Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "de lucht" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce de lucht in Dutch?

de lucht is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /də ˈlʏxt/. It means “sky.” duh LUKHT — a bright l, a short rounded u, then the harsh ch running into a t.

duh LUKHT — a bright l, a short rounded u, then the harsh ch running into a t.

de lucht /də ˈlʏxt/

One dense beat: a rounded short vowel squeezed between a liquid and a consonant cluster. The plural "luchten" splits the cluster across the syllable boundary, which is why the longer form is easier to say despite the extra material.

Listen: de lucht

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Sound it out

l Tongue tip forward and the body of the tongue low, giving a light l rather than the hollow English one.

u Short with the lips slightly pursed — a rounded central vowel. Unround it and you get English "luck," which is the standard learner substitution.

cht Friction into an unaspirated t, both inside one syllable. No vowel may be wedged between them and the scrape must not harden into a k.

Hear it in a sentence

De lucht is vandaag blauw.

The sky is blue today.

Listen: De lucht is vandaag blauw.

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"De lucht is vandaag blauw" ends on the adjective with its au diphthong. Note that "lucht" covers both sky and air in Dutch, and only context tells you which is meant — here "blauw" makes it the sky.

Where English speakers slip

Two errors compound: unrounding the u and substituting a k for the ch. The result, "lukt," is a real Dutch word meaning "succeeds," so the mistake is not just foreign-sounding but actively confusing. Purse the lips and keep the air scraping.