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A 'False Friends' Pronunciation Exercise

Listen to Dutch:
broodroof 2 ('bread-theft') - taking away someone's livelihood
De brave baker at brood met worst op de brink. 2
The obedient nanny ate bread with sausage on the village square.
(baker 'nanny' is somewhat obsolete Dutch)

A pronunciation exercise of about 200 words that are found both in English and Dutch - each word is a challenge. Almost automatically you'll say these words in English like you're used to - but try to pronounce them as Dutch words - or just listen to the examples for starters, do the pronunciation next time. It will not be easy, but it will quickly teach you the differences between English and Dutch pronunciation.
Find the Dutch translation of the English words on the full False Friends Page

To Study Dutch Pronunciation:

1. vowels - 2 - klinkers a, e, i, o, u 2. diphthongs - tweeklanken au, ei, eu, ij, oe, ou, ui 3. long and short vowels - 2 a/aa - e/ee - i/ie - o/oo - u/uu	4. 'voiceless E' - 2 'schwa' 5. consonants - 2 - medeklinkers b c d f g h j k l m n p q r s t v w x z 6. exceptions and irregularities - 2
Dutch Pronunciation Reference Page

Now pronounce as Dutch words and then compare to how I say them (or just listen to the Dutch)
(F) - words from French, pronounced somewhat as French words

An - a girls' name Ad - a boys' name Age - a Frisian boys' name arm - 1. arm (body part) 2. poor arts 2 - Medical Doctor as - 1. ashes 2. axle, axis at 2 (ik at 2 - I ate, I was eating) bad - bath (ik bad - I was praying) baker (obsolete) - nanny balk - a beam (wood) band - 1. tire, tube 2. bond, tie, tape bang - afraid, scared bank - 1. money services 2. bench bar 2 - 1. drinks place 2. harsh, bleak been - leg beef 2 (ik beef 2 - I tremble) beer - bear beet - 1. bite 2. gotcha! belt 2 (hij belt 2 - he is on the phone) bent 2 (jij bent 2 - (you) are) bevel - order, command bid 2 (ik bid - I pray, I am praying) big - pig blank 2 - white (pink) skin bond 2 union, association, federation boom 2 - tree boon - bean boos - angry boot - boat boots 2 (ik boots na 2 - I imitate, mimic) bots 2 3 (ik bots 2 I collide, crash into) bout - 1. leg meat 2. bolt for nut brand - fire branding 2 - breakers, waves on a beach brave 2 - well-behaved, harmless breed - wide, broad brief 2 - letter (mail) brink - village square brood 2 - bread chef (F) 2 - department head Co - a boys' name college (F) - 1. university class 2. council concrete 2 - physical, solid, real (not talk) concurrent 2 - business competitor crèche (F) - children's daycare center damp 2 - vapor dank - thanks deed (ik deed - I did) den - 1. pine tree 2. old-fashioned 'the' die - that, those diner (F) - festive evening meal ding - thing direct 2 - immediately; straightaway divers 2 - varied doe (ik doe - I do) door - 1. through 2. by dove 2 - a deaf person dozen 2 - boxes drab 2 - thick, murky liquid drank - beverage; liquor driest - bold, reckless drop - liquorice (the black candy) douche (F) - shower dun - thin, skinny elders - elsewhere, in another place elk - each, every email (F) - enamel even 2 - 1. just a moment 2. e. numbers fat - a dandy fee - a fairy Ferry - a boys' name file - traffic jam fitting 2 - lightbulb socket Flip - a boys' name folder - brochure Floor - a girls' name fret - partition on string instrument neck Greet - a girls' name gal - gall gang - corridor, hallway gave 2 - 1. gift 2. whole, undamaged gene (obsolete) - 'those yonder' gilt 2 (zij gilt 2 - she shrieks) gist - yeast gold 2 ('t gold 2 - ~it counted as) glad - 1. slippery 2. smooth grind - gravel, pebbles grove (grof/grove ) coarse gulp - fly, pants zipper gum - eraser gun (ik gun 2 - I grant) guts - a woodcarving tool gymnasium - PE, gymnastics classroom hard - 1. not soft 2. fast, not slow hark - 1. rake (garden) 2. a clumsy male Harm - a boys' name have (obsolete) - (moveable) property haven - port, harbor heel 2 - 1. whole 2. very held - hero helm - helmet hem - him hoe - how? honing 2 - honey hoop 2 - 1. hope 2. heap, load jammer 2 - it's a pity Joke - a girls' name kale (kaal/kale 2) - bald keel - throat kin 2 - chin kind 2 - child kinds 2 - senile knot - skein, ball (of wool) lag 2 (ik lag 2 3 - I was lying down) lager - lower lam - 1. lamb 2. lame, paralyzed late (laat/late 2) - late (not early) last - burden lap - a piece of fabric leek - layman ('t leek 2 - it looked like) leer 2 - 1. leather 2. teachings leg (ik leg - I lay down) lessen 2 - 1. lessons 2. to slake (2. dorst lessen 2 - to slake thirst) let (let op! 2 - pay attention!) letter 2 - alphabet character lever - liver libel 2 3 - dragonfly lid 2 - member lied - song Lies - a girls' name lies - groin, where the leg joins the body link 2 (slang) - dangerous links - left (not right) lint 2 - ceremonial tape list 2 - ruse, trick log - hard to move, not nimble logger 2 - harder to move long - lung loom 2 - slow, languid loop 2 - 1. gunbarrel 2. course (ik loop - I walk) loot - new, young branch Lot 2 - a girls' name lot 2 - 1. a lottery ticket 2. fate lover (obsolete) - leaves, foliage machinist (F) 2 - engineer, engine driver made - maggot man 2 - 1. adult male human 2. husband map - holder for papers mare 2 * - report; rumor; story, legend marine - the navy mate 2 - 1. mate van - level of, degree mate 2 - 2. met mate - in moderation meet (ik meet - I take measurements)

