Dutch alphabet
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Lesson outline
HideThe 26 letters of the Dutch alphabet
a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, j, k, l, m, o, p, q, r, s, t, u, v, w, x, y, z
The table below shows you the letters and their pronunciation.
| Letters (capital) | Letters (small) | Pronunciation | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | a | Pronounced as 'aa'. | Appel (apple) |
| B | b | Pronounced as 'bee'. | Beker (mug) |
| C | c | Pronounced as 'cee'. | Cirkel (circle) |
| D | d | Pronounced as 'dee'. | Deur (door) |
| E | e | Pronounced like the English 'a'. | Eten (to eat) |
| F | f | Pronounced as 'ef'. | Fiets (bike) |
| G* | g | Pronounced as 'g'. | Grappen (to joke) |
| H | h | Pronounced as 'haa'. | Helpen (to help) |
| I | i | Pronounced like the English 'e'. | Irritant (annoying) |
| J | j | Pronounced like the English 'y' in 'you'. | Jaren (years) |
| K | k | Pronounced as 'kaa'. | Konijn (rabbit) |
| L | l | Pronounced as 'el'. | Laars (boot) |
| M | m | Pronounced as 'em'. | Moeder (mother) |
| N | n | Pronounced as 'en'. | Noten (nuts) |
| O | o | Pronounced like the English 'o'. | Ogen (eyes) |
| P | p | Pronounced as 'pee'. | Praten (to talk) |
| Q | q | Pronounced as 'kuu'. | Quiz (guiz) |
| R | r | Pronounced as 'er'. | Rennen (to run) |
| S | s | Pronounced as 'es'. | Slang (snake) |
| T | t | Pronounced as 'tee'. | Tafel (table) |
| U | u | Pronounced as 'uu'. | Huur (rent) |
| V | v | Pronounced as 'vee'. | Vriendelijk (friendly) |
| W | w | Pronounced like a combination of the English 'v' and 'w'. | Water (water) |
| X | x | Pronounced as 'iks'. | Xylofoon (xylophone) |
| Y | y | Pronounced as 'ij'. | Yoghurt (yoghurt) |
| Z | z | Pronounced as 'set'. | Zon (sun) |
*The pronunciation of the 'g' is different per region in the Netherlands. The northern parts use a more hard 'g' sound and in the southern parts a more soft 'g' sound is used.
Just like in English, the pronunciation of the letters will change per word.
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The Dutch vowels
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.
- 'De rat' (The rat) → closed syllable
- 'De aap' (The monkey) → open syllable
The pronunciation of the cominbation of vowels and of consonants can be found on the Dutch pronunciation page.
Exercises
Exercise Dutch words
Exercise pronunciation Dutch alphabet
Exercises
Exercise Dutch words
Exercise pronunciation Dutch alphabet
What our students say
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Experienced Dutch lecturer for study and work in the Netherlands
Ines G.
Monique is a very friendly, charismatic, positive and encouraging teacher. Her lessons are always extremely interesting, dynamic and very productive. I am focusing mostly on improving my speaking abilities and it is always an interesting discussion on different topics. The lessons with her are a real pleasure for me. I just always regret, that our lesson past so quickly. I highly recommend Monique :)
Monique M.
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
Simmer M.
This was a trial lesson, thus not much to review. I liked the teacher for her communication and approach!
Mèlanie V.
Learn to communicate in Dutch from the first lesson! Enjoyable classes with teaching materials tailored to your needs. First 15 min. class for free. My name is Karin and I'm from Holland, but I live on the Canary Islands. I love teaching DUTCH and have done so for more than 20 years. I have a Diploma in English Philology. I also have two methodology degrees: the CELTA (Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults of the University of Cambridge) and the FCTBE (Foundation Certificate for Teachers of Business English of the London Chamber of Commerce and Industry).
I have taught at a Business School and ten companies. In the last two years I've mainly been giving private lessons and I've developed a variety of online self-study DUTCH courses. My schedule is flexible and I adapt myself to the needs and interests of my students so that they reach their objectives in the shortest possible time.
Enjoyable classes, with teaching materials tailored to your needs.
