Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "het nummer" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce het nummer in Dutch?

het nummer is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ət ˈnʏmər/. It means “number.” ut NUH-mur — the u is short and rounded, and the second syllable is weak.

ut NUH-mur — the u is short and rounded, and the second syllable is weak.

het nummer /ət ˈnʏmər/

The doubled m tells you the accented vowel stays short. Compare "numeriek," a related borrowing where the accent moves to the end and the vowel changes entirely — Dutch does not preserve a root's rhythm across borrowings.

Listen: het nummer

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Sound it out

n A standard n opening the word, with nothing to adjust from English.

u Short with the lips slightly pursed — a rounded central vowel. English "number" unrounds it completely, which is the giveaway error.

mm One m in speech. The doubled letter is a spelling device keeping the u short, not an instruction to hold the consonant.

er Schwa plus a very light r, reduced almost to a breath at the end of the word.

Hear it in a sentence

Wat is je nummer?

What's your number?

Listen: Wat is je nummer?

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"Wat is je nummer?" is a compact question with the verb second and the possessive unstressed before the noun. The whole sentence has two beats, on WAT and NUM-, with everything else light.

Where English speakers slip

That u needs pursed lips, and almost nobody manages it at first — English "number" has the same tongue position with the lips spread. Round them slightly. Learners also hold the double m and give the -er ending an American r, both of which stretch the word out of shape.