Swiss German voice overs: what you need to know

Switzerland has four official languages: German, French, Italian, and Romansch. Its population makes up 8.5 million citizens, with 62.2% native German speakers.

In 17 of the country’s 26 ‘cantons’, German is the only official language. They’re located in the North, East, and Central regions. Many Swiss people are multilingual.

What is Swiss German?

Swiss German may refer to several things:

• Standard German (also known as High German or Hochdeutsch), spoken by people in Switzerland
• A Swiss German dialect, which is generally not understood by other German speakers.

Standard German is largely standard, including in written form. It’s taught in Swiss schools and is the default language of business and government. There are minor spelling variations and regional terminology differences. But German speakers from all countries can understand it.

The Swiss German dialect can only be understood by locals. When broadcast in Germany, it would need to be subtitled. It’s rarely seen in written form, other than informal communications like text messages. However, using a smattering of the local dialect reflects local pride and helps with emotional engagement. Depending on your content goals.

Close Relations

German is closely related to English, Dutch, and the Scandinavian languages. Swiss German is different from the dialects spoken in neighboring Austria and southern Germany. Instead, it belongs to the same family as southwestern Germany, like in Baden-Wurttemberg.

Swiss German has a high level of loanwords from French. For example, if you’d like an ice cream, you’d need to ask for a ‘Glace’ like the French, rather than ‘Eis’ like the Germans.

Accents and Voice Over Tips

There are some notable differences between Standard German and Swiss German, as shown below:

Standard German

1. Moderate to fast pace: Particularly in urban areas of Germany, the speech pace can feel relatively brisk, especially in formal or professional settings.
2. Consistent enunciation: Words and syllables are pronounced clearly, with a focus on standardized grammar and vocabulary.
3. Uniform rhythm: The flow is smooth, making it easier for learners to follow.

Swiss German

1. Slower and more deliberate pace: Swiss German is generally spoken at a slower, more relaxed pace, particularly compared to Standard German.
2. Distinctive intonation: Swiss German has a sing-song quality, with melodic rises and falls.
3. Unique pronunciation: Words can sound softer or more drawn out due to differences in vowels and consonants, such as the frequent use of “ch” sounds.
4. Dialects matter: Swiss German isn’t a single uniform dialect; variations across regions can influence the pace and rhythm significantly.

For many speakers of Standard German, Swiss German can be challenging to understand due to its unique vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation.

Words per minute

Translations from English into German can expand by up to 35%. German words tend to be longer than English ones, which means that the reading pace is around 20% slower.

German has a similar syllabic rate to English (which means that speakers of both languages can pronounce a similar number within a given time). However, due to the text length differences, we would recommend aiming for 130 words per minute. This is just an average though – always consider the information density and target audience for your content.

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