How do the classes work? A class lasts 45 minutes. I'll send you the materials we are going to use in class beforehand so you can print them. After the class I'll send you audios of the notes we made, vocabulary etc. My speciality is communication, from beginner level to advanced. So, you will speak some Dutch in the first class already! Why wait any longer? Let's get started! :-)
Laura .
It is my fourth class with Karin and I am delighted, I already spoke Dutch because I have lived in Holland for 4 years, but what I need now is to perfect it and, with Karin, I find it super enjoyable because his philosophy and way of teaching is just what I was looking for. I am very happy and, of course, eager to continue with the classes in order to one day achieve my goal of speaking Dutch as well as she speaks Spanish.
Karin L.
Thank you very much, Laura! I am also delighted with you as a student :-)
Hello! My name is Emilia and I am an experienced language tutor and translator from/to Bulgarian, Spanish, English and Dutch. My biggest passion are foreign languages and I have passed this passion to many of my students throughout the years. Despite the fact I have a Master's degree in Economics and International Business and I've worked few years as an economist, my heart always takes me back to my teaching and translation jobs. With more than 15 years of teaching experience, a great level of patience and dedication to my work, and a great number of happy students, I am here to help you learn Bulgarian, Spanish and Dutch at your own pace and convenience. Hope to hear from you soon! Best regards, Emilia
Yigit .
Emilia is a very kind and supportive teacher. With a reasonable amount of lessons I am now able to conduct business meetings completely in Dutch and feel more confident after each lesson. I would highly recommend Emilia as a teacher to anyone interested in learning a new language. Learning a new language is a journey of self improvement and opens you up to new cultures and friends since you can have more authentic conversations. Do yourself a favor and learn a new language!
Emilia I.
Hello there,
I'm Eveline Debouvere, polyglot and a world citizen! It would be my pleasure to help you improving your Dutch or German language skills. Tell me what you want to learn and I'll adapt my course to your needs. As I am working as a sales person for the Scandinavian and German markets in a medium-sized company, I am able to improve my own language skills every day. Knowing the importance of learning languages in a good, but fun way makes it easier to teach myself. On top of that I've already taught different languages to different students. All of them were amazed by the way the course is adapted to their needs during the teaching process.
Do you want to find this out yourself? Please contact me!
Until then I wish you all the best!
Michaela D.
It was great. We went through the first introduction round, then through important base of language - alphabet and "double sounds" to improve my pronunciation. Then we read article - to improve my pronunciation and understanding. It was a great lesson and I am looking forward to the next one.
Eveline D.
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 Chile.
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
- need to improve your pronunciation in Spanish, your fluency, your comprehension
- would like to invest in your professional career and you know that speaking Spanish is essential
- need Spanish to do business.
- or just want to learn this language because you like it
Book a free trial lesson with me and start learning this beautiful language!
Romain Lepla .
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!
Natalia L.
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!
David D.
Speaks clearly, corrects positively, steers the class confidently at a pace that suits the student. Great teacher.
Laura B.
As a graduate of the Catholic University of Leuven in language and literature and with my teacher training degree, I can help you unravel our Dutch language. Whether you have questions about sentence parsing, literature, spelling or whatever: together we keep looking until you get it all!
During class, and therefore also with you, I like an open, interactive learning environment: we discover the theory together, and then put it into practice, preferably in the most fun way possible.
We do that with all kinds of exercises of every kind. This way we always turn it into a great lesson!
Frank Franco F.
Michiel is a great teacher. His excellent teaching style and methods gave me the confidence to speak Dutch and learn from my mistakes. He understood what I wanted to learn and was attentive to my abilities. His enthusiasm and energy made every lesson fun and never boring. Michiel was very accessible and always responsive. I highly recommend taking a class with him.
Michiel N.
Hello, my name is Michel and I'm a Dutch primary school teacher. I arrived in France in 2013 and since then I worked for an international school that is well known all over France. Teaching children and adults is my passion.
My courses 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.
Charlotte P.
Johannes is a very good teacher. My friends and I have a group lesson with him every Tuesday night and love that moment. He is very nice, patient, funny, explains really well... in short the best online teacher you can have ! :) We can see we are doing progress every week!
Michel B.
As non-native parents it is certainly not easy to teach your children Dutch or to help with the fluency of the new language. Who wants some extra exercise for his children? I can help you with that. As their vocabulary becomes more and more extensive and their sentences become increasingly fluid, your children will get more and more self-confident. To speak well the Dutch language will surely benefit them now and later.
