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- Dutch AU and OU - Skip General Series Introduction

Pronunciation: Hear for Yourself

Do take my words for it
Too many examples! Listen just to what looks interesting or useful to you. That's the beauty of a free website - you can just skip what you don't need without feeling bad that you paid for something that's of no use to you. Listen to as many or as few examples as you want. Look for words that may be useful to you. - Can there be too many examples for you students to listen to?
Pay special attention to letters, letter combinations and sounds that you don't have in your own language
These pronunciation pages are not meant for learning vocabulary. The English translations may lack in precision. But if you like, follow the occasional links ‑>> to explanation, examples of usage and/or related words.
Learning Vocabulary

Adjectives in most positions get an -E  ending ‑>>
Several words appear twice on the page. I do not have an infinite number of recordings, and some combinations of letters are rarely or never found in Dutch.

Spelling and Pronunciation

Dutch spelling/pronunciation rules say that: So (de) man click to hear 2 ('man, human adult male) has the plural mannen (man-nen) click to hear 2 while (de) maan click to hear 2 ('moon') has the plural manen (ma-nen) click to hear 2 3

'Long' and 'short' are traditional terms. The difference is actually more of tone than length
More about spelling and pronunciation - another version
Learn the Rules by Studying and Listening to Examples

Major Exceptions to the Phonetic Spelling of Dutch:
- Page 1:   een   -IG   -ISCH   -LIJK  
- Page 2:   -B   -D   SCHR   -TIE   UW   WR

Hear the Dutch Letters in Hundreds of Words:
AU/OU  CH  E  EI/IJ  EU  G  H  L  OE  SCH  U  UI  W  X  Y
'Master Lists' of Dutch words: Dutch to English - English to Dutch

AU and OU in Dutch

au! click to hear ('ouch!')
(de) AU click to hear - talking about the different spellings you could say: A-U click to hear 2 or O-U click to hear 2 3
Dutch AU and OU have the same sound: click to hear - like OW in NOW, OU in LOUD - hear Dutch: nou click to hear ('now') and - nauw click to hear '(narrow, tight') - they sound about the same - louter click to hear 2 ('~pure,' '~only') - blauwe houweel click to hear ("blue pickaxe")
There's always a Dutch W sound after OU and AU; when the W is written it could be a little more pronounced.
There is little (if any) difference in pronunciation between jou click to hear 2 ('you' - singular, informal) and jouw click to hear ('your' - singular, informal) - usually I don't hear a difference - but you can exaggerate the W for emphasis. - more below and see Personal Pronouns General
I don't hear much difference between the 'HOUWD' and 'HOUD' of - (de) houwdegen click to hear 2 3 (['chopping sword'] - 'tough old no-nonsense soldier') and - houden click to hear 2 3 4 ('to hold')

 Examples AU to ZOU 
 Examples AU to AUZ 
 'Jou,'  'Jouw'  and 'Je' 
 D 'Softening' 
 French AU 
 French EAU 
 French OU 
 Compared with Other Vowels and the Diphthongs 

The 'first series' is grouped by the letter before the AU/OU's, the 'second series' is grouped by the letter after the AU/OU's:

the: de click to hear 2 / het click to hear 2 3 - 't click to hear ->>
Plurals always take 'de'
a: (een) - 'n click to hear / one: één click to hear 2 3

Repeat the words after me, try saying them like I do, and record yourself or ask a friend to compare how you say them with how I say them. Try to bring your pronunciation of the words closer and closer to how I say them. Use as few or as many examples as you like.

