Dutch for Americans
PHONETICS

Chapter 8: Word-Final Devoicing

Learning Objectives

  • Understand the rule of word-final devoicing
  • Apply devoicing correctly in speech
  • Recognize that spelling doesn’t change, only pronunciation

8.1 What is Word-Final Devoicing?

In Dutch, voiced consonants become voiceless at the end of a word or syllable.

Voiced → Voiceless:

  • /b/ → /p/
  • /d/ → /t/
  • /ɣ/ → /x/
  • /v/ → /f/
  • /z/ → /s/

8.2 Why Does This Matter?

The spelling stays the same, but pronunciation changes:

  • heb is spelled with “b” but pronounced /hɛp/
  • hond is spelled with “d” but pronounced /hɔnt/

8.3 Devoicing Rules in Detail

B → P:

  • heb /hɛp/ - have
  • web /ʋɛp/ - web
  • rib /rɪp/ - rib

D → T:

  • hond /hɔnt/ - dog
  • goed /ɣut/ - good
  • bed /bɛt/ - bed
  • rood /roːt/ - red
  • houd /hʌut/ - hold

G → CH:

  • dag /dɑx/ - day
  • weg /ʋɛx/ - way/road
  • vraag /vraːx/ - question
  • zeg /zɛx/ - say

V → F:

  • lief (already spelled with f) but: begraven /bəˈɣraːvən/ → graf /ɣrɑf/ (grave)

Z → S:

  • huis (already spelled with s) but: huizen /ˈhœyzən/ (houses) → huis /hœys/

8.4 How to Know the Underlying Sound

To determine if a final consonant is underlyingly voiced:

  1. Add a suffix that puts the consonant before a vowel
  2. Listen for voicing

Examples:

  • hond /hɔnt/ → honden /ˈhɔndən/ (dogs) - d comes back!
  • dag /dɑx/ → dagen /ˈdaːɣən/ (days) - g comes back!
  • goed /ɣut/ → goede /ˈɣudə/ (good, inflected) - d comes back!

8.5 Common Pairs

SingularPronunciationPluralPronunciation
hond/hɔnt/honden/ˈhɔndən/
bed/bɛt/bedden/ˈbɛdən/
dag/dɑx/dagen/ˈdaːɣən/
brief/brif/brieven/ˈbrivən/
huis/hœys/huizen/ˈhœyzən/

8.6 Devoicing in Compounds and Phrases

Devoicing also occurs at the end of the first element in compounds:

  • voetbal /ˈvutbɑl/ - football (voet ends in /t/)
  • huisdier /ˈhœysdiːr/ - pet (huis ends in /s/)

Practice Exercises

  1. Singular to Plural: Practice saying both forms:

    • bed /bɛt/ → bedden /ˈbɛdən/
    • weg /ʋɛx/ → wegen /ˈʋeːɣən/
    • hond /hɔnt/ → honden /ˈhɔndən/

  2. Sentence Practice: De hond is goed. /də hɔnt ɪs ɣut/ (The dog is good.)

  3. Listening Discrimination: Can you hear the difference between final voiced and voiceless consonants? In Dutch, you shouldn’t—they should sound the same due to devoicing!