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DUTCH PRONUNCIATION AND SPELLING(De) uitspraak ('pronunciation')
To The Words and Letters (below)
This is a reference page for looking up the pronunciation of Dutch words and names, or just to hear the simple beauty of Dutch. For learning the sounds and spelling of Dutch go to: Pronunciation Overview. Hear the Dutchman say his alphabet: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z - KLM
The words in bold are more common
('Basic Dutch.')
Introduction: Dutch 'Long' and 'Short' VowelsHear: la - laat - lat - laten - lattenha - haak - hak - haken - hakken Dutch vowels can be 'long' or 'short.' It's a traditional name - the difference is actually more a matter of tone than of length. Double vowels are always long: maan - slaap - but single vowels can be long or short: hel - hele Diphthongs are always long. Usually, a single vowel is short when followed by more than one consonant, or by a single consonant that's the end of a word: man - mannen - hart - harten - slap - slappe - slapte A single vowel is usually long when followed by one consonant and another vowel; a single vowel at the end of a word (except E) is also long: manen - ma - slapen - sla But 'voiceless E' is a problematic exception to this rule (see under E - below.) Double consonants are pronounced just like a single consonant; they're double just to show that a single vowel before them is short. At regular speaking speed, the single and double N's in manen and mannen sound exactly alike. grote / grootte / grotten - als / alles - lade / ik laadde - Babel / babbel Compound words: in combinations of words, vowels usually keep their original pronunciation: slablaadje (sla-blaadje) When consonants double up it sounds like a single consonant: griepprik A single consonant usually goes to the second syllable: bloem 2 / bloemist (bloe-mist) ->> Knowing Dutch vocabulary will help you recognize the parts of compound words. It's of course not possible to list all foreign words used in Dutch that don't follow our spelling rules. |
First Spelling Words at School - Traditional
aap noot Mies Wim zus Jet
2
|
A-short | the tone of A in English STAR but shorter - hear Dutch:
star
af - al - acht - akker - hart - man 2 - pak - slap - strak 2 - tak - van 2 - vlam - wat - want 2 - zak - Mars - stal 2 - harnas - asbak - gasvlam - afwas - grashark - grapjas 2 - van de hand in de tand leven - bepakt en bezakt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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A-long | like A in CHICAGO -
hear:
Robert Johnson -
Paul Butterfield -
Barry Goldberg
- hear Dutch:
ka
2
-
Kaag
aan - ja - na - maan 2 - naar - paar 2 - zaag 2 - laag - lager - graan 2 3 - slaap 2 - staan - water 2 - maart - Maas - ma - vaan - vaarwater - aardstraal 2 - raar maar waar 2 - water naar de zee dragen 2 - een aardje naar z'n vaartje 2 - maart roert z'n staart 2 exception: 'aa' in sinaasappel is often said as short A: "sinAsappel" - originally it was something like 'China-apple,' but over the centuries the long A wore down. sinaasappels - sinaasappelschillen - sinaasappelpers - een glas sinaasappelsap | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Compare | Compare short and long A: al as man vak / aal aas maan vaak - lat tal pad / laat la taal paden - as 2 / aas - wal / Waal - nar / naar - padden / paden | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
unexpected short A |
Rather often, you'll find a short A at the beginning of a word
where it should be long according
to the general spelling rules
(followed by one consonant and another vowel.) In these cases,
the stress of the word is usually on the other vowel:
fabriek * 2 - familie - kanon - katoen - kwaliteit 2 - manier - papier 2 - paraplu - azijn - Arabier - fazant - lawaai 2 - kabaal 2 - kanaal - kapot - tapijt - april kapel - compare with 'regular:' kabel - adem - kamer - avond - averij - alimentatie |
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English A's | baby - tank - manager (English G) - tram - flat - flatje - flats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ae |
In a few words of Latin origin AE is said as Dutch long E,
English A as in FACE:
praeses
/ quaestor
- laesie
2
but in old Dutch names AE is said as long A: Kersemaeker / (see also Old Spelling in Names below) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
aai, ai |
after A and AA, I is pronounced as consonant Y:
maïs - Thai - Thais - Thailand - pais en vree (to me, Dutch AI sounds very similar to English 'I') saai - taai - kraai 2 - haai - vlaai - fraai fraaie fraaier fraais - lichterlaaie |
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French aie | As in the original French: portemonnaie | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French ail | As in the original French: detail - failliet 2 - medaille 2 - braille - taille 2 - wespentaille | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French air | As in the original French: militair - ordinair 2 - vulgair 2 - populair 2 - documentaire | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ao | A and O cannot be connected. There is a short vocal stop between them: aorta - chaotisch - Laos | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
AU (=OU) |
like OU in LOUD, OW in NOW - hear Dutch:
nauw
blauw - au! - dauw - gauw - rauw - grauw - klauw 2 - pauw - flauw - paus - nauwelijks 2 - nauwkeurig - wenkbrauw - pauken - augustus - Aukje - Paulus - Kenau - Maurits 2 - blauwe houweel |
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French au |
Like Dutch long O:
auto
- automatisch
- restaurant
2
- aubergine
2
Some people say words like these with a Dutch AU: auto but to me that doesn't sound nice (some of my relatives say automaat and autochtoon but I don't like it) - the already ugly automatiek 2 is acceptable |
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B |
bel
- been
2
- berg
- bus
- boos
- bloed
- bord
- brood
- bas
- baars
2
- baan
- boon
- laboratorium
- Babel
- babbel
- dobbelen
- dubbel
- bibberen
- ambitie
- bolleboos
2
- bullebak
- bubbelbad
- binnenstebuiten
2
-
blauwe boon
2
- bar en boos
2
3
- bont en blauw
-
zonder
blikken of blozen
2
- geen boe of bah
2
-
buiten
z'n boekje
2
- baas
boven baas
MBT: B is dropped between M and T: ambtenaar - beambte - ambt - ambtelijk 2 |
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end-of-word B | end-of-word B is pronounced as P -
also in parts of compound words
Compare: lab / lap - eb 2 / step 2 - Job / Bob / stop 2 - hebben / ik heb - hebzucht - ebstroom - labjas / lapjes B before T is also pronounced as P: jij hebt / jij mept / jij hapt |
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Compare | Compare B and P: jij klopt - baard paard brak prak 2 - slab slap slabben slappe - lip lippen rib ribben - dubbel doppen 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
C | C is pronounced either as K or as S,
like in similar English words.
