If you’ve ever wondered how to say Vienna in German, you’re not alone. Many English speakers find themselves stumbling over the correct pronunciation, because it doesn’t follow the typical rules of German phonetics. To make matters worse, there are actually two different ways to say Vienna in German, depending on the context.
The first way is Wien, which is how most Germans refer to the city colloquially. This pronunciation is fairly straightforward: it sounds just like the English word “win,” with a long i sound.
However, when speaking about Austria’s capital formally or in writing, Germans will usually use a different pronunciation: Weißenbrunn. This version might be trickier for English speakers to get right, because it uses a few unfamiliar sounds. The best way to break it down is by syllable:
Wei- starts off like the English word “way,” but with a slightly longer e sound.
-ßen is pronounced like an unvoiced “ss,” so it should sound more like a “tt” noise than anything else. Picture yourself trying to say “tsk tsk tsk” without actually using your teeth or tongue; that should give you the right sound.
-brunn rhymes with the English word “moon,” but with a short u sound instead of oo . So think of something like BRUHN rather than BROON .