How German dictation is scored
Updated 8 October 2026
See what counts when your answer is checked against a German recording, including spelling, umlauts and capital letters.
In a dictation, write the German words you hear in the recording. The check compares your answer with the recording's text. A sentence with a similar meaning can still contain different words, so write what you hear rather than a summary.
Spelling counts
Check the letters as well as the words. schön and schon are different words: the umlaut changes both the sound and the meaning. If you're unsure which one you heard, listen again before changing your answer.
Capital letters and punctuation
The listening score ignores capital letters and punctuation. That lets you focus on recognizing the recorded words, but it doesn't check every part of German writing. German nouns still need capital letters in normal writing, even when a lowercase answer receives the same listening score.
What to do with a mistake
Listen to the part you missed again. Check whether you left out a word, added one or wrote a different spelling. Revise your answer using the recording. The useful next step is to work out what you heard differently.