I can read a Dutch word with g, ch, sch, w, h, and j without saying the g of English “go”, recognize the letters by their names, and type a word without a Dutch keyboard.
26 letters: familiar letters, different sounds
26 letters: familiar letters, different sounds
Dutch has the 26 letters of English but reads many of them its own way. ij is traditionally counted as a letter too; y appears only in borrowed words: de hobby. Letter names (for spelling out a name or address) are on the tiles below. Learn every noun with de or het from the start: het huis, de zon. Module 1 explains why.
g and ch sound the same, [x], like ch in “loch”, also at the start of a word: goed, graag, acht. So learn the spelling with the word. sch is [s], then [x]: school; but -isch at the end is just [is]: Russisch. goed ends in a t sound but is spelled with d: every final d sounds like t (lesson 4).
w is [ʋ], not English w: the lower lip lightly touches the upper teeth, softer than v: wat, water. h is always heard, a soft breathy [ɦ]: het huis, hallo. j is [j], the y of “yes”: ja, jij.
At the start of a word, v and f, z and s sound almost alike in the Netherlands: vijf, zes, de zon — learn the spelling with the word. ng is as in “singer”: lang; nk as in “think”: drinken. In het meisje, sj is the sh of “shoe”. p, t, k come without the puff of air of English pin, top, kit: de pen. The r is rolled or made at the back of the throat: recognize both.
Common mistakes:
• NOT g as in English “go” — goed starts with [x].
• NOT “sk” or “sh” in school — s, then [x].
• NOT y instead of j — ja, jij.
Consonants to watch
g and ch are one sound with two spellings: learn which one a word has together with the word.
| How it sounds | Letters | Words |
|---|---|---|
| [x], like ch in “loch” — also at the start of a word | g, ch | goed — good, well · graag — gladly · acht — eight |
| [s], then [x] | sch | school — school |
| [is] at the end: no ch sound | -isch | Russisch — Russian (the language) |
| [ʋ]: lower lip on the upper teeth, softer than v; not English w | w | wat — what · water — water · wonen — to live |
| a soft breath, always heard | h | het huis — house · hallo — hello |
| [j], y in “yes” | j | ja — yes · jij — you (informal) |
| almost the same at the start of a word | v / f, z / s | vijf — five · zes — six · de zon — sun |
| as in “singer” and “think”: no separate g | ng, nk | lang — long · drinken — to drink |
| [ʃ], the sh of “shoe” | sj | het meisje — girl |
| rolled, or made at the back of the throat — recognize both | r | groot — big · druk — busy |
Lesson notes
26 letters: familiar letters, different sounds
Dutch has the 26 letters of English but reads many of them its own way. ij is traditionally counted as a letter too; y appears only in borrowed words: de hobby. Letter names (for spelling out a name or address) are on the tiles below. Learn every noun with de or het from the start: het huis, de zon. Module 1 explains why.
g and ch sound the same, [x], like ch in “loch”, also at the start of a word: goed, graag, acht. So learn the spelling with the word. sch is [s], then [x]: school; but -isch at the end is just [is]: Russisch. goed ends in a t sound but is spelled with d: every final d sounds like t (lesson 4).
w is [ʋ], not English w: the lower lip lightly touches the upper teeth, softer than v: wat, water. h is always heard, a soft breathy [ɦ]: het huis, hallo. j is [j], the y of “yes”: ja, jij.
At the start of a word, v and f, z and s sound almost alike in the Netherlands: vijf, zes, de zon — learn the spelling with the word. ng is as in “singer”: lang; nk as in “think”: drinken. In het meisje, sj is the sh of “shoe”. p, t, k come without the puff of air of English pin, top, kit: de pen. The r is rolled or made at the back of the throat: recognize both.
Common mistakes:
• NOT g as in English “go” — goed starts with [x].
• NOT “sk” or “sh” in school — s, then [x].
• NOT y instead of j — ja, jij.
Typing ë and é without a Dutch keyboard, and what to do when your phone writes ij as one character
Dutch has few special letters: two dots over a vowel — ë — and an accent mark over it — é: België, het café. No Dutch keyboard? Leave out the marks: “Belgie” and “cafe” count, and the answer key shows the right spelling: learn it.
Type ij as two keys, i and j. If your phone puts one character in their place, the checker accepts it, and the key shows two letters. Never type y for ij: it's another letter, and that answer doesn't count.
The checker sees everything else: a wrong, extra, or missing letter is a mistake. w and v, g and ch, sch and s are different letters, even when they sound alike. The checker doesn't check capital letters.
Common mistakes:
• NOT y instead of ij — type i and j.