Common Mistakes Germans Make in English (And Vice Versa)
6 min read
German and English share Germanic roots, which makes them feel deceptively similar. But that shared ancestry is exactly what leads to some of the most persistent and common mistakes Germans make in English, and equally entertaining errors English speakers make in German. Whether you are an A2 learner or well on your way to fluency, recognizing these pitfalls will sharpen your skills in both languages.
German speakers tend to transfer grammar rules, word order, and vocabulary directly from German into English. The result is sentences that sound logical to a German ear but confuse native English speakers. Here are the most frequent offenders.
This is the classic. In German, bekommen means "to receive" or "to get." So a German speaker might confidently say:
The English word become means werden in German. These treacherous word pairs are called false friends, and they are everywhere. For a deeper look at these traps, read our guide on German False Friends.
German uses seit for both duration and starting point. English does not.
Note the tense change too: German uses present tense with seit, but English requires the present perfect with since or for.
Another false friend. German Fabrik means "factory," not "fabric."
German leihen covers both directions. English does not.
German speakers frequently swap W and V sounds because German W is pronounced like English V. This produces "ve" instead of "we" and "wiking" instead of "Viking."
The English th sound does not exist in German at all, so it often becomes a z or s sound: "ze" instead of "the."
German pushes the verb to the end of subordinate clauses. This habit bleeds into English:
German uses machen broadly. English splits the concept between "make" and "do":
German erinnern is reflexive: Das erinnert mich an... Germans translate this literally:
False friends are words that look or sound similar in two languages but have different meanings. German and English are packed with them because of their shared roots. Here are more to watch out for:
| German Word | What It Looks Like | What It Actually Means |
|---|---|---|
| Gift | gift | poison |
| Chef | chef | boss |
| Handy | handy | mobile phone |
| aktuell | actual | current |
| Rat | rat | advice |
| sensibel | sensible | sensitive |
| Mist | mist | manure |
| brav | brave | well-behaved |
These pairs trip up learners in both directions. An English speaker hearing Gift might expect a present and be alarmed to learn it means poison. Practice identifying these pairs with our Memory Match game, where you can match German words to their true English meanings.
The street runs both ways. English speakers bring their own set of bad habits into German.
English has one article: "the." German has three: der, die, das. English speakers often guess randomly or default to one, producing errors like das Tisch instead of the correct der Tisch.
English speakers resist the verb-second rule and the verb-final position in subordinate clauses:
English dropped its case system centuries ago. German kept it. English speakers routinely mix up accusative and dative:
English phrasal verbs like "look forward to" or "put up with" have no word-for-word German equivalent. Translating them literally produces nonsense.
The sounds in Ubung vs. Ubung (without and with the umlaut) are completely different. The ch in ich vs. ach trips up English speakers who have no equivalent sound. For more on mistakes English speakers make in German, see our post on Common German Mistakes English Speakers make.
Awareness is the first step. Here are practical ways to break these habits:
Study false friends deliberately. Keep a list and review it weekly. Our Memory Match game makes this active rather than passive.
Practice word formation. Use Word Scramble to build your instinct for how English and German words are structured differently.
Read and listen in context. Seeing words used correctly in natural sentences rewires your brain faster than memorizing rules.
Record yourself speaking. Pronunciation errors like the W/V swap and the missing TH are easier to catch when you hear them played back.
Learn collocations, not just vocabulary. Knowing that English says "do homework" and "make a decision" prevents the machen trap.
If you want to build your German vocabulary while avoiding these traps, download the Deutschwunder app for daily practice with games, quizzes, and structured lessons. You can also explore German Slang Words to learn vocabulary that textbooks skip.
The common mistakes Germans make in English and the errors English speakers make in German follow predictable patterns: false friends, transferred grammar, and pronunciation habits. Once you know the patterns, you can catch yourself before the mistake leaves your mouth. Start practicing today with the games and resources linked above, and those awkward mix-ups will fade faster than you expect.
Explore more: German False Friends · Common German Mistakes English Speakers · German Slang Words