- K: before A, O, U and consonants: - bioscoop - camera - commissie - compleet - concurrentie - contact - contract - correct - democratie - respect - seconde 2 - structuur - conflict - acteur 2 - code - collega - combinatie 2 - cultuur - S: before E, I, IJ and Y: cijfer - cirkel - precies - proces - centrum - centraal - recept 2 - cyanide - narcissen - cel 2 - citroenen - fascinerend - centimeter - decimeter - decibel K/S: gecompliceerd - concert - actrice - concept concert cycloon cyclus Notice the pronunciation change in these Latin-like plurals: politicus / politici 2 - criticus / critici 2 Some rebellious Dutchmen write K's or S's instead of C's: aksent sukses ('succes' - French U) |
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CH (=G) | "A sound like you clear your throat."
There is no sound like it in English,
but it is like J in
European Spanish, and a similar sound is found in Hebrew.
chaos - cholera - chroom - chrysanten - echo - lach - toch 2 - nacht - dicht - lucht - rechts - rechter - lichaam - echt 2 - tocht 2 - ochtend - huichelaar - huichelachtig - lichtgewicht 2 - tachtig - "achtentachtig prachtige grachten" 2 ('88 wonderful canals') A single vowel followed by CH is always short. Dutch CH and G do not sound exactly the same, but the difference is very small and foreign students shouldn't worry about it. lachen 2 - vlaggen 2 Regional variation in G and CH pronunciation (See also under G.) |
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CH in -ISCH ending |
CH in the -ISCH ending is not pronounced (and
the I is a long Dutch I, pronounced as EE): as English EES: logisch - chronisch - main examples under -ISCH |
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CH in SCHR |
CH in SCHR is not pronounced: schraal 2 - schreien - schrijver - main examples under SCHR- |
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French CH |
Several words from French have kept the French CH (like English SH): charme - charmant - cheque - chirurg - chocola - machine 2 - manchet - manchetknopen - broche - douche (also French OU) |
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Christus |
Most Dutchmen say a K for the CH in
Christus
and related names and words: christelijk - Christien - Chris But there is a small group of orthodox protestants who say these words and names with Dutch CH: christelijk |
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D | de 2 - dat ->> - door - dom - dus - donder - bedden - gedrag - woorden - kelder 2 - handel 2 - Daan - dan - adder - dubbeldekker 2 - doordouwer - middagdutje 2 - dadendrang 2 - door dik en dun - voor dag en dauw - dubbel en dwars 2 - dertien in een dozijn 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
end-of-word D | D at the end of a word is pronounced as T:
draad
- paard
2
- naald
- dood
- strand
- zand
2
compare: bad / gat - bed 2 / pet - lood 2 / boot 2 - luid / luit 2 - vod / slot Final D is pronounced as D when a word gets an ending with a vowel, like -e, -el, -er, -en, -ig or the -in and -ing endings: oud oude - daad / daden - tijd / tijden ->> - goud / gouden - brand / branden - tand / tanden / tandarts 2 - geld / geldig 2 - mond / mondig - ik leid / leiding - wond / verwonding - eind 2 / einde 2 / oneindig - ik bid, wij bidden - vriend / vrienden / vriendin - pet bed petten bedden - lid wit midden witte - dadel datum kader kater noord / het noorden 2 - oost / het oosten 2 - zuid / het zuiden 2 - west / het westen 2 3 - oost west, thuis best 2 Irregular plurals: - stad / steden - smid / smeden - kind / kinderen But final D's keep the T-pronunciation in compound words: - kindje 2 - hondje - brandhaard - tandsteen ->> - bladzijde - goedkeuring - goedkoop 2 3 - handschoenen 2 - landbouw - badhuis - windhandel exception: aardappel - aardappels - aardappelpuree - it should sound like aarT-appel, but in pronouncing there is an (irregular) syllable split shift to aar-dappel; this does not happen in similar words like aardolie or aardas Do note that geweld ends in a T-sound, but in words like gewelddadig that T-sound is dropped in favor of the second D, or you could say that double D always has the D-sound monddood ouwe dooie rooie goeie ik hou There is a tendency to soften certain D's, but students shouldn't worry about it. (You'll hear it from Dutchmen, but it's perfectly all right to voice the full D's.) - oude ouwe - rode rooie - dode dooie 2 - goede goeie 2 - ik houd / ik hou >> |
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DT | At normal speaking speed, mid-word DT is
pronounced
as T. Only in deliberately slow speech are the
letters pronounced separately:
breedte
- handtekening
- handtasje
2
- windtunnel
2
- windtunnel
badtas wind-tunnel bad-tas
DT at the end of a word is always said as T. Compare: hij wordt 2 - ik word ('wordt' and 'word' sound exactly the same) - overdaad schaadt 2 |
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E-short | like E in TEST - hear Dutch: test or like A in HAT or FAT - hear Dutch: het 2 3 ->> - vet - en 2 - er - men - net - ver - zet - spel - stem - ster - step 2 - lef - bes - cel 2 - merk - vest - Let 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
E-long | like A in MALE, TAKE and CASE - hear Dutch:
meel
- teek
- Kees
2
nee - keel - veel 2 3 - zeep - - meer 2 - weer 2 - geen - geest - greep - vreemd - steek - steen 2 - neer - peet - neef - mees - weer of geen weer 2 - het leed is geleden 2 - deze en gene exception: the indefinite article: een ('a') is pronounced with voiceless E. It's also written as " 'n " which shows the pronunciation correctly. The number 1 is usually written with accents: één 2 ('one, 1') | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Compare | Compare short and long E: ten / teen - ter / teer - ver / veer - ven / veen - Gert / Geert | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
E-voiceless | UH, like A in ALIVE or AGO
('voiceless E' is also called 'unstressed E' or 'schwa')
de - te - me - je - ge - we - ze - 'n - 't - m'n - z'n - 'r - d'r The one-syllable words above are unique in having the stress (klemtoon 2) of the word on a voiceless E, and there are no words of two or more syllables that have voiceless E as their only vowels. The single E's may be the biggest problem in Dutch pronunciation. Hear all three E's in each of these words:
There are a few simple rules for voiceless E, but they do not cover every possibility. One thing you could say is that the stress of a word is rarely on the voiceless E - hear: regering - rekening - try to memorize the sound patterns as you learn the words.
Single E after a consonant at the end of a word is almost always
pronounced as voiceless E:
BE-, GE-, TE- and VER- prefixes
(word beginnings:
be-, ge-, te- and ver-
)
have voiceless E:
-EN, -ER and -EL suffixes
(word endings
-en, -er and -el
)
have voiceless E:
But unfortunately,
be, ge, te, ver, en, er or el
are not always prefixes or suffixes.
