Words, Vocabulary - Spelling and Pronunciation Shorts - Verbs - Word Order - Exercises - 2 - MX Lessons - Programs - Read and Listen to Dutch Find Dutch words: Dutch List - English to Dutch or:   my site

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
Spelling and Pronunciation (short version)
Find the Spelling and Pronunciation Rules by Yourself

Compare the Sound of Dutch F, V and W

A - AA - E - EE - Euh - EI/IJ - I - IE - O - OO - OE - OU - R - U - UU - UI

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

Keep in mind that:
D at the end of a word  is pronounced as T: ‑>>
WR: W before R is pronounced as V: ‑>>

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.

		(de) fat		('a dandy')
		(het) vat		('barrel, cask, drum')
		wat		('what') ‑>>
		(de) fakkel		('torch')
		(het) vak 2		('section, area // compartment // trade, profession // subject of study')
		(het) wak		('hole in ice surface')
		(de) vacht 2		('fur')
		[(de)] wacht		("wait!" // 'guard')
		(de) val		('fall' // 'trap')
		(de) wal 2		('a big wall,' like city walls)
		vals		('false' // 'unfair, mean' // 'out of tune')
		valse 2		('false' // 'unfair, mean' // 'out of tune')
		(de) wals		('waltz' // 'steamroller')
		walsen		('to waltz' // 'steamrollers')
		(de) zalf		('ointment, cream')
		zalven 2		('to apply cream' // 'to anoint')
		falen 2 3 4		('to fail, not succeed')
		vaal / vale		('faded' - color)
		de Waal 2		(a river)
		Fake 2 3		(a boys' name)
		vaak 2 3		('often')
		(de) wake 2 3		('wake' - vigil for the dead)
		waken 2 3		('keeping watch')
		(de) vaas 2 3		('vase')
		(de) waas 2		('haze')
		(de) fase		('phase')
		vazen		('vases')
		(het) alfabet 2		('alphabet') ‑>>
		Alva 2		(Spanish governor of the Low Countries at the start of the Dutch Revolt (1568-1648))
		(de) flater 2 3		('a glaring mistake' - public, embarassing)
		(de) vla		('pudding' - cold, milk-based)
		(de) raaf		('raven')
		raven 2		('ravens')
		raaf/raven		('raven/ravens')
		braaf 2		('obedient, well-behaved, harmless')
		brave 2		('obedient, well-behaved, harmless')
		braaf/brave 2 3		('obedient, well-behaved, harmless')
		(de) wafel 2		('waffle')
		(het) zwavel		('sulphur')
		(de) vadem		(old water depth measure, about 1.7M, 6 feet')
		waden 2		('to wade')
		fel		('fierce, sharp, keen')
		(het) vel		('skin')
		wel		(affirmative amplifier) ‑>>
		(de) fee		(fairy')
		(het) vee 2 3 4		('cattle')
		(de) wee 2 3		('contraction' - birth)
		Felix		(a boys' name)
		veel 2 3		('much, many') ‑>>
		(de) weelde 2		('luxury' - think of: wealth)
		Feenstra 2		(a family name)
		Veenstra 2 3		(a family name)
		effen 2 3 4		('solid, one color') ‑>> 2
		even 2 3		('a moment' // 'equally, just as' // 'even' - numbers) ‑>>
		we		('we')
		(het) feit		('fact')
		wijd		('wide')
		feiten		('facts')
		wijten 2		('to blame,' see as the cause of) ‑>>
		fijn 2		('nice, pleasant' // 'fine, small')
		veinzen		('to pretend' // 'to feign')
		(de) wijn 2		('wine')
		(het) lijf		('human body' - slang, impolite)
		lijven 2		('bodies' - slang)
		(het) filter 2 3		('filter')
		(het) vilt		('felt')
		wild		('wild')
		(de) Fin		('Finnish person')
		(de) vin		('fin' - fish body part)
		vinden 2		('to find' // '~to think')
		winden 2 3		('to wind, twist' // 'winds' // 'to fart')
		(het) finkie 2		('bird' - slang)
		(de) vink		('finch' - a bird)
		(de) winkel 2		('shop, store') ‑>>
		fier		('proud, brave' - old-fashioned)
		vier		('4')
		(het) zeewier 2 3		('seaweed')
		(de) wierook 2		('incense')
		(de) fiets 2		('bicycle')
		Viets		(a family name)
		vitaal 2		('vital')
		(de) wiet 2 3		("weed")
		lief		('dear, sweet') ‑>>
		lieve		('dear, sweet')
		lief/lieve		('dear, sweet')
		(de) folder		('brochure')
		vol		('full')
		(de) wol		('wool')
		(de) folklore 2		('folklore')
		volkoren 2		('wholewheat')
		(het) volk 2 3		('people, nation')
		(de) wolk 2 3		('cloud')
		(de) bevolking		('population')
		(de) bewolking 2		('cloud cover')
		(de) vorst 2		('frost' // 'king')
		(de) worst		('sausage')
		(de) forel		('trout' - a fish)
		voor 2		('for' // 'before' // many other meanings) ‑>>
		-voorde 2		(place name ending, like English '‑ford')
		woorden		('words') ‑>>
		(het) foedraal		('leather bag' for a tool)
		voedzaam 2 3		('nutritious')
		(de) woede 2		('anger')
		(de) foelie		('mace,' a spice)
		voelen 2		('to feel') ‑>>
		(de) boef 2		('rogue, criminal')
		boeven 2		('criminals' - often jocular)
		hoeveel		('how much, how many?') ‑>>
		hoewel		('although')
		[(de)] fout		('mistake' // 'wrong') ‑>>
		(de) vouw		('fold')
		ik wou		('I wish, I wanted' - slightly substandard) ‑>>
		(het) woud 2		('forest')
		(het) houvast 2 3		('hold, grip,' "fixed point")
		(de) houweel		('pickaxe')
		(de) bouwval 2		('ruin, dilapidated building')
WR: W before R is pronounced as V: ‑>>
		(de) fractie 2 3		('fraction') ‑>>
		(het) wrak		('wreck')
		fragiel 2		('fragile, very vulnerable')
		vragen 2		('to ask') ‑>>
		Fred 2		(a boys' name)
		(de) vrek		('miser, scrooge')
		frictie 2		('friction') ‑>>
		wrikken		('to wrench, pry')
		Freya 2		(Germanic goddess, 'Mrs Wotan')
		vrij / vrije 2		('free')
		wrijven 2		('to rub')
		(de) fut		('energy, strength,' "vim")
		(de) vut		(early retirement program - originally V.U.T.)
		furieus		('furious, very angry')
		vurig		('fiery, fervent, ardent, passionate')
		(het) vuur 2		('fire')
		(de) fuif 2		'party' - slang)
		wuiven 2		('to wave')
		(de) huifkar		('covered wagon')
		huiveren (2)		('to shiver, shudder from fear')
		(de) luifel		('awning')
		(de) zuivel		('dairy')
		vaarwel		('farewell')
		(de) welvaart		('prosperity')
		(de) veelwijverij		([many-wives thing] - 'polygamy')

vlinders fladderen 2 ('butterflies flutter')
frank en vrij ([free and frank] - 'honest and free')

Adjectives in most positions get an -E  ending ‑>>

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  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 'Thou shalt not steal'