Editing Yiddish (section)

=== Comparison with German ===
{{see also|High German consonant shift}}

In vocabulary of Germanic origin, the differences between Standard German and Yiddish pronunciation are mainly in the [[vowel]]s and [[diphthong]]s. All varieties of Yiddish lack the German [[front rounded vowel]]s {{IPA|/œ, øː/}} and {{IPA|/ʏ, yː/}}, having merged them with {{IPA|/ɛ, e:/}} and {{IPA|/ɪ, i:/}}, respectively. In many respects, particularly with vowels and vowel diphthongs, and even how it forms diminutives, Yiddish is closer to [[Swabian German]] than to standard High German.

Diphthongs have also undergone divergent developments in German and Yiddish. Where Standard German has merged the [[Middle High German]] diphthong ''ei'' and long vowel ''î'' to {{IPA|/aɪ/}}, Yiddish has maintained the distinction between them; and likewise, the Standard German {{IPA|/ɔʏ/}} corresponds to both the MHG diphthong ''öu'' and the long vowel ''iu'', which in Yiddish have merged with their unrounded counterparts ''ei'' and ''î'', respectively. Lastly, the Standard German {{IPA|/aʊ/}} corresponds to both the MHG diphthong ''ou'' and the long vowel ''û'', but in Yiddish, they have not merged. Although Standard Yiddish does not distinguish between those two diphthongs and renders both as {{IPA|/ɔɪ/}}, the distinction becomes apparent when the two diphthongs undergo [[Germanic umlaut]], such as in forming plurals:
{| class="wikitable"
! colspan="4" |Singular
! colspan="2" |Plural
|-
! English
! MHG
! Standard German
! Standard Yiddish
! Standard German
! Standard Yiddish
|-
| tree
| {{lang|gmh|boum}}
| {{lang|de|Baum}} /baʊ̯m/
| {{lang|yi|בױם}} /bɔɪm/
| {{lang|de|Bäume}} /ˈbɔʏ̯mə/
| {{lang|yi|בײמער‎}} /bɛɪmɜr/
|-
| abdomen
| {{lang|gmh|bûch}}
| {{lang|de|Bauch}} /baʊ̯x/
| {{lang|yi|בױך}} /bɔɪχ/
| {{lang|de|Bäuche}} /ˈbɔʏ̯çə/
| {{lang|yi|בײַכער‎}} /baɪχɜr/
|}
The [[vowel length]] distinctions of German do not exist in the Northeastern (Lithuanian) varieties of Yiddish, which form the phonetic basis for Standard Yiddish. In those varieties, the vowel qualities in most long/short vowel pairs diverged and so the phonemic distinction has remained.

There are consonantal differences between German and Yiddish. Yiddish [[Lenition|deaffricates]] the Middle High German [[voiceless labiodental affricate]] {{IPA|/pf/}} to {{IPA|/f/}} initially (as in {{lang|yi|פֿונט}} {{lang|yi-Latn|funt}}, but this pronunciation is also quasi-standard throughout northern and central Germany); /pf/ surfaces as an [[High German consonant shift|unshifted]] {{IPA|/p/}} medially or finally (as in {{lang|yi|עפּל}} {{IPA|/ɛpl/}} and {{lang|yi|קאָפּ}} {{IPA|/kɔp/}}). Additionally, final voiced stops appear in Standard Yiddish but not Northern Standard German.