As mentioned
above, there is only a small group of one-syllable words
with voiceless E, but there are many one-syllable words (and names)
beginning with
be-, ge-, ter- or ver- or ending in -en, -er or
-el that have
'short E,' for example:
Words of 3 or more syllables may contain both a voiceless-E prefix
and a suffix, or two voiceless-E prefixes or
suffixes:
The -ES ending (indicating female) has short E:
leraar
/ lerares
- leraren
/ leraressen
- onderwijzer
/ onderwijzeres
- priester
/ priesteres
|
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é | as in French, Dutch long E: hé - één - café 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
è | as in French, Dutch short E: hè - appèl - première - carrière - kassière - misère 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ea |
a faint consonant-Y sound (Dutch J) is inserted to connect E and A:
reactie - creatie - reageerbuis - kreatief realiteit - Bea exception: It's only a small difference, but a few not uncommon words pronounce the E before a long A as Dutch long I, English EE: ideaal 2 - idealen - idealist - lineaal - linealen |
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French eau |
French eau is just like Dutch long O: bureau - bureaustoel - politiebureau 2 - cadeau (also written as 'kado') - eau de Cologne |
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eeuw | eeuw - leeuw - meeuw - sneeuw - 't sneeuwt - geeuw - Zeeuws 2 (The sound is actually Dutch long E + Dutch UW) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EI (=IJ) | "between FATE and FIGHT"
- hear Dutch: feit
There is no sound like Dutch EI/IJ in English,
but it's very similar to French EI, like in
soleil
2
('sun')
or
Marseille
- ei - geit 2 - reis 2 - klein 2 3 - trein - meisje - leider - scheiding - neiging - eigenaar - eigendom - 2 - bereidheid 2 - eis - sein - gein - teil - teiltje - zeil - veil - zeis - Hein - 'n heitje voor 'n karweitje 2 Compare EI with Dutch EE and AI: mees meis maïs - 2 Compare EI with Dutch AAI: hei haai hij - mei maai mij - mei EI and IJ sound exactly the same: ei hei steil - IJ hij stijl Dutch EI is different from German EI. Hear German (with Dutch accent): Reinheitsgesetz - Daß war einmal - to me, German EI sounds like English 'I' |
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eia-, eie-, eii- |
A faint consonant-Y sound (Dutch J) is inserted to connect
EI to a following A, E or I:
eieren - beiaard 2 - heiig (heiïg) - van een leien dakje |
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eo | a faint consonant-Y sound (Dutch J) is inserted to connect E and O: Theo - aureool - theocratie - geoloog | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
EU |
There is no sound like Dutch EU in English, but French has a sound
like it in words like
deux
('2') and German has a sound
like Dutch EU in some words with Ö or OE like
Gödel
or
schön
2
3, and you may
have heard of the Swedish city of
Göteborg
It has also been suggested that Dutch EU is somewhat like ER in English HER
- hear Dutch:
'heur'
- deur 2 - geur - neus - leuk 2 - beurt - breuk 2 - kleur 2 - steun - scheur - keuze - leuze - reus - beurs - geus - heus - feut - jeuk - leugen - Teun 2 - Teunis - deuntje - dreun - beuk - sleuf - kleun - preuts - deugd 2 3 - beul - geul - sneu 2 3 - spreuk - heuvel - veulen - reuzel - zeulen - deuk 2 - peul 2 - kreunen - kreupel 2 - zeurpiet - meubels - kleuter - peuter 2 - dreumes - treurnis - geuren en kleuren - tegen heug en meug exception: -EUM ending: words from Latin, E and U pronounced separately: museum - petroleum (the everyday cheap fuel) / petroleum (engineers' crude oil) - Atheneum |
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Greek eu | as Dutch UI: Zeus Odysseus Theseus - therapeut pseudodemocratie - eufemisme 2 - euthanasie 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French euille | As in the original French: portefeuille | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
F | - fiets 2 - fles - fout - fruit - hoofd - zelfs - staaf - straf - brief 2 - stof 2 - vijf - verf - twijfel - herfst - olifant - telefoon 2 - fat dof doffe - laf laffe 2 - effen 2 - ofschoon - liflafjes 2 - frank en vrij | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
G (=CH) |
"A sound like you clear your throat."
There is no sound like it in English, but it is like J in European
Spanish and it is found in Hebrew and Arabic. ga - gal 2 - ge - eg - geel 2 3 - god - glad - grijs 2 - graag 2 - boog - genoeg - dag 2 - dagen 2 - weg - wegen - brug - bruggen - erg - begin - gaas - gas - heg - trog 2 - degen - zegen - zeggen - gezegde - allergie - allergisch 2 - ginnegappen - giechelen 2 - verslaggever 2 - doorslaggevend 2 - gevechtsvliegtuig - grootgrutter - gigantisch 2 - gorgelen 2 - gegevens 2 - goed genoeg 2 - graag gedaan - groot gelijk 2 - geld en goed - god noch gebod - grijs en grauw - grillen en grollen - grote grutten! 2 - geld geven is goed 2 >> G and CH are pronounced somewhat differently in Belgium and in the South of The Netherlands: 'soft' G. |
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French G |
Several words from French have kept the French G:
percentage
- energie
2
- gel
- gênant
- logeerkamer
- passagier
- slijtage
-
college
- giraf
- corrigeren
- marge
2
- geste
2
First G Dutch, second G French: garage - bagage 2 French OU: bougie - courgette A very small number of not very common words in Dutch have a 'hard' French G (very similar to G in English GO or BEGIN): guerilla 2 - gouache - bigarreaux 2 - guillotine 2 - gaullisme - Grenoble |
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French GN |
'French' GN is pronounced as N - Consonant Y (Dutch NJ):
signaal 2 - signaleren 2 - magnifiek - vignet 2 - appelbeignet - In the often-used, common word champignons the NG has disappeared. With difficulty I say champiGNons Compare with 'regular' Dutch: magneet 2 - Agnes |
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G in NG | helling - see NG under N for more examples | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
H | haak - haar - hand - heel - hoed 2 - hoop - hun 2 - hoek - hond - hap - behalve - Henk 2 - Hans - Han - Johan - gehakt - behang - bah! - hooghartig 2 - heldhaftig 2 - huizenhoog - Hooghaarlemmerdijks - 'n heet hangijzer 2 - hebben en houden - van hot naar her - met huid en haar 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
H after T | H in TH is not pronounced:
thee
- theorie
2
- apotheek
2
- thuis
- thema
- Thea
- catharsis
- theoloog
theïne
- thee/teen
- thans/tand
- ether/eter
Do note that T and H are pronounced separately in some compound words, for example: - witheet (wit-heet) 2 (like in English 'pothole') |
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I-short | like I in DIM or WIT -
hear Dutch:
wit
- ik 2 3 - dit 2 ->> - lip - kin - vis - zich - slim - stil - beslissing - splitsing - fris 2 - wil - vin - mis - stip - tin - pit - lik - bit - flink - mild - niks - dis - gis exceptions: Several common words have I as voiceless E in the -IS ending: basis - kennis - vuilnis - tennis - Teunis exceptions: words from French: gratis - bis! (I as Dutch long I where spelling rules say it should be short) - compromis (long I, and S dropped) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
I-long |
(often written as IE, but as I in words of
foreign origin) like EE in SEE - hear Dutch:
zie
die ->> - idee - wie 2 - niet 2 - ziek - lief - vies - vier - tien - wiel 2 - vriend 2 - vlieg - nier - tralie - piepen - Mies - Piet - gitaar - kilo 2 - silo - bizar - vitrine - crimineel - Ier kien die spier 2 - stier piek hiel vlies | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ia, iaa |
