Pronunciation

This local copy which is for quick reference only doesn't contain sound files. If you want listen pronouncuiation of all listed words you should access original page at http://www.blue.demon.nl/dutch/pronouns.htm

In this text and following lessons we'll use /Word/ to give an example of an English word which contains one more (capitalized) letters which have an approximate pronunciation as the Dutch letters, syllable or word. We'll use (and already have) {word} to denote the English translation of a Dutch word.
The consonants are:

B as in "bad" /Bath/ (B at end of words sounds like "P")
D as in "dom" /Doll/ (D at end of words sounds like "T")
F as in "fijn" /Fix/ and "laf" /lauGH/
G as in "god" (sounds somewhat like the "ch" in /loCH ness/, very throaty,

G as in "garage" /SHow/ only used in words originating from the French.
H as in "help" /Help/
J as in "jas" /Yes/ (not like J in /Jet/, that's more a DJ sound)
J as in "journaal" /CHopin/
K as in "kat" /Cat/ and "ik" /liCK/
L as in "los" /Lot/ and "tol" /toLL/
M as in "mijn" /Mine/ and "dom' /suM/
N as in "niks" /Nothing/ and "tin" /tiN/
P as in "pas" /Pen/ and "sop" /cuP/
Q as in "quiz" /Quiz/
R as in "rot" /Run/ and "kar" /faR/ (don't roll it)
S as in "sop" /Sob/ and "los" /boSS/
T as in "tin" /Tin/ and "rot" /weT/
V the same as "F", "V" can't be at the end of a word or syllable.
W as in "wat" /Where/ and "ruw" /hoW/
X as in "sex" /seX/
Z as in "zak" /Zoo/ and "quiz" /quiZ/

The vowels differ more from the English, and they are so many ways to pronounce them!!
Pffff. To make it more difficult is that the sound of a vowel depends (just like in English) on the surrounding consonants and other vowels. Two or three adjacent vowels can also form diphthongs, i.e. they makes one sound together.
The vowels are:

A as in "kat", sounds something like /cUt/
E as in "ben" /zEn/
E as in "gokken", this is another sound for the single E, it sound like the mute "e" in English, like in {givEn}, it is used mostly when the syllable with the "e" doesn't have the emphasis (stress handled in further lesson)
I as in "ik" /dIck/
O as in "dom" /sOld/
U as in "put" (sounds a bit like /wOrd} or {bIrd}, say the "i" sound and round your lips to a small circle)
IJ as in "hij", sounds not entirely not like /whY/

The diphthongs are:

AA as in "daar" (a bit like /jA/ or /fAther/, but not really)
AAI as in "saai", a bit like the "ij" sound, only longer
AU as in "rauw" (same sound as OU)
CH as in "lach" (same sound as "G")
CH as in "douchen" /SHow/ (pronounced like "sj"), from the French, always pronounced like this before the "OU" difhthong
EAU as in "bureau" /gO/ (pronounced like an "oo"), it's a French word, in previous spelling also written with "o" instead of "eau"
EE as in " reet" /rAte/, sounds different before an "R", more like a long "i", like as in "meer" /gEAr/
EI as in "zeik" /dIke/, sounds like the "ij"
EEU as in "eeuw", almost like the long "ee" sound. It's always followed by a "w"
EU as in "neus" (a sound not known in English, just listen), sounds different before an "R", more like a long mute "E", like in "deur".
IE as in "lief" /sEE/
NG as in "zingen" and "lang" /loNG/
OE as in "boek" /lOOk/
OI as in "hoi" /bOY/, not many words with this sounds though.
OO as in "hoop" /hOpe/, sounds different before an "R", more like a long "o", like as in "door" /dOOr/
OOI as in "mooi", a long OI
OU as in "goud" /lOUd/
OU as in "douchen" /lOOse/ (pronounced like an "oe"), from the French, always prononced like this before "CH", and in some other French words
SCH as in "schip", the "s" followed by the "CH" sound, but when an "r" follows "sch", as in "schreeuwen".

SJ as in "sjaal" /SHow/
TS as in "tsaar" /TSar/
UI as in "huis" (a sound not present in English, a bit like saying the mute "e" followed by the "UU" sound, but very smooth)
UU as in "muur" (a sound not present in English, sounds like the French 'lune', try to say the "ie" /sEE/ sound, and round your lips)

The short vowels "a", "e", "o" and "u" are pronounced as the long vowels "aa", "ee", "oo" rsp. "uu" when they are in a so-called 'open' syllable. An open syllable ends with a single consonant and is followed by another vowel.
So examples are: "tAken", "gOdin", "gEven", "Uren".
NOT open syllables are: "lAchen", "wErken", "hEbben", "hEb".
But the "e" is pronounced as a mute "e" when the emphasis (stress) is not on the syllable (more about this in another lesson).
-
The "a", "o" and "u" are also pronounced long when the are at the end of a word (or used as a single letter, but then the word would consist of this single letter, and would therefore end with the letter, so what am I getting on about?), like in "ja", "zo" and "nu".
-
Finally the letters of the alphabet as promounced:
-
A B CD E FG H IJ K LM N OP Q RS T UV W XIJ Y Z

Back to main