Free Dutch pronunciation checker
Free Dutch Pronunciation Test: check every word you say
Read five short Dutch sentences aloud or type any word you want to check. You get a score for every word, an overall score with accuracy, fluency and completeness, and a list of words to practise first.
Read this aloud:
Mijn man zag de maan boven de stad staan.
Listen for: Long vs short vowels (man, maan)
Tap to record
Your recording is sent securely for scoring and is not stored by Flalingo.
Scores come from a standard native-speaker model for this language, so regional accents may score a little lower.
How to check your Dutch pronunciation
Each sentence in this Dutch pronunciation test is built around a sound learners find hard: long and short vowels, the G and CH, ui, eu and ij, and final consonants. Read it aloud and a speech model trained on native Dutch speakers compares every word you say with the text.
You get an overall score from 0 to 100, plus accuracy, fluency and completeness. Every word gets its own score, so you can see which ones sound off and start there. You can also type your own Dutch text, up to 160 characters, and check it the same way.
How the test works
Read five sentences aloud
Each sentence is short and built around sounds that learners of this language find hard. You can also type your own text, up to 160 characters, or tap one of the hard words to try.
AI scores every word
A speech-assessment model trained on native speakers compares what you say with the text. It scores accuracy, fluency and completeness from 0 to 100, and gives every word its own score.
Get your report
Each word is coloured by how close it was, and you see a short list of words to practise first. Record a sentence again to check your progress, then share your score with a friend.
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.
Long and short vowels
Vowel length changes meaning: man (man) and maan (moon), bom (bomb) and boom (tree), bed and beet (bite). A double vowel, or a single vowel at the end of a syllable, is long (maan, ma-ken). A vowel before a double consonant or in a closed syllable is short (mannen, stad).
Final D and SCH
At the end of a word, d and b sound like t and p: hond sounds like 'hont' and web like 'wep'. At the start of a word, sch is s followed by the Dutch ch sound, so school is 's-chool', never 'skool' or 'shool'. At the end of a word, -isch sounds like 'ees' (logisch).
What your pronunciation score means
| Score | Level | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| 90–100 | Excellent | Your words are clear and close to a native speaker. Try longer or harder sentences to keep improving. |
| 75–89 | Good | Easy to understand. A few words still stand out, so practise them one at a time. |
| 60–74 | Fair | Mostly understandable, but people may ask you to repeat some words. Start with the words in your practice list. |
| 0–59 | Needs work | Some words may be misunderstood. Slow down, practise the flagged words on their own, then say them in short phrases. |
Frequently asked questions
How accurate is this Dutch pronunciation checker?
It uses a speech-assessment model trained on native Dutch speakers. The model lines up your recording with the text, scores every word for accuracy and rates your fluency and completeness. It is a good guide to which words sound off, but it is not a teacher, so look for words that get flagged again and again rather than worrying about one low score.
Is the test based on Dutch from the Netherlands or Belgium?
Scores are based on standard Dutch as spoken in the Netherlands. If you learned Flemish pronunciation, for example the softer g, some words may score a little lower even when they are correct in Belgium.
How can I improve my Dutch pronunciation?
Learn to hear the difference between long and short vowels first, because it changes meaning in many words. Then practise ui, eu and ij, and the G. Read aloud every day, record yourself and retake the test to see which words improve.
Is the Dutch pronunciation test free?
Yes. The test and the word checker are free and you don't need an account. To keep it free for everyone, there is a small daily limit on checks.
How do you pronounce the Dutch G?
Say 'k', then relax it so the back of your tongue no longer touches the roof of your mouth, and push air through the gap. You get a rough sound like the ch in Scottish 'loch'. Practise with goed, graag and Groningen. In the south of the Netherlands and in Belgium the same sound is softer and voiced.
How do you pronounce 'ui' in Dutch?
Round your lips a little and say a short, relaxed 'uh', then glide toward an 'ee' while keeping your lips rounded. It is one syllable. Practise with huis, uit, tuin and buiten, and compare with the 'ow' in English 'house' to hear that they are different.