German uses the same Latin alphabet as English (A–Z), plus the Umlaute (Ä, Ö, Ü) and the special letter ß (Eszett or “sharp S”).
However, German has a unique rule: all nouns are capitalized. This makes understanding Großbuchstaben (capital letters) and Kleinbuchstaben (lowercase letters) essential from day one.
In this guide, you’ll learn:
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The full German alphabet
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How each letter looks in capital vs lowercase
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When to use uppercase letters
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When to use lowercase letters
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The complete rules for ß → SS / ss / ß conversions
2. The German Alphabet: Uppercase and Lowercase Overview
German has 30 key characters:
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26 basic Latin letters: A–Z
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3 umlaut letters: Ä, Ö, Ü
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1 special letter: ß
2.1 Alphabet Table (A–Z)
| Uppercase | Lowercase | Name in German |
|---|---|---|
| A | a | A (ah) |
| B | b | Be (beh) |
| C | c | C (tseh) |
| D | d | De (deh) |
| E | e | E (eh) |
| F | f | F (eff) |
| G | g | G (geh) |
| H | h | H (hah) |
| I | i | I (eeh) |
| J | j | J (yott) |
| K | k | K (kah) |
| L | l | L (ell) |
| M | m | M (emm) |
| N | n | N (enn) |
| O | o | O (oh) |
| P | p | P (peh) |
| Q | q | Q (kuh) |
| R | r | R (err) |
| S | s | S (ess) |
| T | t | T (teh) |
| U | u | U (uh) |
| V | v | V (fau) |
| W | w | W (veh) |
| X | x | X (iks) |
| Y | y | Ypsilon |
| Z | z | Zett |
2.2 Umlaut Letters
| Uppercase | Lowercase | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Ä | ä | Äpfel (apples) |
| Ö | ö | Öl (oil) |
| Ü | ü | Über (over) |
2.3 ß (Eszett)
Lowercase only: ß
Uppercase version (official): ẞ
Examples:
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Ich heiße Anna.
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Straße
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Fußball
3. When to Use Capital Letters in German (Großschreibung)
Capitalization is one of the most important grammar rules in German.
3.1 Rule 1: All nouns are capitalized
This includes:
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People: Mann, Frau
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Objects: Tisch, Buch
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Concepts: Hoffnung, Liebe
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Animals: Hund, Katze
Example:
Ich habe ein Buch gekauft.
3.2 Rule 2: The first word in every sentence is capitalized
Just like in English.
Example:
Heute lerne ich Deutsch.
3.3 Rule 3: Capitalization after a colon (:)
When the colon introduces a full sentence.
Example:
Er sagt: Das ist richtig.
3.4 Rule 4: Formal “Sie” and its forms
Pronouns for formal address:
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Sie (you)
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Ihnen, Ihr
3.5 Rule 5: Days, months, and languages are lowercase — unless they are nouns
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heute, morgen, gestern → lowercase
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Deutsch, Englisch → capital (because they are nouns)
4. When to Use Lowercase Letters (Kleinschreibung)
Lowercase is used for:
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Verbs: gehen, lernen
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Adjectives: schön, klein
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Adverbs: gestern, heute
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Prepositions: mit, nach, von
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Pronouns (most): ich, du, wir
5. The Complete ß Rules (Eszett Rules A–Z)
The letter ß is unique to German. It represents a “sharp S” sound, like a long hiss.
5.1 Lowercase ß
The basic form: ß
Used after long vowels and diphthongs:
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Fuß (long u)
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groß (long o)
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heißen (diphthong ei)
5.2 Uppercase ß (ẞ)
Introduced officially in 2017.
Uppercase version: ẞ
Used in ALL-CAPS writing:
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Straße → STRAẞE
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Maßen → MAẞEN
5.3 ß becomes SS when uppercase is not available
If the font or system does not support ẞ, you write:
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Straße → STRASSE
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Fuß → FUSS
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groß → GROSS
5.4 ß vs ss Rule (Most important)
If the vowel is long → ß
If the vowel is short → ss
Examples:
| Word | Vowel | Rule | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fuß | long u | ß | foot |
| Gruß | long u | ß | greeting |
| Fluss | short u | ss | river |
| Kuss | short u | ss | kiss |
5.5 You never use ß in Switzerland
Swiss Standard German replaces ß with ss always:
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Straße → Strasse
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heißen → heissen
6. Common Mistakes Learners Make (and Easy Fixes)
Mistake 1: Capitalizing adjectives
❌ Ich habe Ein Großes Haus.
✔️ Ich habe ein großes Haus.
Mistake 2: Using SS when ß is correct
❌ Heissen
✔️ Heißen
Mistake 3: Writing ß at the start of a word
wrong: ßeit
correct: Seit
(ß cannot start a word)
Mistake 4: Confusing ä and a
- schon vs schön (completely different meaning)
7. Practice Section: Uppercase vs Lowercase Examples
7.1 Convert to German Capitalization
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ich habe einen hund.
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morgen fährt meine freundin nach berlin.
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die straße ist neu.
Correct answers:
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Ich habe einen Hund.
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Morgen fährt meine Freundin nach Berlin.
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Die Straße ist neu.
8. Conclusion
Understanding A vs a, uppercase vs lowercase, and ß rules is the foundation of correct German writing. Once you master:
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When to capitalize nouns
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How to handle umlauts
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How ß changes in uppercase forms
…everything in German spelling becomes much easier.
This knowledge is essential for:
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A1 and A2 exam writing
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Reading signs and forms in Germany
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Writing emails or messages correctly
