Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "de pen" in Dutch?

duh PEN — a quiet unaspirated p, a short "eh," and a clean n.

de pen /də ˈpɛn/

The plural "pennen" doubles the n in spelling to protect the short vowel and adds a schwa, so the word grows by a syllable while its accented core stays exactly the same.

Listen: de pen

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Sound it out

p Released without any puff of air. English "pen" starts with a noticeable burst; Dutch simply opens the lips and moves on.

e Exactly the vowel of English "pen" — one of the handful of Dutch vowels the cognate hands you unchanged.

n Tongue tip on the ridge, held just long enough to stop the vowel rather than letting it drift into nasalisation.

Hear it in a sentence

Mag ik je pen even lenen?

Can I borrow your pen for a moment?

Listen: Mag ik je pen even lenen?

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"Mag ik je pen even lenen?" uses the particle "even" to soften the request into something like "just for a moment." That little word is doing all the politeness work, and leaving it out makes the question sound abrupt.

Where English speakers slip

Aspiration on the p is the only real difference from English, and it is easy to overlook because the word is otherwise identical. Hold a hand in front of your mouth and release the p without moving it. The particle "even" is the more consequential thing to remember.