Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "genoeg" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce genoeg in Dutch?

genoeg is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ɣəˈnux/. It means “enough.” khuh-NOOKH — velar fricatives at both ends, the "oo" of boot in the middle, and stress on the second syllable.

khuh-NOOKH — velar fricatives at both ends, the "oo" of boot in the middle, and stress on the second syllable.

genoeg /ɣəˈnux/

The ge- prefix cannot take stress, so the beat lands on NOEG. That gives the word a rising shape and, unusually, puts a velar fricative at both the weak start and the strong finish — a genuine workout for one short word.

Listen: genoeg

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Sound it out

ge- An unstressed prefix: the velar scrape plus a schwa, gone in an instant. It never takes a beat.

n It opens the stressed syllable, so make it clean — this is where the word's weight begins.

oe The "oo" of "boot," rounded and back. It carries the stress and should be fully formed.

g The same harsh scrape that opened the word, now closing it — voiceless at both ends, with the vowel trapped between them.

Hear it in a sentence

Ik heb genoeg geld.

I have enough money.

Listen: Ik heb genoeg geld.

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"Ik heb genoeg geld" ends on "geld," which opens with yet another velar fricative, so the sentence contains three in a row across two words. Practising it as a unit is one of the fastest ways to build the muscle for that sound.

Where English speakers slip

Both g's become English hard g's for most beginners, and the oe becomes "oh." The result, "guh-NOHG," shares almost nothing with the Dutch word. Fix the vowel first since it is easiest — a plain "oo" — then work on holding the friction at both ends without letting either collapse into a stop.