16.  More and More Pronunciation of German Sounds  

Having had a look at the vowel sounds of  German, we should now move onto the consonants. Before doing that, I should point out that the vowel sounds heard throughout the German speaking word tend to vary somewhat depending on where you are in the German speaking world. The German in the north of the country is very different from the German in the south of the country as well as in Austria and Switzerland. Largely speaking, the variety of vowel sounds is responsible for that. One quick example of that is the difference between the a sound in North Germany [ah] and that of its Bavarian counterpart [more like oh] ..... haben = have [har ben]  and [hoh ben / hom].

b   At start of word, same as English, but at the end, [p] ... Bar = bar [bar], gib = give [gip]
c   [k] Clique = group [kleeker], [sh] Charme = charm [sharm], [ts] Celsius [tselsee oohs], [ch] Cello [chello]
ch  [ch] sound already discussed but at start of word also often [k]  Christus = Christ [krist oohs]
d   At start of word [d]  danke = thanks [dunker]; at end usually [t]  Bad = bath [bart]
f    Always same as English ... faul = lazy [fowl],  Chef = boss / chief [shef]
g   At start [g] Geld = money [gelt] but at end [ch] Honig = honey [hoh nich], & [k] Steg = footpath [shtayk]
h   At start same as English  Hand = hand [hunt] but at end usually silent  Stroh = straw [sht roh]
j    Only used at start, mostly [y] ja = yes [yar] but French words [szjer] Jalousie = blind [szjar looh zee]
k   Always [k]  Kohle = coal [koh ler],  Koch = cook [ko ch],  also with 'ck' = [k]  Stock = stick [sh tok]
l    Always [l]  Licht = light [li cht],  lang = long [lung],  Stil = style [sh teel]
m  Always [m]  Mond = moon [mont],  Scham = shame [sharm]
n   Always [n]   nein = no [nine],  nicht = not  [ni cht],  Hahn = rooster [harn]
p   Always [p]  Pein = pain [pine], schlapp = worn out [shlup], Papier = paper [pup ear]
q   Usually with 'u' but pronounced [kv]  Qual = agony [kvarl]  except  die Queen = Queen Elizabeth
r   Same as English  reif = ripe [rife],  Herr = Mr [hair],  hart = hard [hart]
s   At start used as [z]  Sohn = son [zohn],  and as [s] at end  Bus = bus [booh ss]
st  In Hochdeutsch [sht] but in Berlin, more like English  Stahl = steel [starl], stark = strong [shtark]
sp   Like 'st' has [shp]  Spiel = game [shpeel],  Sport = sport [shport]
sch Has [sh] sound but is never written 'sh'  Schule = school [sh ooh ler],  scharf = sharp [sharf]
t   Same as English trinken = drink [trink en], Hut = hat [hooh t], Vater = father [fah ter]
v  Mostly pronounced [f]  vier = four [fear], exceptions French words ... Chauvi = chauvinist [shoh vee]
w Always pronounced as [v]  wenn = when / if [ven],  Wein =  wine [vine]
x  Same as English usually  fix = fixed [fix] but at start as [ks]  xenophob = xenophobic [ksenoh fohb]
y  This is  a difficult sound for English speakers - if you round your lips as if whistling and try to
    say [ee], you will come close to the sound that we don't have in English. Along with the ch sound,  
    these have to be the hardest sounds for speakers of English to say.
z  [ts]  Zunge = tongue [tsoohnger]