The Five Dutch Sounds That Trip Up English Speakers

Comprehension problems in Dutch are usually pronunciation problems in disguise. If you cannot produce a sound, your brain is slower to recognise it in speech.

The hard g is the famous one. It is a friction sound made at the back of the throat, closer to clearing your throat than to an English g. In the south of the country and in Flanders it is much softer, so both versions are correct depending on where you live.

The ui in huis and buiten has no English equivalent. Start from the vowel in the English word 'house', then round your lips forward as you glide.

The ij and ei sound identical to each other and sit between the English 'ay' and 'eye'. Dutch spelling keeps them separate for historical reasons only.

The eu in deur is a rounded front vowel — say the English 'ur' and push your lips into a whistle shape.

Finally, the schwa. Unstressed e in words like gemeente and lopen is a lazy neutral vowel. Over-pronouncing it is the fastest way to sound foreign even when your grammar is perfect.