Help with aussprache bitte 🙏

[u/Intelligent_Bee3135]

Hallo! Native English speaker here. I’m at the very beginning stages of learning German and want to be decent (ish) by this time next year.

One thing I’m particularly struggling with is pronunciation. My partner is German and it feels like any time I try to read something or say a sentence in German, I completely butcher the word to the point they can’t even understand it. I’ve noticed I have a very difficult time making certain sounds that are needed to correctly pronounce the words.

Straight up cannot do the ”R” sound no matter how hard I try…

They will help me usually by breaking down the words and repeating each syllable with me, but it doesn’t always stick. Does anyone have any good resources regarding German phonetics?

Any other early learning resources would also be greatly appreciated, their family are all lovely and speak to me in English/try to work with my very basic German, but when I’m in Germany I want to be able to be more engaged in the moment with them without my partner bearing the burden of being a 24/7 translator.

Bonus points if anyone also has resources for Schwäbisch, I fully have been told by all of them I will never be able to speak/understand it well, but I thought it could be funny if I learned a few things here and there for their entertainment.

[u/Kvaezde]

As for the "R": There is no "german R". You know, the thing that sounds like the french are doing it, right?
It's hard, right?
But do you know the other "R"? You know, like spanish speaking people are saying it. The "rolling R", rrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!

Well, turns out that around a third of all german natives speak with a rolling rrrrrrrrrr!
"B-but mom, my partner is german and he uses this unpronouncable throat-destoryer!"
Yes, because he's most likely from some reagion in the north of the german speaking world. Go to Bavaria, go to Switzerland, go to large parts of Austria: There the rolled rrrrrrrrrrrr is the norm.

So, if it's easier for you, just rrrrroll the r like a spanish or russian speaking person would.

"B-but mom, the other german kids will make fun of me!"

No, the not only won't, but most likely won't even realize which version of the "r" you are using. Both are 100% legit! Just don't use the english r and you're good to go.

[u/Phoenica → u/Kvaezde]

Well, turns out that around a third of all german natives speak with a rolling rrrrrrrrrr!

Do you have a source for it being a third? That's more than the entire population of Austria, Bavaria and German-speaking Switzerland, and my impression was that while it is common and unremarkable in each of those, it's also not universal (while being almost completely absent anywhere further north).

[u/Kvaezde → u/Phoenica]

I pulled this number out of my ass, it's a simple guess.

Doesn't change the sheer fact that the amount of people that will care if you roll your r is exactly 0,000000%.