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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.
'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
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
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
the: de
2 /
het
2
3
- 't
->>
Plurals always take 'de'
a: (een) - 'n
/ one: één
2
3
In Dutch words ending in -UI,
no consonant ending the word,
you can say that UI with a faint consonant‑Y‑sound
(Dutch J) at the end, but
I prefer the pronunciation ending in a faint
Dutch W. For instance,
(de) ui
('onion') - you can say
ui(j)
or
ui(w)
.
The plural
uien
('onions') has the
consonant‑Y‑sound (Dutch
J) between UI and E.
You'll hear that somewhat faint consonant‑Y‑sound
(Dutch J) more often between UI and a vowel:
(de) luiaard
2
3
('lazy person // sloth')
- buien
('rainshowers')
- (de) uier
('udder' - cow)
- (de) luier
('diaper, nappy')
- (de) sluier
('a veil')
- (de) grauwsluier
('a gray veil' - phrase from a detergent commercial)
- Compared -
Hear 'short' and 'long' U next to the other vowels and the diphthongs
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. Try to bring your pronunciation of the words closer and closer to how I say them. Use as few or as many examples as you like.
UI: | (de) ui 2 ('onion') ‑>> - (de) uil 2 3 4 5 ('owl') - uit 2 ('out of, out, from, off) ‑>> - (de) uitspraak ('pronunciation') - uitspraken 2 3 ('statements') |
BUI: | (de) bui 2 ('shower' - rain) - buien 2 ('showers') - buigen 2 3 ('to bend') - (de) buik ('belly') - (de) buil ('bump,' swelling') - buiten 2 3 ('outside') ‑>> - (de) buitenlander 2 3 4 ('foreigner') |
DUI: |
duiken
('to dive')
- (de) duim
2
('thumb')
‑>>
- (de/het) duin
('dune')
- Duits
('German')
‑>>
- (de) duivel
('devil')
- duidelijk / duidelijke / duidelijk/duidelijke ('clear, understandable') - Duitsland ('Germany') |
EUI: | geuit 2 ('~expressed') |
FUI: | (de) fuif 2 ('party' - slang) - (de) fuik 2 3 ('fyke' - a fish trap) |
GUI: | (de) guit ('rascal') - Guis 2 3 4 (a family name) |
HUI: | (de) huid 2 ('skin') - (de) huig ('uvula,' a part of the throat) - (het) huis 2 ('house') ‑>> - huizen ('houses') - (het) huisdier ([house-animal] - 'pet') ‑>> - huilen ('to cry, shed tears) ‑>> - (de) huilebalk 2 3 ('crybaby') - (de) huifkar ('covered wagon') - huiveren (2) ('to shiver, shudder from fear') - Huibers 2 (a family name) - Huibert 2 (a boys' name) |
JUI: | juist / juiste / juist/juiste 2 3 ('right, correct') ‑>> - juichen ('to cheer') |
KUI: | (de) kuif 2 3 ('quiff,' 'shock of hair') - (het) kuiken ('chick,' young chicken) - (de) kuil ('hole' - in the ground, large) - (de) kuit ('calf,' part of lower leg) - kuis ('chaste') |
LUI: | [(de)] lui ('people' - slang // 'lazy') - luid ('loud') ‑>> - (de) luilak ('lazy person') - (de) luis ('louse') - fluisteren 2 3 ('to whisper') - (de) kluizenaar 2 3 ('hermit') - (de) kluit 2 ('clod,' a lump of earth) - (de) pluim 2 ('plume') |
MUI: | (de) muil 2 ('animal mouth') - (de) muis ('mouse') - muizen 2 ('mice') - (de) muiterij 2 3 4 ('mutiny') - IJmuiden 2 (a city) |
