Words, Vocabulary - Spelling and Pronunciation Shorts - Verbs - Word Order - Exercises - 2 - MX Lessons - Programs - Read and Listen to Dutch Find Dutch words: Dutch List - English to Dutch or:   my site

F in Dutch - Skip General Introduction

Pronunciation: Hear for Yourself

Adjectives in most positions get an -E  ending ‑>>
Several words appear twice on the page. I do not have an infinite number of recordings, and some combinations of letters are rarely or never found in Dutch.

Spelling and Pronunciation

• a double vowel is always 'long'
  (de) slaap ('sleep') - (de) vloot 2 ('fleet')
• a single vowel at the end of a word is always 'long' (except E)
  (de) sla ('lettuce') - (de) vlo 2 ('flea') - de 2 ('the' #1)
• a single vowel followed by one or more consonants at the end of a word is 'short'
  slap ('weak') - (het) vlot 2 3 ('raft')
• a single vowel followed by one consonant followed by another vowel is 'long.' (The syllables split is before the single consonant. This is somewhat like English 'silent E')
  slapen (sla-pen) ('to sleep) vloten (vlo-ten) 2 ('fleets')
• a single vowel followed by two or more consonants is 'short.' (The syllable break is between the consonants)
  slappe (slap-pe) ('weak') - vlotten (vlot-ten) 2 3 ('rafts')
  This rule 'works' for double consonants, but not always when the consonants are different
• The 'voiceless, unstressed E' (the 'schwa') is a problem ‑>>
• Diphthongs don't have 'short' and 'long' forms
• Vowels and diphthongs are a little longer when followed by R

mannen (man-nen) 2

(de) maan 2 ('moon')

manen (ma-nen) 2 3

'Long' and 'short' are traditional terms. The difference is actually more of tone than length
More about spelling and pronunciation - another version
Learn the Rules by Studying and Listening to Examples

Major Exceptions to the Phonetic Spelling of Dutch
- Page 1:   een   -IG   -ISCH   -LIJK  
- Page 2:   -B   -D   SCHR   -TIE   UW   WR
Hear the Dutch Letters in Hundreds of Words:
 AU/OU  CH  E  EI/IJ  EU  F  G  H  L  OE  SCH  U  UI  W  X  Y
'Master Lists' of Dutch words: Dutch to English - English to Dutch

Hear the Dutch F in Hundreds of Words

- (de) flits 2 3 slow ('flash')

- liflafjes 2

- frank en vrij

- treffen ('to hit,

The 'first series' is grouped by the letter after the F's, the 'second series' is grouped by the letter before the F's:

- first series: FA-FZ - second series: AF-WF

Introducing the Sound
(The words and names are repeated with English translation and articles in the list below)
- fakkel - alfabet 2 - Femke - fee - groffe - tafel 2 3 4 - feit / feiten - feut - fik 2 - fiets 2 - fijn 2 - fosfor - fooi - telefoon 2 - foei! 2 - foute / fout/foute 2 3 - functie 2 3 4 5 - fuut - futiliteit 2 3 - fuik 2 3
- af - Aafke - kaasschaaf ('cheese slicer') - effen 2 - Eefje - Jozef - weifelen ('to hesitate') - sleuf - lift - lief - vijf - of ... of 2 - doof 2 - boef 2 - duf 2 3 4 - fuif 2

the: de 2 / het 2 3 - 't ->>
Plurals always take 'de'
a: (een) - 'n / one: één 2 3

Repeat the words after me, try saying them like I do, and record yourself or ask a friend to compare how you say them with how I say them. Use as few or as many examples as you like.