0‑  - au! click to hear ('ouch!') - oud click to hear 2 3 / oude click to hear 2 / oud/oude click to hear ('old') - [(de)] ouder click to hear ('older' // 'parent') - ouders click to hear 2 3 ('parents') - (de) augurk click to hear 2 / augurken click to hear 2 ('pickle'/'pickles') - augustus click to hear ('August') - (de) aureool click to hear ('halo, aureole')
- Auke click to hear (a boys' name') - Aukje click to hear (a girls' name) - Australië click to hear
B‑  - (de) boude bewering click to hear ('bold statement' - old-fashioned or jocular) - (de) bout click to hear (1. 'bolt' 2. largish piece of meat with bone, like a leg, to eat by hand) - bout en moer click to hear 2 ('bolt and nut') - kabouter click to hear 2 3 4 5 ('gnome') ‑>> - de Kabouters click to hear 2 (60s Anarchist movement) - (het) gebouw click to hear 2 / gebouwen click to hear ('building' / 'buildings') - bouwen click to hear ('to build') ‑>> - (het) bouwhout click to hear ('construction wood' - a word I made up) - bouwvakkers click to hear 2 ('construction workers') - (de) bouwval click to hear 2 ('ruin, dilapidated building') - (het) bauxiet click to hear 2 3 ('bauxite,' aluminum ore)
- Boudewijn click to hear (a boys' name - "Baldwin") - Boukje click to hear (a girls' name) - Radboud click to hear (a boys' name) - Bouwman click to hear 2 (a family name) - Bouterse click to hear 2 (a family name)
C‑  - (de) accountant click to hear 2 3 4 5 ('accountant')
- Abcoude click to hear (a town)
D‑  - (de) dauw click to hear ('dew') - dauwtrappen click to hear ([stepping on the dew'] - a tradition of getting out very early on Ascension day, sometimes with a bit rowdy behavior)
- Douwe click to hear (a boys' name) - Jildau click to hear 2 (a girls' name)
E‑  - de Oudheid click to hear ('Antiquity') - je ouwelui click to hear 2 ([your old folks] - 'your parents' - informal)
French EAU, pronounced as 'long O' click to hear - (het) niveau click to hear ('level') - more below
F‑  - [(de)] fout click to hear ('mistake' // 'wrong') ‑>> - foute click to hear / fout/foute click to hear 2 3 ('wrong') - "foutje!" click to hear 2 3 ('I made a mistake!')
G‑  - gauw click to hear 2 ('quick, quickly') ‑>> - (het) goud click to hear 2 ('gold') - gouden click to hear ('golden,' made of gold) - (de) goudmijn click to hear 2 ('goldmine') - (de) goudverf click to hear 2 3 4 ('gold paint')
- Gouda click to hear 2 (a city // a cheese type) - Goudse kaas click to hear ('Gouda cheese') ‑>> - Gouke click to hear (a boys' name) - De Gouw click to hear 2 (a family name)
H‑  - houdbaar click to hear 2 3 ('non-perishable' [can be held]) - houden click to hear 2 3 4 ('to hold') - houden van click to hear ('to like, to love) ‑>> - ik houd van click to hear ('I like, I love') - (de) houding click to hear ('attitude') - Houd vol! click to hear 2 3 4 ('Carry on! Keep going! Don't give up!') - hou op! click to hear 2 3 4 5 ('stop it!') - (de) hausse click to hear ('boom,' "run" on something) - (het) hout click to hear ('wood' - the material) - houten click to hear 2 ('wooden' - made of wood) - (het) houvast click to hear 2 3 ('hold, grip,' "fixed point") - (de) houweel click to hear ('pickaxe')
- Houweling click to hear (a family name)
I‑  - miauw! click to hear 2 ('meow!' - cat)
J‑  - jou click to hear 2 ('you' - singular informal) - jouw click to hear ('your' - singular informal) - (de) kabeljauw click to hear 2 / kabeljauwen click to hear 2 ('cod' / 'cods') - (de) sjouwer click to hear (a worker carrying building material)
K‑  - (de) kou click to hear ('cold') - koud click to hear / koude click to hear / koud /koude click to hear ('cold') - (de) kouwe drukte click to hear 2 [[cold] unnecessary fuss, hoopla, pretentious relevance') - (de) kous click to hear ('sock') - kauwen click to hear 2 ('to chew') - herkauwen click to hear 2 ('to ruminate' - cows' digestion) - (het) kauwgom click to hear 2 3 ('chewing gum')
- Moskou click to hear ('Moscow')
L‑  - (de) laurierblaadjes click to hear ('Bay leaves') - lou loene click to hear 2 ('no result,' 'fuhgeddaboudit' - slang) louter click to hear 2 ('~pure,' '~only') - lauw click to hear 2 / lauw/lauwe click to hear 2 ('tepid,' between cold and warm) - lauweren click to hear 2 ('laurels') - [(het)] blauw click to hear 2 3 ('blue') - blauwe click to hear 2 3 / blauw/blauwe click to hear 2 3 ('blue') - (de) blauwdruk click to hear ('blueprint') - (de) blauwe boon click to hear 2 ([blue bean] - 'bullet' in crime fiction) - (de) blauweregen click to hear ([blue rain] - blue-flower tree, looks like wisteria) - blauwkous click to hear 2 ('bluestocking') - blauw oog click to hear 2 ([blue] - 'black eye' - injury) - [(het)] blauwpaars click to hear 2 3 4 ('blue-purple, violet') - blauw zout click to hear ('blue salt') - flauw click to hear / flauwe click to hear 2 ('weak taste' - not enough salt? // '~not funny') - (de) flauwekul click to hear 2 ('nonsense') - flauwvallen click to hear 2 ('to faint') - klauw click to hear 2 ('claw')
