Dutch pronunciation
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Some letters, vowels and combinations of them are pronounced very different in Dutch and hard to compare to other languages. Below you will find an explanation on how to pronounce them and examples.
The pronunciation of Dutch vowels depends on if it is an open or closed syllable. It is a closed syllable when it is between two consonants. An open syllable is when it is not.
The Dutch language also contains combinations of vowels, which are pronounced differently than the syllables on their own.
Combination | Pronunciation | Example | Translation |
---|---|---|---|
'ee' | Pronounced as 'e', but longer. | Zij eten veel kaas. | They eat a lot of cheese. |
'oe' | Pronounced as 'oo' in 'boot'. | Ik heb een leuke groep. | I have a nice group. |
'eu' | Pronounced as 'ur' in 'hurt' with rounded lips. | De leuke jeugd. | The nice youth. |
'ei/ij' | Pronounced as a combination of 'eh' and 'ee'. | Hij is erg blij. | He is very happy. |
'uu' | Pronounced as as the short 'u', but longer. | Zij betalen huur. | They pay rent. |
'ui' | Pronounced as a short 'a' followed by a 'u'. | De ui laat mij huilen. | The onion makes me cry. |
'uw' | Pronounced as the short 'u', but the tongue and lips have to be moved more to the front. After that a 'w 'has to be added. | Uw dochter gaf mij een duw. | Your (formal) daughter pushed me. |
'ou' | Pronounced similar to the 'ou' in pronounced. | Ik zeg dat ik van je hou. | I am telling you that I love you. |
'aa' | Pronounced as the short 'a', but longer. | Ze heeft blond haar. | She has blonde hair. |
'au' | Pronounced as ow in 'how'. | Het vlees is rauw. | The meat is raw. |
'aai' | Pronounced as the English pronoun 'I'. | De haai zwemt in de baai. | The shark swims in bay. |
'eeuw' | Pronounced as a long 'e' and followed by 'uw'. | Ik schreeuw de longen uit mijn lijf. | I scream from the top of my longs. |
'oo' | Pronounced as the 'o' in hope, but longer. | Hij heeft hoop. | He has hope. |
'ooi' | Pronounced as a long 'o' and followed by an 'i'. | De vogel vliegt uit de kooi. | The bird flies out of the cage. |
'oei' | Pronounced as a combination of 'oe' and 'ie'. | In de zee drijft een boei. | A buoy is floating in the sea. |
'ie' | Pronounced as the 'e' in the English personal pronoun 'we'. | Hij zei dat niet. | He did not say that. |
'ieuw' | Pronounced as a combination of 'ie' and 'uw'. | Vissen hebben kieuwen. | Fish have gills. |
Listen to the audio text to hear the correct pronunciation.
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The combination of some consonants are pronounced differently than when they are on there own.
Combination | Pronunciation | Example | Translation |
---|---|---|---|
'c' |
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'ch' |
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'ck' | Pronounced like the 'k'. | Diederick speelt hockey. | Diederick plays hockey. |
'ng' | Pronounced like the 'ng' in the word 'long' in English. | De lange kring van slingers werd verbroken. | The long circle of garlands was broken. |
'nj' | Pronounced like the 'ni' in the English word 'onion'. | Het oranje team gaat naar Spanje. | The orange team goes to Spain. |
'sch' |
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'sj' | Pronounced as the 'sh' sound in English. | Sjoerd sjoemelde met de winstcijfers. | Sjoerd defrauded the profit figures. |
'tj' | Pronounced as the 'ch' sound in English. | Het hutje was natgeregend. | The cabin was wet, because of the rain. |
Listen to the audio text to hear the correct pronunciation.
The consonant 'c' is pronounced as 'k' after the a, o, u, l or r. After e, i or ij the 'c' is pronounced as 's'.
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I am Senna Slangen. I teach Dutch and English to non-native speakers in Utrecht and Den Bosch. The classes are from A1 to C1 level. The people I teach are refugees (integration exam and state exam), or expats who have to learn Dutch for work or school. Then it's more about business in Dutch. I would like to help you learn the Dutch language.
