Even if you’re not reading German texts, it is not uncommon tocome across German words. Sometimes they are used in expressions,like “über,” which is often used to express superiority, excess, oran elevated status in the English language. Then, there are thetimes you really are reading something German, and the right soundjust doesn’t seem to spring up out of your logical English-speakingbrain. An umlaut means, ‘to alter,’ and that is exactly what itdoes – to vowel sounds, only.The first thing to do is grasp the fact that in German, anumlaut is simply the two dots hanging over a vowel to change thesound of either an a, o or u. If you see it over an i or an e thenit is not German.Then, look at the letter it is to alter. An a with an umlautwill undoubtedly sound different than an o with an um