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