Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "de broer" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce de broer in Dutch?

de broer is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /də ˈbrur/. It means “brother.” duh BROOR — a clean b, a quick r, the "oo" of boot, and a light r to close.

duh BROOR — a clean b, a quick r, the "oo" of boot, and a light r to close.

de broer /də ˈbrur/

A demanding single beat: two r's bracketing a rounded vowel. The plural "broers" simply adds an s and changes nothing rhythmically, which makes it one of the easier Dutch plurals.

Listen: de broer

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Sound it out

br A voiced b straight into a tap or scrape. Keep the r brief so it does not spread into the rounded vowel behind it.

oe A rounded back vowel that has to stay pure between two r's, which is what makes this short word surprisingly demanding.

r A second r, this one closing the word. Having r on both sides of the vowel is a real test of whether you can keep them light.

Hear it in a sentence

Mijn broer is ouder dan ik.

My brother is older than me.

Listen: Mijn broer is ouder dan ik.

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"Mijn broer is ouder dan ik" uses the comparative "ouder" plus "dan," and note that Dutch uses the subject pronoun "ik" after "dan" where English says "than me." The ou diphthong in "ouder" contrasts nicely with the pure "oo" of "broer."

Where English speakers slip

Two American r's turn this into "broor" with the vowel entirely r-coloured and unrecognisable. Keep both r's as brief flicks and let the "oo" ring in between. Learners also read "oe" as "oh," which lands on a non-word. This is one of the best test cases for whether your Dutch r is light enough.