How to Say st and sp
Say sht and shp when a word or word part begins with st or sp: Stad sounds like "shtaat", and Spill like "shpill". At the end of a word, say s + t: Post, Fest.
How It Works
At the start: sht and shp. Stad (city), Stull (chair), Strooss (street), Spill (game), spillen (to play), Sprooch (language).
At the start of a word part. Prefixes and compound words keep the sh sound: verstoen (to understand), Haaptstad (capital city).
In the middle or at the end: s + t or s + p. Post (post office), Fest (party), Test, Schwëster (sister), Fënster (window).
Hearing sh in the middle? Then the spelling shows it with sch: Duuscht (thirst), gëschter (yesterday), Kiischt (cherry). So you never have to guess: st inside a word part is s + t, and scht is sh + t.
The same letters at the start are never written with sch: write Stad, not Schtad.
Examples (6)
- D'Stad ass schéin.
The city is beautiful.
Stad starts with st, so say sht.
- Mir spillen e Spill.
We're playing a game.
spillen and Spill both start with shp.
- Ech verstinn dech net.
I don't understand you.
The st after ver- starts a word part, so it sounds sht.
- D'Post ass nach zou.
The post office is still closed.
st at the end of Post sounds as written.
- Meng Schwëster wunnt zu Esch.
My sister lives in Esch.
In the middle of Schwëster, st sounds as written.
- Ech hunn Duuscht.
I'm thirsty.
Word by Word: I have thirst.
The sh sound at the end of Duuscht is written sch.
Common Mistakes
Spelling the sound at the start with sch.
D'Schtad ass schéin.D'Stad ass schéin.At the start of a word the sh sound in st and sp is written st and sp.
Writing st in the middle of a word where you hear sh.
Gëster war et kal.Gëschter war et kal.In the middle of a word, the sh sound is written sch. Yesterday is gëschter.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Before How to Say ST and SP, learn The Luxembourgish Alphabet.
Related Patterns
- Two Sounds of chTwo CH Sounds
Another sound where the letter before it changes the sound.
Level 1 - Long and Short Vowels
Words like Strooss and Duuscht also show doubled long vowels.
Level 1 - Separable Verbs
Separable verbs such as opstoen (to get up) also have st at the start of a word part.
Level 2 - One Official Spelling
These spellings follow the official rules.
Level 1
Practice How to Say st and sp in Bubblegum
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