This exam tips covers Dictation Tips & Common Errors within ch, sch, st- and sp- (ich-Laut and ach-Laut) for GCSE German. Revise ch, sch, st- and sp- (ich-Laut and ach-Laut) in Phonics: German Sounds and Spellings for GCSE German with 10 exam-style questions and 15 flashcards. This topic shows up very often in GCSE exams, so students should be able to explain it clearly, not just recognise the term. It is section 4 of 4 in this topic. Treat this as a marking guide for what examiners are looking for, not just a fact list.
💡 Dictation Tips & Common Errors
- In dictation, the moment you hear 'sht' at the start of a word, write St — never 'Sht'.
- The moment you hear the 'shp' sound at the start of a word, write Sp.
- Whenever you hear the English 'sh' sound inside or at the start of a word, write sch.
- A word ending in the '-ish' sound is almost always spelled -ig, like wichtig.
❌ Common error: Writing 'Shule' or 'Schtadt'.
✓ Correct: Schule / Stadt.
Why it costs marks: 'sh' is never a German spelling — the 'sh' sound is always written sch. And although Stadt is pronounced 'shtat', you write st-, not 'sht'. Writing what you hear instead of the correct spelling loses dictation marks every time.
Practice questions for ch, sch, st- and sp- (ich-Laut and ach-Laut)
How is the 'ch' pronounced in the German word 'Buch' (book)?
How is 'st' pronounced at the START of the German word 'Straße' (street)?