The articulatory variability of the Standard German (voiceless) dorsal fricative /x/ - surfacing as [c ], [x] or [? ] depending on the position within the syllable and the vowel context (cf. [2, 3]) - is analysed by using electropalatographic and electromagnetic articulographic as well as averaged spectral data. The results are compared to those for the coronal fricatives and the velar plosive in German.