Speaking
Dutch Pronunciation Guide
The sounds that make Dutch unique — with phonetic breakdowns and example words. Click any word to hear it.
Dutch pronunciation is largely phonetic once you know the rules. The two biggest challenges for English speakers are the G/CH (guttural sound) and the vowel combinations like UI, OE, EI/IJ.
Vowels (Klinkers)
| Letter(s) | Sound like | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| a | ah (short) | man | man |
| aa | ah (long) | maan | moon |
| e | eh (short) | bed | bed |
| ee | ay (long) | been | leg |
| i | ih (short) | lip | lip |
| ie | ee (long) | piet | Pete |
| o | oh (short) | bos | forest |
| oo | oh (long) | boom | tree |
| u | uh / eu | bus | bus |
| uu | ew (French "u") | uur | hour |
| oe | oo (like food) | boek | book |
| ui | ow+ee (no English equivalent) | huis | house |
| ei / ij | ay (like "say") | zijn | to be |
| au / ou | ow (like "cow") | auto | car |
| eu | eu (French) | neus | nose |
Consonants (Medeklinkers)
| Letter(s) | Sound | Example | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| g / ch | Guttural — back of throat | goed / acht | The hardest Dutch sound for English speakers |
| v | Between v and f | vader | Softer than English "v" |
| w | Between w and v | water | Not like English "w" |
| j | Like English "y" | ja | Never like English "j" |
| r | Rolled or guttural | rood | Regional variation |
| sch | Like "sx" | school | S + guttural ch |
| ng | Like sing | lang | Never like "ringer" |
| nk | ng+k | drinken | Sounds like "drink-en" |
| th | Just "t" | thee | Dutch has no "th" sound |
Stress & Intonation
- Dutch words are usually stressed on the first syllable: KA-mer, WIN-kel, DAN-kje
- Words with separable prefixes stress the prefix: OP-staan, UIT-gaan
- Borrowed words often keep original stress: res-tau-RANT, com-pu-TER
- Dutch intonation falls at the end of statements and rises for yes/no questions
Practice Words — Click to Hear
goed
good
click to hear
groot
big
click to hear
huis
house
click to hear
zijn
to be
click to hear
kunnen
can
click to hear
schrijven
to write
click to hear
uitgaan
to go out
click to hear
gezellig
cozy / fun
click to hear
lekker
tasty / nice
click to hear
alsjeblieft
please (informal)
click to hear
alstublieft
please (formal)
click to hear
bedankt
thanks
click to hear
goedemorgen
good morning
click to hear
goedemiddag
good afternoon
click to hear
goedenavond
good evening
click to hear
welterusten
good night
click to hear
