LingoDrop
Dutch · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "de koe" in Dutch?
duh KOO — an unaspirated k and the "oo" of boot. Two sounds, nothing else.
One beat and only two sounds, so everything depends on the vowel. The plural "koeien" adds a whole gliding syllable — "KOO-yuh" — which makes it noticeably longer and more complex than the singular.
Listen: de koe
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Sound it out
Hear it in a sentence
De koe eet gras.
The cow eats grass.
Listen: De koe eet gras.
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"De koe eet gras" runs the long "oo" of "koe" straight into the long "ay" of "eet" with no consonant between them. Dutch does not insert a glide there, so the two vowels simply abut — a junction worth practising slowly.
Where English speakers slip
Reading the letters separately gives "ko-eh" or "koh." It is a single "oo." The k also picks up English aspiration. And because the word ends on an open vowel, there is nothing to hide behind — a rushed or unrounded version is immediately obvious.