How to Pronounce “verstehen”

American (US)

/və(ɹ)ˈʃteɪ.ən/

British (UK)

/və(ɹ)ˈʃteɪ.ən/

noun — A stance that attempts to understand the meaning of action from the actor’s point of view, so that the actor is seen as a subject rather than an object of observation.

Where the stress falls. “verstehen” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /və(ɹ)ˈʃteɪ.ən/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /və(ɹ)ˈʃteɪ.ən/ 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 "verstehen" mean?

verstehen (noun): A stance that attempts to understand the meaning of action from the actor’s point of view, so that the actor is seen as a subject rather than an object of observation.

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

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "verstehen", /və(ɹ)ˈʃteɪ.ən/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "verstehen"?

/və(ɹ)ˈʃteɪ.ən/ in American English, /və(ɹ)ˈʃteɪ.ən/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "verstehen"?

“verstehen” has 3 syllables, and the transcription /və(ɹ)ˈʃteɪ.ən/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.