In this text and following lessons we'll use /Word/ to give
an example of an English word which contains one more (capitalized) letters
which have an approximate pronunciation as the Dutch letters, syllable
or word. We'll use (and already have) {word} to denote the English translation
of a Dutch word.

The consonants are:

* B as in "bad" /Bath/ (B at end of words sounds like "P")
* D as in "dom" /Doll/ (D at end of words sounds like "T")
* F as in "fijn" /Fix/ and "laf" /lauGH/
* G as in "god" (sounds somewhat like the "ch" in /loCH ness/, very throaty,
and "dag"
* G as in "garage" /SHow/ only used in words originating from the French.
* H as in "help" /Help/
* J as in "jas" /Yes/ (not like J in /Jet/, that's more a DJ sound)
* J as in "journaal" /CHopin/
* K as in "kat" /Cat/ and "ik" /liCK/
* L as in "los" /Lot/ and "tol" /toLL/
* M as in "mijn" /Mine/ and "dom' /suM/
* N as in "niet" /Not/ and "tin" /tiN/
* P as in "pas" /Pen/ and "sop" /cuP/
* Q as in "quiz" /Quiz/
* R as in "rot" /Run/ and "kar" /faR/ (don't roll it)
* S as in "sop" /Sob/ and "los" /boSS/
* T as in "tin" /Tin/ and "rot" /weT/
* V the same as "F", "V" can't be at the end of a word or syllable.
* W as in "wat" /Where/ and "ruw" /hoW/
* X as in "sex" /seX/
* Z as in "zak" /Zoo/ and "quiz" /quiZ/

The vowels differ more from the English, and they are so many
ways to pronounce them!!

Pffff. To make it more difficult is that the sound of a vowel
depends (just like in English) on the surrounding consonants and
other vowels. Two or three adjacent vowels can also form diphthongs, i.e.
they makes one sound together.

The vowels are:

* A as in "kat", sounds something like /cUt/
* E as in "ben" /zEn/
* E as in "gokken", this is another sound
for the single E, it sound like the mute "e" in English, like in {givEn},
it is used mostly when the syllable with the "e" doesn't have the emphasis
(stress handled in further lesson)
* I as in "ik" /dIck/
* O as in "dom" /sOld/
* U as in "put" (sounds a bit like /wOrd} or {bIrd}, say the "i" sound and round your lips to a small circle)
* IJ as in "hij", sounds not entirely not like /whY/

The diphthongs are:

* AA as in "daar" (a bit like /jA/ or /fAther/, but not really)
* AAI as in "saai", a bit like the "ij" sound, only longer
* AU as in "rauw" (same sound as OU)
* CH as in "lach" (same sound as "G")
* CH as in "douchen" /SHow/ (pronounced like "sj"), from the French, always pronounced like this before the "OU" difhthong
* EAU as in "bureau" /gO/ (pronounced like an "oo"), it's a French word, in previous spelling also written with "o" instead of "eau"
* EE as in " reet" /rAte/, sounds different before an "R", more like a long "i", like as in "meer" /gEAr/
* EI as in "zeik" /dIke/, sounds like the "ij"
* EEU as in "eeuw", almost like the long "ee" sound. It's always followed by a "w"
* EU as in "neus" (a sound not known in English, just listen), sounds different before an "R", more like a long mute "E", like in "deur".
* IE as in "lief" /sEE/
* IEU as in "nieuw" a bit like /sEAl/, always before a 'w'
* NG as in "zingen" and "lang" /loNG/
* OE as in "boek" /lOOk/
* OEI as in "groeien" /OOJ/
* OI as in "hoi" /bOY/, not many words with this sounds though.
* OO as in "hoop" /hOpe/, sounds different before an "R", more like a long "o", like as in "door" /dOOr/
* OOI as in "mooi", a long OI
* OU as in "goud" /lOUd/
* OU as in "douchen" /lOOse/ (pronounced like an "oe"), from the French, always prononced like this before "CH", and in some other French words
* SCH as in "schip",
the "s" followed by the "CH" sound, but when an "r"
follows "sch", as in "schreeuwen".

At the end of a word its always preceded by a "i" and sounds like the "ies"
sound, like in "logisch"
(sometimes even written with "ies", like "logies",
but only in 'rebelian', non-standard Dutch texts).
* SJ as in "sjaal" /SHow/
* TS as in "tsaar" /TSar/
* UI as in "huis" (a sound not present in English, a bit like saying the mute "e" followed by the "UU" sound, but very smooth)
* UU as in "muur" (a sound not present in English, sounds like the French 'lune', try to say the "ie" /sEE/ sound, and round your lips)

The short vowels "a", "e", "o" and "u" are pronounced as the
long vowels "aa", "ee", "oo" rsp. "uu" when they are in a so-called 'open'
syllable. An open syllable ends with a single consonant and is followed
by another vowel.

So examples are: "tAken", "gOdin",
"gEven", "Uren".

NOT open syllables are: "lAchen", "wErken",
"hEbben", "hEb".

But the "e" is pronounced as a mute "e" when the emphasis (stress)
is not on the syllable (more about this in another lesson).

-

The "a", "o" and "u" are also pronounced long when the are at
the end of a word (or used as a single letter, but then the word would
consist of this single letter, and would therefore end with the letter,
so what am I getting on about?), like in "ja", "zo" and "nu".

-

Finally the letters of the alphabet
as promounced:

-
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXIJYZ
This article was used with permission from:
Introductions to the Dutch Language