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I can really recommend Senna as a Dutch teacher! She is always on time, there is no problem with communication(I had a few teachers before so I see a difference;)) The material is very diverse - we do a lot of grammar and speaking exercises but also discuss articles from newspapers which contain also more informal Dutch. After 4 months of lessons I see a big progress in my Dutch. Moreover Senna is just a nice and patient person so there is no stress during the lesson :)
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I specialize in teaching you how to apply grammar, have a fluent conversation and to improve your writing skills. Moreover, I have helped Dutch speaking students to pass their NT1 exams as well as NT2 students with their language-exams.
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Would you like to take some extra lessons, before, in between or after your regular courses or prepare specifically for your exams? Contact me for a trial lesson.
Are you a Dutch student, struggling with the NT1 exams? Book a lesson with me and we can do this together.
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Hello, my name is Corinne and I am a qualified ESL English teacher from England. I have been teaching in classrooms and online for over 3 years and I have many satisfied students.
My lessons are student-centred and usually take place on Skype. I treat every student as an individual and tailor my lessons to meet their goals. I use a variety of text books and free online resources including exercises, articles and videos. I usually give out a little homework at the end of each lesson to reinforce what we have done together.
In your first lesson, we will discuss your needs and check your current level. From this, we can decide what sort of lessons will suit you the best. Perhaps you struggle with grammar and sentence structure? Perhaps you need to practice English for a specific purpose, like understanding lectures, making phone calls at work, or travelling? Or perhaps you need a structured course so that you can learn English step by step?
Whatever you need, I’m here to help. I see it as my job to make you feel safe, build your confidence and make your lessons enjoyable. I look forward to hearing from you and to helping you on your path to speaking better English. Book your first lesson now and let’s get started.
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I learn English with Corinne for a long time enough to credit her with the required qualities to be a good teacher. She is a brilliant listener. She can adapt her teaching style on the fly, depending on the student's needs. The learning materials are varied: news articles, grammar exercises, video, ... Finally, Corinne makes recommendations for books, movies, and series which are a good fit for my current level.
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Hi, Mi name is Paul. I'm a certified (TEFL, ELE) teacher with over 10 years of experience in language teaching. I am actually teaching business clients and individuals.
I always try to keep the classes informal and relaxed. It's important that the students like the class, and that they feel comfortable. That results in progress, and that's exactly what we want.
The focus is on conversation (so pronunciation!) and understanding but also reading and writing are important to improve active vocabulary.
Now grammar is also important to understand the structure of a language, but I only touch grammar when needed, so that depends a lot on the level (from A1 to C2).
For lower-level students who still need some native language in class, I speak fluently Spanish, Dutch and some German and French.
The first class is free of charge, so just try it! I'm sure you'll like it.
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Paul has done well gauging my level and then setting up lessons to match. With a combination of grammar, pronunciation, and learning new words. And now with more focused work and being able to come up with sentences.
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My name is Job and Dutch is my native language.
I can help you with all the basics of speaking, reading and writing. I can also help you pass exams that require dutch, like your inburgeringscursus (NT2a or CNAVT). I can teach students from A1 up to B2 level. Also, I passed for my TEFL for the English language, so there will be no problem with explaining the Dutch language.
Discipline is the key to effective learning. I'm extremely organized, well-prepared for each of my lessons and I will never miss a single class. I have tons of study materials, which I hand out to my students after the class and customize lesson plans with.
Each learning objective is met by the end of the lesson. Grammar and a sufficient range of vocabulary are impossible to overlook, and I value it in my approach.
Dutch grammar can be tricky for non-native speakers. I go over concepts repeatedly until my students get the hang of it.
Why choose me as your tutor? I am:
--> Students passed for their exams with help of my lessons.
--> Organised; always prepared for every lesson.
--> Patient: we can continue as long as we need.
--> Friendly
--> Enthusiastic
--> Like meeting new people from the rest of the world.
My Methodology
My classes are normally up to one hour. It's possible to have longer lessons If you prefer this.
So far I have done over 1000+ lessons and gathered sufficient information that is useful in order to pass your exams or to get familiar with the language.
My materials comprise of speaking, writing, grammar, reading and listening. During our lessons we shall cover all of these aspects.
Here's a normal lesson plan with me if you're a beginner:
- Vocabulary (5 min): discussing new learned verbs.
- Pronounciation (10 min): reading a short story and building on vocabulary and articulation.
- Writing (15 min): Q and A sessions where I write your answers down and further discuss sentence structures and mistakes.
