German doesn’t really have the best reputation when it comes to how it sounds compared to other languages. It doesn’t get the praise of languages like Italian or French and instead is known as a harsh sounding language.
And between the harsh gutturals, clipped consonants, and some massively long compound words, maybe it deserves this reputation.
Or does it?
Beyond the stereotypes and amidst the multilingual backdrop of Europe, German resonates with a unique cadence and structure that both contrasts and complements its linguistic neighbors. In this article, we’ll listen to some evidence and decide how German sounds compared to other languages.
Then, I’ll let you decide!
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Exhibit A: German Sounds Incredibly Harsh
Let’s look at Exhibit A. This infamous video went viral at one point and was incredibly popular. It may lead you to think that German is the harshest language in the world 😂
Watch the following video and see what you think…
But does German really sound that harsh or is it just how they are speaking in this video?
Exhibit B: German Sounds Much Softer Than Other Languages
As a response to the other video, this German YouTuber took things in the opposite direction with some nicer sounding German words. She also pronounced the other languages in a more angry tone.
So German can definitely sound a lot nicer than it does in the first video.
But does it only sound better because of the tone that the speaker is using?
Verdict
So what’s your verdict?
Is German a harsh language? Or a beautiful one?
The perception of a language’s sound is subjective, after all. It can vary according to personal taste, cultural background, and exposure.
Many people find the precision and clarity of German’s pronunciation and its rich literary history to be quite beautiful. Notable are the works of poets and thinkers like Goethe and Rilke, whose eloquent use of the language imparts a poignant and profound beauty that defies the harshness stereotype.
So whether it is harsh or not is completely up to you.
Want to learn German? Find all our German lessons here or read 10 fun facts about German here. Or listen to more German in our list of the top 10 German shows on Netflix here. Thinking about asking a German person how they are? Read this first!