a faint consonant-Y sound (Dutch J) is inserted to connect I and A:
piano - via - triangel - riant - ammoniak - triviaal 2 - Ria - Pia - ezels balken: 'ia' exception: in many common words with -CIA- the I has become a consonant-Y (Dutch J): speciaal 2 ('special') - specialiteit - sociaal - asociaal 2 - socialisme - but (a less common word:) cruciaal |
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iau | like in MEOW: miauw - poezen/katten miauwen: 'miauw' | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
IE | see mostly under 'I-long' above - Tiel 2 // ië: - Ons Indië - see under 'trema' below | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French ier | consonant Y + A like in FACE (Dutch J + long E) premier ('prime minister') - compare with regular Dutch kassier | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ieu |
IEU represents two somewhat different sounds:
when ending in W, it's like EW in English NEW: Dutch IE + Dutch UW: nieuw - nieuwe 2 - nieuws - kieuw 2 - nieuwsgierig Aagje but when ending in S or R: Dutch I (long I) + Dutch EU + S or R, with a faint consonant-Y (Dutch J) connecting I and EU: serieus - furieus - ambitieus (T as TS) - religieus - curieus 2 - superieur - inferieur - ingenieur (French G) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
-IG ending |
In the -IG ending, I is pronounced as voiceless E (like A in AGO)
followed by Dutch G:
luchtig
- twintig
gezellig 2 3 ->> - aanwezig - aardig 2 - droevig - eenvoudig - enig - ernstig - evenwijdig - kleverig - luidruchtig - nuttig - verstandig - onverstandig - vertegenwoordiger 2 - regelmatig - veilig - vorig - weinig 2 - rustig - geweldig! - geestig - armoedig - heilig - heilige - gulzig 2 - beeldig zalig bochtig - duchtig prachtig - grimmig jolig kranig - De zuinige huisvrouw - vereniging - schietvereniging Of course, one-syllable words don't have suffixes: wig - big - ik lig - and another exception: vaandrig 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
IJ (=EI) | "between MATE and MIGHT"
- hear Dutch: mijt
(see also Old Spelling in
Names below)
There is no sound like Dutch EI/IJ in English, but it's very similar to French EI, like in soleil 2 ('sun') or Marseille ijs - bij - gij 2 - hij - mij - wij 2 - zij 2 - dijk 2 - pijn - spijt - wijn 2 - vrijheid - blijheid - blijde 2 - wijk - krijt - strijd - vlijt - Thijs - Gijs 2 - strijdbijl - ijsvrij 2 - strijkijzer - rijstebrij - bij tijd en wijle - wijd en zijd 2 - Wie schrijft, die blijft exception: - bijzonder ('special') - IJ pronounced as English EE (Dutch long I)
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-LIJK ending | IJ like A in AGO
('voiceless E')
rijkelijk
- vrijelijk
- ijselijk
- verrukkelijk
afzonderlijk - degelijk - duidelijk - gemakkelijk - lelijk 2 - lichamelijk - mannelijk 2 - mogelijk 2 - natuurlijk - persoonlijk - stoffelijk 2 - verantwoordelijk - vriendelijk - vrouwelijk - billijk - olijk - belachelijk 2 Note that a few short words end in 'regular' -LIJK with IJ-sound: - lijk - slijk 2 - gelijk 2 (voiceless E 'ge-' prefix) - gelijkheid - gelijkwaardig - soortgelijk | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ije-, iji- |
When connecting with a vowel, the consonant-Y sound at the end of the
IJ-diphthong becomes a little stronger:
vrij vrijer - dij dijen - gedijen - Bulgarije - zijig |
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-ING ending | Just like in English RING: ring 2 - ding - dinges - main examples under NG below | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
io, ioo |
A faint consonant-Y sound (Dutch J) is inserted to connect I
and O:
pion - bastion - trio - riool 2 - radio 2 - bioloog - prioriteit exception: ion - ionen - here, I is pronounced as consonant Y; also note that O is short in the singular and long in the plural, very unusual for a 'modern' word | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
-ISCH ending |
pronounced as English EES, Dutch IES
(Dutch long I followed by S, CH is dropped) automatisch 2 (French AU) - chemisch - elektrisch - medisch - Slavisch chemisch Belgisch - kritisch fysisch - compare with: Fries | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
iu |
a faint consonant-Y sound (Dutch J) is inserted to connect I and U:
geranium - kalium - lithium - natrium - jodium - chemistry |
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consonant I |
I is pronounced as 'consonant Y,' Dutch J (Y in AWAY)
after A, AA, O, OO or OE: kooi roeien vlaai (see also under ai/aai, oi/ooi and oei) |
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J |
as English consonant Y (except in IJ of course)
jij - je 2 - jou 2 - jullie >> - jaar - jas - jasje - jurk - jongen - juli - Jan - Jan Jansen - Jaap - Joop - joch - jajem - sjouwer - oranje 2 - anjer 2 - jijen en jouen - Jut en Juul | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French J | journalist (French OU) - journaal (French OU) - jam (English A) - jus 2 (also French -US) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
K | ka 2 - Kaatje - kat - kom 2 - koper - koud - kerk - kurk - klok - kind 2 - krant - dak 2 - gek - dik - rijk - broek 2 - volk 2 - markt - links - kwitantie - akker - spijker - krik - kakelen - kriskras - koekoek 2 - in kannen en kruiken - zo klaar als een klontje 2 - kant en klaar - kort en klein - de kogel door de kerk - ons koude kikkerland 2 - te kust en te keur | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
KN | Unlike in English, K before N is pronounced: knal - knie - knoop 2 - knippen - knop 2 - knaak 2 - knoest - knauw 2 - knecht 2 - knul - knuppel - knijpkat - knipselkrant - knap knapper knapst - knallen 2 - knarsen 2 - knerpen - knetteren 2 - knikken knokken knul - knokkel - knikkers 2 - knikkeren - knipperen 2 - knipperlicht 2 - knudde 2 - kneden 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
L |
el
- laat
- leer
2
- licht
- lijst
- blad
-
blik
- fluit
- glas
2
- klaar
- plank
2
- slaan
- slag
- slecht
- vlag
- vlees
- melk
2
- speld
- zelf
- film
2
- wolk
-
staal
- val
- deel
2
-
wel
- doel
- hol
- slak
- lepel
-
vleugel
-
lat
-
lied
- Let
- sla
- altijd
- wal
- wals
- tolk
2
- elleboog
2
- ellenlang
- Ellen
- luilak
-
zwelgen
2
- galblaas
- alvleesklier
- loodlijn
-
lichterlaaie
-
leerlooier
-
luilekkerland
2
-
Goejanverwellesluis
-
leven en laten leven
2
-
lekker lui liggen lezen
-
lap en leur
-
lief
en leed
-
Leiden in last
-
De
laatste loodjes wegen het zwaarst
- more L
exception: in 'bibliotheek' the L is usually dropped (and H of TH is never pronounced) |
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-LIJK ending | IJ like A in AGO ('voiceless E') - vreselijk - gevaarlijk - walgelijk 2 - main examples under IJ | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French LL | like consonant Y (Dutch J) - failliet 2 - faillisement 2 3 - portefeuille - fouilleren 2 - vanille 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
M | maat 2 - macht - mand - met - middag - mijn - mier - morgen 2 - smaak - smal 2 - naam 2 - kam 2 - hem - bloem 2 3 - bom 2 - bommen 2 - bomen - warm - kammen - bezem - met man en macht - met man en muis - min of meer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
N | naar - nat - nek - niets - noot 2 - snel - maand - land - kans - mens 2 - grens - brons - tien - lijn - zoon - zon - nijd - inmiddels 2 - niet voor niks - nooit ofte nimmer - nu of nooit | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
-N ending |
Many people in Holland,
especially in the West of the country, don't
pronounce the N in the -EN ending of plurals and verbs.
