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

Dutch X - Skip General Series 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
• 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

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.

X in Dutch

ex

(de) heks

- (de) ekster

- straks 2 ('later,

- haaks ('perpendicular,'

- jaarlijks - (uh!) 2 ('yearly')

- (de) bliksem ('lightning')

- Hoeks 2 (a family name)

- Luiks (a family name)

letter: "iks"

x + y = z (x plus y is z) 2 3 ‑>> - smartphone

The 'first series' is grouped by the letter before the X's, the 'second series' is grouped by the letter after the X's:
- first series: 0X-UX - second series: X0-XY

0X	- (de) xenofobie ('xenophobia') - (het) xenon 2 3 ('xenon' - a noble gas) - (de) xylofoon ('xylophone') - Xantippe ('Mrs Socrates')
AX	- maximaal 2 ('maximum' // 'at most') - (het) maximum 2 ('maximum') - (de) taxi 2 3 ('taxi, cab') - (de) saxofoon ('saxophone') - Ajax 2 3 (top soccer club from Amsterdam // Greek mythological character) - Max (a boys' name)
AUX	- (het) bauxiet 2 3 ('bauxite,' aluminum ore)
EX	- (de) ex ('ex') - (de) reflex 2 ('reflex') - (het) triplex 2 ('laminated board,' 3 layers) - (het) multiplex 2 ('laminated board,' >5 layers) ‑>> - (het) bioscopencomplex 2 ('multiplex,' housing several cinemas) - (het) examen 2 3 ('test, exam') - (het) eindexamen ('final exam' - at the end of secondary school) - (het) rijexamen 2 ('driving test') - hexagonaal ('hexagonal') - excentriek 2 3 ('eccentric') - (het) excuus ('apology' // 'excuse') - excuses ('apologies' // 'excuses') - (het) exemplaar 2 3 4 ('specimen, ~copy') ‑>> - exemplaren 2 ('specimens,' '~copies') - flexibel 2 / flexibele 2 ('flexible') - (het) experiment ('experiment') - (de) expert (French ert)  ('expert') - (de) explosie ('explosion') - expres 2 3 ('on purpose, deliberately' // 'express') - (de) sextant ('sextant' - sea navigation tool) - extra 2 ('extra') - (het) extract 2 ('extract, essence') - Alex (a boys' name) - Alexander (a boys' name) - Lex ('boys' name') - Rex (a boys' name) - Exel 2 (a hamlet)
IX	- (de) mix ('mix, mixture') - Felix (a boys' name) - Trix (a girls' name) - Jan Baptist Weenix 2 (Dutch painter, ~1640-1719)
NX	- Waddinxveen (a town)
OX	- (de) basbox 2 ('woofer,' low sounds loudspeaker) - (het) oxide ('oxide') - (het) kooldioxide ('carbondioxide,' CO2)
UX	- (de) luxaflex 2 ('French blinds') - [(de)] luxe 2 ('luxury, luxurious')

X0	- (de) ex ('ex') - (de) reflex 2 ('reflex') - (het) triplex 2 ('laminated board,' 3 layers) - (het) multiplex 2 ('laminated board,' >5 layers) ‑>> - (het) bioscopencomplex 2 ('multiplex,' housing several cinemas) - (de) mix ('mix, mixture') - (de) basbox 2 ('woofer,' low sounds loudspeaker) - Ajax 2 3 (top soccer club from Amsterdam // Greek mythological character) - Max (a boys' name) - Alex (a boys' name) - Lex ('boys' name') - Rex (a boys' name) - Felix (a boys' name) - Trix (a girls' name) - Jan Baptist Weenix 2 (Dutch painter, ~1640-1719)
XA	- (het) examen 2 3 ('test, exam') - (het) eindexamen ('final exam' - at the end of secondary school) - (het) rijexamen 2 ('driving test') - hexagonaal ('hexagonal') - (de) luxaflex 2 ('French blinds') - [(de)] luxe 2 ('luxury, luxurious') - Xantippe ('Mrs Socrates') - Alexander (a boys' name)
XC	- (het) excuus ('apology' // 'excuse') - excuses ('apologies' // 'excuses')
XE	- (de) xenofobie ('xenophobia') - (het) xenon ('xenon' - a noble gas) - [(de)] luxe 2 ('luxury, luxurious') - Exel 2 (a hamlet) - (het) exemplaar 2 3 4 ('specimen, ~copy') ‑>> - exemplaren 2 ('specimens,' '~copies')
XI	- (het) oxide ('oxide') - (het) kooldioxide ('carbondioxide,' CO2) - maximaal 2 ('maximum' // 'at most') - (het) maximum 2 ('maximum') - (de) taxi 2 3 ('taxi, cab') - (het) bauxiet 2 3 ('bauxite,' aluminum ore) - flexibel 2 flexibele 2 ('flexible')
XO	- (de) saxofoon ('saxophone')
XP	- (de) expert (French ert)  ('expert') - (het) experiment ('experiment') - (de) explosie ('explosion') - expres 2 3 ('on purpose, deliberately' // 'express')
XT	- (de) sextant ('sextant' - sea navigation tool) - extra 2 ('extra') - (het) extract 2 ('extract, essence')
XV	- Waddinxveen (a town)
XY	- (de) xylofoon ('xylophone')

The X in the name of the island of Texel  is pronounced as S: - "Tessel" 2
The X in the word from French - bigarreaux 2 ('candied cherries') is not pronounced

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'