, of course, but I didn't study that as part of my
degree course.

OTOH the inhabitants of their capital really do say "ish bin ein
Berliner"... not Ich as I'd have expected...

Actually they would say, "Ich bin Berliner."

"Ich bin ein Berliner" was a famous gaff by JFK. ("I am a doughnut!")

.... and _my_ German is no better than JFKs.
I'm out of my depth here though. Even though I read fuchs-eeta and
phew-shia... but googling I found this

https://forvo.com/word/fuchs/#de

Which seems to back you up. Do you have any other examples of similar words?

Andy

On Tue, 15 May 2018 21:59:04 Vir Campestris wrote:

On 15/05/2018 09:13, David Rance wrote:
On Mon, 14 May 2018 23:13:54 Vir Campestris wrote:

On 14/05/2018 22:34, David Rance wrote:
*No, it depends on the word. Fuchs (fox) is pronounced "fooks" but
the "ch" in "Achtung" is pronounced like the Scottish "loch". To be
pedantic, "fooks" has a shorter "oo" sound than in English.

If that's correct it must be a regional accent.
Not at all. I am talking about "Hochdeutsch" pronunciation.

SWMBO disagrees. That's with a degree in languages.
A degree in languages doesn't necessarily teach one about
pronunciation. I have a degree in music. That doesn't mean that I can
play a musical instrument. I can, of course, but I didn't study that
as part of my degree course.

OTOH the inhabitants of their capital really do say "ish bin ein
Berliner"... not Ich as I'd have expected...
Actually they would say, "Ich bin Berliner."
"Ich bin ein Berliner" was a famous gaff by JFK. ("I am a
doughnut!")

... and _my_ German is no better than JFKs.
I'm out of my depth here though. Even though I read fuchs-eeta and
phew-shia... but googling I found this

https://forvo.com/word/fuchs/#de

Which seems to back you up. Do you have any other examples of similar words?

The rule is that, if "ch" is followed by "s" then it is pronounced "ks"
as in "sechs" (six), "wechseln" (to change). Hence a word which all
travellers in German-speaking countries will be familiar with:
"Geldwechsel"

David

--
David Rance writing from Caversham, Reading, UK

On 15/05/2018 22:46, David Rance wrote:
The rule is that, if "ch" is followed by "s" then it is pronounced "ks"
as in "sechs" (six), "wechseln" (to change). Hence a word which all
travellers in German-speaking countries will be familiar with:
"Geldwechsel"

Fascinating. She's certain her teacher, who was German, pronounced
wachsen and sechs with the guttural CH.

Andy

In article ,
Vir Campestris wrote:
On 15/05/2018 22:46, David Rance wrote:
The rule is that, if "ch" is followed by "s" then it is pronounced "ks"
as in "sechs" (six), "wechseln" (to change). Hence a word which all
travellers in German-speaking countries will be familiar with:
"Geldwechsel"

Fascinating. She's certain her teacher, who was German, pronounced
wachsen and sechs with the guttural CH.

The pronounciation of German (as well as other aspects) varies
considerably with location. Most northern Germans can't understand
those from the alps when the latter are speaking between themselves.
After all, the same thing happens even in England.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

On 18/05/18 09:38, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article ,
Vir Campestris wrote:
On 15/05/2018 22:46, David Rance wrote:
The rule is that, if "ch" is followed by "s" then it is pronounced "ks"
as in "sechs" (six), "wechseln" (to change). Hence a word which all
travellers in German-speaking countries will be familiar with:
"Geldwechsel"

Fascinating. She's certain her teacher, who was German, pronounced
wachsen and sechs with the guttural CH.

The pronounciation of German (as well as other aspects) varies
considerably with location. Most northern Germans can't understand
those from the alps when the latter are speaking between themselves.
After all, the same thing happens even in England.

In fact, probably anywhere the "same" language is spoken. Many years ago
I was staying in a small B&B in Vermont to see the Fall colours
(colors?). At the same B&B were a family from Oklahoma, who had a very
deep southern drawl. At breakfast the first day I could barely
understand a word they said; no doubt they had the same problem with me.
When I mentioned to the B&B owner my lack of comprehension to almost
anything they said, he commiserated and said that he also had trouble
understanding them!

--

Jeff

On Fri, 18 May 2018 08:38:32 Nick Maclaren wrote:

In article ,
Vir Campestris wrote:
On 15/05/2018 22:46, David Rance wrote:
The rule is that, if "ch" is followed by "s" then it is pronounced "ks"
as in "sechs" (six), "wechseln" (to change). Hence a word which all
travellers in German-speaking countries will be familiar with:
"Geldwechsel"

Fascinating. She's certain her teacher, who was German, pronounced
wachsen and sechs with the guttural CH.

The pronounciation of German (as well as other aspects) varies
considerably with location. Most northern Germans can't understand
those from the alps when the latter are speaking between themselves.
After all, the same thing happens even in England.

Well, of course! But in Germany they do have a standard pronunciation,
Hochdeutsch, in the same way that we have Queen's English. Although in
England Queen's English is now very much out of fashion (to the extent
that some regional accents are now preferred) the same is not the case
in Germany.

I have listened to various local German accents, ranging from the Mosel
down to Bavaria and into Austria and Switzerland. In fact I quite like
the Viennese accent but my friends from mid-Germany pour scorn on any
accent that is not Hochdeutsch.

I once made a video of my home town for our twin church in a town near
Frankfurt am Main. We had an Austrian girl in our church at the time and
so I got her to do the commentary. When the folks from Kelkheim heard
her accent they just laughed, which I thought was most unkind.

David

--
David Rance writing from Le Mesnil Villement, Calvados, France