- Speaking (20 min): eloquently answering questions which are commonly asked in the exams.
-Listening (10 min): listening to an audio of a short story and answering questions.
The lesson plan varies according to your level of Dutch. Naturally, more advanced speakers focus on speaking and writing.
I always make sure I'm prepared before our lesson starts, so we can start right away and make the most of your time.
If you wish to have a well-organized and disciplined tutor who can help you achieve your goals and express yourself authentically - you can count on me!
I will make sure you're on track and every minute of your learning experience is valuable. Dutch is a pretty straight-forward language, and so am I - do ask me anything you'd like to know!
If you wish to have a well-organized and disciplined tutor who can help you achieve your goals and express yourself authentically - you can count on me!
I will make sure you're on track and every minute of your learning experience is valuable. Dutch is a pretty straight-forward language, and so am I - do ask me anything you'd like to know!
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Thanks to Job I feel more confident with the Dutch language. He has a lot of different materials to practice grammar, reading, speaking and writing. so far i did 20 lessons with Job and I will definitly continue. I recommend job as a tutor to everyone who wants to know the basics of language or need to prepare for exams.
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Hello,I would love to help you improve your knowledge of English.I adapt the lessons following your wishes : are you a beginner and need to get some basic knowledge with grammar and easy texts or do you want to improve your conversation skills. I can help you either way.Looking forward to meeting you !
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We spoke in Dutch for most of the lesson which was ideal for me. Francoise was very patient and helpful.
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Hi!
My name is Natalia and I am a teacher of Spanish as a foreign language. I was born in Uruguay and I’m currently living in Spain.
I have a degree in International Relations and I have been developing my career as a teacher.
My classes are designed following a natural and communicative, action-oriented approach. In each class you will be able to participate, think, give your opinion and thus you will develop step by step all the necessary skills to learn and master the language.
One-on-one Spanish lessons with me include:
- Authentic materials adapted to your needs and interests.
- Exercises and activities that will keep you motivated.
- Feedback and tips to progress.
If you…
- would love to travel through Latin America or Spain
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- or just want to learn this language because you like it
Book a free trial lesson with me and start learning this beautiful language!
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Natalia is a lovely and passionate teacher who clearly adores teaching and sharing her taste for languages to her pupils. She knows how to tailor them to her students, helping them to reach their goals. She adapts the subjects and themes to their tastes and is always available for help. I truly recommend her to anyone who wants to learn Spanish in a fun, informative way!
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Hello, my name is Michel and I'm a Dutch primary school language teacher. I lived in France for 7 years and I worked for an international school that is well known all over France. I moved to Madeira, Portugal and started to work as online Dutch language teacher 4 years ago. Teaching children and adults is my passion aswel as having fun with learning a new language.
My lessons are adapted to your level and due to my job and experience I have acces to teaching methodes to learn you the basics of the Dutch language or to improve your level. I can help you to improve your level of writing and speaking or help you learn your first words and phrases.
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Michel teaches with a smile. Very good teacher with a lot of patience and a very good contact with children and adults! I definitely recommend Michel if you are looking for an (online) teacher.
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Dutch lessons (all levels).
I specialize in teaching you how to apply grammar, have a fluent conversation and to improve your writing skills. Moreover, I have helped Dutch speaking students to pass their NT1 exams as well as NT2 students with their language-exams.
So....
Would you like to take some extra lessons, before, in between or after your regular courses or prepare specifically for your exams? Contact me for a trial lesson.
Are you a Dutch student, struggling with the NT1 exams? Book a lesson with me and we can do this together.
Are you an expat, new resident or student in the Netherlands and looking for a loyal language companion who helps you through the dazzling maze of the Dutch language? Book with me and let me know how I can be of any help.
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Monique is a great teacher! She is making me improve a lot my speaking which is my focus, without disregarding the other skills
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Hi!
Are you looking for someone who can help you with the Dutch language? Then you've come to the right place. I have years of experience in teaching Dutch and Sociology to pupils aged 12 to 18 years. Maybe you have trouble with a certain part of the course Dutch, for example grammar, then I can help you with that. Together we will look at where the problem lies and what you would like to learn, together we determine what is the best way for you to learn certain skills. If you do not speak Dutch but you speak and English reasonably well, then I can also help you. I can help you to understand and learn the Dutch language and teach you about the Dutch culture / politics.