men - an informal 'they' * messing 2 - brass (copper/zinc) met - with Mien 2 3 - a girls' name milt 2 3 - spleen (organ) minder - less, fewer minister 2 - cabinet minister, secretary mode - fashion molt 2 (hij molt 2 - he breaks, destroys) moot - a fish steak mop 2 - a joke mud 2 (obsolete) - 100 liters measure mug - mosquito multiplex 2 - laminated board (>3 layers) nap (obsolete) - small wooden bowl nor (slang) - prison nut - usefulness, use occasion 2 - secondhand car for sale of - or offer 2 - sacrifice order - order (buying / command) pad 2 - 1. path 2. toad page (F) - a knight's servant pal - (standing) firm paring 2 - 1. mating 2. pairing past 2 ('t past - it fits) paste 2 (het paste - it fit - past tense) pat - stalemate (chess) peer 2 3 - pear pees 2 - tendon penning 2 - medal, coin pens 2 - 1. tripe 2. paunch pension - boarding house pet 2 - 1. baseball cap 2. rotten, not good pink - little finger, 'pinky' pit 2 - 1. small fruit seed 2. human energy plant - living plant poet 2 - loot, criminal gain poets 2 1. practical joke, trick 2. ik poets 2 - I am polishing, shining pond - 500 grams, ~ pound pool - pole (North, South) pop 2 - doll port - Portuguese sweet, strong wine prompt - responding quickly pummel - ill-mannered young man put 2 - well, waterhole rag - spiderweb material, also: spinrag 2 rage (F) - craze, fad ramp - disaster rang 2 - rank in hierarchy rank 2 - 1. slender 2. tendril, vine rap (obsolete) - quickly rapport 2 - official report; grades sheet rare (raar/rare 2) - strange, weird, odd raven 2 - ravens red 2 (ik red 2 - I rescue, save) reed (ik reed 2 - I rode, I drove) rein 2 - pure, clean (old-fashioned) rest 2 - remainder, remnant ring 2 - ring (on finger) rode (rood / rode ) - red roe 2 - (bundle of twigs, for punishment) romp 2 - trunk, body w/o head, arms and legs roof 2 - robbery, theft rook - smoke room - cream rooster 2 - 1. grate 2. schedule, roster rover - robber, mugger rug - back (body part) rust 2 - rest, a time of quiet sinus - sine (trigoniometry) sip 2 - glum, unhappy sister 2 - medieval string instrument slab 2 - bib slag - blow; battle slang 2 - 1. snake 2. hose slap - weak sleep 2 (ik sleep - I drag, I tow) sleet 2 (ik sleet 2 - ~I spent my time) slim - bright, intelligent slimmer 2 - more clever slinks 2 - devious, cunning, secretly sloop 2 - 1. pillowcase 2. wrecking, e.g. cars slot 2 - 1. lock 2. end 3. castle smart 2 (obsolete) - pain, hurt snap 2 3 (ik snap 't 2 3 - I understand [it]) spanning 2 3 tension spies skewer, metal pin for roasting spin - spider spook 2 - ghost spot 2 - ridicule, derision spring (ik spring 2 - I jump) stadium 2 - stage, phase stage (F) - internship staking 2 - strike, work stoppage stand - setting star - rigid, inflexible steel 2 - 1. large tools stick 2. stem (plants) stem - 1. voice 2. vote step 2 - children's scooter stomp 2 - 1. not sharp 2. punch, hit 3. stub storing 2 - interruption storm 2 - high winds, gale stout - naughty strand - beach student - college & university student only taken - tasks talk - baby powder tang 2 - pliers teen - toe ten (old-fashioned) - 'at' thee - tea tilde 2 3 (hij tilde 2 3 - he lifted) tin - tin (the metal, Sn) Tine - a girls' name tip - suggestion toe 2 - 1. come on! 2 ~direction Ton - a boys' name tot - till trap - stairs tree - stairs step trek 2 - 1. hunger, an appetite 2. epic journey (ik trek 2 - I pull, I drag) trilling 2 - vibration, trembling trots 2 - pride; proud tube 2 - (toothpaste etc.) container turf - peat turn 2 (ik turn 2 - type of gymnastics) twist - quarrel vale - discolored, faded van - of vast - fast, firmly connected, not loose veer - 1. spring (tensile) 2. feather 3. ferry veiling - auction vent - a guy, a bloke (somewhat unfavorable) verse 2 (vers/verse 2 3) - fresh vest 'cardigan, fleece jacket' vet - 1. fat, grease 2. fat, greasy vies - dirty, not clean; bad-tasting violet - 1. a flower 2. blue purple wand - wall (of a room) want 2 - 1. mitt 2. for, because war (in de war - confused) was - 1. laundry 2. wax (ik was - 1. I was 2. I'm washing/doing laundry) waste (ik waste - 1. I washed up 2. I was doing laundry) wee - 1. contraction (birth) 2. woe to ... went 2 ('t went 2 - you get used to it) wet - law wig 2 - wedge wit 2 - white wonder - miracle word 2 (ik word 2 - I become, I am being) worst - sausage zoom 2 3 - hem, finished fabric edge

