The Alphabet in Dutch

Learn the Dutch Alphabet: A Complete Guide to Pronunciation


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The Alphabet in Dutch

The Dutch alphabet uses the 26 Latin letters, just like English. Most of the consonants follow the same pronunciation as English. There are a few exceptions:

  • G in Dutch is a guttural ch/gh sound made in the back of the throat, like the Scottish loch. Ch in Dutch makes the same sound.
  • J in Dutch is pronounced with an English y sound, as in year.
  • 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.

Vowels are a little trickier, but worry not – we’ve prepared a vowel guide below to help you pronounce them with ease.

Introducing the Dutch alphabet, pronunciation tips included

Letter Letter name Pronunciation tips
A ah as in bad or bath
B bay changes from a b sound to a p sound at the end of a word, as in web (web, pronounced “wehp”)
C say makes an s sound before i, e, and y; makes a k sound before consonants and a, o, u
D day changes from a d sound to a t sound at the end of a word woord (word, pronounced “woort”)
E eh as in lesson
F eff as in farmer
G ghay a guttural g/ch in the back of the throat like a Scottish loch
H haa as in hand
I ee as in sit
J yay as in you
K kha as in kite
L ell as in letter
M em as in mug
N en as in note. At the end of a word, ns are often silent or very light. The common suffix -en to make a word plural doesn’t pronounce the n.
O oh as in sock or doctor
P pay as in parrot
Q koo as in quest. Q is only used on borrowed words and is always used together with the letter u.
R ehr as in reason
S ess as in set
T tay as in team
U oo as in food
V vay Most commonly as in veal, but can take an f sound depending on the region and placement in the word.
W way The Dutch w is a cross between an English w and v sound. The top teeth should touch the bottom lip without making a vibration.
X ex as in six. Only used in borrowed words.
Y ei as in hi. Only used in borrowed words.
Z zet as in zebra

Listen to The Pronunciation of the Dutch Alphabet from here


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