- bont en blauw click to hear 2 ('black and blue')
- (de) Clauwaerts (Klauwaards) click to hear 2 (Medieval Flemish-indepenence group) - Laura click to hear (a girls' name) - Laurens click to hear (a boys' name)
M‑  - (de) mout click to hear ('malt' - a beer ingredient) - (de) havermout click to hear ('oats porridge') - (de) mouw click to hear ('sleeve')
- Mau click to hear 2 (a family name) - Maurits click to hear 2 ('boys' name') - het Mauritshuis click to hear 2 (an arts museum in The Hague)
N‑  - nauw click to hear / nauwe click to hear 2 ('narrow, tight') - kenau click to hear ('a fierce woman') - (de) knauw click to hear 2 3 4 5 6 ('animal bite' // psychological setback, loss of self-confidence) - nauwelijks click to hear 2 ('barely, almost not') - nauwkeurig click to hear ('precise') - benauwd click to hear / benauwd/benauwde click to hear (difficulty breathing // 'afraid, hesitating')
- Arnoud click to hear (a boys' name) - Nauta click to hear 2 (a family name) - Het Nauw van Calais click to hear 2 ('The Narrows of Calais, The Straits of Dover')
P‑  - pauken click to hear ('kettledrums' - music) - (de) paus click to hear ('(the) pope') - pauw click to hear ('peacock') - (de) pauze click to hear 2 3 4 ('pause')
- Paul click to hear 2 (a boys' name) - Paula click to hear (a girls' name') - Paulette click to hear (a girls' name') - Paulien click to hear (a girls' name') - Paulus click to hear (a boys' name)
R‑  - rauw click to hear ('raw') - rauwe melk click to hear 2 3 ('"raw," untreated milk') - rauw spek click to hear ('raw, uncooked bacon') - (het) berouw click to hear ('remorse') - (de) juffrouw click to hear 2 3 4 ('Miss' // primary school teacher, female) - de vrouw click to hear 2 ('the woman') - mevrouw click to hear 2 3 ('Ma'am') - brouwen click to hear ('to brew') - wenkbrauw click to hear 2 / wenkbrauwen click to hear ('eyebrow/eyebrows') - (de) fraude click to hear ('fraud') - [(het)] grauw click to hear ('grey, drab, dun, ashen' // 'bad people, lowlifes') - grijs en grauw click to hear ('colorless, not bright') - (de) grauwsluier click to hear ('a gray veil' - phrase from a detergent commercial) - (het) trauma click to hear ('trauma') - [(de)] trouw click to hear 2 ('faithful, loyal' // 'faithfulness') - (de) trouwdag click to hear 2 ('wedding day') - trouwen click to hear 2 ('to marry')
- Froukje click to hear (a girls' name) - Brouwer click to hear 2 (a family name - 'brewer')
S‑  - (de) dinosaurus click to hear 2 ('dinosaur') - sauriërs click to hear 2 3 ('dinosaurs') - (de) saus click to hear 2 ('sauce') - (het) sausje click to hear 2 ("little sauce" - simple or a small amount)
- Nassau click to hear 2 (German dukedom, origin of the Dutch royal family)
SCH‑  - (de) schouder click to hear / schouders click to hear ('shoulder'/'shoulders') - (de) schouwburg click to hear 2 ('theatre' - old-fashioned) - (de) lijkschouwing click to hear 2 3 ('autopsy' - [dead-body viewing])
- Schouten click to hear (a family name)
T‑  - (de) taugé click to hear ('(mung) bean sprouts') - (het) touw click to hear ('rope, string') - (het) touwtje click to hear 2 3 ('small piece of rope, string') - (het) weefgetouw click to hear 2 ('loom' - weaving tool) - stout click to hear ('disobedient, misbehaving, naughty' - in old times it meant 'brave')
- Litouwen click to hear ('Lithuania')
V‑  - (de) eenvoud click to hear 2 ('simplicity') ‑>> - eenvoudig click to hear / eenvoudige click to hear 2 / eenvoudig/eenvoudige click to hear 2 ('simple, easy to solve ') (het) enkelvoud click to hear 2 ('singular' - grammar) ‑>> - (het) meervoud click to hear 2 ('plural' - grammar) ‑>> - (de) vouw click to hear ('fold') - vouwen click to hear 2 ('to fold') - (de) vouwfiets click to hear ('folding bicycle')
W‑  - ik wou click to hear ('I wish, I wanted') - informal - (het) woud click to hear 2 / wouden click to hear ('forest' / 'forests') - woudreuzen click to hear 2 ([giants of the forest] - very large trees) - wauwelen click to hear 2 3 ('talking in an irritating manner') - (het) gewauwel click to hear 2 3 ('annoying, boring talk')
- Wout click to hear (a boys' name) - Wouter click to hear (a boys' name)
Z‑  - ik zou click to hear 2 ('I would, I was going to') - (het) zout click to hear 2 3 ('salt')

