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

H 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

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

H in Dutch - Hear for Yourself

- hè ('expression

- hé ('hey!')

- ho! ('stop,

- hu! 2 ('stop!' // 'go!'

- heldhaftig 2 3 ('heroic')

- hooghartig 2 ('haughty')

- hierheen! 2 3 ('this way!'

- houthakker 2 3 ([woodchopper]

- huizenhoog 2 ([high as

- [(het)] huishouden 2 3 4 ('a household' //

- Hooghaarlemmerdijks ('hypercorrect

- hebben en houden ('all the

- van hot naar her /

van hot naar haar ('in several

- met huid en haar 2 ([with skin

- huis en haard ('home'

- huis en hof ('house

- 'n heet hangijzer 2 ('a difficult

"Ha die ...!" 2 3 ('Hello ...')

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

- first series: HA-HZ - short U second series: AH-AZ

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. Try to bring your pronunciation of the words closer and closer to how I say them. Use as few or as many examples as you like.

HA	- hachelen ('to bargain' - negotiate for a lower price) - ik had 2 ('I had') ‑>> - wij hadden 2 3 4 ('we had') ‑>> - heldhaftig 2 ('heroic') - Bernard Haitink 2 (director - music) - hak ('heel' - shoe // 'garden tool') - hakken ('heels' // 'to chop, hack') - houthakker 2 3 ('lumberjack, logger') - gehakt ('ground meat' // 'chopped' - past participle) - (de) hal 2 3 4 ('hall') - (het) halletje 2 ('hallway,' small room behind front door) ‑>> - half / halve ('half') ‑>> - (het) halfuur 2 ('30 minutes, half an hour') ‑>> - behalve ('except') - hallo ('hi, hello') ‑>> - (de) ham ('ham') - Hamburg 2 (a city in Germany) - Han (boys' name) - Johan (boys' name) - hand ('hand') - (de) handdoek ('towel') ‑>> - (de) handel 2 ('trade, commerce') ‑>> - (de) handschoenen 2 ('gloves' [hand-shoes]) ‑>> - (de) handtekening ('signature') ‑>> - (het) behang ('wallpaper') - hangen ('to hang, hang up' - things - hangen - hing - gehangen ('to hang - hung - hung') - (de) hap ('bite of food' - taken) ‑>> - (het) hapje 2 ('morsel,' small, nice bite of food) - Harm (a boys' name) - (de) harp 2 ('harp') - (de) harpoen ('harpoon') - (de) hars 2 ('resin') - hard ('hard' - not soft // 'intense, powerful' ‑>> // 'loud' ‑>> // 'fast, not slow') ‑>> - hardlopen 2 3 ([to walk fast] - 'to run' ‑>> 2 - (het) hart ('heart') ‑>> - harten 2 ('hearts') (cards) - hartig / hartige 2) ('savory,' not sweet, 'salty' (the fifth basic taste 'umami'?) ‑>> - hooghartig 2 ('haughty') - Hasselt 2 (a town in Belgium)
HAA	- ha! ('aha!') - Hadewych (a girls' name) - Den Haag 2 ('The Hague,' a city) - behaaglijk 2 3 4 ('comfortable, pleasant, enjoyable' - temperature) - (de) hagedis 2 ('lizard') ‑>> - (de) haai / haaien 2 ('shark' / 'sharks' ‑>> - (de) haak ('hook') / haken ('hooks') - halen 2 ('to get, collect') ‑>>> - (de) hamer ('hammer') ‑>> - (de) haan 2 ('rooster') - haperen 2 3 4 ('to falter,' machinery not working properly) - haar ('hair' // 'her') ‑>> - (de) haring ('herring') ‑>> - (de) haas ('hare') - (de) haas / hazen ('hare / hares') ‑>> - [(de)] haast ('hurry, haste' // 'almost, nearly') ‑>>> - (de) haat ('hate') - (de) haven ('harbor, port') ‑>> - (de) hazelaar ('hazel' - a tree) - hazelnoten 2 ('hazelnuts, filiberts')
