Writing: capitals, umlauts, ß
FoundationsfreeThe onSET grades spelling strictly: a missing umlaut or a lowercase noun makes the answer wrong. This lesson covers the four rules that cost points.
1. Nouns capitalized — always
Every noun starts with a capital letter, even mid-sentence: das Haus, die Freiheit, beim Essen. Also “disguised” nouns: “das Lesen macht Spaß” (a verb used as a noun — “reading is fun”). Also capitalized: the formal Sie/Ihnen/Ihr (you).
2. ä, ö, ü are letters of their own
The two dots (umlaut) are not decoration — they change meaning: *schon* (already) ≠ *schön* (beautiful), *Mutter* (mother) ≠ *Mütter* (mothers), *konnte* (could, real) ≠ *könnte* (could, hypothetical). In the test you must type them: on a US Mac ⌥u then the vowel; on Windows via the German keyboard layout or Alt codes. The substitute spelling ae/oe/ue counts as wrong on the onSET.
3. ß and ss
ß (sharp S) follows a long vowel or diphthong: heißen (to be called), groß (big), Straße (street), draußen (outside). ss follows a short vowel: essen (to eat), muss (must), Schlüssel (key). Typing tip: ⌥s on a Mac. Writing “ss” instead of “ß” is wrong in the test (unless you consistently use Swiss spelling — don't risk it).
4. Double consonant = short vowel
A doubled consonant signals that the vowel before it is short: kommen (to come), Sonne (sun), bitte (please). If you hear a short vowel, write the consonant twice. Compare: *bitten* (short i, to ask) vs. *bieten* (long i, to offer).
Typical orthography gaps: “Str__” → Straße (ß!), “Müt__” → Mütter (umlaut in the plural!), “das Le__” → Lesen (capital!). Before submitting a gap: is it a noun? → capital. Umlaut plural? → set the dots.
Which spelling is correct?
“schon” and “schön” …
Short vowel → which spelling? (to eat)
Which sentence is spelled correctly?
“Mein linker ___ tut weh.” (My left foot hurts; long u) — Which spelling is correct?
“Sie ___ gern Obst.” (She likes eating fruit; short i) — Which form fits?
“Wir ___ jetzt gehen.” (We have to go now; short ü) — Which spelling is correct?
“das Bett” (the bed) — How is the e pronounced?
“wir fahren morgen mit dem zug nach berlin” (we’re taking the train to Berlin tomorrow) — Which words must be capitalized (besides “Wir”)?
“Das ___ macht mir Spaß.” (Reading is fun for me.) — How do you write the word?