English speakers differentiate between paprika and pepper, too. I, for one, have a small container of paprika and several different types of pepper (black pepper, red pepper, lemon pepper, cayenne, e.g.) sitting on my kitchen shelf. Having said that, though, paprika is not commonly used very much in American cooking, and usually it's the black pepper variety that's offered in a restaurant, for instance.

#1 - So that means that you usually use the word paprika for the German Paprika and pepper just for Pfeffer?

I do, yes. But that doesn't mean everyone does. There are probably lots of people who don't know or don't care to know the difference.

P.s.: we are talking about the ground spices as opposed to the vegetables like bell peppers etc., right?

Yes I'd say; BE too.

These are "peppers" btw: http://karendevine.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2...

Die Entsprechung pepper = Paprika gilt für die Paprikaschote, das Gemüse, und meines Wissens nicht für das Paprikagewürz.

Here are some different peppers (the vegetable type), including sweet peppers and chili peppers: http://bonnieplants.com/product-category/vege...

If we know we are talking about spices, then I don't think there's a problem. Likewise if we know we are talking about vegetables. The problem comes if we don't know. I once asked my wife to add 'green pepper' to her shopping list, and she came back with green peppercorns rather than the green capsicum I had in mind.

Dies hier wäre also nie "pepper", oder?:

http://www.bbcgoodfood.com/glossary/paprika

... einfach nur, um das auzuschließen.

I once asked my wife to add 'green pepper' to her shopping list  
What a difference an "s" would have made. :-)

German "Paprika" itself has 2 related meanings: the vegetable as eaten raw or cooked, and also the spice that is prepared from the vegetable.

Paprika = paprika; for the spice
Pfeffer = pepper; for the spice
For the vegetable we use green peppers, red peppers, yellow peppers, etc. Sometimes this is shortened (coll.) to just "peppers", but not "pepper".
"This sauce needs some more pepper" is unambiguous.

I think strictly speaking, paprika is a type of pepper (vegetable), but people differentiate between the different ground peppers like Cayenne and the very common black (or white or green) pepper variety that comes from a peppercorn.

Edit: This sauce needs some more pepper" is unambiguous - not to me. I love cooking with Cayenne but realize not everyone likes it, so I would have to ask, "What type of pepper?"

Ich habe mal in meiner Sprachausbildung von unserer BE-native-speaker-Lehrerin gelernt, dass man paprika auf der 2. Silbe betont, wenn es es das Pulver, das Gewürz ist. Also auf dem i.
(Kontrastiert hat sie es sofort mit dem 'paprika', dem Gemüse, betont auf der 1. Silbe.)
Auf LEO spricht's der Mann nicht so aus.
Habe ich mich damals verhört?

#11
Aber es geht um den Unterschied zwischen den Gewürzen Paprika und Pfeffer, nicht um verschiedene Arten des Gewürzes Pfeffer ...

The second syllable is also emphasized in AE; at least that's how I do/learned it.

@#13: I understand ...

not to me. I love cooking with Cayenne but realize not everyone likes it, so I would have to ask, "What type of pepper?"

Well, OK, dude. I admit I'm not into all the various types of pepper out there and to me it would be completely clear. But still, even for you it would be unambiguous as to whether the vegetable or the/a spice was meant, right?

@#8 Correct. The stuff in the picture would never be called "pepper".

Just checked out the McCormick website - they also mention paprika = the spice :-) http://www.mccormick.com/Spices-and-Flavors/H...

"Red Pepper (Cayenne) is the ripened, dried pod of the Capsicum Frutescens. The capsicum family of spices includes sweet, or bell, pepper, paprika and jalapeno chilies. Used when "heat" is desired, the dried pepper is available ground or crushed. The color is an orange-red to deep red and capsaicin is the main constituent producing the hot taste."

Personally, bell peppers are the vegetables (prefer green bell peppers) and apart from, ground paprika (the red "stuff" here in Germany)pepper = Pfeffer

Edit: They also stock paprika http://www.mccormick.com/Search?qs=paprika&ty...

@ #9

But I only wanted one...

There used to be several threads in the archive (Suche in allen Foren, if it works in your browser) on related topics.

In our family we've always said paprika with the accent on the first syllable. (Darn, the Eingabehelfer is gone, and the Ipad apparently doesn't have any special characters at all, only pages of stupid smiley faces. Think an accent on the first A.)

(OT ... But we vary even among ourselves on spices -- basil with long or short A, for instance. I vary on that from one week to the next.)

Fwiw, M-W places the accent on the second syllable: http://www.merriam-webster.com/audio.php?file...

hm -- us, try holding the "a" key until a little window with all the accented "a"s appears, then choose the correct one

OT

Aaaaaàåáæ ...

(((-:

*strahl*
*ganzvielfischspendier*
*aucheinpaarhaferrosinenkekse*

Gracias, obrigada, danke schön ...

