Speak Dutch clearly: free pronunciation test and tips
Find out how clear your Dutch pronunciation is. Take the free Dutch pronunciation test, get a score for every word you say, and learn the sounds Dutch learners find hardest. For daily practice, Flai Speaking gives you an AI coach to talk to in Dutch.
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The hardest Dutch sounds for learners
G and CH
In the Netherlands, g and ch are usually the same rough sound /x/ made at the back of the mouth, like the ch in Scottish 'loch' (goed, acht, graag). In the south and in Belgium it is softer. It is never the hard g of English 'go', except in a few loanwords.
The UI sound
Ui /œy/ has no English equivalent. Start with a rounded, relaxed 'uh', then glide toward a rounded 'ee' (huis, tuin, uit). Don't say it like the 'ow' in 'house'; huis and house sound quite different.
EU and IJ/EI
Eu /øː/ is one long rounded vowel: say the 'e' of 'bed' as a long, steady sound and round your lips (leuk, keuken, deur). Ij and ei are the same sound /ɛi/, starting like the e in 'bed' and gliding to 'ee' (mijn, klein, wijn). It is close to English 'ay' but with a more open start.
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