HAU	- (de) hausse ('boom,' "run" on something)
HE	hè - "isn't it?" ‑>> // - '~bummer!' (disappointment) ‑>> - hèhè 2 can be said after finishing some tiring or boring work, but also when you're annoyed that someone says something that you think is stupid or obvious - ik heb ('I have') - hebben ('to have') ‑>>> - jij hebt 2 ('you have') - heb jij? 2 ('do you have?') ‑>> - zich hechten aan 2 ('to become emotionally attached to') ‑>> - (de) hechting / hechtingen 2 3 ('suture, medical stitch' / 'sutures') ‑>> - (de) hefboom ('lever, switch') - heftig 2 3 / heftige 2 3) ('violent, vehement, fierce, emotional') - (de) heg ('hedge') ‑>> - (de) heggeschaar ('hedge cutters') - (het) hek ('fence') ‑>> - (het) hekje 2 ('small fence' // 'small gate') - (de) heks ('witch') - (de) helling ('slope') - helder ('clear,' ~visible, ~transparent) ‑>> - (de) helft ('half - of') ‑>> - (de) helm ('helmet') ‑>> - help! 2 ('help me!' - 'I need help' emergencies - helpen 2 - to help, assist ‑>> helpen - hielp - geholpen ('to help - helped - helped') - hem ('him') ‑>> 2 - (het) hempje 2 ('small shirt or undershirt' - slang) - hen 2 ('them' ‑>> 2 // 'chicken') - Henk 2 (boys' name) - (de) herfst ('Fall, Autumn') ‑>> 2 - (het) hergebruik 2 ('re-use') - herhalen 2 ('to repeat') ‑>> (de) herhaling 2 ('repetition') - zich herinneren ('to remember') ‑>> - herinneren aan 2 3 ('to remind') ‑>> - (de) herinnering 2 ('memory item') - herkennen ('to recognize') ‑>> - (de) herrie ('noise') ‑>> - (de) hersenen ('the brain' - the body part) ‑>> - (de) hersens - 'brains,' - intelligence ‑>> - (het) herstel ('reparation, rebuilding') ‑>> - herstellen ('to repair, restore, re-establish, rebuild') - (het) hert / herten 2 - 'deer - 1' / 'deer >1') ‑>> - het 2 // 'the' (#2) ‑>>> // 'it') ‑>> 3 - hetzelfde / (dezelfde ) ('the same') ‑>> - hexagonaal ('hexagonal, six-sided')
HEE	- hé ('hey!' // surprise) ‑>> - heden ('today, at present') ‑>> - hedendaags 2 ('of the present day, modern' / 'modern classical music') ‑>> - heeft-ie ...? ('does he have ...?') - colloquial Dutch - (de) spreektaal 2 3 'spoken language') - hij heeft 2 ('he has') ‑>> - (de) hekel ('strong dislike') - heel ('very' ‑>> 2 // 'whole') ‑>> - hele ('whole') ‑>> - helemaal 2 ('completely, entirely') ‑>> - (de) hemel ('heaven' ‑>> // 'sky') ‑>> - Heemstede (a town) - heen ('~to (direction)' ‑>> // 'gone') - (de) heer 2 3 ('gentleman' // king - cards) - plural: heren - de Heer 2 3 / de Here - God, the Lord ‑>> - heerlijk 2 3 ('delicious, really very nice') ‑>> - (de) heerser 2 3 ('ruler, dictator, autocrat') - hees ('hoarse, husky') - heet 2 3 /hete 2 3 / heet/hete 2 ('hot') - heten 2 ('to be called,' have the name ...) - hevig 2 / hevige 2) ('intense, fierce, serious' [think of 'heavy' and 'hefty'])
HE‑uh	hear HU below for a similar sound
