In German, what does the word ending "ig" sound like? I heard that it sounds "sloppy" when said like "ish" and it should be said somewhat like "ick". Some examples would be Salzig, Fertig, and Witzig.

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Russ Perry

In German, what does the word ending "ig" sound like? I heard that it sounds "sloppy" when said like "ish" and it should be said somewhat like "ick". Some examples would be Salzig, Fertig, and Witzig. Is it correct to say these words either way or do some of these words have specific pronunciations that I need to memorize?

Answers · 12

I found this link helpful :) https://www.quora.com/How-are-words-ending-in-g-especially-ig-pronounced-in-German

Some accents pronounce it like "ick" and others pronounce it like (German) "ich". I think both pronunciations are pretty widespread. I've never heard it pronounced as "ish", but it's possible that's just an accent I haven't heard.

Thank you Jmat, Both of those links were helpful! I think I got it now!

I found that link from someone else's post here: https://www.duolingo.com/comment/10599491$from_email=comment&comment_id=10600749

You might find this interesting: https://www.quora.com/How-are-words-ending-in-g-especially-ig-pronounced-in-German

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