I consider that sloppy
and incorrect, but I have to
admit to a certain softening of some my final N's, as you may have noted when
I read longer texts. But my recommendation to students is to
pronounce
those final
N's, because they are written and dropping them would just
add another rule to learn. wij lopen - wij lope(n) - De mensen praten plat. - De mense(n) prate(n) plat. >> | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NG | like NG in SINGER (vocalist) or HANGER,
never like in LINGER or DANGER
- hear ringvinger
lang - slang - angst - sprong - tong 2 - jong - jongen - vingers - gemengd 2 3 - belang - belangrijk 2 - belangstelling - eng - engerd - bengel - honing 2 - koningin 2 - honger - als de dagen lengen, gaan de nachten strengen Also in compound words N gets a faint NG-sound before G: ingewikkeld - ongeluk 2 - ongeveer 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NK | Like in English, NK sounds like NGK
inkt 2 - enkel - winkel 2 - donker 2 - afhankelijk - onafhankelijk - onafhankelijkheid compare: bang / ban / bank - zink / zin / zing - zinken / zingen / zinnen - drinken / dringen - wankel 2 / wangen - koning / koninkje * - klinker - medeklinker - klank - stank 2 - stinken - vink - pink - een kink in de kabel 2 Also in compound words N gets a faint NG-sound before K: steenkool - overeenkomst 2 - inkomsten - onkruid |
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O-short | the tone of A in HALL but shorter - hear Dutch:
hol
('lair')
of - om - op - ons 2 - los - nog - rok - pot - wol - krom 2 - rond 2 - worm - vonk - drop - nor - mos - mol 2 3 - ton 2 - polder 2 - rolmops - onder ons gezegd en gezwegen 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
O-long | like O in GO or BONE - hear Dutch:
Co
- boon
Note that Dutch OO and long O is pronounced as English OE, and vice versa: boot 2 - loot - boor oog - oor - ook - zo - boom - doos - poot 2 - hoog - hoger - koper - foto - olie 2 - sloot - Noor 2 - Moos - Toos - toon 2 3 - molen - stomerij 2 - chromosoom | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Compare | Compare short and long O: rok lot ton / rook loot toon - kok bon hor rot / kook boon hoor rood | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
French O |
roze
('pink') - compare with Dutch short O:
ros
- rossig
and Dutch long O:
rozen
2
- roos
2
- roze rozen - roze roos 2 - roze ros also French O: katastrofe 2 - zone 2 compare with: - zonnen 2 - zonen second O is French: trombone - controle 2 |
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OE |
like OO in BOOK - hear Dutch:
boek
('book')
Note that Dutch OE is pronounced as English OO, and vice versa: - stoep 2 - koekje - hoe koe - toe - goed - stoel - ploeg - vloer - groen - snoep - broer - poeder - stroef - floep! - koel 2 - moes - hoef - spoed - groet 2 - oefening 2 - doezelen 2 - doe stoep poel koek |
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Greek OE |
Pronounced as Dutch EU:
oecumenisch 2 - Oedipus (Latin -US ending pronounced as OOS, Dutch OES) - oedipaal |
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Frech OEU | Pronounced much like 'voiceless E' or Dutch short U, but longer: oeuvre - manoeuvre 2 - but the OEU of the Dutchified verb manoeuvreren 2 is pronounced as OO (Dutch OE.) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
oei, oi, ooi |
After O, OE and OO, I is pronounced as consonant Y
(Dutch J)
boei ('buoy') - moeilijk - moeite 2 - koe koeien - groei groeien groeit - het boeide me niet - al wat groeit en bloeit en ons telkens weer boeit 2 hoi - toi-toi-toi - mooi - mooie - mooi mooier mooist - nooit - ooit - ooi - ooievaar - hooivork - hooiwagen 2 - rotzooi 2 - fooi - 't Gooi - 't dooit - 't Kan vriezen en 't kan dooien |
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French oi | As in French: toilet - dressoir boudoir | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
OU (=AU) |
like OU in LOUD, OW in NOW - hear Dutch:
nou
('now.') There's
always a Dutch W sound after OU; when the W is written it could be
a little more pronounced.