HEI	- (de) hei / (de) heide ('heath, moor' // 'heather') - heidenen 2 ('heathens') - (de) heibel ('trouble, commotion' - slang) - heien 2 ('to drive piles into the ground' - for a building foundation on soft soil) - heiïg ('hazy') - heilig / heilige ) ('holy, sacred') ‑>> - (de) heilige ('holy man, saint') - Heiloo 2 (a town) - heilzaam 2 3 ('beneficial,' good for health) - heimelijk 2 ('secretly') - (de) heimwee 2 ('homesickness' - German: Heimweh) - Hein (a boys' name) - Heineken 2 (a family name and a beer brand) - (het) heitje ('a quarter, 25¢ piece' - slang)
HEU	- (het) geheugen 2 3 ('memory' - the brain faculty) - Verheul 2 3 (a family name) - (de) heup ('hip') ‑>> - heus ('really' - children's talk) - Opheusden (a village) - Van Heusden 2 (a family name) - (de) heuvel / heuvels 2 ('hill' / 'hills') ‑>>
HI	- (de) hik 2 3 ('hiccup' // 'hiccups') - Hillegom (a town) - Hilversum (a city) - hinderlijk 2 ('irritating, annoying') - (de) Hinkelseberg 2 3 4 (a hill in my home town) - hinkelen 2 (a pattern jumping game) - hinken 2 3 ('jumping on one leg' // 'to limp,' walk with difficulty) - hinniken 2 3 4 ('to neigh' - horses - second I is pronounced as 'voiceless, unstressed E' the 'schwa') - (de) hitte 2 ('heat,' high temperature) - (de) hittegolf 2 3 4 ('heatwave')
HIE	- (de) hiel ('heel' - part of foot) - hier 2 ('here') ‑>> - hierheen! 2 3 ('this way!' - 'this direction') See and hear also HY - below
HIJ	- hij ('he') ‑>> 2 - (de) hijskraan 2 ('crane') - hij belt 2 3 ('he's ringing a bell' // 'he's on the phone') - hij gaat 2 ('he's going') ‑>> - hij heeft 2 ('he has') ‑>> - hij is ('he is') ‑>> - hij kan 2 3 ('he can, he is able to') ‑>> - hij laat 2 3 ('he allows' a.o.) ‑>> - hij loog 2 ('he lied') - hij mag ('he ~may') ‑>> - hij moet 2 ('he ~must') ‑>> - hij rookt 2 ('he smokes') - hij slaat 2 3 ('he slaps, he hits') ‑>> - hij stierf 2 3 ('he died, he passed away') ‑>> - hij tilde 2 3 ('he lifted') - hij vroeg 2 3 ('he asked') ‑>> - hij wil 2 3 ('he wants, he would like to') ‑>> - hij zal 2 3 ('he will' - future tense') ‑>> also hear HEI above
HO	- (de) hobby 2 ('hobby, pastime') - (het) hof ('court' // 'courtyard') - (het) hofje ('courtyard with many small houses') - (de) hofnar 2 ('court jester') - hoi ('hi, hello!' // 'goodbye' - both slang-y) ‑>> - (het) hok 2 ('shed, closet' // 'cage, pen') - hol 2 / holle ('hollow,' not solid) - (het) hol 2 ('lair' - burrowing animals or criminal gang home) - 'Hollandse kost' (Dutch home cooking, typical Dutch food) ‑>> - Noord-Holland 2 (a province) ‑>> - Zuid-Holland 2 (a province) - (de) hom 2 ('fish eggs') - (de) hommel 2 3 ('bumblebee') - (de) hond ('dog') ‑>> - het hondje ('little dog') - honderd ('100, a hundred') ‑>> - (de) honger ('hunger') ‑>> - ik heb honger ('I am hungry') ‑>> - hongerig 2 ('hungry') - (de) hop 2 ('hops' - a beer ingredient) - (de) hor 2 3 ('mosquito screen')