‑0  - jou click to hear 2 ('you' - singular informal) - nou click to hear ('now') ‑>> - there's also the slightly more formal - nu click to hear 2 ('now') - au! click to hear ('ouch!') - kenau click to hear ('a fierce woman') - ik wou click to hear ('I wish, I wanted') - informal - ik zou click to hear 2 ('I would, I was going to')
- Jildau click to hear 2 (a girls' name) - Nassau click to hear 2 (German dukedom, origin of the Dutch royal family) - Moskou click to hear ('Moscow')
‑B  - (de) oubaas click to hear 2 ('old man' - South-African) - oubollig click to hear ('droll')
‑D  oud click to hear 2 3 / oude click to hear 2 / oud/oude click to hear ('old') - [(de)] ouder click to hear ('older' // 'parent') - ouders click to hear 2 3 ('parents') - als vanouds click to hear 2 3 ('like of old, like of yore' - like in the past) - (de) eenvoud click to hear 2 ('simplicity') ‑>> - eenvoudig click to hear / eenvoudige click to hear 2 / eenvoudig/eenvoudige click to hear 2 ('simple, easy to solve ') - (de) fraude click to hear ('fraud') - de Oudheid click to hear ('Antiquity') - (de) houding click to hear ('attitude') - (het) woud click to hear 2 / wouden click to hear ('forest' / 'forests') - woudreuzen click to hear 2 ([giants of the forest] - very large trees)
- Arnoud click to hear (a boys' name)
‑E  - nou en? click to hear 2 ('so what?' [now and?])
‑G  - (de) taugé click to hear ('(mung) bean sprouts') - (de) augurk click to hear 2 / augurken click to hear 2 ('pickle'/'pickles') - augustus click to hear ('August')
‑I  - de kou in click to hear 2 3 ('into the cold')
‑K  - pauken click to hear ('kettledrums' - music)
- Auke click to hear (a boys' name') - Aukje click to hear (a girls' name) - Boukje click to hear (a girls' name) - Froukje click to hear (a girls' name)
‑L  - lou loene click to hear 2 ('no result,' 'fuhgeddaboudit' - slang)
- Paul click to hear 2 (a boys' name) - Paula click to hear (a girls' name') - Paulette click to hear (a girls' name') - Paulien click to hear (a girls' name') - Paulus click to hear (a boys' name)
‑M  - (het) trauma click to hear ('trauma')
‑N  - (de) accountant click to hear 2 3 4 5 ('accountant')
‑P  - nou pas click to hear 2 3 ('only now')
‑R  - (de) aureool click to hear ('halo, aureole') - sauriërs click to hear 2 3 ('dinosaurs') - (de) laurierblaadjes click to hear ('Bay leaves') - (de) dinosaurus click to hear 2 ('dinosaur')
- Laura click to hear (a girls' name) - Laurens click to hear (a boys' name) - Maurits click to hear 2 ('boys' name')
‑S  - (de) paus click to hear ('(the) pope') - (de) hausse click to hear ('boom,' "run" on something) - (de) kous click to hear ('sock') click to hear 2 ('sauce') - (het) sausje click to hear 2 ("little sauce" - simple or a small amount)
- Australië click to hear
