10K+ students - 4.8/5
Learn with a teacher Learning materials included Practise conversation

Teaching guidelines +/- 15 minutes

Learn the pronunciation of Dutch diphthongs ui (huis), ou (koud), eu (neus), and oe (boek) with key examples to improve your speaking and listening skills.
Klank (Sound)Voorbeelden (Examples)
uiHuis, lui, muis (House, lazy, mouse)
ouKoud, goud, hout (Cold, gold, wood)
euNeus, deur, geur (Nose, door, smell)
oeBoek, moe, doel (Book, tired, goal)
mixZoet, zout, zuid (Sweet, salty, south)

Exercise 1: Multiple Choice

Instruction: Choose the correct solution

1. Hoe laat ____ je het antwoord geven?

(What time ____ you want to give the answer?)

2. Waarheen ____ je vanavond?

(Where ____ you going tonight?)

3. Waarom ____ hij niet op mijn vragen?

(Why ____ he not answer my questions?)

4. Hoeveel boeken ____ je gelezen?

(How many books ____ you read?)

5. Wanneer ____ je de vragen stellen?

(When ____ you want to ask the questions?)

6. Wat ____ je antwoorden op die vraag?

(What ____ you want to answer to that question?)

The Pronunciation of Dutch Diphthongs: ui, ou, eu, oe

This lesson focuses on mastering the pronunciation of four common Dutch diphthongs: ui, ou, eu, and oe. These sound combinations appear frequently in everyday Dutch words, making them essential for clear and natural communication.

Understanding the Sounds

  • ui: This diphthong sounds different from English vowel combinations. Examples include huis (house), lui (lazy), and muis (mouse).
  • ou: Similar to the 'ou' in English 'out', but distinct in Dutch. Try words like koud (cold), goud (gold), and hout (wood).
  • eu: Unique to Dutch, this diphthong does not have a direct English equivalent. Practice with words such as neus (nose), deur (door), and geur (smell).
  • oe: Comparable to the English 'oo' as in 'book'. Examples include boek (book), moe (tired), and doel (goal).
  • Mix diphthongs occur in words like zoet (sweet), zout (salt), and zuid (south).

Practice and Application

By focusing on these diphthongs, you can significantly improve your Dutch pronunciation. Listening carefully and repeating words like huis and boek will help you become more confident in spoken Dutch.

Key Differences Between English and Dutch Vowel Sounds

Unlike English, Dutch uses several diphthongs that do not have direct equivalents, such as eu and ui. English speakers may find these sounds challenging at first. For example, the Dutch word neus (nose) contains eu, which differs markedly from English vowels.

Useful phrases for practice include:

  • Hoe laat wil je het antwoord geven? (What time do you want to give the answer?)
  • Waarheen ga je vanavond? (Where are you going this evening?)
  • Waarom antwoordt hij niet op mijn vragen? (Why doesn’t he answer my questions?)

These examples help learners notice verb forms and pronunciation in context while practicing diphthongs.

Written by

This content has been designed and reviewed by the coLanguage pedagogical team: About coLanguage

Profile Picture

Kato De Paepe

Business and languages

KdG University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp

University_Logo

Last Updated:

Friday, 18/07/2025 01:48