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- Topic: German >
- "Ich bin ein Mann."
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- "When the letters 'ch' follow the German 'back' vowels 'a', 'o', 'u' and 'au', the sound produced corresponds to the 'ch' heard when Scots talk about 'Loch Ness'. It is articulated therefore with the back of the tongue close to or touching the soft palate. If this is not a sound with which you are familiar:
make a 'h' sound, remembering to let the air flow freely. While you are making this sound, reduce the gap between the roof of your mouth and the back of your tongue until friction becomes audible.
- When the letters 'ch' follow the front vowels 'e', 'ä', 'i', 'ei', 'eu', 'äu' and 'ö', or a consonant, a different sound is required that is articulated much further forward in the mouth. It resembles the 'h' sound made at the start of English words such as 'huge', 'humour' or 'humane', but the German sound needs to be articulated more vigorously and with the sound drawn out."
http://joycep.myweb.port.ac.uk/pronounce/consonch.html
I highly recommend reading the entire guide and listening to the examples. There are many other letters that are pronounced differently than in English or other languages.