Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "het probleem" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce het probleem in Dutch?

het probleem is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ət proˈbleːm/. It means “problem.” ut pro-BLAYM — stress on the second syllable, with a long "ay" and a closing m.

ut pro-BLAYM — stress on the second syllable, with a long "ay" and a closing m.

het probleem /ət proˈbleːm/

End-stressed, following the Latin-derived pattern shared by probleem, systeem, museum and moment. English stresses the first syllable of "problem"; Dutch does the opposite, which makes this one of the most frequently mis-stressed words for anglophone learners.

Listen: het probleem

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Sound it out

pro- An unstressed opening: a quiet p, a brief tap, and a short o. The whole syllable passes almost unnoticed on the way to the beat.

bl A voiced b into a bright forward l, opening the stressed syllable. Keep the l light rather than darkening it.

ee Dutch's long e, held steady and carrying the primary stress. Lower than the English "ee" of "scheme."

m Lips closed at the end, stopping the vowel cleanly rather than letting it fade.

Hear it in a sentence

We hebben een probleem.

We have a problem.

Listen: We hebben een probleem.

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"We hebben een probleem" is short enough that the late stress is very audible — three light words and then the peak. Note the plural verb "hebben" agreeing with "we," which English does not mark at all.

Where English speakers slip

"PROB-lem" is what every English speaker says first, and the stress shift to the end is the whole correction. The vowel matters too: Dutch ee is lower and longer than the English "e" in "problem." Get the stress right and the vowel tends to follow.