Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "het hart" in Dutch?

ut HAHRT — soft voiced h, an open back "ah," a light r, and an unaspirated t.

het hart /ət ˈɦɑrt/

The plural "harten" splits the rt cluster across the syllable boundary and gives the r room to breathe, which is why the longer form is easier for beginners than the tight singular.

Listen: het hart

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Sound it out

h Voiced and breathy rather than explosive. Dutch h feels like a hum with air behind it.

a Open and back, and it must stay a distinct vowel rather than being absorbed into the r — which is exactly what English does in "heart."

rt A brief tap or scrape into a quiet t, both released quickly and neither lengthening the syllable.

Hear it in a sentence

Mijn hart klopt snel.

My heart is beating fast.

Listen: Mijn hart klopt snel.

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"Mijn hart klopt snel" uses "kloppen" for beating, the same verb that means "to be correct" in "dat klopt." The adverb "snel" takes no ending, since Dutch adverbs use the bare adjective form.

Where English speakers slip

The English "heart" has a long r-coloured vowel that dominates the whole word; Dutch has a short distinct "ah" followed by a brief flick. That difference is the entire pronunciation lesson here. Aspirating the h and the t adds two smaller giveaways on top.