Do your children need some help with their homework, especially with their Dutch, then I can help with that.
Even as non-native-speaking adults, it is sometimes difficult to have enough exercise. That is why also adults who want to make progress in speaking the Dutch language are welcome here! We can practice the everyday language together.
We have been having Dutch lessons with Liesbet now since July last year. I must say that not only is she professional, punctual and conscientious. Ava’s Dutch has come on leaps and bounds, as has mine. As such we have two lessons a week, and I 100 percent whole heartedly recommend Liesbet to anyone looking to improve their language skills. Her technique and teaching skills are exceptional.
Liesbet L.
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!
Ian C.
Laura is an outstanding teacher. She is patient and clear in her explanations, with a natural ability to simplify complex & more technical problems in Dutch grammar and syntax. I appreciate her dynamic teaching style and agile adaptability to my learning progress, which allows me to improve faster and at my own pace. I would highly recommend her to all levels of people keen on learning and advancing in the language.
Laura B.
My name is Brenda and I am born in the Netherlands. At the moment I live in Nijmegen, the oldest city of the Netherlands. A lot of foreign students live here because it is a university city.
I have been interested in languages from an early age. That is why I have learned English, German, French and Spanish. But in my area I am mainly known for my excellent Dutch language skills and my eye for spelling and grammar.
Other things that interest me are cooking and baking and being creative. As a volunteer I have given guided tours and I have done workshops in both English and Dutch. I also love walking in nature or enjoying the beach and the sea!
I am currently learning Turkish, so I fully understand what you are experiencing as a language student. That’s why I am very patient. We practice as much as what you need. Is there something you don’t understand? Feel free to ask again, then we can approach the material in a different way so that it is clear for you.
I also know from experience how great it feels when you can communicate with someone in the local language! So let's go for this challenge together!
Your needs and progress as a student are central.
Please indicate before the first lesson what you would like to work on so that I can prepare myself for the lesson. A number of options are:
- Preparation for the integration course (inburgeringscursus)
Speaking, listening, reading and writing. Cultural and work-related topics.
- Beginners - Advanced (Personalized Lessons) Dutch
We can focus on every aspect of the language. When you want to learn from a book we can use your material or I will advise you which book you can purchase.
As a beginner you start with the basics, the alphabet and some basic words. We extend this so that you can start simple conversations in situations of everyday life and that you become an advanced!
Iryna .
Brenda is a very friendly and easy-going teacher. She is very well-organised and flexible. During each lesson time just flies cause it's really enjoyable. I am an absolute beginner and I was afraid to start learning a new language from scratch but now I'm confident that I will make it. She can help you learn the language really fast with no stress or tension. Looking forward to my next lesson!
Brenda B.
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
Assel V.
I started with Dutch language courses a few weeks ago. Anco has a good speaking and teaching style which keeps me interested during lessons. Lots of good learning material and exercises which make easier to understand and learn Dutch and to prepare for exam. Thanks Anco for the great lessons !
Anco P.
Thanks a lot for this feedback Aislu! With your perseverance you will definitely pass the exam.
HALF-HOUR FREE TRIAL CLASS Language lessons Dutch / French. From culture and literature to spelling and grammar. And a lot of conversations!
Nyle .
Helene is an excellent teacher and a pleasure to work with. She has an organized lesson at the start and has a easy and clear communication style. I took Dutch classes from her, so I know she is at least fluent in English and Dutch. I also understand she is fluent in French as well. I plan to continue taking classes with Helene!
Hélène M.
I'm a bilingual native speaker of Polish and Czech, with fluent English and German. I've been teaching individual Polish and Czech courses for language schools and have 20 years of experience as a translator. I also gathered experience in many language tandems with Polish and Czech learners.
Feel free to book a trial lesson (30 mins) to see what I can do for you!
Patrick D.
I am very happy to have Katarzyna as a czech teacher. The lessons are well prepared. She suggests conversations and then listens carefully to me. She asks me to repeat what I could not explain clearly with my own words and then corrects me. After each lesson, I take away some useful words or expressions for everyday situations.
Katarzyna S.
Thanks a lot for your review! Patrick is also a very attentive and motivated student. :)