FA	- (de) fabriek 2 ('factory, plant') - (de) fakkel ('torch') - (de) familie ('family, relatives') ‑>> - (het) familielid ('relative') - Famke 2 (a girls' name) - (de) olifant ('elephant') - fantastisch 2 3 / fantastische ('fantastic') - (de) fantasie ('imagination') - gefascineerd ('fascinated') - (de) fat ('a dandy') - (het) fatsoen ('decency, good manners') - fatsoenlijk 2 ('decent, according to good manners') - [(de)] favoriet ('favorite') - (de) fazant 2 ('pheasant,' a bird)
FAA	- Agfa 2 (former German photography company) - (het) fabeltje ('fable, untrue belief') - Faber (a family name) - (het) alfabet 2 ('alphabet') ‑>> - Rafaël (a boys' name) - (de) fagot 2 ('bassoon') - Fake 2 3 (a boys' name) - falen 2 3 4 ('to fail, not succeed') - Sint Stefaan (a saint) - (de) lafaard 2 ('coward') - (de) fase ('phase') - Bonifatius (Boniface, an 8th Century saint)
FB	- (de) afbakenening 2 ('demarcation, outlining of an area, ~staking out') - strafbaar 2 3 4 ('punishable') - stoom afblazen 2 ('to blow off, release steam') - afblijven 2 3 4 ('to stay away from, do not touch!') - (de) afbraak 2 ('demolition') - afbreken 2 3 ('to break down, take down, demolish, destroy' // 'to break off, interrupt') - (de) hefboom ('lever') ‑>> - (het) opschrijfboekje ('notebook') - plural: opschrijfboekjes 2 ('notebooks') - (de) zelfbediening 2 ('self-service, supermarket') - (de) zelfbeheersing 2 ('self-control, self-possession, restraint') - (de) golfbaan ('links, golf course') - korfballen 2 3 (playing 'co-ed proto-basketball')
FC	- (de) ledenwerfcampagne ('memebership drive')
FD	- begaafd ('gifted, talented') - verslaafd 2 ('addicted') - beleefd 2 ('polite') - verliefd ('in love') ‑>> - (het) hoofd ('head') - Hoofddorp 2 (a town) - gestoofd 2 ('stewed) - bedroefd / bedroefde 2 ('sad, saddened') - (de) afdeling 2 ('department') - schaafde 2 ('planed' - simple past singular) - hetzelfde / dezelfde ('the same') - beefde 2 ('shook' - simple past singular) - (de) liefde ('love' - the sentiment) - [(de)] geliefde ('beloved') - (de) vijfde 2 ('fifth') - beloofde 2 ('promised') - geloofde 2 ('believed' - simple past singular) - ik hoefde 2 ‑>> - hoofden 2 ('heads') - schuifdeuren ('sliding doors') - afdingen 2 3 ('to bargain' over price) ‑>> - (de) stofdoek 2 ('dusting cloth') - (het) afdruiprek ('dishes rack') - (de) afdruk 2 ('print')
FE	- (het) effect 2 3 ('effect, result') - (de) infectie ('infection') - fel ('fierce, sharp, keen') - Femke (a girls' name) - Femmetje 2 (a girls' name) - (de) lucifer ('match' - fire) - plural: - lucifers ('matches') - Ferry (a boys' name) - (de) offerte 2 3 4 ("bid") - (de) professor ('professor') ‑>>
FEE	- (de) fee (fairy') - (het) café 2 ('café') - februari - February ‑>> 2 - feliciteren 2 3 ('to congratulate') ‑>> - Felix (a boys' name) - Feenstra 2 (a family name) - (de) conifeer ('conifer, pine tree') - (de) sfeer 2 3 ('ambiance') - (de) atmosfeer 2 3 ('atmosphere' // 'ambiance') - inferieur ('inferior') - (het) feest 2 3 4 ('party, festivities') - (het) feestje 2 - small party ‑>> - (de) profeet 2 ('prophet')
FEuh	- laffe 2 ('cowardly') - effe 2 ('for a moment, for a short time' - slang) - groffe ('coarse, rude') - (de) katastrofe 2 ('catastrophe') - (de) doffe E 2 ([dull E] - 'schwa') - (de) tafel 2 3 4 (table') - effen 2 3 4 ('solid, one color) ‑>> 2 - (de) schilfer 2 ('sliver')
FEI	- (het) feit / feiten ('fact'/ 'facts') ‑>> - 'n half ei ('half an egg') - Feyenoord 2 (Rotterdam soccer club) Diaeresis: (äëïöü) - (de) cafeïne 2 ('caffeine') - cafeïnevrij 2 3 ('decaf') - the two dots on top of a vowel (called (het) trema ) mean there is a vocal stop before this vowel - the I is pronounced separately from the E, is not part of a diphthong EI more See and hear also FIJ below
FEU	- (de) chauffeur 2 ('driver' - car, truck, bus - French CH and AU) - (de) buschauffeur 2 3 ('bus driver') - (de) feut ('new college student to be hazed' - slang) French EU, pronounced as Dutch UI (de) portefeuille ('wallet') - (het) feuilleton 2 3 ('feuilleton,' - print serial)
FG	- gifgroen 2 3 4 5 ('"poison" green' - very bright) - afgevaardigden 2 ('representatives') - afgezaagd 2 3 4 5 ('sawed off, cut off' - past participle - but often figuratively: 'boring, not original, heard too often already') - (het) gifgas 2 ('poison gas') - (de) afgang 2 ('failure, flop, public failing') - afgelopen 2 ('finished, ended' // 'last, previous' - time units) - afgelasten 2 3 ('to cancel' an event or a match)
FH	- afhangen van 2 3 ('to depend, depend on') ‑>> - afhankelijk / afhankelijke ('dependent') - onafhankelijk ('independent') - onafhankelijkheid ('independence') - afhalen 2 (' to pick up, collect' // 'to strip off, remove covers' - beds, vegetables) - Wil je kaas of ham op je brood? ('Would you like cheese or ham on your bread?') - of heb ik dat verkeerd? 2 3 ('or am I wrong about that?') - (de) liefhebber 2 ('lover of things, enthusiast') - Wolfheze 2 (a town) - scheef houden 2 ('to hold at an angle, to tilt')
FI	- (de) fictie ('fiction, ~made-up') ‑>> - fictief ('fictional, not reality') - (de) fik 2 ('fire' - slang) - in de fik  steken 2 3 ('to set on fire' - slang) - Fikkie (a typical dogs' name) - fiks ('~strongly') - (de) film 2 ('film, movie') ‑>> - (de) filmster 2 ('movie star') - (de) voorfilm 2 3 ('movie trailer') - (het) filter 2 3 ('filter') - (het) finkie 2 ('bird' - slang) - (de) Fin ('Finnish person') - Finland ('Finland') - de) opheffing ('closing down, discontinuing') - fit ('in good physical shape') - (de) fitting 2 ('socket, lamp holder') ‑>>
