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Pronunciation

This guide explains key Dutch sounds using IPA (between slashes) and a rough Russian transcription in parentheses. Examples are practical, not perfect — use IPA as your main reference and Russian as a memory cue.

Legend

  • IPA: /…/
  • Russian hint: (…)
  • Pattern → word = sound — translation

Vowels: length and quality​

Dutch contrasts short vs long vowels. Long vowels are usually written with double letters (aa, ee, oo, uu) or a single vowel in an open syllable.

  • a (short) → man = /mɑn/ (ман) — man
  • aa (long) → maan = /maːn/ (маан) — moon
  • e (short) → pen = /pɛn/ (пен) — pen
  • ee (long) → been = /beːn/ (бээн) — leg
  • i (short) → vis = /vɪs/ (вис) — fish
  • ie (long i) → fiets = /fits/ (фитс) — bicycle
  • o (short) → bos = /bɔs/ (бос) — forest
  • oo (long) → boom = /boːm/ (боом) — tree
  • u (short) → put = /pʏt/ (пют) — well
  • uu (long) → duur = /dyːr/ (дююр) — expensive
  • e (schwa) → de = /də/ (дэ), het = /ɦət/ (хэт/эт)

Tips

  • Open syllable rule: a single vowel at the end of a syllable tends to be long (e.g., laken /ˈlaː.kə(n)/), while a vowel before two consonants is short (lak /lɑk/).
  • Unstressed “e” is often schwa /ə/ (дэ звук).

Special vowels and diphthongs​

  • eu → neus = /nøːs/ (нёйс) — nose
  • oe → boek = /buk/ (бук) — book
  • ui → huis = /ɦœy̯s/ (хёйс) — house (unique Dutch diphthong)
  • ei/ij → eiland/ijs = /ˈɛi̯.lɑnt/, /ɛi̯s/ (эй) — island, ice (ei = ij in sound)
  • ou/au → oud/auto = /ʌu̯t/, /ˈʌu̯.toː/ (ау) — old, car
  • aai/ooi/oei → maai/mooi/groei = /maːi̯/ (маай), /moːi̯/ (мой), /ɣrui̯/ (хруй) — mow, beautiful, growth

Note: Russian hints are approximations. The Dutch /y, ø/ (uu, eu) have rounded lips like French “u, eu”.

Consonants: key contrasts​

  • g, ch → goed /ɣut/ (хут), lach /lɑx/ (лах): throaty fricatives. In Flanders, g may be softer /ɣ/ or even /ɡ/.
  • j → jaar /jaːr/ (яр) — year
  • w → wit /ʋɪt/ (вит, между в и у) — white
  • r → varies by region (uvular [ʀ, ʁ] or alveolar [r]). Safe choice: light tap [ɾ]. rood /roːt/ (рот) — red
  • v, z → voice vs. devoicing: vuur /vyːr/ (вюр), but word-final often sounds /f, s/: lief /lif/ (лиф), huis /ɦœy̯s/ (хёйс)
  • s, z → zes /zɛs/ (зэс), snel /snɛl/ (снэл)
  • ng → lang /lɑŋ/ (ланг), nk → /ŋk/ dank /dɑŋk/ (данк)
  • sch → schaap /sxaːp/ (схап) — sheep (s + х)
  • ch (after i) → licht /lɪxt/ (лихт)
  • th → always /t/: thee /teː/ (тэ) — tea
  • c → /s/ before e,i,y (cent /sɛnt/), else /k/ (camera /ˈkaː.me.raː/)
  • q → /k/ + /ʋ/: quiz /kwɪs/ (квис)

Final devoicing (оглушение): word-final b, d, v, z → [p, t, f, s]. Spelling stays; sound changes.

Stress and rhythm​

  • Default stress on the first syllable: tafel /ˈtaː.fəl/ (ТА-фэл).
  • Prefixes often unstressed: verhalen /vərˈhaː.lə(n)/ (вэр-ХА-лен).
  • Compounds stress the first element: werkplaats /ˈʋɛrk.plaːts/ (ВЭРК-плаац).

Reduction and linking (connected speech)​

  • ik heb → /ɪk ɦɛp/ ≈ (ик хэп) → often [kɛp] in fast speech.
  • het is → /ɦət ɪs/ (хэт ис) → [tɪs].
  • niet /nit/ (нит) stays clear at word end; een → /ən/ (эн).

Practical minimal pairs​

  • u vs uu: put /pʏt/ (пют) vs duur /dyːr/ (дююр)
  • o vs oo: bom /bɔm/ (бом) vs boom /boːm/ (боом)
  • e vs ee: ben /bɛn/ (бэн) vs been /beːn/ (бээн)
  • i vs ie: pit /pɪt/ (пит) vs piet /pit/ (пит — долгая)
  • ei/ij vs ui: ijs /ɛi̯s/ (эйс) vs huis /ɦœy̯s/ (хёйс)

Sentence examples​

  • Ik zie het huis. → /ɪk ziː ɦət ɦœy̯s/ (ик зи хэт хёйс) — I see the house.
  • Wij zullen het morgen doen. → /ʋɛi̯ ˈzʏlən ɦət ˈmɔrɣən duːn/ (вэй зюллен хет моргэн дун) — We will do it tomorrow.
  • Het weer is mooi. → /ɦət ʋeːr ɪs moːi̯/ (хет вээр ис мой) — The weather is nice.

How to practice​

  • Mirror drill: watch lips for rounded vowels (uu /yː/, eu /øː/, ui /œy̯/).
  • Record and compare: repeat minimal pairs, check length and rounding.
  • Use Dutch IPA dictionaries for precise sounds; keep Russian hints as a fallback.

If you want, I can add audio links or QR codes to native recordings for these examples.