Dutch Pronunciation - How to Pronounce Dutch Sounds (2024)

FAQs

How can I improve my Dutch pronunciation? ›

Meteorologisch (meteorological) is the most difficult Dutch word to pronounce, according to Dutch language experts. The Onze Taal language organisation used its Facebook page to draw up a list of the 10 most difficult Dutch words and encouraged people to vote.

V in Dutch sometimes makes an f sound, depending on the placement and regional dialect. W in Dutch w is a cross between an English w and v sound.

A phoneme can be regarded as a basic sound of a language. The average number of phonemes per language is 35. Dutch has about 40, English is said to have 44, although these numbers depend on the method of analysis and can differ between dialects.

While kanker is probably the most commonly used Dutch swear word in this category, it isn't the only one. Another example is tering, which translates to “tuberculosis”. Like kanker, tering can be used on its own to express frustration, but it can also be used to say something positive.

The vowels also make it a lot more difficult to pronounce the words correctly. Some sounds like ui or eu are new to people who are learning Dutch. To produce those sounds your mouth has to move in ways it has never done before. That's why it's really difficult to master these sounds at a later age.

The shared Germanic roots, availability of resources, similar vocabulary, manageable pronunciation, and awareness of false friends collectively contribute to making Dutch a relatively easy language to learn. So, if you're considering learning a new language, Dutch is undoubtedly an excellent choice to explore.

Like English (but unlike German which prefers K or Z) the letter C in Dutch is used for many words from Latin and French where it is not part of a digraph. It is pronounced [k] except before E, I, Y, where it sounds like [s] in words such as cent, cilinder, cijfer, Cyprus.

The suffix 'tje/je' turns a word into the diminutive form, somewhat the same as happens in French when one adds the suffix 'ette' to a word/noun (though in French 'ette' can also constitute the feminine form of a word.

How long does it take to speak Dutch fluently? ›

The Foreign Language Institute recommends a total of 24-30 weeks or 600-750 hours of Dutch language learning to reach fluency. Tobian Language School personally recommends 20 – 30 lessons for A2 level with a minimum of 2 weekly lessons. And B2 learners? You'll need to strive for 40 – 50 lessons or up to 50 hours.

Because the Dutch speaking community is relatively small, they learn to speak English from an early age. Lots of English and American tv and movies, conveniently subtitled. Lots of English/American music. Looking at Germany or France, they generate a lot more culture in their own language.

Dutch is generally considered a moderately challenging language for English speakers to learn, but its difficulty can vary depending on individual factors and your language-learning experience.

With the exception of Frisian, Dutch is linguistically the closest language to English, with both languages being part of the West Germanic linguistic family. These means many Dutch words are cognates with English (meaning they share the same linguistic roots), giving them similar spelling and pronunciation.