- A strong emphasis on consonants, especially the consonants "ch," "g," "r," and "z."
- A guttural pronunciation of the "r" sound, which is produced by vibrating the back of the tongue against the roof of the mouth.
- A distinct intonation pattern that rises and falls in a singsong manner.
- A tendency to pronounce the "th" sound as "z."
- A tendency to pronounce the "ei" sound as "i."
It's important to note that there is no single "German accent," as there is a great deal of variation in how German is pronounced from region to region. The characteristics listed above are generalisations and may not apply to all German speakers.