A - “a-va-gaa” B - “b-bee” C - “c-va-gee” D - “d-va-gee” E - “e-va-gee” F - “ev-a-gef” G - “g-va-gee” H - “h-va-gach” I - “i-va-gi” J - “j-va-gay” K - “k-va-gay” L - “ev-a-gel” M - “ev-a-gem” N - “ev-a-gen” O - “o-va-go” P - “p-va-ee” Q - “q-va-gu” R - “r-va-ga” S - “ev-a-gess” T - “t-iv-a-gee” U - “u-va-gu” V - “viv-a-gee” W - “duvagub-buvagle-u-va-gu” X - “ev-a-gex” Y - “y-va-guy” Z - “ziv-a-gee” You may notice that almost every letter of the Double Dutch alphabet begins with the applicable English letter, i. e. “v” in Double Dutch is “viv-a-gee”. Several letters also end with the English letter they represent, i. e. “s” in Double Dutch is “ev-a-gess” and “n” in Double Dutch is “ev-a-gen”. The English letters are used as a jumping off point for the Double Dutch letters, where the English letters are obscured just enough to sound like gibberish. The more you practice speaking the Double Dutch alphabet, the less like gibberish it will sound to you. Keep in mind you can always use English as a reference point for Double Dutch.
For example, if you translate a name like “Mary” into Double Dutch, you will need to separate the word into its syllables: “Mar-y”. Then, you will break up the syllables into two: “Ma-r-y”. You will then place “vag” between each separate syllable and repeat the letter before the “vag” and the letter after the “vag”. So “Ma-r-y” becomes “Ma-va-gar-r-va-ga-ry” in Double Dutch. It may take practice and patience to remember to split the syllables and place “vag” in the correct places. It may help to write down the words in Double Dutch first and then practice pronouncing them out loud.
For example, if you are translating the familiar English phrase, “Mary had a little lamb”, you will need to translate “Mary” (Ma-va-gar-r-va-ga-ry), “had” (ha-va-gad), “a” (a-va-ga), “little” (li-va-g-t-va-gle), “lamb” (la-va-game). The complete phrase in Double Dutch would be: “Ma-va-gar-r-va-ga-ry ha-va-gad a-va-ga li-va-gi-t-va-gle la-va-gamb”. You can also practice translating other conversational phrases like “hello, how are you?” In Double Dutch, this would be: “he-va-gel-llo-vago, h-va-ghow a-va-gare y-va-gyou?” A response like “fine, thank you” would be “fi-va-gi-ne, th-va-gh-ank y-va-gyou” in Double Dutch.
You may use a passage from Virginia Woolf’s novel To the Lighthouse as an example: “They do not feel a thing there, Cam thought, looking at the shore, which, rising and falling, became steadily more distant and more peaceful. Her hand cut a trail in the sea, as her mind made the green swirls and streaks into patterns and, numbed and shrouded, wandered in imagination. . . ”[4] X Research source
Translated into Double Dutch, the passage from Woolf’s To the Lighthouse would be: “Thvaghey dvago nvagnot fvagfeel avaga thavaghing thavaghere, Cavagam thvaghouvaguvaguht, lovagookvagkvagking avagat tvagthe shvaghore, whvaghich, rivagisvagsing avagand favagallvagling, bevagecame stvagteavagavagadivagily mvagore divagisvagstant avagnd movagre peavagavagcevageful. Hvagher hvaghand cvagcut avaga trvagril ivagn tvagthe sevagea, avagas hvagher mvagmind mvagmade tvagthe grvagreen swvagwvagwrivagils avagand strvagrevageaks invagnto pavagattvagterns avagand, nuvagumvagmbed avagand shvaghrouvaguded, wavaganvagndervagred ivagin ivagimavagagvagainvagnatvagtion. ”
This could a simple back and forth conversation like: “Hevagelllovago, hvaghow avagare yvagyou?” “Fivagine, thvaghank yvagyou. Hvaghow avagare yvagyou?” “Ivagi gvagood, thvaghanks. ” “Sevagee yvagyou lavagater. ” “Bvagbye!”
