What is an a with two dots over it?
Rachel Fowler
Updated on February 13, 2026
The Letter Ä With Two Dots Is an Umlaut. If you've ever wondered what those two dots above an “ä” are about, they're generally called umlauts. Particularly common in German, they're used to modify the suggested pronunciation of the letter a.
What is the ä sound?
Pronouncing the umlaut ÄThe short Ä is pronounced like the “e” in the word “bet” in English. It is like saying “eh”. The long Ä on the other hand is simply taking the short one and keeping the sound, so making it longer. It is like saying the “ay” in “say”.
What does 2 dots over a letter mean?
umlaut Add to list Share. If you've ever studied German, you've seen an umlaut. It's a mark that looks like two dots over a letter, and it signifies a shift in pronunciation.What is Ä called in English?
Germany, Austria and SwitzerlandÄ or ä is one of the 4 extra letters used in German. It can be replaced by using the letters Ae or ae. In English language newspapers it is often written as A or a but this is not correct.