{| class="wikitable"
! rowspan="2" |M. Weinreich's
[[diaphoneme]]
! colspan="6" |Pronunciation
! colspan="3" |Examples
|-
! Middle High German
! Standard German
! Western Yiddish
! Northeastern ("Litvish")
! Central ("Poylish")
! South-Eastern ("Ukrainish")
! MHG
! Standard German
! Standard Yiddish
|-
| A<sub>1</sub>
| ''a'' in closed syllable
| short ''a'' {{IPAslink|ä|a}}
| {{IPA|/a/}}
| {{IPA|/a/}}
| {{IPA|/a/}}
| {{IPA|/ɔ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|machen, glat}}
| {{lang|de|machen, glatt}} {{IPA|/ˈmaxən, ɡlat/}}
| {{lang|yi|מאַכן, גלאַט}} {{IPA|/maχn, ɡlat/}}
|-
| A<sub>2</sub>
|''â''
| rowspan="2" |long ''a'' {{IPAslink|ä|aː}}
| {{IPA|/oː/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/ɔ/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/uː/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/u/}}
| {{lang|gmh|sâme}}
| {{lang|de|Samen}} {{IPA|/ˈzaːmən/}}
| {{lang|yi|זױמען}} {{IPA|/ˈzɔɪ̯mn̩/}}
|-
| A<sub>3</sub>
| ''a'' in open syllable
| {{IPA|/aː/}}
| {{lang|gmh|vater, sagen}}
| {{lang|de|Vater, sagen}} {{IPA|/ˈfaːtɐ, zaːɡən/}}
| {{lang|yi|פֿאָטער, זאָגן}} {{IPA|/ˈfɔtɜr, zɔɡn/}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |E<sub>1</sub>
| ''e, ä, æ'', all in closed syllable
| short ''ä'' and short ''e'' {{IPAslink|ɛ}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/ɛ/}}
| rowspan="3" |{{IPA|/ɛ/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/ɛ/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/ɛ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|becker, mensch}}
| {{lang|de|Bäcker, Mensch}} {{IPA|/ˈbɛkɐ, mɛnʃ/}}
| {{lang|yi|בעקער, מענטש}} {{IPA|/ˈbɛkɜr, mɛntʃ/}}
|-
| ''ö'' in closed syllable
| short ''ö'' {{IPAslink|œ}}
| {{lang|gmh|töhter}}
| {{lang|de|Töchter}} {{IPA|/ˈtœçtɐ/}}
| {{lang|yi|טעכטער}} {{IPA|/ˈtɛχtɜr/}}
|-
| E<sub>5</sub>
| ''ä'' and ''æ'' in open syllable
| long ''ä'' {{IPAslink|ɛː}}
| {{IPA|/eː/}}
| {{IPA|/eː~eɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/eɪ~ɪ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|kæse}}
| {{lang|de|Käse}} {{IPA|/ˈkɛːzə/}}
| {{lang|yi|קעז}} {{IPA|/kɛz/}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |E<sub>2/3</sub>
| ''e'' in open syllable, and ''ê''
| long ''e'' {{IPAslink|eː}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/ɛɪ/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/eɪ/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/aɪ/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/eɪ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|esel}}
| {{lang|de|Esel}} {{IPA|/eːzl̩/}}
| {{lang|yi|אײזל}} {{IPA|/ɛɪzl/}}
|-
| ''ö'' in open syllable, and ''œ''
| long ''ö'' {{IPAslink|øː}}
| {{lang|gmh|schœne}}
| {{lang|de|schön}} {{IPA|/ʃøːn/}}
| {{lang|yi|שײן}} {{IPA|/ʃɛɪn/}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |I<sub>1</sub>
| ''i'' in closed syllable
| short ''i'' {{IPAslink|ɪ}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/ɪ/}}
| rowspan="4" |{{IPA|/ɪ/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/ɪ/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/ɪ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|niht}}
| {{lang|de|nicht}} {{IPA|/nɪçt/}}
| {{lang|yi|נישט}} {{IPA|/nɪʃt/}}
|-
| ''ü'' in closed syllable
| short ''ü'' {{IPAslink|ʏ}}
| {{lang|gmh|brück, vünf}}
| {{lang|de|Brücke, fünf}} {{IPA|/ˈbʁʏkə, fʏnf/}}
| {{lang|yi|בריק, פֿינף}} {{IPA|/brɪk, fɪnf/}}
|-
| rowspan="2" |I<sub>2/3</sub>
| ''i'' in open syllable, and ''ie''
