Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "het sap" in Dutch?

ut SAHP — a plain s, an open back "ah," and an unaspirated p.

het sap /ət ˈsɑp/

Three sounds and nothing else. The plural "sappen" doubles the p in spelling to protect that short vowel, then adds a schwa, so the accented syllable is untouched by the growth.

Listen: het sap

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Sound it out

s An ordinary hissing s, one of the few Dutch consonants that transfers from English with no adjustment.

a Open and produced at the back of the mouth, kept short by the closing consonant. English "sap" uses a much flatter, more forward vowel.

p A quiet final stop with no puff of air. English word-final p usually carries a small release; Dutch closes the lips and stops.

Hear it in a sentence

Het sap is lekker koud.

The juice is nice and cold.

Listen: Het sap is lekker koud.

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"Het sap is lekker koud" uses "lekker" as an intensifier meaning something like "nice and," which is a very Dutch construction with no clean English equivalent. The bare "koud" at the end exposes its devoiced t.

Where English speakers slip

The English "sap" is spelled identically and uses a flat, forward vowel; Dutch pulls it back and opens the throat. Aspirating the final p is the second small giveaway. Neither error obscures the word, which is precisely why they survive so long.