Pronunciation & spelling
Sound Dutch and write it correctly — from the g to the dt-rule.
Pronunciation 5
Dutch pronunciation guide for English speakers
How to pronounce Dutch g, sch, ui, ij, eu, long and short vowels, final consonants and stress, with honest English comparisons and tips.
Dutch vowels explained, short, long and diphthongs
A clear guide to Dutch vowel sounds, short a, e, i, o, u vs long aa, ee, ie, oo, uu, the diphthongs ei/ij, ui, ou, the schwa, and how spelling shows them.
Dutch consonants: g, ch, sch, r, w and the sounds that change
A clear guide to Dutch consonants for English speakers - the g and ch sound, sch, r, w, v and z, final devoicing, assimilation and dropped -n.
Dutch word stress: which syllable do you stress?
Learn the rules of Dutch word stress, from first-syllable stress and unstressed prefixes to loanwords, stressed suffixes, compounds and contrast.
The Dutch alphabet: letter names, sounds and spelling aloud
Learn the Dutch alphabet with letter names, the sounds each letter makes, the IJ, the spelling alphabet and how to spell your name aloud in Dutch.
Spelling & punctuation 5
Dutch spelling rules: long and short vowels, ei or ij, and more
Why is it maan but manen, and bak but bakken? Learn the key Dutch spelling rules for vowels, consonants, ei/ij, the trema and capital letters.
The Dutch d/t rule: word or wordt, gebeurd or gebeurt?
Word or wordt? Gebeurd or gebeurt? Learn the Dutch d/t rule for present tense and past participles, plus a quick test that works every time.
Capital letters in Dutch, when to use them and when not
Dutch capital letters explained. Names, van and de in surnames, countries and languages, days and months, holidays, IJ, 's avonds and u.
Dutch comma rules explained, with clear examples
Where do commas go in Dutch? Subordinate clauses, maar/want/dus, lists, inserted phrases, decimal commas and emails, plus the mistakes to avoid.
Old case forms in Dutch: 's avonds, ten slotte, ter plaatse and more
Why Dutch says 's avonds, ten slotte, ter plaatse and een der beste. A guide to the leftovers of the old Dutch case system, with clear rules.
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Lessons that go with these guides
Greetings & politeness
A1 · Say hello, goodbye, please and thank you.
Numbers
A1 · Count from zero to a hundred.
Introducing yourself
A1 · Your name, where you’re from and where you live.
Opposites
A1 · Describe things with common adjective pairs — and say when something is too much.
Everyday verbs
A1 · Twelve verbs you'll use every day — and how to conjugate them.
In town
A1 · Places in town and asking the way.