The German Consonant: Q
The German letter 'q' is similar to English in that it's always followed by a 'u'. However, the German pronunciation of the 'qu' letter combination is very much different than in English; as it's pronounced as a 'kv' letter combination, which is an unfamiliar sound to English speakers.
The 'qu' letter combination could appear at the start or the middle of a word, but it never ends one.
| Examples with Pronunciation | ||
|---|---|---|
| Letter combination 'qu' in initial position | ||
| Qualm - thick smoke | Quelle - source | Quittung - receipt |
| Quiz - quiz | quer - diagonally | Qualle - jellyfish |
| Letter combination 'qu' in medial position | ||
| Frequenz - frequency | adäquat - adequate | bequem - comfortable |
| Sequenz - sequence | Aquarium - aquarium | Liquidität - liquidity |
You might take sometime until you get used to the sound. Also spelling words containing the 'qu' combination might be a bit confusing at first.