| Consonants |
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| IPA | Colognian examples | English approximation |
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| b | Botzⓘ,jlibboⓘ | ball | | d | Dankeschönⓘ, Saddel | done | | dʒ | Dschungel, wadschele | jungle | | f | Fußßⓘ, Waffel | fuss | | ɡ | waggele | gust | | h | Höhnerⓘ, Buhai, Bah | hut | | ɧ | Schimie,verstecheⓘ, biestig,fußßichⓘ | bush | | j[a] | joode Morjeⓘ,fußßijeⓘ | yuck | | ʒ[a] | Geniere, nuschele,"Esch bin et..."ⓘ | pleasure | | k | Kannß DoKölsch?ⓘ,Jlockeⓘ, Pek | kiss | | l | Lack,halloⓘ | luck | | m | "Minge Naame iß."ⓘ, summe | may | | n | Enne schöneNommendaachⓘ | not | | ŋ | senge, lang,Dankeschönⓘ | long | | p | Peck, Appel, Kapp | peck | | ʁ | Rään,Beidrageⓘ | guttural r | | s | faste,"Isch heißen..."ⓘ | bus | | ʃ | schäl, Mösche, Bösch | bush | | t | Toon,Bitteschönⓘ, Bütt | tone | | ts | Zupp, Mätze, Fuz | pizza | | tʃ | tschöⓘ, letsche, Matsch | chat | | v | Vas,'n Ovendⓘ, övver | vast | | w | Weßßeⓘ, Kannß Do Änglesch schwaade?ⓘ[b] | sometimes likewillbut more often with the lips only | | x | Woche,"Joode Naach."ⓘ | Scottish loch | | z | Sunn, lässe,jrooseⓘ | zone | | ʔ | 'enßⓘ, be'erdije, perdü' | uh-oh |
| Pitch accent |
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| IPA | Colognian examples | English approximation | Explanation |
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| ˈ | Bahnhoffstrohße | intonation | primary stress | | ˌ | Bahnhoffstrohße | | secondary stress | | ◌̂ | /ˈʃtîːf/ "stiffness", /ˈhûːs/ "house (dat.)", /ˈʃlɛ̂ːʃ/ "beats (n. pl.)", /ˈzêɪ/ "sieve", /ˈkân/ "(tea)pot, jug"[c] | fallingtone (Stoßton, Accent 1) | | ◌́ | /ˈzǿlts/Sülz[d] | hightone (Schleifton, Accent 2) |
| | Vowels |
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| IPA | Colognian examples | English approximation |
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| aː | beidraareⓘ, Plaat, Bar,Ahle, Bahn | bra | | a | Ax, spack,Pavaijerⓘ | bra, but short | | eː | Wikkipedijaⓘ,eetsⓘ | somewhat like play | | e | enjonn, seze,Weßßeⓘ | somewhat like play, but short | | ɛː | Ääpel, Pääd,nääⓘ,äänz, Nähl | fairy | | ɛ | Eck,"Bläck Fööss"ⓘ, dä! | bed | | iː | Ieß, Pief, di,ieser, Dier, auwieh!,jrieseⓘ | eat | | i | Wie iß Dinge Naameⓘ[e] | city | | ɪ | in, Friko,hätzlisch Willkummeⓘ | sit | | ɔː | jrooseⓘ, booh,Nohkiexelⓘ,[f]joⓘ,'nOvendⓘ | off, but long | | ɔ | Jlockⓘ, mer[g] | off | | œː | Ööschel, pöze, Blööh,Öl, Pöhl | somewhat likeurgent | | œ | Öschel, Pött,Kölscheⓘ | | øː | Ööz, kööze, bleu, Rösje,Jröhßⓘ | | ø | Öllije, Kött, ?ömjonn,Jlöckⓘ | | oː | Ooschel, koot,Ohm, Dooch,Jrohßⓘ | more (long) | | o | op, lovve,"De vier Botze"ⓘ,Halloⓘ | story (short) | | ʊː | Pattevuel | took (long) | | ʊ | us, Hunk,Botzⓘ | took (short) | | uː | uze, Pluute, Schmu,Uhr, Bud, esu | pool (long) | | u | Ussel,Fußßeⓘ | pool (short) | | yː | üüßerlech, süht,Üül,Jrühßⓘ, perdü | somewhat like cute | | y | üvver,Füßßjeⓘ | | ʏ | üch, tüntele | | aɪ | ei,Eiter, Weihnaach, zwei,Eier, Weiher, Pavei | tie | | aːʊ | Auto, Strauß, mau | out | | aʊ | Auflach, Zauß, Schabau, ?zaubere, ?Kakau | | eɪ | ei,Beidrareⓘ, Zeidung, sei,eine, zeije, Schnei"Wie jeit et?"ⓘ | alien, mania, bay | | iɐ̯ | Liehr,"De vier Botze"ⓘ | similar to dear | | oʊ | Auge, Baum, hau,Aug, sauge, Hau | similar to goal | | ɔʏ | Schnäuzer, Heu, Häuche, Häu | similar to boy | | øʏ | Sträuf, Späu,Äujelche, Bäum,neuⓘ,neujeⓘ | | | Reduced vowels |
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| ɐ | "Verston ech nit."ⓘ,Höhnerⓘ | nutor sofa(but not balance)[h] | | ə | e,en, bedon,de decke Pitterⓘ | balance(but not sofa)[h] |
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