Editing Pennsylvania Dutch language (section)

===Pronunciation===
The tables below use IPA symbols to compare sounds used in Standard German (to the left) with sounds that correspond to them in their Pennsylvania Dutch [[cognate]]s, reflecting their respective evolutions since they diverged from a common origin.

====Vowels====
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Standard German vowel
!Pennsylvania Dutch vowel
!Standard German cognate
!Pennsylvania Dutch cognate
|-
|{{IPA|/œ/}}
|{{IPA|/ɛ/}}
|{{lang|de|Köpfe}}
|{{lang|pdc|Kepp}}
|-
|{{IPA|/øː/}}
|{{IPA|/eː/}}
|{{lang|de|schön}}
|{{lang|pdc|schee}}
|-
|{{IPA|/ʏ/}}
|{{IPA|/ɪ/}}
|{{lang|de|dünn}}
|{{lang|pdc|dinn}}
|-
|{{IPA|/yː/}}
|{{IPA|/iː/}}
|{{lang|de|Kühe}}
|{{lang|pdc|Kieh}}
|-
|{{IPA|/aː/}}
|{{IPA|/oː/}} (in some words)
|{{lang|de|schlafen}}
|{{lang|pdc|schloofe}}
|-
|{{IPA|/aʊ/}} from [[Middle High German]] {{IPA|/oʊ/}}
|{{IPA|/ɔː/}}
|{{lang|de|auch}}
|{{lang|pdc|aa}}
|-
|{{IPA|/aʊ/}} from Middle High German {{IPA|/uː/}}
|{{IPA|/aʊ/}} (in some dialects {{IPA|/aː/}})
|{{lang|de|Haus}}
|{{lang|pdc|Haus}}
|-
|{{IPA|/ɔʏ/}}
|{{IPA|/aɪ/}}
|{{lang|de|neu}}
|{{lang|pdc|nei}}
|-
|{{IPA|/o/}}
|{{IPA|/ʌ/}}
|''Boden''
|{{lang|de|Bodde}}
|-
|final {{IPA|/ə/}} (only with feminine and plural endings)
|final {{IPA|/iː/}} (only with feminine endings)
|{{lang|de|eine gute Frau}} 
|{{lang|pdc|en gudi Fraa}}
|}

====Consonants====
{| class="wikitable"
|+
!Standard German consonant
!Pennsylvania Dutch consonant
!Standard German cognate
!Pennsylvania Dutch cognate
|-
|{{IPA|/b/}}
|{{IPA|/v/}} or {{IPA|/wː/}}
|{{lang|de|Kübel}}
|{{lang|pdc|Kiwwel}}
|-
|{{IPA|/ɡ/}} (mostly following a vowel + {{IPA|/r/}})
|{{IPA|/j/}} 
|{{lang|de|morgen}}
|{{lang|pdc|morje}}
|-
|{{IPA|/k/}} (before a liquid)
|{{IPA|/ɡ/}} 
|{{lang|de|klein}}
|{{lang|pdc|glee}}
|-
|final {{IPA|/n/}}
|–
|{{lang|de|waschen}} {{IPA|[ˈva.ʃən]}}
|{{lang|pdc|wasche}} {{IPA|[ˈva.ʃə]}}
|-
|{{IPA|/p/}}
|{{IPA|/b/}}
|{{lang|de|putzen}} {{IPA|[ˈpʰuːt.tsən]}}
|{{lang|pdc|butze}} {{IPA|[ˈbuːd.sə]}}
|-
|{{IPA|/pf/}}
|{{IPA|/p/}}
|{{lang|de|Pfarrer}} {{IPA|[ˈpfaː.rər]}}
|{{lang|pdc|Parrer}} {{IPA|[ˈpaː.rər]}}
|-
|final {{IPA|/r/}} 
|–
|{{lang|de|Herz}}
|{{lang|pdc|Hatz}}
|-
|{{IPA|/r/}}
|{{IPA|/ɹ/}}
|
|
|-
|{{IPA|/s/}} (before {{IPA|/p/}} or {{IPA|/t/}})
|{{IPA|/ʃ/}}
|{{lang|de|bist}}
|{{lang|pdc|bischt}}
|-
|{{IPA|/t/}}
|{{IPA|/d/}}
|{{lang|de|tot}} {{IPA|[ˈtʰoːt]}}
|{{lang|pdc|dod}} {{IPA|[ˈdoːd]}}
|-
|final {{IPA|/ts/}} (after {{IPA|/l/}} and {{IPA|/n/}})
|{{IPA|/s/}}
|{{lang|de|Holz}} {{IPA|[ˈhoːlts]}}
|{{lang|pdc|Holz}} {{IPA|[ˈhoːls]}}
|}
[[File:LancasterPennsylvaniaDutchCity.jpg|right|thumb|[[Lancaster, Pennsylvania]] in 1845]]
In [[Lancaster County, Pennsylvania]], there have been numerous other shifts that can make their Pennsylvania Dutch particularly difficult for modern High German speakers to understand. A word beginning in {{angle bracket|gs}} generally becomes {{angle bracket|ts}}, which is more easily pronounced, and so German {{lang|de|gesund}} > {{lang|pdc|gsund}} > {{lang|pdc|tsund}} and German {{lang|de|gesagt}} > {{lang|pdc|gsaat}} > {{lang|pdc|tsaat}}. Likewise, German {{lang|de|gescheid}} > {{lang|pdc|gscheid}} > {{lang|pdc|tscheid}} {{IPA|/tʃaɪt/}}. German {{lang|de|zurück}} > {{lang|pdc|zrick}} > {{lang|pdc|tsrick}} {{IPA|/tʃɹɪk/}}. The shift is rather common with German children learning to speak.

The softened {{angle bracket|w}} after guttural consonants has mixed with the guttural {{angle bracket|r}} of earlier generations and also turned into an American {{angle bracket|r}} and so German {{lang|de|gewesen}} > {{lang|pdc|gwest}} > {{lang|pdc|grest}} and German {{lang|de|geschwind}} > {{lang|pdc|gschwind}} > {{lang|pdc|tschrind}} {{IPA|/tʃɹɪnt/}}. The changes in pronunciation, combined with the general disappearance of declensions as described above, result in a form of the dialect that has evolved somewhat from its early Pennsylvania origins nearly 300 years ago and is still rather easy to understand by German dialect speakers of the Rhineland-Palatinate area.