Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "de kamer" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce de kamer in Dutch?

de kamer is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /də ˈkaːmər/. It means “room.” duh KAH-mur — unaspirated k, a long open "aah," and a weak second syllable.

duh KAH-mur — unaspirated k, a long open "aah," and a weak second syllable.

de kamer /də ˈkaːmər/

Front-stressed, and the single m after the vowel is the spelling clue for its length: written "kammer," the vowel would be short. Reading consonant count as a length signal is one of the most transferable habits in Dutch literacy.

Listen: de kamer

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Sound it out

k A quiet stop, unlike the English k that opens "camera" with a small explosion of air.

a Long and open, stretched by the open syllable and carrying the stress. Give it full duration.

m Lips together, bridging the strong syllable into the weak one without disturbing either.

er Schwa plus a very light r, reduced almost to a breath. It should not sound like a second full syllable.

Hear it in a sentence

Mijn kamer is klein.

My room is small.

Listen: Mijn kamer is klein.

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"Mijn kamer is klein" ends on the bare adjective with its ei diphthong. The possessive is unstressed, so the sentence has two beats — on KA- and on KLEIN — with everything between them light.

Where English speakers slip

English "camera" supplies a short first vowel and three syllables; Dutch has a long vowel and two. Learners also give the -er ending a full American r, which inflates a syllable that should barely register. Shorten the r and lengthen the vowel and the word snaps into place.