Key Dutch sounds, diphthongs, and regional pronunciation notes, with plain-English pronunciation guidance. Front: the Dutch letter, sound, or word. Back: meaning plus a plain-English pronunciation note.
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- G/Ch (as in gracht)
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Canal. A harsh guttural sound made in the back of the throat, similar to Scottish 'loch' but often harsher.- Ui (as in huis)
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House. A distinctive diphthong with no real English equivalent, roughly between 'ow' and 'eu'.- Eu (as in deur)
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Door. Similar to French 'eu' or German 'รถ', a rounded mid-front vowel.- Ij/Ei (as in tijd, klein)
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Time, small. Both spellings represent the same diphthong, roughly like the 'ey' in English 'they'.- Sch (as in school)
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School. Pronounced as 's' followed by the guttural 'ch', not like English 'sh'.- Oe (as in boek)
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Book. Pronounced like the 'oo' in English 'boot'.- Doubled vowels (as in maan)
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Moon. Doubled vowels signal a long vowel sound, roughly twice the length of the single-letter version.- Dutch W
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A soft labiodental sound, between English 'v' and 'w', made with the lower lip near the upper teeth.- Dutch R
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Varies by region: it can be rolled, guttural, or a soft approximant, and all are considered acceptable.- V (word-initial)
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Often pronounced closer to an English 'f' at the start of words, softer than the buzzing English 'v'.- J (as in ja)
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Yes. Pronounced like English 'y' in 'yes', never like English 'j' in 'jump'.- Z (as in zon)
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Sun. Fully voiced and buzzier than the English 'z' in many dialects.- Final devoicing (as in goed)
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Good. Voiced consonants at the end of a word devoice in speech, so this word ends with a 't' sound rather than a 'd'.- Ng (as in zingen)
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To sing. A single nasal sound, like English 'sing', never pronounced as two separate letters.- A vs. Aa
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'A' alone is short, like the 'u' in English 'cup'; doubled 'aa' is long, like the 'a' in 'father'.
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