NATION
How to pronounce
Germany
JUR·muh·nee
Native [ˈdɔʏtʃlant] → American /ˈdʒɜːr.mə.ni/
Sound by sound
3 little beats. BIG = the stressed part.
- JUR the ‘ur’ in fur — say this beat loudest
- muh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
- nee the ‘ee’ in see
Talking about Germany
The words that trip people up — what to call the team, the people, and the language.
- One person
- a German
- The people / the team
- Germans (the team: Die Mannschaft)
- As an adjective
- German
- The language
- German
Germans call their country Deutschland (DOYCH-lahnt) and themselves Deutsche — so a German tourist saying they’re “from Deutschland” isn’t naming a different place. The team is often called Die Mannschaft (dee MAHN-shahft), “the team”.
Like a local vs like an American
Don’t say…
- JER-MAH-nee
- GER-muh-nee (hard G)
- JUR·muh·nee — stress on JUR
Where the name comes from
English “Germany” comes from Latin Germania, the Roman name for the lands east of the Rhine and their Germani tribes. But Germans call their country Deutschland — from Old High German diutisc, “of the people” — so the English and native names come from two completely different roots. That split is why French says Allemagne and Italian Germania for the same place.
- Capital
- Berlin
- Confederation
- UEFA
- World Cups won
- 4 (1954, 1974, 1990, 2014)
Hear it for real
Say it out loud — and check it.
SayWaader listens to your pronunciation and tells you exactly what to fix, syllable by syllable.
Practice in the appFAQ
How do you pronounce Germany?
Germany is pronounced JUR·muh·nee in American English — 3 beats, with the stress on JUR.
Where does the name Germany come from?
English “Germany” comes from Latin <em>Germania</em>, the Roman name for the lands east of the Rhine and their <em>Germani</em> tribes. But Germans call their country <strong>Deutschland</strong> — from Old High German <em>diutisc</em>, “of the people” — so the English and native names come from two completely different roots. That split is why French says <em>Allemagne</em> and Italian <em>Germania</em> for the same place.
Why is Germany called Deutschland by Germans?
Because the two names grew from different roots. “Germany” comes from the Latin Germania the Romans used; “Deutschland” comes from an old German word meaning “of the people”. Same country, two unrelated names — which is also why French calls it Allemagne.