NUI: | (de) snuit ('snout') - snuiten 2 ('to blow' - your nose // to snuff out a candle') - neus snuiten 2 3 ('blowing your nose') - snuiven 2 3 ('to sniff, sniffle') - fnuiken ('to thwart') - (het) fornuis ('stove' - kitchen) |
PUI: | (het) puin ('rubble') - puistjes 2 ('acne pimples') - 't Spui 2 (a street in The Hague) - (het) spuitwater 2 ('carbonated water') |
RUI: | (de) rui 2 3 ('molt, molting') - ruig ('rough') - ruiken 2 3 ('to smell' - produce or notice a smell) ‑>> - (de) ruiker ('bouquet of flowers' - old-fashioned) - [(het)] ruim ('a ship's hold' // spacious // more than) - ruilen 2 3 ('to exchange // to change') - (de) ruin 2 ('gelding' - horse) - (de) ruis 2 ('static, white noise') - (de) ruit 2 3 ('windowpane' // 'square figure') - (de) ruiter ('horseman') |
BRUI: | bruin 2 3 / bruine / bruin/bruine ('brown') - (het) bruinbrood 2 ('brown bread' - bread with some wholewheat flour) - (de) bruid ('bride') - (de) bruidegom ('groom') - (het) gebruik 2 ('use // custom') - (de) bruiloft ('wedding') - bruisen ('to foam, bubble') - bruiste ('foamed, bubbled' - simple past tense singular) |
DRUI: | (de) druif ('grape') - druiven ('grapes') - druipen 2 ('to drip') |
FRUI: | (het) fruit 2 ('fruits') - (de) fruitmand ('basket filled with fruits') |
KRUI: | (het) kruit / (het) buskruit ('gunpowder') - (de) kruidje ("small herb") kruiden - kruiden ('herbs and spices') ‑>> - (de) kruidenier 2 ('grocer, grocery') - (de) kruidkoek 2 3 ('spice cake') - (de) kruik ('hot water bottle') - (de) kruimel 2 3 ('crumb') - (de) kruin ('crown, top, pate') - kruipen ('to crawl') - (het) kruis ('cross') - kruisen 2 ('crosses // to cross') |
PRUI: | (de) pruik ('wig') - (de) pruim ('plum') - pruimen ('plums') - Pruisen 2 3 ('Prussia // Prussians') |
TRUI: | (de) trui 2 ('woollen sweater') - (de) ijstrui 2 ('thick woollen sweater') - Geertrui (a girls' name) |
STRUI: | (het) struif ('egg stuff') - (de) struik 2 ('bush, shrub') - struiken ('bushes') - (het) struikgewas ('bush, bushes') - (de) struikrover ('highwayman, robber') - (het) struikelblok 2 ('stumbling block') |
SUI: | (de) suiker ('sugar') - (de) bruidssuiker ('wedding candy') - suizen 2 ('to rustle, sough, swish) - suisde (conjugated form of suizen - singular simple present tense) |
SCHUI: | schuifdeuren ('sliding doors') - schuilen 2 ('to shelter from') - (het) schuim ('foam') - schuin 2 ('diagonally, slanted' // 'dirty' - jokes) - (de) schuit 2 ('ship, boat' - a bit negative) - (de) beschuit 2 3 ('crispbake, rusk') - (het) piepschuim ([squeak-foam] 'styrofoam') - schuiven 2 3 ('to slide') - (het) schuivertje 2 3 ('sliding or pushing tool') |
TUI: | (het) tuig 2 3 ('~gear' // 'bad people') - tuimelen ('to tumble') - (de) tuin 2 3 ('yard, garden') - (de) stuiver 2 ('nickel,' 5¢ coin) - thuis * ('at home, home') ‑>> |
VUI: | [(het)] vuil 2 ('dirt, garbage' // 'dirty') - vuile ('dirty') - vuil / vuile 2 ('dirty') ‑>> - (de) vuist 2 ('fist') - (de) schavuit 2 3 ('rogue') |
WUI: | wuiven 2 ('to wave') |