HOO	- ho! ('stop, halt!') - (het) hoofd ('head' - human and horse ‑>> // 'leading person') ‑>> hoofd- ('main, major, most important') ‑>> - hoog 2 3 / hoge ('high') ‑>> 2 - hoger ('higher') ‑>> - hoogstens ('at most') ‑>> 2 - (het) hooi ('hay') - holen 2 3 ('lairs' - burrowing animals or criminal gang homes) - (de) holenmens 2 ('caveman') - (de) hoon 2 3 4 ('scorn') - (de) honing 2 ('honey') - (de) hoop ('hope' ‑>> // 'heap') ‑>> - hopen 2 ('to hope') ‑>> - hoor ('hear! hark!' ‑>> // 'sure, really' - pragmatic marker) ‑>> - horen ('to hear') ‑>>> 2 - (de/het) hoorn 2 ('horn') - (de) hoos ('whirlwind' // 'downpour') - (het) hotel ('hotel') ‑>> - hoven ('courts' // '~yards')
HOE	- hoe? ('how?') ‑>> - (de) hoed 2 ('hat') ‑>> - (de) hoek ('corner // angle') ‑>> - hoe laat is het? ('what's the time?') ‑>> 2 3 - (de) hoest ('cough') ‑>> - hoeveel ('how much, how many?') ‑>> - (de) hoeveelheid ('amount, quantity') ‑>> - [niet/geen] hoeven ('don't need, not necessary, don't want, don't have to') ‑>> - hoewel ('although') ‑>>
HOU	- houdbaar tot ('best before') ‑>> - houden 2 ('~to hold, to keep') ‑>>> houden - hield - gehouden to hold - held - held - houden van ('to like, to love') ‑>>> - (de) houding ('attitude') - hou op! 2 3 4 5 ('stop it!') - (het) hout ('wood' - the material) ‑>> - houten 2 ('wooden' - made of wood) - (het) houvast 2 3 ('hold, grip,' "fixed point") - (de) houweel ('pickaxe') - Houweling (a family name) also hear AU above
HU	- (de) hucht 2 3 ('hill' -or- 'slope, incline' - dialect) - (het) gehucht 2 ('hamlet,' very small village) - (de) hulde 2 ('homage, praise, tribute') - (de) hulp ('help, assistance') ‑>> - hulpeloos 2 3 ('helpless, powerless') - (de) huls 2 ('case, wrapping, shell') - (de) hulst ('holly' - a shrub) - hun 2 ('them' ‑>> 2 // 'their') ‑>> 2 - Hunnen 2 ('Huns') - hup! (encouragement) - huppelen 2 ('to skip, frolic') - hurken ('to squat' - ~sit, crouch) - (de) hut ('hut, cabin, shack') - hutten 2 ('huts') - (de) hutspot (a dish of carrots, potatoes and onion) ‑>>
HUU	- hu! 2 ('stop!' // 'go!' - horse calls) - Huub (a boys' name) - Hubert (a boys' name) - Hugo (a boys' name) - (de) humor ('humor') ‑>> - (het) humeur 2 3 ('~mood') - (de) humus 2 3 4 ('humus,' composted and composting leaves) - huren ('to rent, lease, hire') ‑>> - (de) huur 2 ('rent' - usually for a house or room) ‑>> - (het) huwelijk ('marriage') ‑>> - (de) huur 2 ('rent' of a house, room or building) - huren ('to rent') ‑>> - (de) huurder ('tenant') - (het) huurhuis ('rented house, house for rent') - (de) huurling 2 ([soldier-for-rent] - 'mercenary' - old-fashioned)
HUI	- Huibers 2 (a family name) - Huibert 2 (a boys' name) - (de) huid 2 ('skin') ‑>> - (de) huifkar ('covered wagon') - (de) huig ('uvula,' a part of the throat) - huilen ('to cry - shed tears') ‑>> - (het) huis 2 ('house') ‑>> - (de) huisarts 2 ('family doctor, primary care physician') ‑>> - huiveren (2) ('to shiver, shudder from fear') - huizen ('houses')
HY	- (de) hyena 2 ('hyena') - (de) hygiëne 2 3 ('hygiene') - (de) hygiënisch 2 ('hygienic') - hyper 2 3 4 5 ('hyper') - hypercorrect ('hypercorrect') - (de) hypotheek ('mortgage') - (de) hypothese ('hypothesis')