The only people I know who put the accent on the second syllable of paprika are those who think they're imitating a Hungarian pronunciation (which, of course, they're not).

Re #22: You should then talk to the good people at M-W (accent only on second syllable) and at AHD and Oxford (accent on first or second syllable).

I don't speak one word of Hungarian, but DO accent the second syllable :-)

... was möglicherweise Escovilles Vorurteil bestätigt :-).

@ 17 should have said "a" green pepper then to clarify.

Wie ging das noch mal?

Es ist des Vorurteils Natur
Weder Teil zu sein, noch ur
Sondern Meinungen kund zu tun
Die auf Tatsachen nicht ruh’n
--Anon.

So I would summarize as follows (corrections welcome):

English -> Deutsch

red, green or yellow (bell) pepper -> Paprika(schote)
black pepper -> Pfeffer
chili pepper -> Paprika (Peperoni, Peperoncino)
red pepper* -> gemahlene Chilis (Cayennepfeffer)
cayenne pepper -> gemahlene Chilis (Cayennepfeffer)
paprika -> ungarisches oder spanisches Capsicumpulver

*As a countable noun, "a red pepper" is a red bell pepper. As an uncountable noun, "red pepper" is cayenne pepper = ground chilis

Am I correct that in German, "Paprika" can mean either bell pepper (sweet, mild) or chili pepper (spicy, hot)?

red, green or yellow (bell) pepper -> Paprika(schote) ... in der Schweiz "Peperoni"

chili pepper -> Paprika (Peperoni, Peperoncino) ... Peperoni in Deutschland (und Österreich?), Peperoncino (Plural Peperoncini) in der Schweiz. Oder Chilischote, aber Paprika heißt dieses Gemüse im deutschen Sprachraum nirgends, oder?

paprika -> ungarisches oder spanisches Capsicumpulver ... oder Paprikapulver oder, wenn der Zusammenhang klar ist, einfach Paprika. Mit "Capsicumpulver" hätte ich bis eben gerade nichts anfangen können.

Re "bell pepper" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell_pepper

The misleading name "pepper" was given by Christopher Columbus upon bringing the plant back to Europe.[citation needed] At that time, peppercorns, the fruit of an unrelated plant originating from India, Piper nigrum, was a highly prized condiment; the name "pepper" was at that time applied in Europe to all known spices with a hot and pungent taste and so naturally extended to the newly discovered Capsicum genus. The most commonly used alternative name of the plant family, "chile", is of Mexican origin, from the Nahuatl word chilli or xilli. Bell peppers are botanically fruits, but are generally considered in culinary contexts to be vegetables.

While the bell pepper is a member of the Capsicum genus, it is the only Capsicum that does not produce capsaicin,[5] a lipophilic chemical that can cause a strong burning sensation when it comes in contact with mucous membranes.

paprika -> ungarisches oder spanisches Capsicumpulver ... oder Paprikapulver oder, wenn der Zusammenhang klar ist, einfach Paprika. Mit "Capsicumpulver" hätte ich bis eben gerade nichts anfangen können.

Ich auch nicht. Das ist hier 'Paprika'/'Paprikapulver' - und es wird meist unterschieden zwischen süßem Paprika und scharfem Paprika.

As mentioned in my #16, McCormick sells (German) paprika, as paprika :-)

@ 31 kenne ich als "edelsüß", gibt es da eine Erklärung zu (ich weiß, es steht im Duden, aber das heisst ja nichts) oder ist der Begriff einfach eine Kreation der Hersteller?

Growing up, I heard only puh-PREE-kuh in my entourage (northeast USA). Accented on the first syllable I heard only from Hungarian immigrants or their offspring.

@ #31:
Paprikasorten für Gulasch, aus einem österreichischen Blog:

Es handelt sich immer um getrockneten und gemahlenen Gewürzpaprika. Das Pulver unterscheidet sich je nach Reifegrad der Früchte und je nach dem, wieviel Samen mitvermahlen werden.

1. Delikatesspaprika ist die mildeste Sorte, die so gut wie keine Schärfe besitzt. Es werden dafür nur die getrockneten Fruchtwände ohne Samen vermahlen.
2. Edelsüßer Paprika besitzt noch immer kaum Schärfe, ist von erstklassiger Qualität und tiefroter Farbe.
3. Halbsüßer Paprika ist schon eine bisserl schärfer.
4. Rosenpaprika ist der typische scharfe Paprika, dessen Farbe weniger rot ist, sondern sehr stark ins Bräunliche geht, da der Anteil an Samen sehr hoch ist.
5. Der ungarische Scharfpaprika ist für Österreicher eh nicht zum Fressen und wird bei uns daher auch kaum angeboten.

Am wahrscheinlichsten bekommen Sie außerhalb Ungarns edelsüßen Paprika, Delikatesspaprika und Rosenpaprika und genau diese Sorten brauchen Sie auch.
http://www.ziiikocht.at/2013/01/wiener-wirtsh...