noun
umlaut
UUM-lowt
Umlaut (noun) means the pair of dots placed over a vowel, as in German ö or ü, showing that it is pronounced as a front vowel. Example: “The name Müller has an umlaut over the u.”
noun
1
The pair of dots placed over a vowel, as in German ö or ü, showing that it is pronounced as a front vowel.
"The name Müller has an umlaut over the u."
"On many keyboards you type an umlaut by pressing a special key before the vowel."
"Some people write ae instead of a with an umlaut when no umlaut is available."
2
linguistics A change in which a vowel comes to sound more like a vowel in the following syllable.
"Linguists explain the plural feet as the result of umlaut."
"Umlaut shaped the vowels of many Germanic words."
"The difference between mouse and mice is a trace of umlaut."
How to use umlaut
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTwo dots over a vowel, or the sound change they stand for.
When to use it
In everyday use it names the dots; in linguistics it also names a historical sound change.
Memory tip
Say the vowel first and then the word, as in o umlaut, when spelling a German word aloud.
Trace the full origin ↓
Easily confused with
Common pairings
an umlaut over the o
add an umlaut
German umlaut
a letter with an umlaut
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Fill the gap
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The name Müller has an _____ over the u.
Etymology
English borrowed the word from German in the 19th century. The German word is built from um-, meaning around or re-, and Laut, meaning sound.
Synonyms
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vowel mutation
Rhymes for umlaut
See all rhymes for umlaut →Frequently asked questions
What is an umlaut?
An umlaut is a mark of two dots over a vowel, as in ö. The word also names a sound change in which a vowel shifts towards a following vowel.
Is an umlaut the same as a diaeresis?
They look the same but do different jobs, so careful writers treat them as different things. The diacritic itself, as opposed to its function, is called a trema.
What is the plural of umlaut?
The usual plural is umlauts. Umlaute, following German, is also recorded but is quite rare.
What is the meaning of umlaut?
"umlaut" (noun) means the pair of dots placed over a vowel, as in German ö or ü, showing that it is pronounced as a front vowel.
