SmartPhrase.com: Dutch: Pronunciation: Helpful Books for Dutch;

Where is Dutch Spoken?
The Dutch language is spoken primarily in the Netherlands (Nederland), or Holland, although it is one of the two national languages of Belgium and there is a small Dutch-speaking minority near Dunkerque in Northern France. In total there are about twenty million speakers of Dutch.

The Alphabet
In Dutch, the alphabet is exactly the same as for English, except that Q , X, and Y are not much used.

Consonants (and combinations)

b

• like b in boy

c

c in cat

ch

• like ch in Scottish loch

d

• like d in dog

f

• like f in fish

g

• like ch in Scottich loch, never like English g

h

• like h in how

j

• like y in yes

k

• like ck in back, but with less air exhaled

l

• like l in lime

m

• like m in me

n

• like n in nice

p

• like p in pit, but with less air exhaled

r

• rolled/trilled like r in French

s

• like s in sit

sch

• between ch in Scottich loch, and s in sit

t

• like t in tape

v

• like v in give, but closer to f

w

• like w in will, but much closer to v, made with bottom teeth against top lip

z

• like ds in pads

Vowels

a

• short like a in hard, but even shorter, or
• long like a in cat, but even longer

e

• short like e in set, but even shorter, or
• long like a in lane

i

• short like i in bit, but even shorter

o

• short like o in hot, but even shorter, or
• long like oa in boat

u

• like u in hurt, but even shorter, or
• long like oo in boot, said with pursed lips

eu

• long like u in hurt, but with tightly rounded lips

oe

• long like oo in book, but with rounded lips

ie

• long like ea in cheat

SmartPhrase language pronunciation guide. Helping you to speak better Dutch and talk with an accent the Dutch people can understand. Explaining the pronunciation of individual letters: consonants and vowels. Pronouncing phonemes and diphthongs. Phonology, phonetics, and dialects of speech. Language pronunciation guide for spoken sounds, speech, talking.

Dutch: Pronunciation
General Words
Food & Drink
Staying Places
Transport
Money & Banks
Going Out
You & Family
Shopping
Medical
Problems
School
Numbers
Be Understood
Pronunciation
Helpful Books


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