New spectacle table: This is how Austria is worded!

New spectacle table: This is how Austria is worded!

Dolomitenstadt, Österreich - On June 3, 2025, a new speech scale for Austria was introduced to improve the assignment of letters and sounds. The speech scale plays an important role because it helps to clearly describe letters, also as "graphemes", and sounds that are known as "phonema". This is particularly relevant for communication in everyday communication situations where misunderstandings are to be avoided. According to dolomitenstadt , the existing table was replaced by the "Austrian voice commission at the society for Austrian German", which has recently been updated.

The old spectacle table was based on a German version that had already been revised in 2022. The new commission attaches particular importance to compliance with specific criteria, which, for example, affect the topicality of the first names and the simplicity of pronunciation. In their assessment, geographical names must be avoided in order to minimize the necessary knowledge for understanding. Examples of the changes made are that "North Pole" has now been replaced by "Nora" and "Zurich" has been changed to "Zita".

phonemes and graphemes

A deeper examination of the terms shows that graphemes can be understood as letters or letter combinations that represent sounds. This includes standing letters such as "P", "B" as well as combinations such as "CH" and "SH", each represent specific sounds. According to thriveed services , graphemes and phonograms are technically synonyms, since both terms describe the written presentation of sounds. For example, the graphema "t" represents the sound/t/, while "AI" as a digraph represents the long A-sound.

graphemes can be complex by representing different sounds, such as the example "EA", which can represent both a short e in "Bread" and a long e in "Meat". Phonograms are crucial for children to improve their skills in reading and writing because they provide clear examples of specific sounds. Methods for introducing new graphemes in class include small groups, the use of phonogram cards and daily exercises.

emphasis on intelligibility

The new speech scale table should not only promote clarity when spelling, but also serve as a valuable tool in linguistic further training. The focus is to optimize the communication and reduce misunderstandings through clear sound regulations. Phonemes and graphemes are the basis of the language structure and are used decisively in the linguistic context of the German. According to wiktionary , there are numerous examples from the different sounds and your spellings that show how individual and combined letters define sounds. So it is important that both children and adults learn the correct use of these sound images in order to strengthen their communication skills.

Overall, the new table should help increase linguistic clarity in Austria and to take into account the needs of a modern society by promoting a simpler and more effective way of communication.