Dutch for Americans
PHONETICS

Chapter 6: Dutch Consonants - Challenging Sounds

Learning Objectives

  • Master the Dutch “r” sound
  • Produce the “ng” sound correctly
  • Handle the letters “sch” combination

6.1 The Dutch “R” - Multiple Variants

The Dutch “r” varies significantly by region. The three main variants are:

1. Alveolar Trill /r/ (Rolling R)

  • Tongue tip trills against the ridge behind upper teeth
  • Common in some southern regions and traditional speech

2. Uvular R /ʀ/ or /ʁ/

  • Back of tongue vibrates against uvula (like French r)
  • Common in western Netherlands, including Amsterdam
  • This is often what learners hear as the “standard” Dutch r

3. Approximant /ɹ/ (American-like)

  • Increasingly common among younger speakers
  • Similar to American English r

Recommendation: Focus on the uvular r /ʁ/ as it’s widely understood and common in media.

How to Produce Uvular R /ʁ/:

  1. Make a gargling motion in your throat
  2. Raise the back of your tongue toward your uvula
  3. Let air pass through with slight friction
  4. Practice with “rrrrr” sounds from your throat, not your tongue tip

Practice Words:

  • rood /roːt/ - red
  • drie /dri/ - three
  • groot /ɣroːt/ - big
  • waar /ʋaːr/ - where
  • deur /døːr/ - door

6.2 The “NG” Sound /ŋ/

Dutch ng is pronounced as a single sound /ŋ/, like in English “sing.”

Important: Never add a “g” sound after it (unlike English “finger” /ˈfɪŋɡər/).

Practice:

  • lang /lɑŋ/ - long (NOT “lang-g”)
  • zingen /ˈzɪŋən/ - to sing
  • jongen /ˈjɔŋən/ - boy
  • bang /bɑŋ/ - afraid

6.3 The “SCH” Combination

At the Beginning of Words: sch = /sx/ (s + Dutch g/ch sound)

Practice:

  • school /sxoːl/ - school
  • schip /sxɪp/ - ship
  • schrijven /ˈsxrɛivən/ - to write
  • schoon /sxoːn/ - clean

At the End of Words: -isch = /is/ (the ch is often silent or very soft)

Practice:

  • komisch /ˈkoːmis/ - comical
  • logisch /ˈloːɣis/ - logical

6.4 The “TJ” Sound /tʃ/ → /tj/

When Dutch has a “ty” or “tj” combination, it often sounds like /tʃ/ (English “ch”):

Practice:

  • katje /ˈkɑtʃə/ - kitten
  • potje /ˈpɔtʃə/ - little pot

6.5 Regional Variations

Be aware that Dutch pronunciation varies:

  • Netherlands vs. Belgium (Flemish): Different “g” sounds, “r” sounds, and intonation
  • Randstad (Amsterdam/Rotterdam/The Hague): Strong uvular r, hard g
  • Southern Netherlands: Softer g, may use tongue-tip r

For this course, we focus on Standard Dutch (Algemeen Nederlands) as spoken in the Netherlands.

Practice Exercises

  1. Uvular R Practice:

    • Start with gargling (water optional!)
    • Progress to dry gargling
    • Add vowels: “ahra,” “ohra”
    • Practice words: raar (strange), rest (rest), beter (better)

  2. NG Without G:

    • bang, lang, zang - ensure no “g” sound follows

  3. SCH Practice:

    • school, schoen (shoe), schaar (scissors)