What does umlaut mean?
In linguistic usage, an umlaut is a sound change, especially in Germanic languages, in which a back vowel becomes fronted under the influence of a later front vowel or consonant. The name also refers to the two-dot diacritic historically associated with such changes, including those seen in German forms such as Männer. In modern orthography, two dots more commonly function as a diaeresis, indicating that neighboring vowels are pronounced separately, as in naïve. Consequently, “umlaut” can describe both a historical phonological development and the visible mark used to record it. Outside linguistics, the term is specialized and usually appears in discussions of German, Scandinavian languages, Germanic name forms, or historical spelling. It is more precise than a general “accent” or “change of sound,” because umlaut specifically concerns vowel fronting and its conventional notation.
A historical Germanic vowel change in which a back vowel is fronted under the influence of a following front vowel or consonant; also the two-dot diacritic associated with such changes or used to indicate separate pronunciation of adjacent vowels.
"The fronting of a German back vowel before a later front vowel is a classic case of umlaut."
The process sense is used in historical linguistics, while the mark sense also occurs in discussions of orthography and historical spellings.
To mark or modify a vowel with an umlaut, especially by fronting it under the influence of a following sound.
"The editor umlauted the vowel to preserve the historical pronunciation."
This verb form is uncommon and is chiefly used in specialist linguistic discussion.
The regular plural of the noun; one “umlaut” may refer to an individual sound change, vowel modification, or diacritic.
"The treatise compares umlauts in several Germanic languages."
Umlaut points to a change of sound, and the two dots leave a tiny calling card above the affected vowel.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of umlaut
The English word was borrowed from German Umlaut during the early modern period. The German term developed from Middle High German elements meaning “around” and “sound” and referred to an alteration of a vowel's sound; German Laut, Dutch luid, and English loud belong to the same broader Germanic sound-related vocabulary. Its modern English senses include both the historical sound change and the two-dot mark associated with it.
Related word forms
How umlaut is actually used
The term is chiefly used in philology, historical linguistics, and the study of Germanic languages and surnames. Outside specialist contexts, it may be used loosely for a two-dot diacritic. The verb form is uncommon and usually occurs in descriptive or historical-linguistic writing.
Easily confused with umlaut
An umlaut is primarily a historical change in a vowel's pronunciation, whereas a diaeresis is a diacritic used to show that adjacent vowels are pronounced separately.