Umlauts are characterized by the two dots on top of the letter and they are very useful for learning German. They are crucial in being grammatically correct and pronouncing the words right.

What is the purpose of an umlaut?

Umlauted characters ä, ö, and ü help learners and native speakers pronounce words correctly. These small changes in the pronunciation of a vowel can change the meanings of words. For example, the only difference between schon (already, previously) and schön (beautiful) is the pronunciation of the vowel.

Why are umlauts important German?

The German alphabet consists of 26 characters plus 3 umlauts: ä, ö and ü. The two dots above the letters do not indicate an accentuation or emphasis of the syllable (as for instance accent-bearing letters in Spanish or French). Umlauts are used as independent characters in the German language.