Standard Lemma guide

vlei

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • General-South-African: /fleɪ/
  • General-South-African: /fliː/
  • UK: /fleɪ/
  • UK: /vleɪ/
  • UK: /vlaɪ/
  • US: /vleɪ/
  • US: /fleɪ/
  • US:

1

noun

Meaning 1

A shallow wetland or minor lake, generally a seasonal one, or the lowland where such a wetland appears seasonally.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Southern-Africa

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From Afrikaans vlei, from Dutch vallei (“valley”). Doublet of valley and vly.

Across languages

Translations

1 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Afrikaans: vlei — shallow wetland or minor lake, especially a seasonal one