Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "kosten" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce kosten in Dutch?

kosten is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈkɔstə(n)/. It means “to cost.” KOS-tuh — short rounded o, plain s, and the final n dropped in speech.

KOS-tuh — short rounded o, plain s, and the final n dropped in speech.

kosten /ˈkɔstə(n)/

The st cluster splits across the syllable boundary — the s closes the stressed syllable and the t opens the weak one. That division is why the word does not feel as consonant-heavy as its spelling suggests.

Listen: kosten

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Sound it out

k Unaspirated, released without the puff English gives "cost."

o Rounded and clipped, nearer British "cost" than American. The consonant cluster behind it prevents any lengthening.

st Hissing s plus an unaspirated t, straddling the syllable boundary. No "sht" here — the s is clean even in the middle of the word.

en The t of the cluster opens this syllable, and the schwa closes it — an ending so light it barely registers as a beat.

Hear it in a sentence

Wat kost deze jas?

How much does this coat cost?

Listen: Wat kost deze jas?

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"Wat kost deze jas?" uses "wat" rather than "hoeveel" for a price, which is the idiomatic choice. The verb takes the -t of the third person and lands in second position after the question word, with the demonstrative "deze" agreeing with the de-word "jas."

Where English speakers slip

The American "cost" brings an unrounded vowel and an aspirated k; the Dutch word wants lip rounding and a quiet k. Learners also confuse this with the noun "kosten" (costs), which is spelled identically — Dutch does not shift stress to distinguish noun from verb, so only the sentence tells you which is which.