Introduction

The spelling of German words is a very good indicator of how they should be pronounced, once you are familiar with certain spelling conventions and some variations based on a sound's environment.
For example, long vowels are generally doubled, or followed by a silent h or single consonant. Short vowels are generally followed by a double consonant.
The letters ss and ß (called scharfes s) are equivalent. The ss is used when the preceding vowel is short and the ß when the preceding vowel is long.