Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "de kleren" in Dutch?

duh KLAY-ruh — a quiet k, a bright l, a long "ay," and the final n dropped.

de kleren /də ˈkleːrə(n)/

The plural ending takes no weight. This noun exists only in the plural in everyday use, so unlike most nouns in the course there is no singular form to compare its rhythm against.

Listen: de kleren

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Sound it out

kl An unaspirated k into a forward, bright l. English aspirates the k in "clear" and darkens nothing; Dutch reverses both.

e Long and tense, stretched by the open syllable. It carries the beat and should be fully held.

r A brief flick between the vowels, light enough that the long "ay" survives it intact.

en The plural ending reduced to a schwa with the n gone — the same treatment Dutch gives to every unstressed -en.

Hear it in a sentence

Mijn kleren zijn nat.

My clothes are wet.

Listen: Mijn kleren zijn nat.

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"Mijn kleren zijn nat" uses the plural verb "zijn" and ends on a short adjective with a devoiced t. The possessive is unstressed, so the sentence has two beats — on KLE- and on NAT.

Where English speakers slip

Learners aspirate the k, darken the l, and pronounce the final n — three small errors that together make the word sound recited. There is also a grammatical point: because "kleren" is inherently plural, it always takes a plural verb, and "mijn kleren is nat" is wrong.