> Von: William FISCHLI [mailto:wfischli@freesurf.ch] > Gesendet: Dienstag, 27. Dezember 2005 17:33 > [...] > The most correct pronunciation of "ö" (or "oe") in english > would be like in s_u_n or better like in b_u_tter (the > phonetic sign is a "v" reversed). Sorry, William, but this is not a good example ;-). To use the English words "sun" or "butter" as an explanation for "ö" only explains to a German speaker how most Swiss pronounce "sun" or "butter" - which has NOTHING to do with how Englishmen or Americans pronounce these words. Go to http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=sun and listen to sun - than to http://dict.leo.org/?lp=ende&lang=de&searchLoc=0&cmpType=relaxed&relink= on§Hdr=on&spellToler=std&search=l%F6schen (make sure to get it all in a single line) and you'll hear the difference. Jim has mentioned another web site: http://tinyurl.com/8mc4f which may not work for you, as you need a RealPlayer to actually listen - but http://www.wm.edu/modlang/gasmit/pronunciation/oe/index.html http://www.wm.edu/modlang/gasmit/pronunciation/ue/index.html give you a few nice examples to type into LEO. Unfortunately examples for "ä" are not given - so let me try to add a few more: Short ä: lächerlich vs. lachen Sättigung vs. satt kämpfen vs. Kampf täglich vs. Tag Fächer vs. Fach ärztlich vs. Arzt Long ä: unfortunately all examples I tried were useless - pronounced like a short ä :-((. Best regards - Wolf
My family name is Hohl we have never found umlauts above the o, and we pronounce it like a hole in the ground, meaning is dweller of the hollow. In my research I have hound it linked to Hull and Hall. If it does not have umlauts what would be the correct pronounction? Family history says they were from Baden. While stationed in Germany we found a business with the name Hohl with umlauts above the o. Here we have found spelling as hoehl which if I am correct the e was added to cover the lack of Americans using umlauts. Bette Hohl Sears Fl. USA Wolf Seelentag <wolf.seelentag@swissonline.ch> wrote: > Von: William FISCHLI [mailto:wfischli@freesurf.ch] > Gesendet: Dienstag, 27. Dezember 2005 17:33 > [...] > The most correct pronunciation of "ö" (or "oe") in english > would be like in s_u_n or better like in b_u_tter (the > phonetic sign is a "v" reversed). Sorry, William, but this is not a good example ;-). To use the English words "sun" or "butter" as an explanation for "ö" only explains to a German speaker how most Swiss pronounce "sun" or "butter" - which has NOTHING to do with how Englishmen or Americans pronounce these words. Go to http://www.m-w.com/cgi-bin/dictionary?book=Dictionary&va=sun and listen to sun - than to http://dict.leo.org/?lp=ende&lang=de&searchLoc=0&cmpType=relaxed&relink= on§Hdr=on&spellToler=std&search=l%F6schen (make sure to get it all in a single line) and you'll hear the difference. Jim has mentioned another web site: http://tinyurl.com/8mc4f which may not work for you, as you need a RealPlayer to actually listen - but http://www.wm.edu/modlang/gasmit/pronunciation/oe/index.html http://www.wm.edu/modlang/gasmit/pronunciation/ue/index.html give you a few nice examples to type into LEO. Unfortunately examples for "ä" are not given - so let me try to add a few more: Short ä: lächerlich vs. lachen Sättigung vs. satt kämpfen vs. Kampf täglich vs. Tag Fächer vs. Fach ärztlich vs. Arzt Long ä: unfortunately all examples I tried were useless - pronounced like a short ä :-((. Best regards - Wolf ==== SWITZERLAND Mailing List ==== Resource Site http://www.rootsweb.com/~chewgw My genealogy home page http://www.geocities.com/bezzsears --------------------------------- Yahoo! DSL Something to write home about. Just $16.99/mo. or less