| long ''i'' {{IPAslink|iː}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/iː/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/iː/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/iː/}}
| {{lang|gmh|liebe}}
| {{lang|de|Liebe}} {{IPA|/ˈliːbə/}}
| {{lang|yi|ליבע}} {{IPA|/ˈlɪbɜ/}}
|-
| ''ü'' in open syllable, and ''üe''
| long ''ü'' {{IPAslink|yː}}
| {{lang|gmh|grüene}}
| {{lang|de|grün}} {{IPA|/ɡʁyːn/}}
| {{lang|yi|גרין}} {{IPA|/ɡrɪn/}}
|-
| O<sub>1</sub>
| ''o'' in closed syllable
| short ''o'' {{IPAslink|ɔ}}
| {{IPA|/ɔ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɔ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɔ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɔ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|kopf, scholn}}
| {{lang|de|Kopf, sollen}} {{IPA|/kɔpf, ˈzɔlən/}}
| {{lang|yi|קאָפּ, זאָלן}} {{IPA|/kɔp, zɔln/}}
|-
| O<sub>2/3</sub>
| ''o'' in open syllable, and ''ô''
| long ''o'' {{IPAslink|oː}}
| {{IPA|/ɔu/}}
| {{IPA|/eɪ~u~ui/}}
| {{IPA|/ɔɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɔɪ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|hôch, schône}}
| {{lang|de|hoch, schon}} {{IPA|/hoːx, ʃoːn/}}
| {{lang|yi|הױך, שױן}} {{IPA|/hɔɪχ, ʃɔɪn/}}
|-
| U<sub>1</sub>
| ''u'' in closed syllable
| short ''u'' {{IPAslink|ʊ}}
| {{IPA|/ʊ/}}
| rowspan="2" |{{IPA|/ʊ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɪ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|hunt}}
| {{lang|de|Hund}} {{IPA|/hʊnt/}}
| {{lang|yi|הונט}} {{IPA|/hʊnt/}}
|-
| U<sub>2/3</sub>
| ''u'' in open syllable, and ''uo''
| long ''u'' {{IPAslink|uː}}
| {{IPA|/uː/}}
| {{IPA|/iː/}}
| {{IPA|/iː/}}
| {{lang|gmh|buoch}}
| {{lang|de|Buch}} {{IPA|/buːx/}}
| {{lang|yi|בוך}} {{IPA|/bʊχ/}}
|-
| E<sub>4</sub>
| ''ei''
| rowspan="2" |''ei'' {{IPA|/aɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/aː/}}
| {{IPA|/eɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/aɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/eɪ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|vleisch}}
| {{lang|de|Fleisch}} {{IPA|/flaɪ̯ʃ/}}
| {{lang|yi|פֿלײש}} {{IPA|/flɛɪʃ/}}
|-
| I<sub>4</sub>
| ''î''
| {{IPA|/aɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/aɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/aː/}}
| {{IPA|/a/}}
| {{lang|gmh|mîn}}
| {{lang|de|mein}} {{IPA|/maɪ̯n/}}
| {{lang|yi|מײַן}} {{IPA|/maɪn/}}
|-
| O<sub>4</sub>
| ''ou''
| rowspan="2" |''au'' {{IPA|/aʊ/}}
| {{IPA|/aː/}}
| {{IPA|/eɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɔɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/ɔɪ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|ouh, koufen}}
| {{lang|de|auch, kaufen}} {{IPA|/aʊ̯x, ˈkaʊ̯fən/}}
| {{lang|yi|אױך, קױפֿן}} {{IPA|/ɔɪχ, kɔɪfn/}}
|-
| U<sub>4</sub>
| ''û''
| {{IPA|/ɔu/}}
| {{IPA|/ɔɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/oː~ou/}}
| {{IPA|/ou~u/}}
| {{lang|gmh|hûs}}
| {{lang|de|Haus }}{{IPA|/haʊ̯s/}}
| {{lang|yi|הױז}} {{IPA|/hɔɪz/}}
|-
| (E<sub>4</sub>)
| ''öu''
| rowspan="2" |''äu'' and ''eu'' {{IPA|/ɔʏ/}}
| {{IPA|/aː/}}
| {{IPA|/eɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/aɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/eɪ/}}
| {{lang|gmh|vröude}}
| {{lang|de|Freude}} {{IPA|/ˈfʁɔʏ̯də/}}
| {{lang|yi|פֿרײד}} {{IPA|/frɛɪd/}}
|-
| (I<sub>4</sub>)
| ''iu''
| {{IPA|/aɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/aɪ/}}
| {{IPA|/aː/}}
| {{IPA|/a/}}
| {{lang|gmh|diutsch}}
| {{lang|de|Deutsch}} {{IPA|/dɔʏ̯t͡ʃ/}}
| {{lang|yi|דײַטש}} {{IPA|/daɪtʃ/}}
|}