How to Pronounce “doppelgänger”

American (US)

/ˈdɑːpəlɡæŋər/

British (UK)

/ˈdɒpəlɡæŋə/

noun — A person who looks exactly like someone else.

Example: She met her doppelgänger at a conference.

Synonyms: double, lookalike

A loanword from German. German “Doppelgänger”, double-goer. The ä is closer to the vowel in “bed”, and the g in -gänger is hard, giving “DOP-ul-geng-er”.

Where the stress falls. “doppelgänger” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdɑːpəlɡæŋər/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ˈdɑːpəlɡæŋər/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "doppelgänger" mean?

doppelgänger (noun): A person who looks exactly like someone else. For example — She met her doppelgänger at a conference.

How do you pronounce "doppelgänger" in American vs British English?

American English: /ˈdɑːpəlɡæŋər/. British English: /ˈdɒpəlɡæŋə/. Play both on this page to hear the difference.

What is the IPA transcription of "doppelgänger"?

/ˈdɑːpəlɡæŋər/ in American English, /ˈdɒpəlɡæŋə/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "doppelgänger"?

“doppelgänger” has 4 syllables, and the transcription /ˈdɑːpəlɡæŋər/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the first one — so the first syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.