ZUI: | zuid 2 ('South') - zuigen ('to suck') - (de) zuigling 2 3 ('suckling,' baby or young animal drinking mother's milk) - (de) zuil 2 ('pillar') - zuinig 2 ('frugal') - zuipen 2 ('to quickly drink lots of alcohol') - (de) zuivel ('dairy') - zuiver 2 3 ('pure') |
|
|
-UIB: | Huibers 2 (a family name) - Huib ('(a boys' name') - Huibert 2 (a boys' name) |
-UICH: | (de) huichelaar 2 3 ('hypocrite') - juichen ('to cheer') |
-UID: | (de) huid 2 ('skin') - (het) geluid ('sound') - (de) buidel 2 3 4 ('pouch') - beduidend ('significantly?') |
-UI(J)E: | (de) uier ('udder' - cow) - (de) luier ('diaper, nappy') - (de) sluier ('a veil') |
-UIF: | - (de) duif 2 3 ('pigeon, dove') - (de) druif ('grape') - (de) kluif 2 ('bone' - for dog // 'big job') - Kuifje 2 ('Tintin') - (de) luifel ('awning') - (het) stuifmeel ('pollen') |
-UIG: | ruig ('rough') - (de) getuige ('witness') - (het) vaartuig ('vessel' ~boat, ~ship) - (het) rijtuig ('horse-drawn carriage') - (het) vliegtuig 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ('airplane') - (de) stofzuiger 2 ('vacuum cleaner') - (de) buiging 2 ('polite bow') - (de) verbuiging 2 3 ('declension' - changes in nouns, adjectives, pronouns) - (de) zuigling 2 3 ('suckling,' baby or young animal drinking mother's milk) |
-UI(J): | - (de) luiaard 2 3 ('sloth' // 'lazy person') |
-UIK: | (de) buik ('belly') - (de) buikpijn 2 ('stomach ache') - (de) struik 2 ('bush') - (de) kruik ('hot-water bottle') - suikers ('sugars') - (het) kuiken ('chick,' young chicken) |
-UIL: | (de) uil 2 3 4 5 ('owl') - (de) huilbui ('crying fit') - (het) muildier 2 ('mule') - huilen ('to cry,' shed tears) - ruilen 2 3 ('to exchange // to change') - (de) schuilkelder 2 ([shelter-cellar] - 'bomb shelter') - (de) bruiloft ('wedding') |
-UIM: | (het) duimpje 2 ('small thumb, thumbkin') - Klein Duimpje 2 ('Tom Thumb') ‑>> - (de) kruimel 2 3 ('crumb') - kruimels ('crumbs') - (het) kruimeltje 2 ('small crumb') - (de) ruimte ('room, space') - (de) pruim ('plum') - pruimen ('plums') |
-UIN: | bruin 2 3 / bruine / bruin/bruine ('brown') ‑>> (het) tuintje 2 ('small garden' // '~flowerbed') - (het) bruinbrood 2 ('brown bread,' bread made with some wholewheat flour') - tuinbonen 2 ([garden beans] - 'fava beans') |
-UIP: |
druipen
2
('to drip')
- stuip
('spasm, convulsion')
- (de) kruipruimte
('crawl space' below a building)
- (de) kruipolie
2
([crawling] penetrating oil,' WD-40)
- (het) luipaard
('leopard')
- Kuiper
('barrel maker' - a surname)
- sluip / sluipt 2 conjugated forms of the verb sluipen 2 ('to sneak') |
-UIS: | - (het) kruis ('cross') - (de) huisbaas 2 ('landlord') - (het) kruisbeeld 2 ('crucifix' - (het) huisdier ('pet') ‑>> - (het) pluisje 2 3 ('small clump of fluff') - duister 2 ('dark,' ~enigmatic, ~sinister) ‑>> - luister! 2 ('listen!') - fluisteren 2 3 ('to whisper') |
-UIT: | uit 2 ('out of, out, from, off) ‑>> - (de) uitgang 2 ('exit') - (de) uiting 2 ('utterance, personal expression') - buiten 2 3 ('outside') ‑>> - sluiten 2 ('to close') - (de) sluitpost 2 3 ('balancing item' - bookkeeping) - (de) uitweg 2 ('way out,' '~escape') - (het) uitzicht ('view' // 'prospect') - (het) fluitje 2 3 ('small flute' // 'whistle') - (de) beschuit 2 3 ('crispbake, rusk') - (het) beschuitje ('an enjoyable piece of crispbake, rusk') - besluiten 2 ('to decide') |
