Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "het jaar" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce het jaar in Dutch?

het jaar is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ət ˈjaːr/. It means “year.” ut YAHR — the j is a y-sound, the vowel is a long open "aah," and the r is light.

ut YAHR — the j is a y-sound, the vowel is a long open "aah," and the r is light.

het jaar /ət ˈjaːr/

One beat on the noun with the article reduced to nothing. Worth knowing: after numbers this noun stays singular — "tien jaar," not "tien jaren" — which means you will hear this exact stressed syllable far more often than its plural.

Listen: het jaar

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Sound it out

j The y of "yes," as every Dutch j is. It never carries the English affricate value, so the word opens like "yard," not like "jar."

aa Wide open and fully held. Let the r come only after the vowel is completely finished.

r Made and gone before the ear has time to register it. An American r would shorten and colour the vowel; this one does not.

Hear it in a sentence

Volgend jaar ga ik naar Spanje.

Next year I'm going to Spain.

Listen: Volgend jaar ga ik naar Spanje.

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"Volgend jaar ga ik naar Spanje" opens with a time expression, which forces the verb into second position and pushes "ik" behind it. Note the adjective "volgend" is uninflected before a neuter noun without an article — the same exception that gives "een groot huis."

Where English speakers slip

The English j is the reflex, turning the word into "jar." Dutch j is always y. Learners also let an American r shorten and colour the long vowel, which is the difference between "jaar" and something closer to "yar." Say the vowel fully, then add the lightest possible r.