‑T  - (de) bout click to hear (1. 'bolt' 2. largish piece of meat with bone, like a leg, to eat by hand) - (het) hout click to hear ('wood' - the material) - houten click to hear 2 ('wooden' - made of wood) - kabouter click to hear 2 3 4 5 ('gnome') ‑>> - louter click to hear 2 ('~pure, ~only') - stout click to hear ('disobedient, misbehaving, naughty' - in old times stout  meant 'brave') - (het) zout click to hear 2 3 ('salt')
- Nauta click to hear 2 (a family name)
- Schouten click to hear (a family name) - Bouterse click to hear 2 (a family name)
‑V  - (het) houvast click to hear 2 3 ('hold, grip,' "fixed point")
‑W  - lauw click to hear 2 / lauw/lauwe click to hear 2 ('tepid,' between cold and warm) - pauw click to hear ('peacock') - rauw click to hear ('raw') - (het) gebouw click to hear 2 / gebouwen click to hear ('building' / 'buildings') - (de) blauwdruk click to hear ('blueprint') - bouwen click to hear ('to build') ‑>> - (het) bouwhout click to hear ('construction wood' - a word I made up) - bouwvakkers click to hear 2 ('construction workers') - (de) bouwval click to hear 2 ('ruin, dilapidated building') - (de) beeldhouwer click to hear 2 ('sculptor') - (de) dauw click to hear ('dew') - dauwtrappen click to hear ([stepping on the dew'] - a tradition of getting out very early on Ascension day, sometimes with a bit rowdy behavior) - (de) houweel click to hear ('pickaxe') - miauw! click to hear 2 ('meow!' - cat) - (de) kabeljauw click to hear 2 / kabeljauwen click to hear 2 ('cod' / 'cods') - jouw click to hear ('your' - singular informal) - (de) mouw click to hear ('sleeve') - (de) knauw click to hear 2 3 4 5 6 ('animal bite' // psychological setback, loss of self-confidence) - vouwen click to hear 2 ('to fold') - (de) schouwburg click to hear 2 ('theatre' - old-fashioned) - benauwd click to hear / benauwd/benauwde click to hear (difficulty breathing // 'afraid, hesitating') - (de) trouwdag click to hear 2 ('wedding day') - wauwelen click to hear 2 3 ('talking in an irritating manner') - (het) gewauwel click to hear 2 3 ('annoying, boring talk') - kauwen click to hear 2 ('to chew') - (de) sjouwer click to hear (a worker carrying building material) - (de) vouwfiets click to hear ('folding bicycle') - (het) kauwgom click to hear 2 3 ('chewing gum') - (de) lijkschouwing click to hear 2 3 ('autopsy' - [dead-body viewing]) - nauwkeurig click to hear ('precise') click to hear 2 ('bluestocking') - blauw oog click to hear 2 ([blue] - 'black eye' - injury) - [(het)] blauwpaars click to hear 2 3 4 ('blue-purple, violet') - (de) grauwsluier click to hear ('a gray veil' - phrase from a detergent commercial) - (het) touwtje click to hear 2 3 ('small piece of rope, string') - blauw zout click to hear ('blue salt') - flauwvallen click to hear 2 ('to faint') - Houweling click to hear (a family name) - Douwe click to hear (a boys' name) - Henegouwen click to hear (a province of Belgium) - Bouwman click to hear 2 (a family name)
‑X  - (het) bauxiet click to hear 2 3 ('bauxite,' aluminum ore)
‑Z  - (de) pauze click to hear 2 3 4 ('pause')

