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in Dutch - Skip General Introduction

Pronunciation: Hear for Yourself

Do take my words for it
Too many examples! Listen just to what looks interesting or useful to you. That's the beauty of a free website - you can just skip what you don't need without feeling bad that you paid for something that's of no use to you. Listen to as many or as few examples as you want. Look for words that may be useful to you. - Can there be too many examples for you students to listen to?
Pay special attention to letters, letter combinations and sounds that you don't have in your own language
These pronunciation pages are not meant for learning vocabulary. The English translations may lack in precision. But if you like, follow the occasional links ‑>> to explanation, examples of usage and/or related words.
Learning Vocabulary

Adjectives in most positions get an -E  ending ‑>>
Several words appear twice on the page. I do not have an infinite number of recordings, and some combinations of letters are rarely or never found in Dutch.

Spelling and Pronunciation

Dutch spelling/pronunciation rules say that: So (de) man click to hear 2 ('man, human adult male) has the plural mannen (man-nen) click to hear 2 while (de) maan click to hear 2 ('moon') has the plural manen (ma-nen) click to hear 2 3

'Long' and 'short' are traditional terms. The difference is actually more of tone than length
More about spelling and pronunciation - another version
Learn the Rules by Studying and Listening to Examples

Major Exceptions to the Phonetic Spelling of Dutch
- Page 1:   een   -IG   -ISCH   -LIJK  
- Page 2:   -B   -D   SCHR   -TIE   UW   WR
Hear the Dutch Letters in Hundreds of Words:
 AU/OU  CH  E  EI/IJ  EU  F  G  H  L  OE  SCH  U  UI  W  X  Y
'Master Lists' of Dutch words: Dutch to English - English to Dutch

A in Dutch - Hear for Yourself

- (de) A click to hear ('A')

Page is otherwise unfinished

Unexpected Short 'A'

'long A' click to hear'short A' click to hear
Dutch spelling/pronunciation rules say that a single vowel is 'long' when followed by one consonant and one or more vowels, but going through my recordings I hear many words with unexpectedly 'short' A's in the first syllable. In these words there is usually a 'long' or 'short' vowel or a diphthong in the second syllable — A's in the first syllable followed by a single consonant and a 'voiceless, unstressed E' click to hear ('schwa') in the second syllable are always 'long.'
Still, there are many words with a single long A followed by a single consonant and a 'long' or 'short' vowel or a diphthong.
The parts of compound words usually keep their original, independent-word pronunciation, for instance: - alom click to hear 2 ('all around')

