Asterisk, the Gender Star (*)
In German, many words are gendered. That means language often distinguishes between masculine and feminine forms — unlike English, where many terms are already neutral. To avoid excluding people, different forms of gender-inclusive language have evolved over time.
Gender-neutral language
Gender-neutral language is considered particularly clear and accessible. It does not require special characters and generally works better for people with visual impairments, low literacy levels, or limited knowledge of German.
Co-nomination
Both genders are included, for example, “employees” or “customers.”
Inclusive nouns
Using participle-based forms like “Studierende” (“students”) instead of masculine generics.
Neutral wording
Using inclusive or non-gendered terms such as “team” instead of explicitly gendered job titles.
Rephrasing
Rewriting sentences to avoid gender-specific wording altogether.
Typographic gender markers
Spellings that include special characters make different gender identities visible. How accessible they are depends on how legible, understandable, and technically usable they remain. Especially with screen readers, text-to-speech functions vary depending on the software and the user’s personal settings.
Gender asterisk (*)
The asterisk is widely used in German to include all gender identities, for example in words like “Mitarbeiter*innen”. Many screen readers interpret it as a short pause.
Colon (:)
The colon is another common form, such as “Mitarbeiter:innen”. Some screen readers create a longer pause or read the punctuation aloud, which can interrupt the flow of reading.
Inland I
The "Inner-I" involves inserting a capital "I" into the middle of a word, as in "MitarbeiterInnen." Screen readers usually read this form fluently. However, it only represents male and female genders.
Underscore (_) / Gender Gap
The underscore, as in “Mitarbeiter_innen”, often creates a visible gap in the word. Screen readers interpret it differently—sometimes as a pause, sometimes as “underscore”.
Slash (/)
Forms such as “Kund/-innen” are linguistically established and recognized by German spelling rules. However, they are usually based on a binary understanding of gender.
Midpoint (·)
For example, the center dot is used in “Kund·innen.” However, from a typographical standpoint, it is already in use elsewhere and is not directly available on keyboards. The display and text-to-speech functionality also vary depending on the system and screen reader.
Prevalence and Acceptance of Gender Forms
Community Preferences
There are differing viewpoints within these communities. In the queer community, the gender star has become established as a symbol of diversity. People with disabilities, on the other hand, have mixed feelings about special characters: some prefer the star, while others find that the star or colon makes it difficult to read or have text read aloud by screen readers.
Association for the Blind and Visually Impaired
The DBSV recommends using inclusive or gender-neutral language whenever possible, such as “team” instead of “Mitarbeiter*innen”. When abbreviations are used, the gender star is preferred. The colon is viewed critically, as it can disrupt the flow of reading and may be interpreted differently by screen readers.
BFIT-Federal
In a 2021 study, the Federal Monitoring Agency for Accessibility of Information Technology came out in favor of using the gender star in digital applications. The study was based on technical tests as well as surveys of people with disabilities and LGBTIQ advocacy groups.
"Access for All" Foundation
The Swiss foundation recommends using gender-neutral language whenever possible. Where this is not possible, the use of a colon is preferred, as it is typographically unobtrusive and has less of an impact on the flow of reading.
We follow recommendations for inclusive language and align ourselves with the community’s preferences. That is why we prefer to use gender-neutral language—and employ the gender star (*) where it is appropriate and inclusive.