AH	- bah! ('yuck!' - expression of disgust) - "wah" (interjection - dialect)
AAH	- Abraham (a boys' name, a Biblical figure') - (de) djahé ('ground ginger' - from Malay) - ja hoor! ('Yes, sure!' // 'absolutely!')
AUH	- Kenau Hasselaer - also known as Kenau Simonsdochter Hasselaer 2 leader of the women of Haarlem during the siege by the Spanish army (1573)
BH	- ik heb honger ([I have hunger'] - 'I am hungry') - ik heb hoofdpijn 2 3 ('I have (a) headache')
CH	- (de) lach ('laugh') - echt 2 ('real') - dicht ('closed') - toch 2 ('yet, still' ‑>> // 'anyway') ‑>> - (de) zucht 2 3 4 5 ('sigh') psychisch 2 3 4 ('psychological, mental') There will be a separate page about CH
DH	- heldhaftig 2 3 ('heroic') - (de) windhandel (['wind trading'] - 'fishy dealings') - naaldhakken 2 ('stiletto heels') - (de) mondharmonica ('mouth harp') - (de) brandhaard ('hotbed' // 'where a large fire started') - benodigdheden ('necessary items') - gloeiend heet 2 3 ([glowing -] 'red-hot') - kokend heet ('boiling-hot') - (de) wreedheid ('cruelty') - (de) bereidheid 2 ('readiness, willingness') - (de) vermoeidheid 2 3 4 ('fatigue, tiredness') - (de) geestesgesteldheid ('mental state') - de Oudheid ('Antiquity') - Noord-Holland 2 (a province of The Netherlands) ‑>> - (de) waldhoorn 2 3 4 ('French horn') - Eindhoven 2 (a city) - Badhoevedorp (a town) - (de) stadhouder 2 (Heads of State of the Dutch Republic from 1568 to 1795) ‑>> - (het) brandhout 2 ('firewood') - (de) beeldhouwer 2 ('sculptor') - (het) ochtendhumeur 2 ('bad mood in the mornings') - (het) badhuis ('bathhouse') - (het) stadhuis 2 3 4 5 6 ('city hall')
EH	- hèhè 2 can be said after finishing some tiring or boring work, but also when you're annoyed that someone says something that you think is stupid or obvious
EEH	- (de) B.H. 2 ('bra' - the word is sometimes written as 'beha'  but 'beeha'  would be better phonetically for the Dutch because the E in the prefix BE-  is always pronounced as 'voiceless, unstressed E' (the 'schwa') - tussen twee haakjes 2 ('between [two] parentheses') - tenzij je 'n beter idee hebt 2 3 ('unless you have a better idea') - twee halve waarheden ('two half-truths)
E‑uhH	- gehakt ('ground meat') - gehaast 2 3 ('hurried') - geheel ('entirely, completely') - [(het)] geheim 2 ('secret') - geheugen 2 3 ('memory' - the brain function) - ik heb geholpen 2 ('I have helped, assisted') - ik ben geholpen 2 ('I was helped, I have been helped, I was attended to') ‑>> - ik had gehoopt ('I had hoped, I was hoping') - gehoor ('the sense of hearing' // 'audience') - gehoorzaam 2 3 ('obedient') - gehucht 2 ('hamlet') - gehuwd 2 ('married') - (de) Duitse Herder 2 ('German Shepherd' - a dog breed) - de Heer 2 3 ('the Lord' - God) - Ze hielp hem ontsnappen 2 3 ('She helped him escape') - (de) behoefte ('need for, want of') - om de hoek 2 3 ('around the corner') - behouden 2 3 ('to keep, hold on to, retain, conserve') - (het) tehuis 2 ('a home' for people needing extra or special care)
EIH	- keihard 2 3 ('hard, powerful, high-energy, with much effort' // 'very loud')
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')
GH	- (de) waaghals 2 ('daredevil') - hooghartig 2 ('haughty, arrogant') - Hooghaarlemmerdijks ('hypercorrect Dutch') - Willighagen 2 (a family name) - Laaghalen 2 3 4 5 (a village) - leeghalen 2 3 ('to empty') - Hooghalen 2 3 (a village) - gezaghebbend ('authoritative') - (de) gekkigheid 2 3 ('silliness, craziness') - (de) veiligheid 2 3 ('safety, security') - (de) narigheid 2 3 ('misery, woe, trouble') - in de gauwigheid ('in the rush of things, because I had to act quickly') - Hooghoudt 2 3 (a family name) - Biddinghuizen (a village) - (de) yoghurt 2 ('yogurt') G not pronounced: - Veghel (a town) - Vught (a town) Some Dutch names end in GH - that H at the end is usually not pronounced: - Van Gogh 2 (a family name) - Vincent van Gogh 2 3 4 5 (famous Dutch painter, 1853-1890) - Jan Adriaansz Leeghwater 2 (a prominent 17th Century land reclamation engineer) - Hendrik Sorgh 2 3 (Dutch painter, 1610-1670)
