About the German word list
The list is ordered by frequency and keeps German spelling as written, including the umlauts and the sharp s where the source text used them. All entries are lowercase, which keeps the test focused on letter movement rather than on the Shift key.
German writes nouns with a capital letter. Switch punctuation on for at least one run in three to practise the capitals you need in real sentences.
Letters worth drilling
The three umlauts sit on their own keys on a German keyboard, and they are common enough to appear in almost every paragraph. Drilling them early removes a pause that would otherwise hit you several times per sentence.
The sharp s appears in words such as Straße and weiß in standard German. Some frequency sources normalise it to ss, so if you want dedicated practice, look for it in quoted passages and punctuation runs.
The letter y is rare in German and the letter z is common, which is exactly why the QWERTZ layout swaps them.
Keyboard layout
Germany and Austria use QWERTZ: Z and Y trade places, and the umlauts and sharp s get dedicated keys to the right of P and L. Swiss German keyboards use a slightly different arrangement and type ss instead of the sharp s.
If your system is set to a different layout, the umlauts and the sharp s need dead keys or right Alt combinations. Check the language menu before starting so the word list and the characters you send agree.
How to practise German typing
- Warm up on the 25 word list and hold accuracy above 97 per cent before starting the umlaut drills.
- Drill the umlauts until your fingers find them without a pause.
- Add punctuation for one run to include capitalised nouns and commas.
- Repeat weekly with the same word count and compare averages.
Frequently asked questions
Does the German test include umlauts?
Yes. The umlauts are part of the words and the list keeps them. On a non-German keyboard you will need dead keys or right Alt combinations to type them.
Is the sharp s in the word list?
When the source text uses it, yes. Some frequency sources write ss instead, so dedicated sharp-s practice is best done with punctuation runs and quoted passages.