Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "het kind" in Dutch?

ut KINT — short tight i, and the final d is pronounced as a t.

het kind /ət ˈkɪnt/

The irregular plural is worth noting rhythmically: "kinderen" has three syllables with the accent still on the first, so the word triples in length while its stressed syllable stays exactly where it was.

Listen: het kind

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Sound it out

k Unaspirated, released with no puff of air. English "kind" begins with a small burst that Dutch does not have.

i Tight and lax, the vowel of "tin." The cluster behind it closes the syllable and rules out any lengthening.

nd Both consonants said, with the d devoicing to t at the end of the word. The plural is irregular — "kinderen" — and there the d is voiced again.

Hear it in a sentence

Het kind slaapt nog.

The child is still sleeping.

Listen: Het kind slaapt nog.

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"Het kind slaapt nog" uses "nog" for "still," and the verb "slaapt" restores the doubled a in spelling because the syllable has closed. Both the article and the adverb are light, so the sentence has two real beats.

Where English speakers slip

The English "kind" is spelled identically and pronounced with a completely different vowel — the diphthong of "find." Dutch has a short, tight i. The final d also gets voiced on the strength of the spelling. Two errors, both from the eye rather than the ear.