Identical Words of About Identical Meaning - or sharing at least a common meaning. See and hear also my Easy Dutch pages for words that are not identical but similar, 'recognizable.'

absurd abstrakt accountant 2 adder * alcohol 2 alibi 2 amateur anatomie angst april architect (Fr.) 2 3 arm * atlas 2 3 auto banjo 2 bank * barometer 2 bed 2 best 2 (ik) bind 2 bitter blind 2 bus cement * centimeter chaos cholera concert contact 2 3 contract *

cylinder * decibel deodorant desoriënterend 2 diameter 2 discipline * 2 dogma 2 drama 2 (ik) drink 2 duel 2 duet duo 2 echo 2 3 etiquette (Fr.) 2 3 expert * experiment film 2 fragment fret * fruit gas 2 god gram half hand hard harp * 2 help * 2 horizon 2

hut in 2 incompetent 2 is 2 joker * 2 kilometer lab lamp land 2 3 later lens lip liter 2 lust man * 2 3 margarine 2 menu (Fr.) meter migraine (Fr.) 3 mild mist modern 2 moment monument navel 2 open opera oven pan 2 park

pen piano platform 2 plan plank 2 plant plastic (Engl.) privilege * 2 psalm 2 radio 2 rasp 2 rat * 2 3 rebel 2 respect rib 2 rot 2 rubber 2 3 salamander school shampoo (Engl.) 2 specialist spelling !!! 2 splinters 2 3 spore 2 stank 2 stop 2 tempo tent test 2 3 tetanus 2

Thai thermometer ton * 2 3 trombone tuba tunnel 2 uniform * virus volume wake 2 warm was water 2 week 2 west wild wind 2 winter wolf worm (ik) wring 2

The Dutch sounds that are not found in English (CH/G, EI/IJ, EU, UI and 'long U') are underrepresented on this page. Find more: Easy Dutch and Dutch Summary.

Find the Dutch translation of the English words on the full False Friends Page
Exercises Overview - An Old Pronunciation Exercise - Listening Exercise

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Don't be a dief (thief) / dievegge (female thief) - diefstal (theft) - stelen (to steal) - heler (dealer in stolen goods) - hear Dutch - 2
Gij zult niet stelen 'Thou shalt not steal'