FIE	- (de) koffie ('coffee') - een kopje koffie 2 3 ('a cup of coffee') - Sofie (a girls' name) - Sofietje (a girls' name) - (het) fiat 2 ('fiat, permission, approval') - (het) fiasco 2 ('fiasco, total failure') - (de) amfibie 2 ('amphibian') - (de) officier 2 3 4 ('officer' - u sually military) - (het) figuur ('figure') - figuurlijk 2 3 ('figuratively') - (de) figurant 2 3 ("extra," 'background actor or actress') - (de) grafiek 2 3 ('graph') - magnifiek ("magnificent") - (de) file ('traffic jam') - Fien (a girls' name) - fier ('proud, brave' - old-fashioned) - (de) fiets 2 ('bicycle') - fietsen 2 ‑>> ('bicycles// 'to ride a bicyle') ‑>> - (de) omafiets ('grandma bicycle' - a bike type)) - "op die fiets!" 2 3 ("Oh, you mean in that way" - standard phrase) - (de) ligfiets 2 3 ('recumbent bicycle') - (de) bakfiets 2 ('cargo bike') - (de) bromfiets 2 ('small motorcycle' - 50cc combustion engine) - mijn fiets 2 3 ('my bike') - (de) loopfiets ('walker bike'- no pedals, no chain etc.) - (de) transportfiets 2 3 4 5 ('cargo bike') - (de) vouwfiets ('folding bike') more bicycles and bicyling
FIJ	- fijn 2 / fijne 2 ('nice, pleasant' // 'fine, small') - ragfijn 2 3 ([fine like a spider's web] - 'very subtle') - (de) dolfijn 2 ('dolphin') - (de) fijnproever 2 ('gourmet') - (het) hoefijzer 2 ('horseshoe' - ['hoof iron']) FIJ also see and hear EI above
FJ	- liflafjes 2 ('small bites of food, nice but insubstantial') - (het) voorafje ('appetizer') - Eefje (a girls' name) - (het) neefje ('nephew') - (het) theezeefje 2 ('tea strainer') - madeliefjes ('daisies') - (het) briefje ('small note' // 'banknote' - colloquial) - (het) spiekbriefje 2 3 ('cheat sheet') - vijf jaar 2 ('5 years') - 'n half jaar ('6 months, half a year') - (het) kalfje 2 ('calf') - (het) hofje (courtyard with small houses) - (het) boefje 2 ('little rascal' - endearment for a somewhat naughty boy) - (het) proefje 2 ('experiment' - chemistry) - (het) voorproefje 2 3 4 ('foretaste' - figuratively) - Kuifje 2 ('TinTin' - [little quiff])
FK	- (de) afkeer 2 ('strong dislike, distaste') - afknippen 2 3 ('to cut off' - with scissors) ‑>> - (de) afkomst 2 ('descent') - (de) mafkees ('a guy deliberately behaving in an odd way, a goofball') - Aafke (a girls' name) - (de) briefkaart ('postcard') - (de) huifkar ('covered wagon') - zelfklevend 2 3 ('self-adhesive') - op dreef komen 2 3 ('to get going, on a roll, hit your stride')
FL	- (de) flapdrol ('jerk' - [whopping turd]) - (de) flater 2 3 ('a glaring mistake' - public, embarassing) - Delfland 2 3 (the area around the city of Delft 2) - Hofland (a family name) - Lijfland 2 ('Livonia,' - Medieval name, ~Latvia & Estonia) - liflafjes 2 ('small bites of food, nice but insubstantial') - (de) inflatie 2 3 (inflation) - flauw / flauwe 2 ('weak of taste' - not enough salt? // '~not funny') - flauwvallen 2 ('to faint') - (de) fles ('bottle') - (het) flesje 2 ('small bottle') - (de) flat ('high-rise building' // 'apartment in a high-rise building' - English A) - flats 2 ('high-rise buildings' - English A) - (het) flatje ('apartment in a high-rise building' - English A) - (de) reflex 2 ('reflex') - flexibel / flexibele 2 ('flexible') - Flevoland 2 ('Flevoland' - the new province of reclaimed land) - (de) souffleur ('stage whisperer' - French OU) - (het) conflict 2 ('conflict') - flink 2 3 (firm, robust') - Flip (a boys' name) - (de) flits 2 3 ('flash') - (de) losse flodder 2 ('blank' - gunshot) - Floor (a girls' name) - (de) Florijn 2 ('Florin,' a Medieval gold coin) - floep! (exclamation about a quick movement or rapid development) - (het) fluor 2 3 ('fluoride, F') - (het) fluweel ('velvet') - (de) fluit ('flute, whistle') ‑>> fluiten - floot - gefloten 2 to whistle - whistled - whistled
FM	- afmaken 2 ('to finish' (a job, work, a creation) // 'to murder' (in a gruesome way) - 'to off') - afmetingen 2 ('measurements, dimensions, size') - (de) schuifmaat ('Vernier caliper' - a measuring tool) - (de) stiefmoeder ('stepmother') - stofmaskers ('dust masks') - (het) stuifmeel ('pollen') - (het) turfmolm ('peat dust') - (de) zweefmolen 2 ('whirligig') - Kop of munt? / Kruis of munt? 2 ('Heads or tails?' - coin toss) - meer of minder ('more or less' - amount, literally) - min of meer 2 ([less or more] 'more or less,' - meaning 'about, roughly') - vandaag of morgen ('today or tomorrow' - 'someday soon') - vanaf morgen 2 3 ('from tomorrow, starting tomorrow') - Geef maar hier 2 ('You may hand it to me' - 'I'll take care of it') - vijf minuten 2 ('5 minutes')
FN	- fnuiken ('to thwart') - (de) afname 2 3 (decrease, lessening') - afnemen 2 ('to take away' // 'to decrease, become less'') - Dymfna (a girls' name) - (de) hofnar 2 ('court jester') - nu of nooit 2 ('now or never') - 't initiatief nemen 2 ('taking the initiative')
FO	- Fokker 2 (a family name and an airplane brand) - (de) fokker 2 ('breeder' - horses etc.) - (de) folder ('brochure') - (het) foldertje ('flyer') - Folkert (a boys' name) - (de) folklore 2 ('folklore') - comfortabel 2 ('comfortable') - (de) kaasfondue 2 3 ('cheese fondue' ‑>> - Alfons (a boys' name) - Fongers 2 (a family name and a bicycle brand) - (het) uniform ('uniform') - (het) platform 2 ('platform') - (de) transformator 2 ('transformer' - current) - (de) formateur 2 ('coalition cabinet builder') ‑>> - (het) fornuis ('stove' - kitchen) - (het) fosfor ('phosphorus')
FOO	- (de) fobie 2 ('phobia') - (de) fooi ('tip' - to server) - (de) telefoon 2 ('telephone') - (de) symfonie ('symphony') - (de) xylofoon ('xylophone') - (de) grammofoon ('gramophone,' vinyl records player) - (de) microfoon ('microphone') - (de) saxofoon 2 ('saxophone') - (de) olijfolie ('olive oil') - (de) forel ('trout' - a fish) - Amersfoort (a city) - (de) foto ('picture, photograph') - plural: - foto's - (de) Röntgenfoto ('X-ray picture') - (de) roofoverval 2 ('robbery' - violent)
FOE	- (het) foedraal ('leather bag' for a tool) - foei! 2 ('bad!' - disapproval) - (de) foelie ('mace,' a spice)
