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Vater / rot: final and initial r

CEFR A2

Vater

/ˈfaːtɐ/

father

rot

/ʁoːt/

red

What tells the two sounds apart

  • [ɐ]In this model, unstressed -er in Vater ends in a central vowel.
  • [ʁ]Initial consonantal r in the model for rot; tongue-tip variants also exist.

Why it is hard

English accents differ in whether final r is pronounced. Do not transfer either pattern mechanically: German unstressed -er in Vater has [ɐ] in this model, while rot begins with consonantal r.

Mein Vater trinkt Wasser.

To practise

  1. Mutter/ˈmʊtɐ/mother
  2. Wasser/ˈvasɐ/water
  3. Bruder/ˈbʁuːdɐ/brother
  4. Lehrer/ˈleːʁɐ/teacher