I hope to meet you soon and work together.
Kind regards,
Mèlanie van Bentum
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This was a trial lesson, thus not much to review. I liked the teacher for her communication and approach!
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Hello
My name is Anco Peeters,. I am born in The Netherlands and a native speaker of the Dutch language..
I started my career as a schoolteacher and as a gymnastic instructor.
Later I started working in the ICT sector. Now I am a freelance instructor and consultant who teaches mainly networking and telephony.
I am also an NLP Practitioner
My hobbies are: Yoga, traveling, fitness, walking, meeting people
I would love to teach the Dutch language in an informal way with the accent on learning to speak the language. Grammar is also important. We can talk about any topic. I would like to help you making progress and have a lot of experience in creating an individual plan for every student based on your needs
Would love to see you for a trial lesson
Kind regards
Anco
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Enthousiast and engaged teacher. Plans a lesson around your needs and focuses on details specific to you. Finds helpful material for the lessons but also for the time between. Easy to talk to and can be reached easily too.
Anco P.Hi Mia, thank you for this feedback. We will continue in this way until you are ready for your exam!
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Hello, my name is Michel and I'm a Dutch primary school language teacher. I lived in France for 7 years and I worked for an international school that is well known all over France. I moved to Madeira, Portugal and started to work as online Dutch language teacher 4 years ago. Teaching children and adults is my passion aswel as having fun with learning a new language.
My lessons are adapted to your level and due to my job and experience I have acces to teaching methodes to learn you the basics of the Dutch language or to improve your level. I can help you to improve your level of writing and speaking or help you learn your first words and phrases.
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Michel / Johannes is really nice, he adapted to my needs and understood my type of learning. Result: really targeted courses that allow me to make rapid progress.
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Hi! Nice that you came to me for Dutch lessons. I am NT certified NT2 teacher and work with thorough and proven teaching methods. Depending on your goals and wishes we look together at a teaching method that best fits your needs. Besides that I use extra materials to stimulate and motivate you even more. My starting point is that you have to have and keep fun in order to learn Dutch (even better)! I teach both online and face-to-face and live close to Haarlem and Amsterdam.
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Very nice and friendly teacher! Always open to additional questions and eager to help with learning new things.
Christine V.Thank you Valentina, I'm glad you liked the lessons and good luck! Sincerely, Christine van Muiswinkel
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Hello and nice to meet you!
My name is Laura Borger and I am a qualified language teacher. I have been teaching Dutch to young and old for the past seven years.
I have been teaching online for a year now and I love it. My students range from beginners to advanced, so I have collected tons of materials for all levels.
Also, at the University of Leiden I completed the Master Linguistics and the Master Education.
My lessons are based on the needs and interests of my students. For example, if you are in need of grammar, I will adjust my material accordingly. Or if you want to focus on speaking skills, I have tons of activities to develop this skill too!
My personal goal is to ensure that my classes are dynamic, active and fun! I use games, current topics and digital exercises and I feel the proudest when I can really observe the progress in my student's Dutch level.
I offer a free trial lesson of 25 minutes!
If this sounds good to you, press the button and we will see each other soon!
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Laura is a very kind teacher and very patient with the children. She helps when struggling. She is always on time and the classes are very well prepared
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Hello,
I'm offering informal Dutch and English lessons based on conversation and will conduct my lessons for as much as possible in the target language.
I use text, weblinks to tv shows to get us talking and am a fan of the TPRS method.
There's a lot of information on that method online. Basically it's getting to know the structure Dutch and English through simple conversation. (questions about 1 or several sentences on any topic)
I have some useful weblinks to tv shows in Dutch (with subtitles in Dutch) adjusted to your level and the shows are entertaining too. :-)
We can discuss the shows preferably in the target language of course.
I can explain some grammar too if needed and have articles and books ready to read from. This again will be adjusted to your proficiency. But of course if you'd like to focus on a topic which has your interest that is possible as well. This makes it more personal and more fun.
I've been teaching for about a year now on another platform to students from all over the world and really enjoy having the experience again as I used to be a vocal coach back in the days when I attended conservatory in the Netherlands.
I hope to see you here on Co language. :-)
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I am very satisfied with the lessons with Less. very understandable and interesting. highly recommend)
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