FOU	- [(de)] fout ('mistake' // 'wrong') ‑>> - foute / fout/foute 2 3 ('wrong') - "foutje!" 2 3 ('I made a mistake!') French OU, pronpounced like Dutch 'OE' - fouilleren 2 ('to frisk, body-search, pat down')
FP	- afpakken 2 3 ('to take away' - violently) ‑>>
FR	- (de) fractie 2 3 ('fraction') ‑>> - (het) fragment ('fragment,' a very small piece of ... - (de) framboos 2 ('raspberry') - (de) franje 2 3 ('frill, decoration') - Frank (a boys' name) - Frankrijk ('France') - Frans (a boys' name // 'French') - Frans Hals 2 3 (painter, ~1582-1666) - fraai ('beautiful' // 'splendid') - Franeker (a town) - Van Fraassen 2 3 (a family name) - (de) fraude ('fraud') - Fred 2 (a boys' name) - (de) fret ('fret,' bar on the neck of a string instrument) - Freek (a boys' name) - Freerk 2 (a boys' name) - (de) frequentie 2 3 ('frequency') - Freya 2 ('Mrs Wotan') - frictie 2 ('friction') ‑>> - fris 2 / fris/frisse ('fresh, refreshing ‑>> // 'chilly') ‑>> - Afrika 2 ('Africa') - Afrikaans 2 ('African' // 'South-African' - a Dutch-rooted language of South Africa) - Zuid-Afrika 2 3 ('South-Africa') - Friesland 2 3 ('Friesland') ‑>> - a province of The Netherlands - (de) friet 2 3 ('French fries' ‑>> - also: - frietjes and - (de) patat-friet 2 3 - gefrituurd 2 ('deep-fried') - (het) fruit ('fruits')
FS	- afslaan 2 3 (1. 'to turn,' change direction // 2. 'to turn down, decline' // 3. 'to repulse, drive back' - by force) - afsnijden 2 ('to cut off' - with a knife - and also figuratively) - (de) afspraak ('appointment' // 'agreement' - informal) - afspreken 2 (1. 'setting up an appointment' (2. 'reaching an (informal) agreement') - afstammelingen ('descendants') - (de) afstand ('distance') - tevergeefs 2 3 ('in vain' - no success, no results) - (de) vergeefse moeite 2 3 ('wasted trouble,' effort without success) - (de) diefstal ('theft') - liefste 2 3 ("dearest" // 'most preferred') - (het) archiefstuk 2 ('archival item, document') - zelfs ('even') ‑>> - vanzelfsprekend ('obvious') - zelfstandig 2 ('independent') - Delfshaven 2 (formerly the sea harbor of the city of - Delft 2 but now part of the city of - Rotterdam ) - delfstoffen 2 ('minerals, mineral resources') - (de) verblijfsvergunning 2 ('residence permit') - Hofstra 2 3 (a family name) - doofstom ('deaf-mute') - (de) hoefsmid 2 3 ('farrier,' horseshoes installer) - (de) herfst ('Fall, Autumn') ‑>>
FSCH	- (het) afscheid ('goodbye, leave-taking') - afscheid nemen 2 ('to take your leave,' say goodbye) - (de) afschuw 2 ('horror, disgust, loathing') - afschuwelijk 2 ('awful, horrible') - de Graafschap (another name for de Achterhoek - an area in the East of the Country) - ofschoon ('although' - old-fashioned) - 't kofschip (old ship type // grammar rule) - (het) proefschrift 2 ('PhD thesis') - 'n brief schrijven ('writing a letter') ‑>> - een groffe belediging 2 a grave insult - 't Is een grof schandaal 2 3 It's a [coarse scandal] crying shame, a major deplorable thing
FT	- aftrekken 2 ('to subtract') - de Efteling 2 (an amusement park) - Schaft 2 3 (a family name) - draaft 2 ('trots') - het paard draaft 2 ('the horse trots') - heftig 2 3 / heftige 2 3 ('violent, vehement, fierce, emotional') - hij heeft 2 ('he has') - heeft-ie 2 ('does he have ..? - colloquial) - (de) leeftijd 2 3 ('age') ‑>> - (de) difterie 2 ('diphteria') - (de) gift ('donation') - (de) toegift 2 ('encore' - music performance) - liften 2 3 ('elevators' // 'to hitch-hike') - viltstiften ('felt-tip pens') - (het) schrift ('notebook') - De Schrift ('the Bible' - old-fashioned) - alsjeblieft 2 ('please') ‑>> - (het) elftal / 'n enlftal ('team of eleven' - soccer) - Delft 2 (a town) - (de) helft ('half') ‑>> 2 - (de) bruiloft ('wedding') - (de) belofte 2 ('promise') ‑>> - slofte 2 ('shuffled,'  'walked tiredly' - single simple past) - (de) behoefte ('need (for)' - 'want (of)') ‑>> - (de) proeftijd 2 3 ('trial period') - (de) zwerftocht 2 ('ramble, trek') - (de) schurft 2 (a skin disease) - wuft 2 3 ('frivolous, fickle' - old-fashioned)
FU	- (de) fut ('energy, strength,' "vim") - (de) functie 2 3 4 5 ('position // function') - (de/het) parfum ('perfume')
FUU	- (de) fuut ('grebe' - a bird ) - furieus ('furious, very angry') - (het) infuus ('IV') - (de) fusie ('fusion, merger') - (de) futiliteit 2 3 ('futility')
FUI	(de) fuif 2 ('party' - slang) - (de) fuik 2 3 ('fyke' - a fish trap)
FV	- (het) afval 2 ('garbage') - afvegen 2 3 ('to wipe') - (de) afvoer 2 ('drain') - vijfvoud 2 3 ('five-fold') - (het) zelfvertrouwen 2 ('self-confidence') - zelfverzekerd 2 ('self-assured, very self-confident') - vorm of vent 2 3 4 ([structure or personality - the shape of a narrative or the author's character] - schools of literary criticism)
FW	- afwachten 2 3 ('to wait for,'   "~wait and see") - (de) lijfwacht 2 ('bodyguard') - (de) afwas (dishes etc. to be washed) - afwassen 2 3 ('doing' the dishes) - Halfweg 2 ('Halfway' - a small town between Amsterdam and Haarlem) - (het) proefwerk 2 3 ('written test' - in secondary school) - (de) afweging ('consideration,' ["weighing"]) - afwisselen 2 ('to alternate, take turns, vary') - (de) afwisseling 2 3 ('change, variety') - afwijken ('to deviate, differ')
FY	- (de) fysicus 2 ('physicist,' physics scientist - also: (de) natuurkundige - (de) kernfysica 2 ('nuclear physics')
FZ	- afzagen 2 3 ('to cut off' - with a saw) ‑>> - (de) afzetter 2 3 (seller whose prices are too high, swindler, cheater) - afzien 2 3 ('to give up, abandon, renounce, forego' // 'making a great and exhausting effort,' like in sports or exercise ‑>> - afzonderlijk / afzonderlijke 2 ('separate, special, apart') - Delfzijl (a town) - zichzelf zien 2 3 ('to see yourself' ‑>> - stofzuiger 2 ('vacuum cleaner' [dust-sucker]) - ik stofzuigde ('I was vacuuming') - (de) stuifzwam 2 3 ('puffball mushroom')

