{"schema":"chaladutchshiku/sounds@1","title":"Dutch sounds guide","updated":"2026-10-27","tts":{"engine":"speechSynthesis","lang":"nl-NL","default_rate":0.8,"embedded_audio_files":0},"sounds":[{"sp":"g, ch","hint":"A rough sound at the back of the throat, like the ch in Scottish “loch”.","ex":["goed","acht","dag","licht"]},{"sp":"sch","hint":"s followed by that throat sound. At the end of a word, -isch sounds like “ies”.","ex":["school","schrijven","praktisch"]},{"sp":"ui","hint":"No English match. Start from the “ow” in “house”, with rounded lips.","ex":["huis","uit","duim"]},{"sp":"ij, ei","hint":"One sound, two spellings: between the “a” in “day” and the “i” in “my”.","ex":["wijn","trein","zijn"]},{"sp":"eu","hint":"Say the “ay” in “day” while rounding your lips.","ex":["deur","neus","leuk"]},{"sp":"oe","hint":"Like the “oo” in “food”, but short.","ex":["boek","goed","moe"]},{"sp":"ie","hint":"Like the “ee” in “see”, but short.","ex":["niet","ziek","bier"]},{"sp":"uu, u","hint":"Say “ee” with tightly rounded lips, like German ü.","ex":["muur","duur","u"]},{"sp":"u (short)","hint":"Close to the “u” in “hurt”, but short.","ex":["bus","dun","druk"]},{"sp":"aa, a","hint":"aa is long, like “father”. A single a before a consonant is short.","ex":["maan","man","straat","stad"]},{"sp":"ee","hint":"Like the “ay” in “day”, held steady.","ex":["twee","nee","been"]},{"sp":"oo","hint":"Like the “o” in “go”, held steady.","ex":["boom","rood","groot"]},{"sp":"ou, au","hint":"Like the “ow” in “how”.","ex":["oud","vrouw","blauw"]},{"sp":"w","hint":"Between English v and w: the lower lip lightly touches the teeth.","ex":["water","wonen","werk"]},{"sp":"v","hint":"Often close to an f, especially in the north.","ex":["vader","vier","vis"]},{"sp":"j","hint":"Like the “y” in “yes”.","ex":["ja","jij","jong"]},{"sp":"r","hint":"Rolled or made in the throat; both are normal. Soft at the end of a word.","ex":["rood","raam","water"]},{"sp":"e (unstressed)","hint":"A short, relaxed “uh”, like the “a” in “about”.","ex":["de","je","tafel"]},{"sp":"-en","hint":"The final n is usually dropped in speech: lopen sounds like “lope”.","ex":["lopen","maken","werken"]},{"sp":"-d, -b","hint":"At the end of a word, d sounds like t and b like p.","ex":["hond","goed","brood"]},{"sp":"-ig, -lijk","hint":"-ig sounds like “-ugh” with the throat sound; -lijk like “-luk”.","ex":["rustig","zonnig","vriendelijk"]},{"sp":"-tje, -sje","hint":"-tje sounds like “tyuh”, -sje like “shuh”.","ex":["beetje","treintje","meisje"]}]}