-UIV: | druiven ('grapes') - snuiven 2 3 ('to sniff') - zuiver 2 3 ('pure') |
-UIZ: | buizen ('pipes, tubes') - duizelig 2 ('dizzy') - (de) buizerd 2 ('buzzard,' a bird) - duizend ('1000') - luizen 2 ('lice') |
A |
- (de) uitgang
2
(1. 'exit'
2. 'declined or conjugated word ending')
- (de) stuifzwam
2
3
('puffball mushroom')
- (de) tuinman
2
('gardener')
- (de) zuignap
('suction cup')
- (de) tuinslang
2
('garden hose')
- (de) huifkar
('covered wagon')
- (het) pakhuis ('warehouse, storage building') - (de) dwarsfluit 2 ('flute' - German: 'Querflöte') - (de) schavuit 2 3 ('rogue, borderline criminal') |
AA |
- (het) luipaard
('leopard')
- (de) luiaard
2
('sloth // lazy person')
- uitgaan
2
3
(1. lights etc. turning off
2. to go out - dancing, eating, movies
3. romantic relationships ending)
- (de) uitspraak
('pronunciation // statement')
- (de) schuifmaat
('Vernier caliper - a measuring tool')
- naar huis 2 ('homeward, towards home') - vaalbruin 2 3 ('faded brown, drab, dun') |
E |
- (het) uitstel
('postponement, delay')
- (het) huiswerk
2
('homework' - from school)
- (de) uitweg
2
('way out')
- (het) werktuig 2 ('instrument, tool') - veruit 2 3 ('by far') - (de) vetkuif 2 3 ('greased quiff' - a hairstyle like Elvis) |
EE |
- (het) pluimvee
2
([plumed cattle] 'poultry, farm birds')
- (het) kruisbeeld
2
('crucifix')
- (het) stuifmeel
([blow-flour] - 'pollen')
- luidkeels
2
3
([loud-throated] - 'loudly' - shouting)
- (de) speeltuin 2 ('playground') - zeelui 2 ('sailors, ship workers') |
E-uh |
- (het) vuiltje
2
3
('speck of dirt, very small piece of garbage')
- juichen
('to cheer, shouting happily')
- (de) zuivel
('dairy')
- (de) ruiker
('[smeller] 'flowers bouquet')
- duizend
('a thousand')
- (het) geluid ('sound') - vervuild 2 ('polluted, 'dirtied') - (de) beschuit 2 ('rusk, crispbake') |
I |
- (het) uitzicht
('view, prospect, outlook')
- (de) buiging
2
('bow' made as sign of respect)
- (de) sluiting
2
('closing // closing mechanism, fastener')
- (het) zintuig ('sense, sensory organ') - dit huis ('this house') |
IE |
- (de) buikgriep
2
('stomach flu,' food poisoning)
- (het) muildier
2
('mule,' horse-donkey hybrid)
- (het) vliegtuig 2 3 4 5 ('airplane') - (het) piepschuim ('[squeak-foam] polystyrene') |
O |
- (de) bruiloft
('wedding')
- (de) thuiszorg
2
3
('home care, nurses visiting at homes')
- (de) sluitpost
2
3
('balancing item' - bookkeeping)
- (het) fortuin 2 ('fortune') - (het) onkruid ('weeds') - (de) coltrui 2 ('turtleneck sweater') |
OO |
- (het) bruinbrood
2
('brown bread' - partly wholewheat)
- (de) duikboot
([diving boat] 'submarine')
- (de) kruisboog
('crossbow')
- (het) koophuis 2 (1. 'house owned by occupants' 2. 'house for sale') - vooruit 2 ('forward') |
U |
- (de) huismus
2
([house sparrow] 1. 'the common sparrow'
2. 'stay-at-home person')
- (het) kruispunt
2
('intersection' of roads)
- (het) buskruit ('gunpowder') - punt-uit! 2 3 ('period! finished! that's it!') |