AF	- af ('off' // 'away from' // other meanings - (het) café 2 ('café') - (de) Daf (1950s/60s Dutch car brand) - gaf ('gave' - simple past singular) - ik gaf 2 ('I gave') - heldhaftig 2 3 ('heroic') - laf 2 / laf/laffe 2 ('cowardly') - (de) komaf 2 ('descent, origin, parentage, heritage') - onaf 2 3 ('unfinished' - colloquial) - (de) giraf 2 ('giraffe' - French G) - (het) graf ('grave') - (de) straf ('punishment') - Schaft 2 3 (a family name) - is 't af? 2 3 4 ('is it done, finished?')
AAF	- Aafke (a girls' name) - gaaf 2 3 ('undamaged, whole' // "cool") - begaafd ('gifted, talented') - (de) slaaf 2 ('slave') - verslaafd 2 ('addicted') - (de) raaf ('raven' a bird) - braaf 2 ('well-ehaved, obedient') - (de) graaf ('count') - (de) kaasschaaf ('cheese slicer') - schaafde 2 ('planed' - simple past singular) - (de) tafel 2 3 4 (table') - (de) staaf 2 ('bar, stick') - (het) octaaf ('octave' - music) - Gustaaf 2 (a boys' name) - (de) wafel 2 ('waffle')
AUF	French CH, and French AU (pronoounced as Dutch 'long O' ) - (de) chauffeur 2 ('driver' - car, truck, bus - (de) buschauffeur 2 3 ('bus driver')
BF	- (het) ribfluweel 2 corduroy
CHF	- Ga toch fietsen! 2 3 4 (['go ride a bike!'] - usually an exclamation of frustration with someone, like 'I don't believe you, stop bothering me, go take a hike')
DF	- Godfried (a boys' name) - Godfried van Bouillon 2 3 (Godfrey of Bouillon - a crusader)
EF	- (het) effect 2 3 ('effect, result') - effen 2 ('in a moment' - slang / 'solid' - color) - effe 2 ('in a moment' - slang "ff") - efficiënt ('efficient') - efficiënter 2 ('more efficient') - de Efteling 2 (an amusement park) - (de) hefboom ('lever') ‑>> - (de) ophef ('commotion') - de) opheffing ('closing down, discontinuing') - heftig 2 3 / heftige 2 3 ('violent, vehement, fierce, emotional') - (het) lef 2 ('courage' - colloquial) - treffen ('to hit, strike' // 'to meet, find') - Stef (a boys' name) French CH: - (de) chef 2 ('boss, manager, supervisor') - chef-kok 2 ('chef')
EEF	- Eefje (a girls' name) - beef 2 ('tremble, shake' - simple present tense singular) - ik beef 2 ('I'm shaking, trembling') - beefde 2 ('trembled, shaked' - simple past tense singular) - from the verb - beven 2 ('to tremble, shake') - geef 't aan 2 3 ('give it to ...//' 'mark it') ‑>> - 't geeft niet 2 3 4 ('it doesn't matter, never mind') - hij heeft 2 ('he has') - heeft-ie 2 ('does he have ..? - colloquial) - U heeft 2 3 ('you have' - polite 'you') - (de) leeftijd 2 3 ('age') ‑>> - Kleef (a city in Germany) - beleefd 2 ('polite') - (de) neef ('cousin' - male // 'nephew') - (het) neefje ('nephew' // 'cousin' - male) - (de) kreeft 2 ('lobster, crayfish') - ik schreef ('I wrote') - (de) wreef 2 3 ('instep, arch' - foot) - scheef ('skewed') - scheef houden 2 ('to hold at an angle, to tilt') - (het) weefgetouw 2 ('loom') - (de) zweefmolen 2 ('whirligig') - (de) zeef ('strainer, sieve') - (het) theezeefje 2 ('tea strainer')
EuhF	- gefascineerd ('fascinated' - past participle) - gefeliciteerd 2 ('congratulations!' // 'congratulated' - past participle) - gefrituurd 2 ('deep-fried' - past participle) - (de) reflex 2 ('reflex') - (het) refrein ('chorus' - song) - Jozef (a boys' name) - Jozefien (a girls' name)
EIF	- weifelen ('to hesitate')
EUF	- sleuf ('a dry ditch') Greek EU, pronounced as Dutch UI - (het) eufemisme 2 ('euphemism')
GF	- (de) ligfiets 2 3 ('recumbent bicycle') - Agfa 2 (former German photography brand) - ragfijn 2 3 ([fine like a spider's web] - 'very subtle')
IF	- (de) difterie 2 ('diphteria') - (het) vergif 2 ('poison') - (de) vergiftiging 2 3 ('poisoning') - de) vergiffenis 2 ('absolution, forgiveness') - (het) gifgas 2 ('poison gas') 2 3 4 5 ('"poison" green' - very bright) - (de) gift ('donation') - (de) toegift 2 ('encore' - music performance) - liflafjes 2 ('small bites of food, nice but insubstantial') - (de) lift ('elevator') - liften 2 3 ('elevators' // 'to hitch-hike') - viltstiften ('felt-tip pens') - (het) schrift ('notebook') - De Schrift ('the Bible' - old-fashioned) - (de) lippenstift 2 ('lipstick') - Swifterbant 2 (a town)
