Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "druk" in Dutch?

druhk — the u is short and rounded, not the flat vowel of English "truck."

druk /drʏk/

Over almost as soon as it starts, which suits a word meaning busy. In "drukke" the k doubles in spelling to protect the short vowel, so the inflected form adds a syllable without stretching anything.

Listen: druk

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Sound it out

dr A voiced d into a brief tap or scrape. Keep the r short so it does not spread into the vowel.

u A rounded central vowel with the lips slightly pursed. Unround it and you land on English "truck," which is the single most audible flaw in this word.

k Unaspirated final stop, closing the syllable abruptly.

Hear it in a sentence

Het is druk in de winkel.

The shop is busy.

Listen: Het is druk in de winkel.

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"Het is druk in de winkel" uses the impersonal "het is" construction, which Dutch reaches for constantly to describe conditions — "het is koud," "het is laat." There is no subject to speak of, and the adjective carries the whole meaning.

Where English speakers slip

The rounding on that u is the battle. Without it the word lands on English "druck," which a Dutch ear hears as a foreign approximation. Purse the lips slightly and keep the vowel short. Learners also confuse "druk" the adjective with "druk" the noun (pressure) and the verb "drukken" — three related words with one spelling.