jou 2 - jouw - oud - hout - touw - vouw - zout 2 - gebouw 2 - berouw - Gouda - Gouke - houweel - woud 2 - oubollig - louter - koud mouw stouwen |
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French OU | French OU is like English OO, Dutch OE: gouverneur - route - routine - troubadour 2 - coureur - rouge (French G) - bouillonblokje 2 - souffleur - coulant couplet foudraal - zouaaf - zouaven | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
P |
pa
- paars
2
- pan
2
- pen
- plant
- pijp
- pomp
- spier
2
- aap
2
- stap
- kip
- kop
- diep
2
- groep
- pap
2
- pop
- poppen
2
- griepprik
- pimpelpaars
- ophaalbrug
2
-
ophangen
- ophef
- ophouden
2
-
rasphuis
2
- paal
en perk stellen
- van
Pontius naar Pilatus
-
pracht en praal
-
als
puntje bij paaltje komt
As mentioned above, a B at the end of a Dutch word sounds like a P. In Dutch Names (see below) PH is often pronounced as F. |
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PS | Unlike in English, P before S is pronounced: psychiater - psycholoog 2 - pseudoniem - psalm 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Q | In writing always followed by U
- Dutch KW represents the
same sound
quasi - queeste - quiz - (also: kwis ) - quorum compare with: kwik - kwibus - kwart Only recent French imports like quitte and quiche do not have the W sound after K. |
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R | Dutch R is quite different from English R:
er - raam 2 - rand - rijst - rug - borst - drie - gras - graad - kraag - droog - broederschap - rit - rits - rook - brood 2 - hart - kerk - kleren - herrie - in rep en roer - rust roest - more R At the beginning of a word, English R starts with the tongue touching the top of the palate, and then moving down; it's a 'rolling' sound formed in the middle of the mouth. Dutch R keeps the tongue flat, its tip touching the lower teeth, and it's formed in the back of the mouth. Compare English and Dutch R:
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S | sok - soep - slot 2 - spons - staart - sterk - kast 2 - naast - post - barst - kunst - gas 2 - kaas 2 3 - mes 2 3 - messen 2 - kies 2 - dus - wijs - als - plaats - beslissing - spits - stokstijf - spiksplinternieuw - sla je slag - zonder slag of stoot - stut en steun 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SCH | see also
- CH above
("a sound like you clear
your throat") schaal 2 3 - schaap - schapen 2 - schaar - schep - scherp - schip - schoen - school - schok - schoon - schuld - schade - schande - schaduw - schaamte - schop - schuit 2 - schetsje - scherts 2 - scheikunde - beschaafd - heggeschaar - schaaf schier schok schoof - schulp schuilen schuur - schimpscheuten - 'n scheve schaats - schots en scheef - door schade en schande | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
SCHR |
CH in SCHR is not pronounced: schrik - schroef - schroeven - schreeuw - schreeuwen - schrobber - ik schrijf - ik schreef - schrander - schram - schrammetje 2 Compare: schaal schraal - schil schril - schiften schriften - schap schrap - schikken schrikken 2 - schoot schroot 2 - schijven schrijven 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
-ISCH ending | As English EES, Dutch IES (CH in -ISCH is not pronounced) lyrisch 2 - organisch - anorganisch - biologisch - main examples under I (above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
T |
tand
- teen
- toen
2
3
->>
- tot
- taart
- stijf
- stok
- stoom
- straal
- iets
- haat
- wit
2
- bot
- mist
- boter
-
eten
- straat
- tante
- boomstronk
2
-
taal
noch teken
- van top tot teen
Note that end-of-word D sounds like T in Dutch (see under D) and that a mid-word T in Dutch is 'sharper,' not a sound like D as in American English: water 2 - beter 2 - bitter - otter - Otto 2 CHTJ, STJ, STZ - In between certain letters, T is usually dropped. postzegel - - postzegels - tochtje - It's just too hard to say: pos-t-zegel 2 or toch-t-je zachtjes - nichtje - luchtje - kastje worstje 2 - nestje - feestje 2 |
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TD | At normal speaking speed, mid-word TD is pronounced as D. Only in deliberately slow speech are the letters pronounced separately. There is no difference in the pronunciation of ontd- and ond-: ontdekt ondier ont-dekt | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TH | H after T is not pronounced: therapie - thermometer - mythe - main examples under H (above) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
-TIE ending |
after C, P and R: SEE (Dutch SIE):
reactie
- infectie
- frictie
2
- adoptie
- proportie
- selectie
functie fractie
2
after vowels and N: TSEE (Dutch TSIE): conditie - democratie - advertentie - operatie - organisatie - positie - tolerantie - natie traditie garantie - clementie gratie after S: not irrregular, TEE (Dutch TIE): - suggestie - hostie 2 other -TIE endings like -TIEF, TIEK and -TIER are not irregular, compare for instance: politie / politiek - actie / actief 2 - motie / motief 2 - optie / optiek - portie / portier 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
TJ, TSJ | Somewhat like CH in CHIRP or CHILL (in TJ without the S-sound) tjalk - tjokvol - tjilpen - tjirpen - tsjilpen - tsjirpen | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
U-short | UH, like A in ALIVE or AGO -
sounds the same as 'voiceless E'
- dubbeltje
2
- gummetjes
dun - nul - hulp - punt - druk - stuk - vlucht - spul - blut - lus - krul - krullen - tulp - tulpen 2 - rust - gerucht 2 - smurrie - blussen 2 - plunjezak 2 Dutch short U sounds exacly like voiceless E. Above I mentioned that except for de, te, me, je, ge, ze, we, 'n, 't, m'n, z'n, 'r and d'r >> there are no words with voiceless E as their only vowel, and there are no words of two or more syllables with voiceless E as their only vowels. However, short U is a regular vowel, and words can have short U and voiceless E as their only vowels, as for instance: verrukkelijk 2 - verrukkelijke 2 - tunneltje | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
U-long |
There is no sound in English similar to Dutch 'long U,'
but is is found in French, like in
cru or dur
and in German,
like in
Hügel and Muesli
U - uur - nu 2 - duur - puur 2 - vuur 2 - muziek 2 - unie - uniek 2 - uniform - fusie - juni - stuur - bruut - bruusk 2 - guur 2 - fuut - molecuul - spugen - Utrecht 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
ua, ue, uo |
a faint Dutch W-sound is inserted to connect U
to A, E or O:
(In most words, this W is not written.)
