The German alphabet is the alphabet used for writing the German language. It is employed in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Luxembourg, as well as in countries with German-speaking minorities such as Belgium (Eupen and Malmedy), Denmark (Northern Schleswig), Italy (South Tyrol), and Poland (Upper Silesia). The German alphabet consists of the 26 basic letters of the Latin alphabet, which are also used in many other languages:
A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, J, K, L, M, N, O, P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, W, X, Y, Z.
In addition to these letters, the German language has three umlauts: Ä, Ö, Ü. These umlauts are considered distinct letters and are often viewed as variations of the letters A, O, and U, respectively, each marked with two dots above. The Eszett (ß) is another characteristic feature of the German alphabet and is used in most of the mentioned countries.
Extension of the German alphabet
The use of the Eszett (ß) outside of Germany and Austria varies depending on the specific linguistic and orthographic conventions of each region.
Belgium (Eupen and Malmedy):
In the German-speaking communities of Eupen and Malmedy in Belgium, the Eszett (ß) is generally used, as the spelling follows German standards. Belgium has both Dutch and French language communities, and the German-speaking community has its own linguistic regulations.
Denmark (Northern Schleswig):
In Northern Schleswig, there is a German minority in Denmark. The use of the Eszett here may depend on personal preference and the linguistic habits of the community. Some individuals may use the Eszett, while others might prefer to write „ss.“
Italy (South Tyrol):
In South Tyrol, there is a German-speaking minority within the predominantly Italian-speaking population. The use of the Eszett may depend on individual preferences and the influence of Italian spelling. In official documents and publications targeting the German-speaking community, the Eszett is likely to be used.
Poland (Upper Silesia):
In Upper Silesia, there is a German-speaking minority. The use of the Eszett can also vary here. Some people might use it in accordance with German spelling rules, while others may be more inclined to use „ss.“
Phonetics of „ß“
The pronunciation of the German language refers to the phonetics and phonology of the standard German language. It is not uniform everywhere because German is a pluricentric language with various varieties that largely coincide in their pronunciation. The character ẞ (uppercase) or ß (lowercase) is a letter of the German alphabet. It is referred to as „Eszett,“ sharp S, or Scharf-S, colloquially also known as „double-S,“ „humpback-S,“ „backpack-S,“ „threefold-S,“ or sometimes misleadingly as „ringel-S,“ which usually refers to another S variant.
The ß is used for the phonetic representation of the voiceless s sound [s]. It is the only letter of the Latin script that is exclusively used today for writing German languages and their dialects, such as in the standardized spelling of Standard German and in some spellings of Low German, as well as historically in some Sorbian writings. Additionally, in medieval and early modern texts, ß serves as an abbreviation for the currency Schilling, and „ßo“ represents the counting measure Schock.
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