Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "de handdoek" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce de handdoek in Dutch?

de handdoek is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /də ˈɦɑnduk/. It means “towel.” duh HAHN-dook — the doubled d is said once, and the second half has the "oo" of boot.

duh HAHN-dook — the doubled d is said once, and the second half has the "oo" of boot.

de handdoek /də ˈɦɑnduk/

Compound stress on the first element, HAND-doek, with "doek" taking secondary weight. Note that the compound rescues the d from devoicing: in "hand" alone it would surface as a t, but here a vowel follows and it stays a genuine d.

Listen: de handdoek

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Sound it out

hand- Soft voiced h, an open back "ah," and n — this is the word "hand" forming the first element and taking the primary stress.

dd One d in speech, not two. The final d of "hand" and the initial d of "doek" collapse into a single consonant at the compound's seam, and it stays voiced because a vowel follows.

oe A full rounded "oo" with the tongue back, carrying secondary stress in the second element.

k A quiet final stop with no release puff, closing the word abruptly.

Hear it in a sentence

De handdoek hangt achter de deur.

The towel is hanging behind the door.

Listen: De handdoek hangt achter de deur.

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"De handdoek hangt achter de deur" uses "hangen" as the posture verb for something suspended. "Achter" contributes a cht cluster and "deur" the rounded eu vowel, so the sentence is a fair workout after the compound itself.

Where English speakers slip

Learners pronounce both d's, producing "hand-dook" with an audible break in the middle. Dutch says one. Others devoice it to t by analogy with the standalone "hand," but the following vowel protects it here. And the oe becomes "oh" for anyone reading letter by letter.