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
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groot
big
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huis
house
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zijn
to be
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kunnen
can
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schrijven
to write
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uitgaan
to go out
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gezellig
cozy / fun
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lekker
tasty / nice
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alsjeblieft
please (informal)
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alstublieft
please (formal)
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bedankt
thanks
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goedemorgen
good morning
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goedemiddag
good afternoon
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goedenavond
good evening
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welterusten
good night
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