Pronunciation

Dutch has some vowel sounds that are not known in many other languages, so they can be hard to learn.

Short vowels

a
like 'a' in "calm", (but shorter)

e
like 'e' in "pen" or 'e' in "the" (at word endings)

i
like 'i' in "pin"

o
like 'o' in "dork"

u
like 'e' in "the"

y
like 'i' in "pin" or 'ee' in "deep"

Long vowels

a, aa
like 'aa' in "Afrikaans"

e, ee
like 'a' in "day" (without pronouncing the 'y'-sound at the end)

eu
similar to 'er' in "mercy"

ie
like 'ea' in "sea"

o, oo
like 'o' in "ago" (without pronouncing the 'w'-sound at the end)

oe
like 'oo' in "too"

u, uu
like 'ü' in German "München"

Diphthongs

au, ou
like 'ow' in "how"

eeuw
like 'a' in "day" (and substituting the 'y'-sound at the end with a 'w'-sound

ei, ij
like 'ay' in "say"

ieuw
like 'ea' in "sea" followed by a 'w'-sound

ui
like 'i' in "sir" followed by a 'y'-sound

Consonants

b
like 'b' in "bed"

c
like 'c' in "can" or the second 'c' in "success"

ch
like 'ch' in Scottish "loch"

d
like 'd' in "do"

f
like 'f' in "feel"

g
voiced 'ch'-sound

h
like 'h' in "have"

j
like 'y' in "you"

k
like 'k' in "kilo"

l
like 'l' in "low"

m
like 'm' in "man"

n
like 'n' in "no"; often dropped at the end of words

p
like 'p' in "pet"

q
like 'q' in "quick"

r
similar to 'r' in "row"

s
like 's' in "say"

sj
like 'sh in "she"

t
like 't' in "top"

v
like 'v' in "vein"

w
like 'w' in "we"

x
like 'x' in "axe"

y
like 'y' in "yes"

z
like 'z' in "zoo"

_________

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