English

Etymology

Pronunciation

• /ˈʊmlaʊt/|/ˈʌmlaʊt/ /"UmlaUt/|/"VmlaUt/ a UK

Noun

1. A process whereby a vowel is pronounced more like a vowel or semivowel in a following syllable.
2. A partial assimilation of a vowel.
3. A vowel so assimilated.
4. : The diacritical mark ( ¨ ) placed over a vowel to indicate such assimilation.

Usage notes

• Although this symbol has the same form as the diaeresis/dieresis, it has as a different function and so in standard and technical usage these two terms are not interchangeable.
• When spelling a German word out loud, one can say “(vowel) umlaut” or “umlauted vowel”. e.g. “oh umlaut” or “umlauted oh” mean “an ‘o’ with an umlaut over it” (ö).

Synonyms

• sense orthography trema
• sense linguistics vowel harmony

Translations

Verb

1. To place an umlaut over a vowel.

Derived terms

• heavy metal umlaut

See also

• diaeresis, dieresis

• Umlaut (diacritic), a pair of dots above a vowel
  • Heavy metal umlaut
• Germanic umlaut, the historic fronting of vowels in Germanic languages
  • I-mutation or umlaut, historic vowel fronting in any language
• Regressive vowel harmony or umlaut