situatie - januari - februari - dualiteit - fluctuatie - duel - minuet - duo 2 UEE and UWEE sound the same, compare: ritueel - fluweel |
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UI |
There is no sound like Dutch UI in English, but French has
it in a word like
l'oeil
('the eye') - hear Dutch:
lui
ui 2 - uit 2 - buik - duim 2 - huid 2 - huis 2 - tuin 2 - vuil - bruin 2 3 - juist - suiker - bui 2 - buit - duin - muis - ruim - bruid - bruidegom - snuit - spuit - ruit 2 3 - ruiten - struik 2 - kluif 2 - kluit 2 - kruit - - sluik - Pruis - buil - ruig - huilen - uil 2 - zuil 2 - ruis - gruis - kruis - sluis 2 - zuivel - zuiver - huiveren 2 - Duitser - stuiver - kruipen - kruipruimte - buitenshuis - huilbui - bruidssuiker When there is no consonant ending the word, some Dutchmen say UI with a Y-sound (Dutch J) at the end: ui(j) - but I prefer the pronunciation with a Dutch W: ui(w) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
uia, uie |
a consonant-Y sound (Dutch J) is inserted to connect UI to A or E:
(See also above under UI)
uien - buien - uier - luier - sluier - grauwsluier - luiaard 2 3 |
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UW | The U in Dutch UW is always long
- it's an exception. Uw - duw - duwen - zenuw - ruw 2 - ruwe - juweel - juwelen - zwaluw - ruwaard - gruwelen - ruwweg - sluw - ruwheid - Veluwe Betuwe U and Uw sound different, but jou 2 and jouw both have a W and sound alike | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
V | vak 2 - vaak 2 - vast - veer - veld - vol - voor 2 - voet 2 - vraag 2 - vroeg - vrees - vrede - levend - lieve - golven 2 - veevoer - vervoer - verven 2 - vijver - visvangst - vorstverlet - rivieroever - vogelverschrikker - voortvarend - - voetvolk 2 - vliegensvlug - in vogelvlucht 2 - - vies en voos 2 - vriend en vijand - in vuur en vlam - vorm of vent 2 - vrouw en vriend 2 - vorst en vaderland 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
W |
Keep lips relaxed, not rounded like in English W;
Dutch W starts with the top of the lower lip touching the front
upper teeth, but not clearly blowing out air like for a V or F.
The sound is formed in the back of the mouth, and not in the front like
English W. waar - was - week 2 - wet - wens - wijd - winst - woord - dwaas - kwast 2 - kwijt 2 - twee - zwak 2 - zwaar - zwavel - geweld - gewicht - gewoon - bewust - hoewel - eiwit - bouwval 2 - winkelwagentje 2 - welwillend - wipwap - wirwar - windwijzer 2 - witwas - wijwater - werkwoord - winterwortel - wittebroodsweken 2 - wij willen water - wie wat waar welke - wijze woorden - van wanten weten - wel en wee 2 - wis en waarachtig 2 - wikken en wegen 2 - weer en wind - Wereldwijde week van de veiligheid 2 - Ik werd wakker van de wekker - more W exception: a rare silent W: erwt - erwt erwten 2 - kekererwten - in Dutch it's rare that letters are not pronounced. exception: murw - this 'F' pronunciation is a rare exception. Compare: smurf |
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WR |
W before R is said as V:
wrede - compare with vrede (it sounds the same) - wreed - wreedheid - wrijven - wrijving 2 - wrak - wrik - wrok - wervel wrevel - vrees / wreed - vraag / wraak - weerwraak verwrongen 2 - wrat / vrat 2 - wang / wrang - wok / wrok - wikken / wrikken - wak / wrak - weken / wreken |
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Compare | Compare V and W: val / wal 2 - vaas waas - vacht / wacht - vel / wel - vee 2 - wee - vilt / wild - vol / wol - vorst 2 / worst - volk 2 / wolk 2 - bevolking / bewolking 2 - toeval - hoewel - houweel - hoeveel - vadem - waden - vaarwel! - welvaart - wuiven 2 - walvis - voorwaarde - veelwijverij - vrijwilliger 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
X |
always like X in AXE - hear Dutch:
ex
- Dutch KS represents the same sound
- hear Dutch:
heks
- ekster
x + y = z (x plus y is z) 2 3 - experiment - explosie - flexibel - xenon - xylofoon - saxofoon - hexagonaal - extra 2 - extract 2 - luxaflex 2 - Lex - Trix - Xantippe |
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Y | almost always pronounced as Dutch
I (either long or short)
(see also
Old Spelling in Names
below) systeem - cylinder - hypercorrect - symfonie - symptoom - synthetisch - polypiep - cynisme hygiëne hysterisch exception: nylon - nylons (like Dutch EI/IJ, somehow imitating the English word) In a very small number of Dutch words, usually between two vowels, Y is like English 'consonant Y' as in YES: yoghurt 2 - royaal 2 - loyaal 2 - loyaliteit 2 - rayon 2 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Z | zaad - zand 2 - zee - zes - zilver - zien - zijn - zoet - zuur 2 - zwart 2 3 - glazen - gezin - wezen 2 - ijzer 2 - zwanger - zwager - zwijg! 2 - sperziebonen - zigzag 2 - zwanenzang 2 - ziel en zaligheid - de zeven zeeën 2 - 't Vogeltje zit zo zoet op z'n nestje - ik zag de zon in de zee zinken - in Amsterdam: ik sag de son in de see sinke | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
'n |
pronounced as voiceless E - N:
'n is short for the indefinite article een ('a') with the same, there irregular pronunciation - 'n beetje m'n is short for the first person singular possessive mijn ('my') z'n is short for the third person male singular possessive zijn ('his') - z'n lust en z'n leven exception: zo een 2 is often shortened to zo'n 2 (no voiceless E, it sounds exactly the same as zoon ) - zo'n mooie dag 2 - zo'n sombere zomer | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
'r |
pronounced as voiceless E - Dutch R:
'r
- for ease, often said a bit slangy as:
d'r
- either short for the third person female singular possessive haar ('her') - or the somewhat indefinable er ('~there') >> - er was 'r 'ns 2 - d'r was 'ns ... 2 - d'r was 'r 's ... - d'r op of d'r onder |
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's |
pronounced as S - apostrophe-s can be:
- an indication of time: 's morgens - 's middags - 's avonds - 's nachts - 's zomers - 's winters - for S-plurals of words ending in single A, I, O or U, to keep that single vowel long: foto's - risico's (if we would write "fotos" or "risicos" OS would be pronounced as short O, which is not correct, and to write "fotoos" or "risicoos" would look silly.) - an incorrect possessive: Jan's vrienden (following the English, a very common mistake; it should be: "Jans vrienden.") |
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't |
pronounced as voiceless E - T: 't is short for het 2 which can either be 'it' or 'the' >> - the other, more frequently used definite article is de 't regent 2 - regent 't? - 't is niet waar! - 't Spui 2 - 't Hart - 't Sufferdje |
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AÄ, EË EÏ, EÜ IË, OË UÏ, UÜ |
Diaeresis (dieresis) - two dots on top of a vowel indicate that
the vowel is pronounced separately from the preceding vowel(s), not
forming a long vowel or a diphtong. In Dutch, it's called
trema
- it may look somewhat similar to the German
Umlaut, but its meaning is completely
different.
