Use of ß (“eszett”) in Latin text

1. What is the usage of ß?
2. Is ß a Latin character?
3. What is Eszett in Latin?
4. What is the meaning of this symbol ß?
5. Is Eszett still used?
6. Do people still use ß?
7. How many languages use ß?
8. Can you use ß instead of ß?
9. Is ß a special character?
10. Does any word start with ß?
11. What sound does ß make?
12. How do I pronounce ß?
13. How many languages use ß?
14. What are examples of ß?
15. Why does Switzerland not use ß?
16. Can you use ß instead of ß?
17. Is ß a special character?
18. How do I pronounce ß?
19. What sound does ß make?

What is the usage of ß?

ß does not exist everywhere that German is spoken—the Swiss dropped it years ago. But its purpose is to help readers figure out pronunciation: A ß signals that the preceding vowel is pronounced long, instead of short, and that you should make an “ss,” not “z,” sound. It's also written to signify “ss” after a diphthong.

Is ß a Latin character?

The letter ß (also known as sharp S, German: Eszett or scharfes S) is a letter in the German alphabet. It is the only German letter that is not part of the basic Latin alphabet. The letter is pronounced [s] (like the "s" in "see") and is not used in any other language.

What is Eszett in Latin?

The “Eszett” (sz) is one of the letters of the Latin alphabet that officially has no capital form and is never used to begin a word. It is used in Germany, Austria, and Luxembourg; however, not in Switzerland nor in Liechentstein, where German is also an official language.

What is the meaning of this symbol ß?

The German letter ß is a ligature and is also called a “scharfes s” (sharp s). But it's simpler than it sounds–it actually just means “ss”. The best thing about this letter? It sounds exactly like the “s” sound in English!

Is Eszett still used?

The Eszett letter is used only in German, and can be typographically replaced with the double-s digraph ⟨ss⟩, if the ß-character is unavailable.

Do people still use ß?

While the ß was abandoned in Swiss orthography and a German reform in 1996 simplified (and reduced) its use, it is definitely still widely used and required.

How many languages use ß?

The German ligature (additional character): The letter ß, is also known as the "sharp S", "eszett" or "scharfes S", and is the only German letter that is not part of the Latin/Roman alphabet. The letter is pronounced (like the "s" in "see"). The ß is not used in any other language.

Can you use ß instead of ß?

Usage notes

The current rules for the choice between ß and ss were introduced in 1996. They follow the simple principle that ss is used after short vowels and ß otherwise (i.e. after long vowels and diphthongs).

Is ß a special character?

In German, the letter ß is known as the eszett or scharfes (sharp) S. It's a special character, similar to the German umlaut you're probably used to seeing by now.

Does any word start with ß?

There are no words in German that begin with ss or ß, so that rule is easy. A single s will usually come after the letters l, m, n and r when a vowel follows the s, with words such as: der Balsam (the balm), die Bremse (the brake), and sparsam (economical): Das ist sehr sparsam!

What sound does ß make?

ß is just a “ss” sound. j sounds like the English y. w sounds like the English v. v sounds like the English f.

How do I pronounce ß?

The double s (after a short vowel) and the ß (after a long vowel) are both pronounced like the -ss in the English word “pass”. How to pronounce s: When the s is at the end of a word, it is pronounced as in the English word “pass”.

How many languages use ß?

The German ligature (additional character): The letter ß, is also known as the "sharp S", "eszett" or "scharfes S", and is the only German letter that is not part of the Latin/Roman alphabet. The letter is pronounced (like the "s" in "see"). The ß is not used in any other language.

What are examples of ß?

The ß is usually used after a long vowel or double-vowel combination (dipthong), in words such as die Straße (the street), der Meißel (the chisel), and stoßen (to bump, to repel): Gut, und die stoßen sich ab.

Why does Switzerland not use ß?

It is because of the typewriter. A Swiss typewriter needs to support three languages: German, French, and Italian. Therefore on the Swiss typewriter, there was no ß key. It also has only lowercase umlauts ä, ö, and ü.

Can you use ß instead of ß?

Usage notes

The current rules for the choice between ß and ss were introduced in 1996. They follow the simple principle that ss is used after short vowels and ß otherwise (i.e. after long vowels and diphthongs).

Is ß a special character?

In German, the letter ß is known as the eszett or scharfes (sharp) S. It's a special character, similar to the German umlaut you're probably used to seeing by now.

How do I pronounce ß?

The double s (after a short vowel) and the ß (after a long vowel) are both pronounced like the -ss in the English word “pass”. How to pronounce s: When the s is at the end of a word, it is pronounced as in the English word “pass”.

What sound does ß make?

ß is just a “ss” sound. j sounds like the English y. w sounds like the English v. v sounds like the English f.