IH	- (de) taaiheid ('toughness') - this I is a consonant-I, pronounced as Dutch J, English consonant-Y
IEH	- (de) combinatiehaak ('combination square' - carpentry) - ruzie hebben 2 3 ('~to be quarreling') ‑>> - Wie heeft er gewonnen? ('Who won?') ‑>> - driehoeken ('triangles')
IJH	- hij heeft 2 ('he has') - (de) blijheid 2 ('happiness, being cheerful') - (de) vrijheid 2 ('freedom, liberty') - vrijheid blijheid 2 ('freedom brings along, creates happiness') In the name of the village of Wijhe H is pronounced as Consonant Y (Dutch J) also hear EI above
JH	In (de) taaiheid ('toughness') - I is a consonant-I, pronounced as Dutch J, English Consonant-Y In the name of the village of Wijhe H is pronounced as Consonant Y (Dutch J)
KH	- (de) jakhals 2 ('jackall') - (de) boekhandel 2 ('bookstore') - werkhandschoenen ('work gloves') - (de) verstekhaak 2 ('45° marking tool' - carpentry) - (de) sprinkhaan 2 3 ('locust, grasshopper') - "gek hè" 2 ('crazy, isn't it?') - (de) gelijkheid 2 3 ('equality') ‑>> - (de) werkelijkheid 2 ('reality') - (de) kinkhoest 2 ('whooping cough') - (het) kerkhof 2 ('graveyard') - (de) waakhond 2 ('guard dog') - (de) eekhoorn 2 ('squirrel') - (de) boekhouder 2 ('bookkeeper') - (het) pakhuis ('warehouse, storehouse') - plural: pakhuizen 2 - (het) spookhuis 2 3 ('haunted house' - fairground) - Enkhuizen 2 (a town)
LH	- (het) Walhalla 2 3 4 ('heaven, the afterlife' in Germanic mythology) - winkelhaken ('carpenter's squares') - kielhalen 2 ('to keelhaul') - Rem Koolhaas (an architect) - welhaast 2 3 ('almost, well nigh' - old-fashioned) - Wilhelmina (a girls' name) - snelheden 2 3 ('speeds') - hoeveelheden 2 ('amounts') - (de) snelheid 2 ('speed') - (de) veelheid (['muchness'] - 'large amount, large number of') - (de) hoeveelheid ('amount') - (de) hondsdolheid ([dogs' craziness] - 'rabies') - koolhydraten 2 3 ('carbohydrates') - (het) doolhof ('maze, labyrinth') - volhouden 2 ('to persevere, carry on, insist') - (het) vogelhuisje 2 ('birds feeder')
MH	- ademhalen 2 3 4 5 ('to breathe') - (de) ademhaling 2 ('breath, breathing') - diep ademhalen ('to breathe deeply') - stom hè? 2 3 ('stupid, isn't it?') - (de) omhelzing 2 3 ('embrace, hug') - (de) remhendel 2 ('brake lever') - omheen ('~around') - Bloemhof 2 (a town in South Africa) - omhoog 2 3 ('up' - direction) - (de) stamhouder (oldest son of the oldest son etc, 'carrying the family name') - Wormhoudt (a town in France) - omhullen 2 ('to envelop,' cover from all sides)
NH	- 'n half / 'n halve ('a half, half a') - Ten Hag (a family name) - van harte! 2 ([from the heart] - 'sincerely, heartfelt') - aanhalingstekens ('quote marks:' "...") - Den Haag 2 (The Hague - a major city) - (de) beunhaas 2 3 4 ('unlicensed and/or tax-evading construction worker') - Den Helder 2 (a town) - Wat 'n herrie! 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 ('such a lot of noise!') - zin hebben 2 ('to be useful,' - to make sense) - 'n heleboel 2 ('very much, very many, a lot') - 'n heel verhaal 2 3 ('quite a long story') - mijn hemel! ([my -] 'good heavens!') - (de) oneffenheid 2 ('unevenness, irregularity' - a bump in the road or also figuratively, an 'irregularity, a roughness,' a problem) - (de) eenheid 2 ('unit' // 'unity') - (de) schoonheid 2 ('beauty') - (het) onheil 2 3 ('disaster, doom,' bad things) - Van den Heuvel 2 (a family name) - het Binnenhof 2 (['the Inner Court'] - the area of the Dutch parliamentary buildings] - Van Holland 2 (a family name) - (de) wanhoop 2 3 4 5 ('despair') - (de) puinhoop 2 3 (literally, 'a heap of rubble' but usually figuratively 'a mess, a failure') - (de) eenhoorn 2 ('unicorn') - rayonhoofden ('regional chiefs') - Zestienhoven (the Rotterdam airport) - van hout ('wooden,' '[made] of wood') - Aerdenhout 2 (a town) - (de) inhoud ('contents' // 'table of contents') - onhoudbaar 2 3 ('cannot be held' - literally or figuratively) - ver van huis 2 ('far from home') - (het) ziekenhuis 2 ('hospital') - (het) seinhuis ('signals cabin, signals tower') H not pronounced: - Arnhem (a city)
