The X in Dutch - Hear it in a Hundred Words

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Dutch X - Skip General Series Introduction

Pronunciation: Hear for Yourself

Do take my words for it
Too many examples! Listen just to what looks interesting or useful to you. That's the beauty of a free website - you can just skip what you don't need without feeling bad that you paid for something that's of no use to you. Listen to as many or as few examples as you want. Look for words that may be useful to you. - Can there be too many examples for you students to listen to?
Pay special attention to letters, letter combinations and sounds that you don't have in your own language
These pronunciation pages are not meant for learning vocabulary. The English translations may lack in precision. But if you like, follow the occasional links ‑>> to explanation, examples of usage and/or related words.
Learning Vocabulary

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

Dutch spelling/pronunciation rules say that:

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

So (de) man

2 ('man, human adult male) has the plural mannen (man-nen)

2 while (de) maan

2 ('moon') has the plural 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

(de) X

2 3
Dutch X is always like X in AXE - hear Dutch: ex

('ex-wife or ex-husband') - Dutch KS represents the same sound - hear Dutch: (de) heks

('witch' - the word is related to English 'hex' - evil spell) - (de) ekster

('magpie' - a bird)
- straks

2 ('later, in a moment') - haaks

('perpendicular,' at a 90° angle) - jaarlijks - (uh!)

2 ('yearly') - (de) bliksem

('lightning') - Hoeks

2 (a family name) - Luiks

(a family name)
In algebra, X is said as the Dutch 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