Yes — Germany and Austria still use ß (called Eszett or scharfes S). The rule is simple: after a long vowel or a diphthong you write ß, after a short vowel you write ss. Switzerland and Liechtenstein don’t use ß at all.
ß or ss? The rule
| Vowel before | Write | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| long vowel | ß | Straße, groß, Fuß, süß, heißen |
| diphthong (ei, au, eu) | ß | heiß, weiß, draußen, beißen |
| short vowel | ss | Wasser, essen, muss, Kuss, dass |
That’s why the same verb can switch: essen (short e) but aß (long a); wissen but ich weiß.
Pairs that show the difference
| With ß | With ss |
|---|---|
| Maße — measurements | Masse — mass |
| Buße — penance | Busse — buses |
| Fuß — foot | Fluss — river |
dass or das?
Since the 1996 spelling reform, the conjunction is dass (short a): Ich weiß, dass du kommst. The article and pronoun is das. The old spelling daß is no longer correct.
Is it ß or β?
They look similar but are different letters: ß is German, β is the Greek letter beta. Using β in German text is a mistake — it can break search, sorting and spell-check.
Capital ß
ß never starts a word, but in ALL CAPS you can write SS (STRASSE) or, since 2017, the capital ẞ (STRAẞE). SS is still more common.
Switzerland: always ss
Swiss Standard German replaced ß with ss decades ago: Strasse, gross, Fuss. Both spellings are understood everywhere.
How to type ß
- German keyboard: the key next to 0.
- Mac: Option + s.
- Windows: Alt + 0223 on the number pad.
- Phone: hold the s key.
- No way to type it? Write ss — it’s always understood.
Frequently asked questions
Do Germans still use ß?
Yes, in Germany and Austria. Switzerland uses ss instead.
When do you use ß in German?
After a long vowel or a diphthong: Straße, heiß.
Is it ß or β?
ß. β is the Greek letter beta.
Can I write ss instead of ß?
It’s understood, but in Germany it counts as a spelling mistake in formal writing.
Practice and go deeper
- Umlauts: ä, ö and ü
- Why Are German Nouns Capitalized?
- The Longest German Word
- Konjunktionen II (dass)