OH	- Goh 2 ('Gee' - mild surprise)
OOH	- Johan (a boys' name) - Johanna 2 (a girls' name) - Johannes 2 (a boys' name, a gospel writer) - Johannesburg (a city in South Africa) - Job Cohen 2 (a politician) - (de) alcohol 2 ('alcohol')
OEH	- doe-het-zelf ('DIY, do-it-yourself') - hoe hou je 't uit? 2 3 4 ('how can you stand it?')
OUH	OU see and hear AU above
PH	PH pronounced as F is rare in modern Dutch: just in a few mostly old names "F" - Philip (a boys' name) - Philips (a family name and an electronics company) - Sint-Philipsland (a former island in the province of Zeeland 2 - Sophie (a girls' name) - Zutphen 2 3 (a town) - Alphen aan de(n) Rijn 2 (a town) - Orpheus 2 (Greek mythological figure) "P-H" - ophangen ('to hang' - items or criminals) - ophalen is literally 'to haul up,' usually 'to raise, lift up, bring up' - but it can also mean something like 'to collect, pick up' - (de) ophaalbrug 2 ('drawbridge') - (de) ophef ('fuss, ado, commotion') - (de) opheffing ('closing down, discontinuing') - (de) schaapherder ('shepherd' - [sheep-herder]) - Opheusden (a town) - Schiphol (Amsterdam airport) - ophouden 2 ('to stop, end, come to an end - (het) koophuis 2 ('house owned by occupants' // house for sale') - (het) rasphuis 2 (16th/17th Century poorhouse or place of punishment where people ground or pulped wood)
RH	- anderhalf 2 ('1½ - one-and-a-half') - (de) kleerhanger ('clothes hanger') - verharden 2 3 ('to become harder' - less soft, less flexible - also figuratively, 'less tolerant') - (het) verhaal 2 ('story') - (het) verhaaltje 2 3 4 ('little story') - verhalen ('stories' // 'to relate, tell') - (het) overhemd ('shirt, dress shirt') - waarheen? 2 ('which way?' - which direction?) - daarheen! 2 3 ('that way!') - ver heen 2 ('far gone') - hierheen! 2 3 ('this way!') - de Mookerhei (area in the East of The Netherlands, 1574 historical battle) - de waarheid ('the truth') - (de) waarheid 2 ('truth') ‑>> - onwaarheden ("untruths," 'lies') - (de) meerderheid 2 ('majority') - (de) minderheid 2 3 ('minority') - minderheden 2 ('minorities') ‑>> - verhit ('heated') - (het) warhoofd 2 ('muddlehead,' confused person) - (het) voorhoofd 2 ('forehead, brow') - (de) verhoging ('elevation' // "temperature," 'light fever') - (de) vingerhoed (['finger-hat'] - 'thimble') - (de) voorhoede 2 3 ('vanguard') ‑>> - (de) achterhoede 2 ('rearguard') - (het) onderhoud 2 ('maintenance' // 'serious conversation') - (het) timmerhout ('wood for carpentry') - (de) verhouding ('relationship') // 'relation, proportion') - (de) verhuur ('renting out') - verhuren 2 ('to rent out') - naar huis 2 ('towards home, homeward') - (het) huurhuis ('rented house') - verhuizen 2 3 (moving to another place or house to live) ‑>>
SH	- (de) bushalte ('bus stop') - (het) washandje ('wash cloth') - (de) grashark ('grass rake') - (de) voorzittershamer ('chairperson's' hammer') - (de) maatjesharing 2 ('young, "virgin" herring' - to eat) - (de) fietshelm ('bicycle helmet') - plural: - fietshelmen 2 - (de) versnellingshendel 2 3 ('gears shift lever') - (de) wijsheid 2 3 ('wisdom') - de mensheid 2 ('mankind, humankind') - (de) machteloosheid 2 3 ('powerlessness, helplessness, impotence') - dit huis hier ('this house here') - wie is hij? 2 ('who is he?') - is hij aan de beurt? 2 3 4 ('is it his turn?') - (het) gerechtshof 2 ('court of justice') - (het) bushokje ('bus stop shelter') - (de) voorhoofdsholte ([brow cavity] - 'sinus') - (de) molshoop 2 3 ('mole [heap] hill') - (de) neushoorn 2 ([nose-horn] - 'rhino, rhinoceros') - [(het)] huishouden 2 3 4 ('household' // 'running a household' // 'to rampage') - (het) kruishout (marking tool - carpentry) - 't is hun geld ('it's their [own] money') - Lucas Hugensz. 2 (painter, 1494-1533 - also known as: Lucas van Leyden ) - buitenshuis 2 ('outdoors' [outside the house]) - het Mauritshuis 2 (art museum in The Hague) - Paushuize 2 (a historical building in the city of Utrecht 2 3)