IEF	- naïef 2 ('naive, naïve') - (de) lucifer ('match' - for fire) - plural: - lucifers ('matches') - (het) archief ('archive') - (de) dief 2 ('thief') - (de) diefstal ('theft') - "op die fiets!" 2 3 ("Oh, you mean in that way" - standard phrase) - lief ('dear, sweet') ‑>> - verliefd ('in love') - (de) liefdadigheid ('charity') - (de) liefde ('love' - the sentiment) - [(de)] geliefde ('beloved') - liefste 2 3 ("dearest" // 'most preferred') - alsjeblieft 2 ('please') ‑>> - Californië 2 ('California') - (de) olifant ('elephant') - (de) conifeer ('conifer, pine tree') - (het) uniform ('uniform') - (de) brief 2 ('letter') - (het) briefje ('small note' // 'banknote' - colloquial) - (de) briefkaart ('postcard') - (de) briefwisseling 2 ('correspondence' [exchange of letters]) - massief ('massive, solid, not hollow') - depressief 2 3 4 ('depressed') - cursief 2 ('italic' - typeface, writing) - lucratief 2 ('lucrative, profitable') - (het) initiatief 2 ('initiative') - actief 2 3 4 5 ('active') - subjectief 2 ('subjective, biased') ‑>> - (het) motief 2 3 ('motive') - suggestief 2 ('suggestive')
IJF	- (het) lijf ('human body' - slang, impolite) - (het) verblijf 2 ('stay' // 'residence, place to stay') - (de) olijf 2 ('olive') - IJslijf 2 3 ('ice body' - a historical tulip) - stijf ('stiff, inflexible') - (het) bedrijf 2 ('business, company') - (de) schijf ('disk') - vijf ('5') - (de) vijfde 2 ('fifth') - (de) twijfel ('doubt') - twijfelen 2 3 ('to doubt') - (het) cijfer / cijfers ('number'/'numbers') ‑>> - lijfeigenen 2 ('serfs' - almost slaves) ‑>> - Lijfland 2 ('Livonia,' - Medieval name, ~Latvia & Estonia) - (de) olijfolie ('olive oil') - (de) schijfrem 2 ('disk brake') - vijfvoud 2 3 ('five-fold,' - 5 copies) - (de) lijfwacht 2 ('bodyguard') - Leendert Knijff 2 3 (painter, 17th Century) - (het) misdrijf 2 3 ('crime') ‑>> - (het) tijdverdrijf 2 ('pastime') - (de) schijfrem 2 ('disk brake') - (het) vijfvoud 2 3 ('five-fold, five copies') Wie schrijft, die blijft [he who writes, remains] - 'the person writing down the scores always remains in the game' IJF also hear - EIF above
KF	- (de) bakfiets 2 ([box-bike] - 'cargo bike') - (het) kraakfestijn 2 3 4 5 6 ('croakfest, croaking festival') - ik fiets 2 3 ('I'm riding a bicycle') ‑>> - (de) blokfluit ('recorder' - flute)
LF	- half ('half') ‑>> 2 - (de) zalf ('ointment, cream') - (het) kalf 2 3 ('calf') - (het) alfabet 2 ('alphabet') ‑>> - (het) kalfje 2 ('young calf') - twaalf ('12') - [(de)] elf ('11' // 'elf') - hetzelfde / dezelfde ('the same') ‑>> - Delfland 2 3 (the area around the city of Delft 2) - (de) spelfout 2 3 ('typo, spelling mistake') - zelfs ('even') ‑>> - Delfshaven 2 ('Delft Harbor' - now part of Rotterdam ) - delfstoffen 2 ('minerals, mineral resources') - Delft 2 (a town) - (de) helft ('half') ‑>> - (het) elftal (sports team of 11 - for instance soccer) - zichzelf zien 2 3 ('seeing yourself') - veel fietsen ('do a lot of bicycling') - (de) schilfer 2 ('sliver') - (de/het) golf 2 ('wave' // 'golf' - the sport/pastime) - (de) wolf ('wolf') - Wolfheze 2 (a town) - (de) dolfijn 2 ('dolphin') - (het) wolfraam 2 ('wolfram, tungsten' - a rare metal)
MF	- (de) amfibie 2 ('amphibian') - (de) triomf 2 3 4 ('triumph') - triomfantelijk 2 3 ('triumphant') - (de) bromfiets 2 ('small motorcycle' - 50cc combustion engine) - comfortabel 2 ('comfortable') - Bloemfontein (a town in South-Africa) - Dymfna (a girls' name) - (de) symfonie ('symphony') - de triomf der rede 2 3 ('the triumph of reason' - old-fashioned)
NF	- (de) infectie ('infection') - inferieur ('inferior') - n flesje water ('a bottle of water' -small) - n fles wijn ('a bottle of wine') - 'n fout antwoord 2 ('a wrong answer') - (de) inflatie 2 3 (inflation) - mijn fiets 2 3 ('my bike') - (het) ziekenfonds (former health insurance system) - (de) informateur 2 ('coalition cabinet building scout') ‑>> - (het) conflict 2 ('conflict') - (het) infuus ('IV') - (de) kernfysica 2 ('nuclear physics') - 'n fractie van 'n seconde 2 [a fraction of a second] - a very short time, 'a split second' - Een frisse neus halen '(going outside) to get [a fresh nose] some fresh air'
OF	- of ('or' // '~if') ‑>> - of ... of 2 ('either ... or') - alsof ('as if') ‑>> - de bof 2 ('mumps' - a childhood disease) - dof/doffe ('dull, muffled; not shiny') - (de) doffe E 2 ([dull E] - 'schwa') - (het) hof ('court') - (de) hofnar 2 ('court jester') - Hofstra 2 3 (a family name) - (de) koffer 2 ('suitcase') - (de) belofte 2 ('promise') ‑>> - Roelof 2 (a boys' name) - ploffen 2 3 ('to plop' // 'to pop, bang') - (de) ontploffing ('explosion') - (de/het) witlof 2 3 ('Belgian endives') - (de) knoflook ('garlic') - opofferen 2 ('to sacrifice') - grof 2 3 / groffe ('coarse, rude') - tof ("cool," 'likable' - slang) - (het//de) stof 2 3 4 ('dust' // '~material') ‑>> - Stoffel (a boys' name) - (de) troffel 2 ('trowel' - bricklaying tool) - (de) katastrofe 2 ('catastrophe')