- (het) abonnement click to hear 2 3 ('subscription') - (de) abortus click to hear 2 ('abortion') - (de) academicus click to hear 2 ('person with a university degree') - (de) academici click to hear 2 ('people with a university degree') - (de/het) aceton click to hear 2 3 ('acetone') - acuut click to hear ('acute')
- (de) adoptie click to hear ('adoption') - Agaath click to hear 2 (a girls' name) - (de) agenda click to hear 2 3 ('diary' - appointments book // 'agenda' - points at a meeting) - (de) agent click to hear 2 ('police officer' // "officer" // 'agent') - aju click to hear ('goodbye, see you' - slang) - (de) akoestische bas click to hear ('acoustic bass') - (de) akoestische gitaar click to hear 2 ('acoustic guitar') - alert click to hear 2 3 ('alert, vigilant') - Aletta click to hear (a girls' name) - (de) alinea click to hear 2 ('paragraph') - (het) aluminium click to hear ('aluminum') - amandelen click to hear ('almonds' // 'tonsils') - (de) amateur click to hear 2 ('amateur') - Amerika click to hear ('America') - (de) Amerikaan click to hear 2 ('American') - Amerikanen click to hear 2 3 ('Americans') - (het) amusement click to hear 2 ('amusement, entertainment - analoog click to hear 2 ('analog') - analyseren click to hear 2 3 ('to analyse') - (de) ananas click to hear ('pineapple') - (de) anatomie click to hear ('anatomy') - apart click to hear 2 3 ('apart, separate' // 'peculiar') - (het) apartement click to hear 2 ('appartment') - (de) apartheid click to hear 2 ("apartheid," the former South-African racist segragation system) - (het) aperitief click to hear / - (het) aperitiefje click to hear (a drink before a meal) - (de) apostrof click to hear ('apostrophe') - (de) apotheek click to hear 2 ('pharmacy') - (de) apotheker click to hear 2 3 ('pharmacist') - (de) Arabier click to hear ('an Arab') - Arabieren click to hear 2 ('Arabs') - (het) atoom click to hear ('atom') - Axel ("Aksel") click to hear (a town) - (het) avontuur click to hear 2 ('adventure') - (de) azijn click to hear ('vinegar') - (de) bagage (French) click to hear 2 ('luggage') - (de) balans click to hear 2 ('equilibrium' // 'scale' // 'balance') - (de) banaan click to hear 2 ('banaan') - plural - bananen click to hear ('bananas') - (de) Barok click to hear ('Baroque') - (de) barometer click to hear 2 ('barometer') - Batavieren click to hear ('Batavians') - (de) batik click to hear ('batik') - (de) baviaan click to hear 2 ('baboon') - (de) cacao click to hear ('cocoa') - (het) cachet (French) click to hear 2 ('~class') - (het) cadeau (French) click to hear ('gift, present') - (de) cadet click to hear 2 3 ('cadet, military trainee') - (het) café click to hear 2 ('café') - (de) cafeine click to hear 2 ('cafeine') - Californië click to hear 2 ('California') - (de) calorie click to hear ('calorie') - calorieën click to hear 2 ('calories') - (de) catalogus click to hear 2 3 ('catalogue') - chagerijnig click to hear 2 (3 4) ('grumpy, in a bad mood') - (de) fabriek (fa-briek) click to hear 2 ('factory, plant') - (de) familie click to hear ('family, relatives') - fataal click to hear 2 3 4 ('fatal, deadly') - [(de)] favoriet click to hear ('favorite') - (de) fazant click to hear ('pheasant') - (de) galerij click to hear 2 3 ('gallery') - (de) garage (~French) click to hear ('garage' car parking // car repair shop) - (de) garantie click to hear ('warranty, guarantee') - (de) gazelle click to hear 2 ('gazelle' - also a Dutch bicycle brand) - Jacoba