Umlaut Meaning in English

word

US

ˈʊm.laʊt

OOM-lowt

UK

ˈʌmlaʊt

UHM-lowt

Definition

An umlaut is two dots ( ¨ ) placed over a vowel, usually in German or other languages, to indicate a change in sound.

Usage & Nuances

'Umlaut' is mainly used when talking about German letters (ä, ö, ü). In English, it is a technical or language term and not commonly used in everyday conversation. Sometimes used informally to describe similar marks in other languages, but technically those may be called 'diaeresis'.

• Spanish: diéresis - umlaut (alemán)
• Portuguese (BR): trema - umlaut (alemão)
• Portuguese (PT): trema - umlaut (alemão)
• Chinese (Simplified): 元音变音符号 - 乌姆劳特（德语）
• Chinese (Traditional): 元音變音符號 - 烏姆勞特（德語）
• Hindi: उमलाउट (जर्मन) - स्वर परिवर्तन चिह्न
• Arabic: علامة أوملاوت (ألماني) - نقطتان فوق الحرف
• Bengali: উমলাউট
• Russian: умлаут
• Japanese: ウムラウト
• Vietnamese: dấu umlaut
• Korean: 움라우트
• Turkish: umlaut
• Urdu: اُملاؤٹ
• Indonesian: umlaut

Example Sentences

In German, the letter 'a' can have an umlaut to become 'ä'.

basic

The word 'über' has an umlaut over the 'u'.

basic

An umlaut changes how a vowel sounds.

basic

Can you type an umlaut on your keyboard?

natural

I always forget where the umlaut goes in German words.

natural

Some band names use an umlaut just for style.

natural