TH	H after T, H in TH is often not pronounced: - Thailand - (de) catharsis ('catharsis') - Martha (a girls' name) - (de) euthanasie 2 3 4 5 ('euthanasia') - Balthasar 2 (a boys' name) - (de) thermosflessen ('thermos bottles') - thermometers 2 ('thermometers') - (de) thee ('tea') - Thea (girls' name) - theedoeken ('dishtowels') - (de) bibliotheek ('library') - (de) apotheek 2 ('pharmacy') - (de) apotheker 2 3 ('pharmacist') - (de) hypotheek ('mortgage') - de Theems (the river Thames) - (het) thema ('theme') - Theo (a boys' name) - (de) theorie 2 ('theory') - (de) therapie ('therapy') - (de) hypothese ('hypothesis') - synthetisch ('synthetic') - theoloog / theïne ('theologist / theine' = caffeine) - (de) mythe ('mythe') - (het) atheneum 2 (secondary school type) - homeopathisch ('homeopathic') - (het) lithium ('lithium,' an element) - Thijs (a boys' name) - (de) triathlon ('a swimming/running/bicycling contest') - (de) marathon 2 ('a running contest') - (de) methode 2 ('method') - Tholen (a former island in the province of Zeeland 2) - katholiek 2 ('catholic' - Roman) - Thomas (a boys' name) - Posthumus 2 (a family name) - Arthur 2 (a boys' name) - thuis ('at home') ‑>> - Prometheus 2 (Greek mythological figure) - Agaath 2 (a girls' name) - Ageeth 2 (a girls' name) - Elizabeth (a girls' name) - Esther (a girls' name) - Judith 2 (a girls' name) Compare: - thans/tand ('at present/tooth') - thee/teen ('tea/toe') - ether/eter ('ether/eater') But ... Compound Words: next to TH's with silent H Dutch has many compound words connecting between T and H and then H is not silent - listen: - Goethals (a family name) - (de) groothandel 2 ('wholesale') - (de) kunsthars 2 ('synthetic resin' - old word for 'plastic') - witheet 2 ([white-] 'red-hot') - (de) dichtheid ('density') - (de) bevolkingsdichtheid 2 ('population density') - (de) botheid ('rudeness') - (de) grootheid 2 [grandness] - 'greatness, eminence, majesty') - (de) apartheid 2 ('~segregation' - the former racist inequality system in South Africa) - (de) vluchtheuvel ('traffic island' [hill of refuge]) - (het) schoothondje 2 ('lapdog') - onthoofden 2 3 ('to decapitate') - (de) mesthoop 2 3 ('dungheap, dunghill') - Van Beethoven (German composer) - Bilthoven (a town) - (de) eethoek 2 ('dining area') - rechthoekig 2 / rechthoekige 2 ('rectangular') - 't uithouden 2 3) ('to endure, bear,' "stand") ‑>> - onthouden 2 3 ('to remember' // 'to withhold, not give' // 'to abstain from, stay away from something') ‑>> - (de) geheelonthouder 2 ('teetotaler') - onthoudingsverschijselen 2 ('withdrawal symptoms') - vasthouden 2 ('holding on to something, to grip firmly') ‑>> - (de) granaathuls 2 ('grenade casing' - ordinance) - (het) buurthuis 2 3 4 ('~community center' ['neighborhood house']) A simple rule is that H in TH as the first or last letters of a word will be silent, but that of course does not cover all cases.
UH	- U hebt ('you have' - polite 'you') - U heeft 2 3 ('you have' - polite 'you') (U hebt  is not wrong, but I prefer U heeft)
WH	- (de) klauwhamer ('clawhammer') - (het) bouwhout ('construction wood' - a word I made up) - (de) ruwheid ('roughness')
XH	- MaxHavelaar (famous 1860 novel by Multatuli 2 (Latin: 'I have carried, suffered much') - the pen name of Eduard Douwes Dekker 2 ‑>>

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'