click to hear (a girls' name) - Jacobus click to hear 2 (a boys' name) - jaloers click to hear 2 ('jealous') - januari click to hear ('January') - Japan click to hear ('Japan') - (het) kabaal click to hear 2 ('noise') (de) kabeljauw click to hear 2 ('cod') - (het) kabinet click to hear 2 (the council of government ministers) - (de) kabouter click to hear 2 3 4 ('gnome') - (het) kadaver click to hear 2 3 ('cadaver' - usually: 'dead animal body') - (het) kadetje click to hear 2 3 (oblong white bread roll, like a hot dog bun) - (het) kadootje click to hear ('small present') - (de) kalender click to hear 2 ('calendar') - (de) kameel click to hear 2 ('camel') - (het) kanaal click to hear ('channel, canal') - (de) kanarie click to hear 2 ('canary') - (de/het) kaneel click to hear ('cinnamon') - (het) kanon click to hear ('cannon, big gun') - (de) kapel click to hear ('chapel') - (de) kapelaan click to hear 2 ('chaplain') - (de) kapitein click to hear 2 3 ('captain') - kapot click to hear ('broken, defective) - kapucijners click to hear (a kind of bean) - (het) karakter click to hear 2 3 ('character') - (de) katalysator click to hear 2 ('catalyst') - (de) katapult click to hear 2 ('catapult') - (de) katastrofe ('French O') click to hear 2 ('catastrophe') - (de) kazerne click to hear 2 ('military barracks') - (het) katoen click to hear ('cotton') - (de) kwaliteit click to hear 2 ('quality') - (het) lawaai click to hear 2 ('noise') - (de) majoor click to hear 2 ('major') - (de) manier click to hear 2 ('manner, way of doing') - manoeuvre click to hear 2 ('maneuver, strategic move') - manoeuvreren click to hear 2 ('to maneuver') - (de) marathon click to hear 2 ('marathon') - (de) marechaussee click to hear 2 ('Dutch military police') - (de) marine click to hear 'navy') - (de) mariniers click to hear 2 ('marines') - (het) materiaal click to hear 2 ('material') - (de) materie click to hear 2 ('matter') - maximaal click to hear 2 ('at most, maximum') - (het) maximum click to hear 2 ('maximum') - (de) mayonaise (French) click to hear 2 ('mayo, mayonaise') - (de) natuur click to hear 2 ('nature') - natuurlijk click to hear ('of course!') - natuurlijk click to hear / natuurlijke click to hear 2 ('natural') - (het) paleis click to hear 2 ('palace') - (het) paneel click to hear 2 ('panel, pane') - (het) paneermeel click to hear ('breadcrumbs') - (de) paniek click to hear ('paniek') - (de) papagaai click to hear 2 3 ('parrot') - (het) papier click to hear 2 ('paper' - material) - (de) parade click to hear 2 ('parade') - (de) paragraaf click to hear 2 ('paragraph') - (de) paraplu click to hear ('umbrella') - (de) parochie click to hear 2 ('parish') - (de) patiënt click to hear 2 3 ('patient' - doctors' customer) - (de) rabarber click to hear ('rhubarb') - radicaal click to hear 2 3 ('radical') - radijsjes click to hear ('radishes') - (de) sabotage click to hear 2 3 ('sabotage') - (de) salade click to hear ('salade') - (de) salamander click to hear ('salamander') - (het) salaris click to hear ('salary') - (de) saxofoon click to hear 2 ('saxophone') - (de) tabak click to hear 2 3 ('tobacco') - (de) tabel click to hear 2 ('table of figures') - tabellen click to hear 2 ('tables of figures') - tabé click to hear ('Bye' - slang) - (het) talent click to hear 2 3 ('talent' - gift, ability) - (het) tapijt click to hear ('carpet, tapestry') - (de) taxi click to hear 2 3 ('taxi') - (de) vakantie click to hear 2 ('vacation, holiday')

