Writing: capitals, umlauts, ß

The 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).