Why do some of these words have ß and others ss?

It depends on the vowel before it: a short vowel takes ss, as in Fluss and Wasser, while a long vowel or diphthong takes ß, as in Fuß.

How is the b in Abschluss pronounced?

It's pronounced like a p, so Abschluss sounds like 'apschluss', with the stress on the first part, Ab-.

Yes, Pass means passport, the official booklet with your photo that you need for travel to other countries.

You are filling out a form in German and pausing at each word to think whether it's ss or ß after the vowel.

Können Sie mir sagen, wie der Fluss heißt?

Could you tell me what this river is called?

10 words10 sentences

Fluss/flʊs/
rivernoun
A large flowing body of water that runs through the landscape.
Wasser/ˈvasəʁ/
waternoun
The clear liquid you drink and wash with.
Schluss/ʃlʊs/
endnoun
The final part of something, the end.
Abschluss/ˈapʃlʊs/
degreenoun
The successful completion of a course of training or a degree.
Verschluss/fɛɐ̯ˈʃlʊs/
closurenoun
The part that seals a bottle, tin or bag shut, such as a cap, lid or clasp.
Voraussetzung/foˈʁaʊ̯ssɛtsʊŋ/
requirementnoun
Something that must be fulfilled for something else to be possible.
Prozess/pʁoˈtsɛs/
processnoun
A sequence of steps carried out according to fixed rules.
Pass/pas/
passportnoun
An official booklet with your photo that you need for travel to other countries.
wissen/ˈvɪsən/
to knowverb
To hold a fact in your mind and be certain it's true.
klasse/ˈklasə/
greatadjective
Very good, so much so that it impresses you.

Spell it1 of 3

Können Sie mir sagen, wie der Fluss heißt?
Could you tell me what this river is called?
Könnten Sie mir bitte ein Glas Wasser bringen?
Could you bring me a glass of water, please?
Am Schluss müssen Sie das Formular noch unterschreiben.
At the end you still need to sign the form.
Bitte tragen Sie hier Ihren höchsten Abschluss ein.
Please enter your highest degree here.
Der Verschluss an meiner Tasche ist leider kaputt.
The clasp on my bag is broken, unfortunately.
Ein gültiger Pass ist Voraussetzung für die Einreise.
A valid passport is required for entry.
Wie lange dauert der ganze Prozess bei Ihnen?
How long does the whole process take with you?
Haben Sie Ihren Pass und ein Foto dabei?
Do you have your passport and a photo with you?
Ich möchte gern wissen, wann das Formular fertig ist.
I'd like to know when the form will be ready.
Dein neues Fahrrad sieht wirklich klasse aus.
Your new bike looks really great.

Fluss/flʊs/
The u is short, which is why it's ss — unlike the long u in Fuß.
Wasser/ˈvasəʁ/
The a is short, not drawn out.
Abschluss/ˈapʃlʊs/
The b sounds like p: /ˈapʃlʊs/, and the stress falls on the first part, Ab-.
Verschluss/fɛɐ̯ˈʃlʊs/
The v sounds like f, and the stress falls on the second syllable: ver-SCHLUSS.
Voraussetzung/foˈʁaʊ̯ssɛtsʊŋ/
The stress isn't on the first syllable but on -raus-; the v at the start sounds like f.
Prozess/pʁoˈtsɛs/
The z sounds like ts, and the stress falls on the second syllable: pro-ZESS.
Pass/pas/
The a is short: /pas/.

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Why do some of these words have ß and others ss?: It depends on the vowel before it: a short vowel takes ss, as in Fluss and Wasser, while a long vowel or diphthong takes ß, as in Fuß.
How is the b in Abschluss pronounced?: It's pronounced like a p, so Abschluss sounds like 'apschluss', with the stress on the first part, Ab-.
Is Pass the word for a passport?: Yes, Pass means passport, the official booklet with your photo that you need for travel to other countries.

10 wordsabout 6 min