Kanaän / kanaal - beëdigd / beet - geïnd / gein - reünie / reuma - piëteit / pieten - agrariër / gier - poëten / poezen - bedoeïen / loeien - coördinatie / koord - ruïne / ruime - vacuüm / buur - geëerd 2 - weeën - kopiëren 2 - ingrediënt - België 2 - De Zeven Provinciën - De Verenigde Provinciën - Nederlands-Indië 2 - Californië - Oekraïne - Israël - Sinaï - Rafaël - Daniël (In a recent minor spelling reform, most of the trema's in compound words have been scrapped (except in numbers.) I used to write zoëven 2 ('just a moment ago') to differentiate it from zoeven ('~to move quickly, zoom, whiz') - nowadays both should be written 'zoeven.' Likewise, I would write (if it came up) eendeëi 2 ("ducks' egg") but the rules for the 'connecting N' that even I don't pronounce were changed, and nowadays it's supposed to be spelled 'eendenei.') I've seen the trema used in Dutchified English words, like geüpdate ('updated') but it looks extremely silly to me, and makes me pronounce it like the German U with Umlaut. Why not simply write ge-update? |
Dutch has the almost identical
vooruit
2
('forward! come on!')
and
voorruit
2
('windshield, front window') - the difference is not in how the R's
are said, but in the stress of the words:
"voorUIt"
2
or
"vóórruit."
2
Similarly, a very small number of words with identical spelling get a different
meaning with a shift of the stress or which E's are voiceless, unstressed:
'uh' stands for 'voiceless (unstressed) E' (schwa) | |
bedelen: | bedelen ("bedélen - buhdéluhn" - to apportion, distribute) |
---|---|
bedelen ("bédelen - béduhluhn" - to beg, ask for things) - bedelaar 2 - 'beggar' | |
voornaam: | voornaam ("voornáám" - 'important') |
voornaam ("vóórnaam" - 'first name, Christian name') | |
sterkers: | sterkers ("stèrkuhrs" - [something] stronger) |
sterkers ("stèr-kèrs" - a kind of bean sprouts) | |
regent: | 't regent (" 't régent - uht réguhnt" - 'it is raining') |
de regent ("de regènt - duh ruhgènt" - 'a high official in the Dutch East Indies colonial administration') | |
kantelen: | kantelen ("kàntelen - kàntuhluhn" - 'to cant, tilt, tip over') |
kantelen ("kantélen - kantéluhn" - 'battlements,' the blocks atop medieval castle walls and towers ->>) | |
legering: | legering ("légering - léguhring" - 'the housing of an army, encampment') |
legering 2 ("legéring - luhgéring" - 'a mixture of metals') |
Ik heb gezegd 2 - I have spoken . . . All examples translated on a separate page - or hold your mouse over a Dutch word or phrase to see a rough translation.
Helpful related pages: Hear All Vowels and Diphthongs Side-by-Side - Slow Dutch - English with Dutch Accent for the stage
EXERCISES: Overview - test what you've learned on this page
Note that double consonants are usually pronounced as single, not longer or with a pause in between: Van Poll, Verhoeff, De Witt, Wolff
AAIJ, AAY | long A, consonant Y as in YES: Kraaijkamp, Van Waay |
AE | as long A: Clauwaerts, Daendels, Maetsuycker, Van der Zaen - Kersemaeker 2 / 2 |
EIJ, EY, UIJ, UY |
in Modern Dutch written as EI or
UI: Breydel, Van Eijbergen, Den Heyer, Meyers, Schey, Van Speijck 2 Buys, Van Duyn, Ruygers, Van Uylenburg, Van Zuylen van Nijevelt |
CH after S | (usually at the end of the name or root word): often not pronounced: Bosch, Van Asschendelft, Musschenbroek |
CK | K(K): Bicker, Van den Broecke, Van Eyck, Luyck, Ockenburg, Schimmelpeninck, Vonck |
CX, CKX | X: Asselincx, Dierickx, Sterckx |
-DT | (at the end of a name) T: Heldt, Van Slingelandt |
H after G, H after T |
often not pronounced: Van Bomberghen, Van Gogh, De Hoogh, Leeghwater, Tullingh, De With |
OEIJ, OEY | OO as in BOOT, IJ or Y as consonant Y in Yes: Boeijen, Van Roey |
OY, OOY,
OIJ, OOIJ |
IJ and Y as consonant Y in YES: Van Ooijen, Plockhoy, Roy, Van Royen, Verlooy |
OU | in names sometimes as Engl. OO in BOOT, (the Dutchman recognizes the root word); in Modern Dutch as OU in LOUD: Ruys de Beerenbrouck, Snouck Hurgronje -but- Tjarda van Starkenborgh Stachouwer, Woutersen |
PH | F when as first letters of name or syllable:
Philips, Zutphen
separate P and H in 'compound names:' Koophuis, Opheusden 2 |
-SZ | at the end of a name: S (short for -szoon, 'son of'): Florisz, Van Heutsz |
WT- | a few families write their name with Wt as the first letters. Many Dutchmen will insert an I, as if it says 'wit,' (white) for instance "Wittewaal" but it should be pronounced somewhat like EWT- (EW somewhat like in DEW): Freule Wttewaall van Stoetwegen, Wterwijck |
Y | - as a vowel: As
Modern Dutch EI and IJ. Rare:
Hymans, Nyssens
- after consonant, at end of name: as Engl. EE in SEE: Gerbrandy, Lely |
Occasionally, a name is said in way that
diverges from standard pronunciation, for instance:
Bruegel, Baron Van Lynden
Dutchmen will attempt to pronounce foreign names as
in the original language:
Brüggen, Lumey, Zimmerman
More Dutch names:
First and Last Names
-
Vermeer's World
-
Rembrandt
-
17th Century
Sailors and Ships -
-
Old New York
-
Names by Request
-
The Dutch in Sports
-
Geography
Search Names in Holland
A beautiful website for searching Dutch last (and first) names is
'Het Meertens Instituut':
English version -
Dutch
version,
which has maps showing the
distribution of names over the country, both for the 1947 census
and for the 2007 national population registry.
You could also search for your distant Dutch relatives in
The Netherlands Phone Directory.
It's all in Dutch. 'Wat zoekt U?'
= What are you looking for? - Enter a name.
Names Corrupted
I was asked about 'Fami(t)cha,' the first name of a Dutch
greatn-grandmother who came to America in the 1700s.
It didn't look Dutch to me, but after some reflection and
looking through Van der Schaar (the Dutch Dictionary of First Names)
I think it's most likely:
Femmetje
2
as written down phonetically by an English-speaking clerk.
Try it for yourself:
how would you write it down as you hear it?
That clerk didn't do a bad job: when you say 'Famicha' as if
it were an English name, doesn't it come out like I say
'Femmetje'?
Further Study: Basic Dutch Words - Pictures Dictionary - Easy Dutch - Lessons - Exercises - Listening - Reading - Grammar
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Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2015.
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Gij zult niet stelen
'Thou shalt not steal'