'Jou,'  'Jouw'  and 'Je'

For 'you' and 'your,' the second person singular (informal) you can almost always say 'je' click to hear in Dutch. 'Jouw' click to hear ('your' - the possessive, genitive, second person, 'your bike') and jou click to hear 2 ('you' dative and accusative, third and fourth person, indirect and direct object) can be used for emphasis, pointing to a specific person.

't Is jouw beurt click to hear It's your turn 't Is jouw schuld click to hear It's your fault, you are to blame Toen ik jouw leeftijd was ... click to hear 2 When I was your age ... Er is voor jou altijd plaats click to hear There's always a place, room for you Ik heb 't van jou geleerd click to hear 2 [I've learned it from you] It was taught to me by you, You taught me this Hij houdt van jou click to hear He loves you Als ik jou was ... click to hear 2 If I were you ... Als ik jou was zou ik niet gaan click to hear If I were you I wouldn't go In the 'als ik jou was'  lines, 'if I were in your position, in your shoes,' you cannot use 'je'  or 'jij.'

D 'Softening'

In spoken language, there is a trend of not pronouncing the D's in a few first person singular, 'ik'  ('I') present tense verb forms, and also in the 'jij'  question mode, for instance:
houden ik houd ik hou click to hear (to hold) - houden van click to hear (to like, to love)
Ik hou(d) niet van vis click to hear (I don't like fish)
Ik hou(d) niet van vlees snijden click to hear (I don't like cutting meat)
daar hou(d) ik niet van click to hear (I don't like that)
jij houdt / hou(d) jij? click to hear (you 'hold ' / do you 'hold'?)
"Hou(d) jij van opera? - Ik niet." click to hear ("Do you like opera? - I don't.")
more

the D in oude ('old') and koude ('cold') is often softened to W.
One could say Dutch always has a W-sound after AU and OU, but (to my ears) it gets more prominent when followed by voiceless E:
oud oude ouwe click to hear (old)
oude man click to hear - oude baas click to hear - ouwe baas click to hear ('old man' - in South-African this further evolved into oubaas click to hear 2)
ouwe koeien uit de sloot halen click to hear 2 ([haul - dredge up old cows from the ditch] pointless talk about foregone matters, flogging a dead horse)
kouwe drukte click to hear 2 ([cold busy-ness] fake bustle)

French AU

AU and EAU in Dutch words of French origin are pronounced like Dutch 'long O:' click to hear 2
Also note French G's, CH's, J's and LL's in these lists.
- (de) auto click to hear / auto's click to hear / auto/auto's click to hear 2 ('car/cars') - autootjes click to hear ('small cars' or 'toy cars') - (de) automaat click to hear 2 ('machine, automatic,' car with automatic gear shifting) - automatisch click to hear / automatische click to hear / automatisch/automatische click to hear ('automatic, automatically') - (het) automatisme click to hear ('automatism') - automobilisten click to hear 2 3 ('car drivers')
automatisch, zonder erover na te denken click to hear 2 3 4 automatically, without thinking Some people say words like these with a Dutch AU, for instance: auto click to
  hear but to me that sounds awful. Hear: automaat click to hear ('something "automatic"') and autochtoon click to hear ('original inhabitant') but I don't like it. In the fast-food vending machine (de) automatiek click to hear 2 it's OK with me. Opinions differ on the pronunciation of these French AU's - feel free to say them as you like. You will be understood whatever way you say them.
- aubergine click to hear 2 ('eggplant') - (de) chauffeur click to hear 2 ('driver' - car, bus, truck) - (de) buschauffeur click to hear 2 3 ('bus driver')
- mauve click to hear ('mauve' - a color) - restaurant click to hear 2 ('restaurant') - (de) marechaussee click to hear 2 ('military police')