UU |
- (het) kruisvuur
2
('crossfire')
- (het) buurthuis 2 ('~neighborhood community center') - (het) huurhuis ('rental property, a house that's rented') - (de) zuurpruim 2 3 ([sour prune] 'sourpuss') |
AU/OU |
- (de) huisvrouw
2
3
('housewife, female homemaker')
- (het) kruishout
('parallel line marking tool' - woodworking)
- (de) uitbouw
2
('extension, addition' to a building')
- oud vuil 2 3 ('[old garbage] absolute garbage, stuff that has to go') |
EI/IJ |
- (de) buikpijn
2
('stomachache')
- (de) vuistbijl
([fist-axe] 'hand axe')
- (de) huisvlijt
2
('home industry, home crafts')
- muisgrijs
2
3
('mouse-grey')
- Kijk uit! 2 3 4 ('Look out! Careful!') - (de) ijstrui 2 ('[ice sweater] very warm, heavy wool sweater') - (het) seinhuis ('signals cabin, signals tower') - (het) rijtuig ('horse-drawn carriage"') |
EU |
- (de) huidskleur
2
('skin color')
- (de) huisdeur
2
('house door')
- (de) scheurbuik 2 3 ('[rip-belly] scurvy') |
OE |
- (de) kruidkoek
2
3
('~spice cake')
- uitdoen
2
3
(1. 'to turn off' - lights etc. 2. 'to take off' - clothes)
- (de) hoestbui 2 ('coughing fit') - (de) moestuin 2 ('vegetables garden, kitchen garden') |
UI | - (het) huisvuil 2 ('[house-] household garbage') - (de) huilbui ('crying fit') - (de) bruidssuiker ('wedding candy') |
UIJ, UY in names
In names you'll sometimes find the old-spelling UY or UIJ where
modern Dutch would write UI:
Muijlwijck
- Luijendijk
2
- Van Duijn
2
Johan Cruijff
2
(soccer star) Like many Dutchmen with UIJ in their names,
Mr Cruijff sometimes made his name easier for foreigners as Cruyff.
Pim Fortuyn
2
- Joop den Uyl
2
(deceased politicians)
Lara van Ruijven
2
3
- Jan Blokhuijsen
(speed skaters)
Dirk Kuyt
2
- Willy van der Kuijlen
2
3
(soccer players)
Carolien van Herrikhuyzen
(bicycle racer)
more Dutch sports
and sports people
Michiel de Ruyter
2
17th Century top admiral. He led the Dutch navy in the second and
third Anglo-Dutch Sea Wars (1665-67 and
1672-74)
‑>>
- 2
Claes van Ruijven -
Pieter Claeszoon van Ruijven
Pieter C. was a
Vermeer
patron, bought more than 20 of his paintings
Buys Ballot
(19th Century scientist, best known for weather studies)
(Christophorus Henricus Diedericus Buijs Ballot
)
Huygens
2
- Christiaan Huygens
17th Century scientist
Andreas Cornelis 'Dries' van Kuijk
(Probably) Elvis manager 'Colonel Parker'
Foreign words and names with UI
Guido
2
is pronounced with Dutch G, but not with Dutch UI
(het) circuit
race track, 'circle'
(de) guillotine
2
guillotine
quitte
even, no debts, no obligations
(de) quiche
quiche
(de) quiz
quiz game show - also written as (de) kwis
And also dieresis (het) trema
‑>>
(de) ruïne
2
ruin
ruïneren
2
to ruin
Greek EU
In Dutch, EU in words and names from Greek is pronounced as
UI
- (de) therapeut
('therapist')
- (de) euthanasie
2
3
4
('euthanasia')
- (het) pseudoniem
('pseudonym,' fictional name)
- (het) eufemisme
2
('euphemism')
- (de) leukemie
2
3
('leukemia')
- Zeus
2
- Orpheus
2
- Zeus Odysseus Theseus
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
'Thou shalt not steal'