Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "de sport" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce de sport in Dutch?

de sport is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /də ˈspɔrt/. It means “sport.” duh SPORT — plain s (never "shp"), a short rounded o, and a light r before the t.

duh SPORT — plain s (never "shp"), a short rounded o, and a light r before the t.

de sport /də ˈspɔrt/

A brief beat crowded with consonants. Dutch uses this noun without an article in general statements about sport as an activity, so you will often hear the stressed syllable standing alone at the front of a sentence.

Listen: de sport

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Sound it out

sp A hissing s into a quiet p. German turns this into "shp" at the start of a word; Dutch never does, and that difference alone identifies the language.

o Purse the lips a little and keep it short — the consonants on either side leave no room for the vowel to stretch.

rt A quick flick of the tongue into a quiet t. In English the r here lengthens and dominates the vowel; in Dutch it is over almost before it starts.

Hear it in a sentence

Sport is heel gezond.

Sport is very healthy.

Listen: Sport is heel gezond.

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"Sport is heel gezond" drops the article because the noun is being used in a general sense. "Gezond" carries an unstressed ge- prefix and ends in a devoiced t, so the sentence closes on a weak-strong pattern.

Where English speakers slip

The English "sport" is spelled identically and pronounced with a long r-coloured vowel that swallows the o entirely. Dutch keeps a short, rounded, distinct vowel followed by a brief flick. Anyone with German behind them should also resist "shport."