The name dachshund is of German origin and literally means 'badger dog,' from Dachs ('European badger') and Hund ('hound, dog'). The pronunciation varies in English: variations of the first and second syllables include /ˈdɑːks-/, /ˈdæks-/ and /-hʊnt/, /-hʊnd/, /-ənd/. It may be mispronounced as /ˈdæʃ-/hound by some English speakers. Although 'dachshund' is a German word, in modern German they are more commonly known by the short name Dackel or Teckel. The German word is pronounced .