but as expected

(a few random examples)
1. - Abel click to hear (a boys' name) - (de) kabel click to hear ('cable') - rare click to hear ('strange, weird, odd') - mager click to hear / magere click to hear 2 ('skinny') - (de) tafel click to hear 2 3 4 ('table') - maken click to hear ('to make') - zagen click to hear 2 ('to cut' - with a saw) - (het) gajes click to hear ('bad people')
2. - (de) balie click to hear 2 ('reception desk') - (de) tralie click to hear ('prison window bar') - gratis click to hear ('free, no cost') - (de) salie click to hear ('sage, a mild herb') - (de) variatie click to hear 2 ('variation') - kalium click to hear ('potassium K') - barium click to hear ('barium Ba') - radium click to hear ('radium Ra') - amechtig click to hear ('breathless') - (de) lava click to hear 2 3 4 ('lava')

Major Exceptions to Phonetic Spelling - 2

Introducing the Sound 1
'short A' click to hear - Ab click to hear (a boys' name) - (het) accent click to hear 2 3 ('accent') - (de) accu click to hear ('car battery') - ach click to hear 2 3 ('an exclamation') - acht click to hear 2 ('8') - (de) adder click to hear ('adder' - a snake) - af click to hear ('off' // 'away from' // 'finished' // more) - Agnes click to hear (a girls' name) - aju click to hear ('goodbye, see you' - slang) - (de) akker click to hear ('agriculture field') - al click to hear 2 ('already') - alle click to hear ('all, every') - (de) ambassade click to hear 2 3 ('embassy') - An click to hear (a girls' name) - (het) apparaat click to hear ('device, small machine') - Ard click to hear 2 (a boys' name) - (de) as click to hear 2 ('ashes') - at click to hear 2 ('ate' - singular simple past tense)
'long A' click to hear - Abel click to hear (a boys' name) - Aad click to hear (a boys' name) - (de) adel click to hear ('the nobility') - (de) ader click to hear 2 ('vein,' blood vessel) - Aafke click to hear (a girls' name) - Aagje click to hear (a girls' name) - (de) aai click to hear 2 ('') - (aaien click to hear ('') - Ajax click to hear 2 3 4 (Amsterdam soccer team // Greek mythological figure) - (de) aal click to hear ('eel' - a snakelike fish) - (het) aambeeld click to hear ('anvil') - aan click to hear ('on' // 'at'// more) - (de) aap click to hear 2 3 4 ('monkey') - (het) aquarel click to hear 2 3 ('watercolor painting') - (de) aard click to hear 2 3 ('nature,) character' - also a boys' name) - Aarts click to hear 2 (a family name) - (de/het) aas click to hear ('ace' // 'carrion') - Ate click to hear 2 3 (a boys' name) - Atrecht (A-trecht) click to hear (Arras, a town in the North of France)

Page is otherwise unfinished

Introducing the Sounds 2
- A click to hear ('A')

The 'first series' is grouped by the letter before the 's, the 'second series' is grouped by the letter after the 's:

- short first series: A-Z - short second series: B-W
- long first series: A-Z - long second series: -Z

the: de click to hear 2 / het click to hear 2 3 - 't click to hear ->>
Plurals always take 'de'
a: (een) - 'n click to hear / one: één click to hear 2 3

Repeat the words after me, try saying them like I do, and record yourself or ask a friend to compare how you say them with how I say them. Use as few or as many examples as you like.

0  - (de) click to hear ('')
AAU 
AB  Ab Abcoude abdij
AC 
AE 
AEE 
AEuh 
AEI 
AEU 
AF 
AG 
AH 
AI 
AIE 
AIJ  IJ SEE - EI above
AJ 
AK 
AL 
AM 
AN 
AO 
AOO 
AOE 
AOU  OU see - AU above
AP 
AQ 
AR 
AS 
AT 
AU 
AUU 
AUI 
AV 
AW 
AX 
AY 
AZ 

>
0  - (de) click to hear ('')
AA 
AAA 
AUA 
BA 
CA 
DA 
EA 
EEA 
EuhA 
EIA 
EUA 
FA 
GA 
HA 
IA 
IEA 
IJA  IJ SEE - EI above
JA 
KA 
LA 
MA 
NA 
OA 
OOA 
OEA 
OUA  OU see - AU above
PA 
QA 
RA 
Vowels and diphthongs are 'longer' when followed by R
SA 
TA 
UA 
UUA 
UIA 
VA 
WA 
XA 
YA 
ZA 

Major Exceptions to the Phonetic Spelling of Dutch:
- Page 1:   een   -IG   -ISCH   -LIJK  
- Page 2:   -B   -D   SCHR   -TIE   UW   WR

Hear the Dutch Letters in Hundreds of Words:
 AU/OU  CH  E  EI/IJ  EU  F  G  H  L  OE  SCH  U  UI  W  X  Y

'Master Lists' of Dutch words: Dutch to English - English to Dutch

'Basic' Dutch Words - Pictures Dictionary - Words by Subject - Easy Dutch - Phrases and Conversation Templates - Names - Place Names - verbs

email - Copyright © Marco Schuffelen 2022. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, redistributed, or hotlinked to.
Gij zult niet stelen click to hear 'Thou shalt not steal'