OOF	- doof 2 ('deaf') - (het) hoofd ('head') - plural: - hoofden 2 ('heads') - (het) warhoofd 2 ('confused person') - 't Hooft 2 3 (a family name) - sjofel 2 ('looking poor,' especially clothes) - beloofde 2 ('promised' - adjective and simple past singular) - (het) geloof 2 3 ('belief, religion') - geloofde 2 ('believed' - simple past singular) - ongelofelijk / - ongelooflijk ('incredible, unbelievable') - (de) grammofoon ('gramophone,' vinyl records player) - (de) roof 2 3 ('robbery, theft') - (de) broodroof 2 ([bread-robbery] - stealing someone's livelihood) - (de) roofoverval 2 ('robbery' - violent) - (de) microfoon ('microphone') - (de) profeet 2 ('prophet') - (de) filosoof ('philosopher') - gestoofd 2 ('stewed') - Sofie (a girls' name) - Sofietje (a girls' name) - (de) saxofoon 2 ('saxophone')
OEF	- (de) oefening 2 ('exercise') ->> - oefenen 2 ('to practice') ‑>> - (de) boef 2 ('rogue, criminal') - (het) boefje 2 ('naughty boy') - (de) hoef ('hoof' - horn on horse feet) - (het) hoefijzer 2 ([hoof iron] - 'horseshoe') - (de) hoefsmid 2 3 ([hoof smith] - 'farrier') - bedroefd / bedroefde 2 ('sad, sorrowful') - (de) behoefte ('need, want') - (de) proef 2 ('experiment') - (het) proefje 2 ('small experiment,' usually chemistry practice) - (de) drukproef 2 3 ('galley,' test run of print) - (de) vuurproef ('trial by fire, a serious challenge') - proefwerk 2 3 ('written test in elementary and secondary school') - stroef ('stiff - with difficulty, not easy' - not lubricated) - (de) boef 2 ('criminal') - (de) schroef ('screw') - bankschroef ('vise') - proefschrift 2 ('PhD thesis') - hoefsmid 2 3 ('farrier,' installer of horseshoes) - proeftijd 2 3 ('trial period')
OUF	French OU, pronounced as Dutch OE - (de) souffleur ('stage whisperer')
PF	- (het) zeepflesje ('soap bottle' - dispenser) - (de) loopfiets ('walker bike'- early bicycle, no pedals, no chain etc.) - (de) typefout 2 3 ('typo,' typing mistake)
RF	- (het) erf 2 3 ('~lot, ~premises' - the area around a farmhouse and its side buildings, not the agriculture land) - (de) werf 2 3 ('shipyard') - erfelijk 2 3 ('hereditary, congenital' - disease) - (de) erfenis 2 ('inheritance') - (de/het) parfum ('perfume') - (het) bederf 2 ('decay,' "rot") ‑>> - bederfelijk 2 ('perishable' - food) - (de) verf ('paint') - (het) woonerf 2 ('residential area with limited car access) - perfect 2 ('perfect, flawless') - (de) waterfles - (de) erfenis 2 ('inheritance') waterfles3.MP3">2 3 ('water bottle') - (de) herfst ('Fall, Autumn') ‑>> - (de) zwerftocht 2 ('ramble, trek') - fris 2 ('fresh' // 'refreshing' // 'nippy, chilly') ‑>> - hij stierf 2 3 ('he died, passed away') - korfballen 2 3 (playing 'co-ed proto-basketball') - (de) voorfilm 2 3 ('movie trailer') - (de) durf 2 3 4 ('daring, courage') - (de) schurft 2 (a skin disease) - (de) smurf ('smurf') - (de) turf ('peat') - (het) turfmolm ('peat dust') Vowels and diphthongs are really longer when followed by R
SF	- (de) sfeer 2 3 ('ambiance') - (de) atmosfeer 2 3 ('atmosphere' // 'ambiance') - (de) kaasfondue 2 3 ('cheese fondue' ‑>> - (het) maïsfeest 2 ('corn - maize - festival') - vogels fluiten ('birds sing') - (de) transformator 2 ('transformer' - current) - thermosflessen ('thermos bottles') - (het) fosfor ('phosphorus') - vlinders fladderen 2 ('butterflies flutter') - Amersfoort (a city) - (de) dwarsfluit 2 ('flute' - German: Querflöte)
TF	- (het) platform 2 ('platform') - (de) patat-friet 2 3 ('French fries') - West-Friesland 2 (the Northern part of the province of Noord-Holland 2 - the area around the city of Alkmaar ) - (de) transportfiets 2 3 4 5 ('cargo bike') - 't Is niet fout ... 2 3 It's not wrong ...
UF	- duf 2 3 4 ('drowsy, temporarily not very alert,' "out of it") - (de) juffrouw 2 3 4 ('Miss' -old-fashioned // female elementary school teacher') - bluffen 2 3 ('to bluff') - suffen 2 3 ('not being entirely awake and alert, not paying attention' // 'woolgathering') - (de) sufferd ('a not very bright person') - (het) tuf ('saliva' - childish // 'pumice' - volcanic rock) - wuft 2 3 ('frivolous, fickle' - old-fashioned)
UIF	- (de) fuif 2 ('party' - slang) - (de) huifkar ('covered wagon') - (de) kuif 2 3 ('quiff,' 'shock of hair') - (de) druif ('grape') - (het) struif ('egg stuff') - schuifdeuren ('sliding doors') - (de) schuifmaat ('Vernier caliper - a measuring tool') - (de) kluif 2 ('bone' - for dog // 'big job') - Kuifje 2 ('Tintin') - (de) luifel ('awning') - (het) stuifmeel ('pollen') - (de) stuifzwam 2 3 ('puffball mushroom') - (de) vetkuif 2 3 ('greased quiff' - a hairstyle like Elvis)
WF	- (de) vouwfiets ('folding bicycle')
YF	Jacob Knyff 2 3 (painter, 1640-1681) also written as: Knijff