French EAU

French EAU, pronounced as 'long O' click to hear
- bigarreaux click to hear 2 ('candied cherries') - (het) bureau click to hear ('desk' // 'office') - (het) bureautje click to hear ('small desk' // 'small office' - jocular) - (het) bureaublad click to hear 2 ('desktop' - also 'computer desktop') - (de) bureaulamp click to hear ('desk lamp') - (de) bureaustoel click to hear ('desk chair') - (het) politiebureau click to hear 2 ('police station') - (het) cadeau click to hear ('present, gift') - (de) Eau de Cologne click to hear ('Cologne') - (het) niveau click to hear ('level') - (het) plateau click to hear 2 3 ('plateau')

French OU

In Dutch words from French, OU is like English OO, Dutch OE click to hear
(de) gouverneur click to hear ('governor') - (de) blouse click to hear ('dress shirt' - ladies') - (de) route click to hear ('route, way, course') - (de) routine click to hear ('routine, habit') - (de) troubadour click to hear 2 ('troubadour, minstrel') - (de) loupe click to hear (small magnifying glass) - (de) tournee click to hear 2 ('tour') - (het) tournooi click to hear 2 ('tournament' - also written as toernooi) - (de) coureur click to hear ('race car driver, motorcycle racer') - coupletten click to hear ('verses' - of a song) - (de) courgette click to hear ('zucchini') - (de) rouge click to hear ('make-up item, red') - (de) bougie click to hear ('spark plug') - (de) douche click to hear ('shower') - ik douche click to hear 2 ('I'm taking a shower') - (de) gouache click to hear ('gouache' - painting) - (het) journaal click to hear ('TV News') - (de) journalist click to hear 2 ('reporter') - (de) bouillon click to hear 2 ('beef broth') - (het) bouillonblokje click to hear 2 ('beef cube') - fouilleren click to hear 2 ('to frisk, body-search, pat down') - (de) souffleur click to hear ('stage whisperer') - (de) zouaaf click to hear ('zouave' - Papal soldier) - (de) zouaven click to hear ('zouaves') - (de) douane click to hear 2 3 ('customs' - at the border)
- Bourgondië click to hear 2 (Burgundy) ‑>> - Louis click to hear (a boys' name)

AU and OU Compared with the Other Vowels and Diphthongs

(from the Hear the Vowels and Diphthongs next to Each Other page)

