Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "goedkoop" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce goedkoop in Dutch?

goedkoop is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ɣutˈkoːp/. It means “cheap.” khoot-KOHP — a compound of "goed" and "koop," with the beat on the second half.

khoot-KOHP — a compound of "goed" and "koop," with the beat on the second half.

goedkoop /ɣutˈkoːp/

Compounds of this type put the beat on the second element: goed-KOOP. That runs against the general Dutch habit of front-stressing and is worth noting, because the parallel word "duurkoop" is not used and the pattern has to be learned word by word.

Listen: goedkoop

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Sound it out

g Friction at the soft palate opening the word: raise the back of the tongue, leave a narrow channel, and force air through.

oe The "oo" of "boot." This is the vowel of "goed," the first half of the compound.

dk The d devoices to t at the end of "goed," then runs straight into the k of "koop." In fast speech the two stops can merge into a single held closure.

oop Long pure "oh" plus an unaspirated p — this half carries the stress, so give the vowel its full length.

Hear it in a sentence

Deze fiets is goedkoop.

This bike is cheap.

Listen: Deze fiets is goedkoop.

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"Deze fiets is goedkoop" leaves the adjective bare after the verb, so the compound's stressed second half closes the sentence. "Fiets" beforehand gives you a long "ee" and a final s, providing a clean contrast with the rounded "oh" that follows.

Where English speakers slip

The obvious error is stressing the first half, "GOED-koop," because Dutch words usually front-stress and because the meaning feels centred on "goed." The other trap is the middle: learners voice the d, when it devoices to t before the k. Say "khoot-KOHP" and let the two stops collide.