Compare the sound of Dutch F, V and W

W in murw  is pronounced as F: murw ('beaten down, spirit broken') - compare: (de) smurf ('smurf')

PH sometimes pronounced as F

- Philip (a boys' name)

- Philips (a family name

- Sint-Philipsland (a former

Zeeland 2

- Sophie (a girls' name)

- Zutphen 2 3 (a town)

- Alphen aan de(n) Rijn 2 (a town)

- Orpheus 2 (Greek

- ophangen ('to hang'

- ophalen is literally

- (de) ophaalbrug 2 ('drawbridge')

- (de) ophef ('fuss,

- (de) opheffing ('closing

- (de) schaapherder ('shepherd'

- Opheusden (a town)

- Schiphol (Amsterdam

- ophouden 2 ('to stop,

- (het) koophuis 2 ('house

- (het) rasphuis 2 (16th/17th Century

Major Exceptions to the Phonetic Spelling of Dutch:
- Page 1:   een   -IG   -ISCH   -LIJK  
- Page 2:   -B   -D   SCHR   -TIE   UW   WR

Hear the Dutch Letters in Hundreds of Words:
 AU/OU  CH  E  EI/IJ  EU  F  G  H  L  OE  SCH  U  UI  W  X  Y

'Master Lists' of Dutch words: Dutch to English - English to Dutch

'Basic' Dutch Words - Pictures Dictionary - Words by Subject - Easy Dutch - Phrases and Conversation Templates - Names - Place Names - verbs

email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2022. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed, or hotlinked to.
Gij zult niet stelen 'Thou shalt not steal'