Free taster
5 of 6 sections open
Die Fallen — The Spelling Traps That Cost Marks
🪤 Die Fallen — The Spelling Traps That Cost Marks
In the dictation, Grid B rewards correct spelling — and German has specific traps. Umlauts change meaning, ß and ss are different, all nouns take a capital, and some words sound identical but are spelled differently. Knowing these traps turns lost marks into easy ones.
The four big traps
The two dots are not decoration. Add the umlaut and you have a completely different word.
Earn the mark scheme marks
💡 Exam Tips & Common Errors
- On the 3rd play, hunt specifically for umlauts and ß — these are the marks students throw away most often.
- Check every noun has a capital letter before you finish.
- Use the meaning of the sentence to pick between homophones — man (one) vs Mann (man) only makes sense one way.
❌ Common error: writing schon when you hear schön.
✓ Correct: schön (with the umlaut).
Why it costs marks: schön (beautiful) and schon (already) are different words. The umlaut is not optional — missing it in the dictation gives you the wrong word and loses a Grid B mark.