Einführung in die Linguistik

by Aly Younes

This book is an introductory guide to German linguistics for students whose first language is not German. It presents the study of German sounds, consonants, and vowels through formal description and IPA-based transcription, with exercises that invite readers to practice pronunciation and transcription alongside the theory. The manuscript explains the difference between letters and sounds, introduces the speech organs involved in producing German speech, and walks through major consonant classes such as plosives, fricatives, affricates, nasals, and liquids. It also outlines the properties used to describe German vowels, including tongue height, tongue position, lip rounding, vowel length, and tenseness. Designed for learners in a university context, the book combines explanation with practice and is intended to help readers understand how German is analyzed linguistically rather than to teach everyday conversation, literature, or culture.