Why Not All German Words Are Really German

How Foreign Words Retain Their Sound — and Why That Matters

“If it looks German, it must sound German… right?”

Not always.
Words like Job, Менеджер, Chef, или Visum май look like part of the German language — but they didn’t start there. And they don’t always sound the way you’d expect.

This is why learners misread them. And why native speakers often hear something… wrong.

Let’s break the myth.

Two Kinds of ‘V’ in German: [f] vs [v]

German has a clear split in how it pronounces the letter V — and it depends on where the word comes from.

🎧 Rule of thumb:
If you’ve seen the word before learning German — it’s probably borrowed.
If you’ve never heard it before — it might be a native German word.

Borrowed Words Often Keep Their Sound

This is especially true for:

• Professions: Менеджер, Trainer, Designer
• Technical terms: Computer, Scanner, Online
• Food and culture: Curry, Café, Chef

📌 Many learners say “Йоб” or “Манагер”, following German spelling rules — but that leads to misunderstandings.
The correct pronunciation is [dʒɔb], [ˈmɛnɪdʒɐ] — just like in English.

Why This Matters in Real Life

Pronouncing a borrowed word “too German” can sound:

• Unnatural at best
• Confusing or even offensive at worst

For example, the word Job mispronounced as [jɔp] might sound like a totally different word — or a threat.
(We’ve already written about that — read the full story here).

Your Brain Already Knows These Words

That’s the real takeaway.
If you’ve heard the word in English or French before, your brain already has the melody — and German often keeps it.

“Don’t fight your intuition. Use it.”
That’s not just a strategy — it’s how language works.

Conclusion: Sound Foreign, Speak Right

German is logical.
But it’s also global — and it borrows a lot.
The logic is this: not all German words are fully German. And that’s okay.

Learning to hear which words are “guests” in the language helps you:

• pronounce better
• be understood
• and speak with confidence

And the best part?
You probably already know more German than you think — if you just let your ears guide you.

✍️ Written by Tymur Levitin

Founder, Director, and Lead Instructor of Levitin Language School
(Школа иностранных языков "Старт" от Тимура Левитина)

📎 Category:

Language Myths Busted (Author’s Column by Tymur Levitin)

© Copyright:

© Tymur Levitin, 2025
Author’s column by Tymur Levitin — founder, director, and lead instructor at Языковая школа Левитина (Школа иностранных языков "Старт" от Тимура Левитина)
All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

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