A click to hear - (het) houvast click to hear 2 3 ('something to hold onto, point of support') - (de) bouwval click to hear 2 ('a building in very bad shape, about to colllapse') - (de) trouwdag click to hear 2 ('wedding day, anniversary') - nou pas? click to hear 2 3 ('only now? - surprise at something delayed, happening later than expected') - (het) bladgoud click to hear 2 ('[leaf gold] gold leaf') - (de) landbouw click to hear 2 3 4 ('agriculture') - (het) brandhout click to hear ('firewood')
AA click to hear - [(het)] blauwpaars click to hear 2 3 4 ('blue-purple, violet') - houdbaar click to hear 2 3 ([can be kept] - 'shelf-stable,' 'non-perishable') - (het) trauma click to hear ('trauma, hurtful memory') - (de) kraamvrouw click to hear ('very new mother')
E click to hear - (de) goudverf click to hear 2 3 4 ('gold paint') - nou en? click to hear ('[now and?] so what?') - rauw spek click to hear ('raw (uncooked) bacon')
EE click to hear - (de) houweel click to hear ('pickaxe') - oud zeer click to hear ([old wounds] - 'historical grievances') - (de) eenvoud click to hear 2 ('simplicity') - (het) meervoud click to hear 2 ('plural')
E-uh click to hear - (het) touwtje click to hear 2 3 ('small piece of rope or string') - (de) foutje! click to hear 2 3 ('Oops! - I made a mistake') - (het) sausje click to hear 2 ('sauce') - (de) pauze click to hear 2 3 4 ('pause') - (de) schouder click to hear ('shoulder') - (het) berouw click to hear ('remorse, repentance')
- benauwd click to hear ('short of breath // stuffy // afraid, anxious') - (het) gebouw click to hear 2 ('building') - Mevrouw click to hear 2 3 ('Ma'am // Mrs.')
I click to hear - (de) trouwring click to hear 2 ('wedding band, wedding ring') - (de) goudvink click to hear 2 ('[goldfinch] - bullfinch') - (de) houding click to hear ('attitude') - [(het)] lichtblauw click to hear 2 3 4 ('light blue') - (de) inhoud click to hear ('contents')
IE click to hear - (de) vouwfiets click to hear ('folding bicycle') - (de) vrieskou click to hear 2 3 ('frost, freezing cold weather')
O click to hear - hou op! click to hear 2 3 4 5 ('stop it! stop what you're doing!')
- (de/het) kauwgom click to hear 2 3 ('chewing gum') - (de) bosbouw click to hear 2 3 4 ('forestry, forest management') - tot gauw! click to hear ('[till soon] see you soon!') - (de) opbouw click to hear 2 3 ('build-up, construction, structure') - (het) blok hout click to hear 2 ('largish piece of wood')
OO click to hear - blauw oog click to hear 2 ('[blue] black eye - injury') - (de) hoogbouw click to hear 2 3 4 ('high-rises, a group of high-rise buildings')
U click to hear - [(de)] juffrouw click to hear 2 3 4 ('Miss' // 'female elementary school teacher' (address)
- (de) schouwburg click to hear 2 ('theatre' - old-fashioned) - (de) blauwdruk click to hear ('blueprint') - (de) augurk click to hear 2 ('pickle')
UU click to hear - (de) buurvrouw click to hear 2 ('adult female neighbor') - (het) koudvuur click to hear 2 ("cold fire" - probably nonsensical) - (het) zoutzuur click to hear ('hydrochloric acid, HCl') - Zou U ...? click to hear 2 ('would you ...?')
AU/OU click to hear - (de) blauwkous click to hear 2 ('bluestocking,' intellectual or literary woman) - oud goud click to hear 2 ('old, antique gold') - (het) bouwhout click to hear 2 3 ('wood used in construction' - a word I made up) - blauw zout click to hear ('blue salt')
EI/IJ click to hear - (de) goudmijn click to hear 2 ('goldmine') - ijskoud click to hear ('cold as ice') - (het) vijfvoud click to hear 2 3 ('five-fold, five copies') - (de) wijnbouw click to hear 2 3 ('[wine cultivation] growing grapes and making wine')
EU click to hear - (de) houtgeur click to hear 2 3 ('wood-smell, smell of wood') - (de) zeurkous click to hear ('a person who nags a lot, complains about everything')
OE click to hear - (de) rouwstoet click to hear 2 3 ('[mourning] funeral procession') - (het) oerwoud click to hear 2 3 ('[primeval forest] jungle') - toe nou! click to hear ('come on!') - (de) vroedvrouw click to hear 2 3 ('midwife')
UI click to hear - (de) huisvrouw click to hear 2 3 ('housewife, female homemaker') - (het) kruishout click to hear ('parallel line marking tool' - woodworking) y - (de) uitbouw click to hear 2 ('extension, addition' to a building')
- oud vuil click to hear 2 3 ('[old garbage] absolute garbage, stuff that has to go')

De Gouden Eeuw click to hear ([The Golden Century] - 'the Dutch 17th Century') ‑>>

Major Exceptions to the Phonetic Spelling of Dutch:
- Page 1:   een   -IG   -ISCH   -LIJK  
- Page 2:   -B   -D   SCHR   -TIE   UW   WR

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AU/OU  CH  E  EI/IJ  EU  F  G  H  L  OE  SCH  U  UI  W  X  Y

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Gij zult niet stelen click to hear 'Thou shalt not steal'