LingoDrop
Dutch · Pronunciation Guide
How do you pronounce "laat" in Dutch?
laht — bright l, a long open "aah," and an unaspirated t. Not the English "late."
A single beat resting on a long vowel, and as a predicate adjective it usually takes the sentence's final prominence. In "late" — the inflected form — the spelling drops one a as the syllable opens, and a schwa follows, but the accent stays put.
Listen: laat
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Hear it in a sentence
De trein is laat.
The train is late.
Listen: De trein is laat.
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"De trein is laat" ends on the bare adjective with the t fully exposed. Compare "later" elsewhere in this course: same root, one weak syllable added, and the t suddenly sits between vowels where it is easier to say.
Where English speakers slip
English "late" supplies a diphthong that travels from "eh" toward "ee," and an aspirated t. Dutch has a flat, open "aah" and a quiet t. The vowels really are unrelated despite the similar spelling and identical meaning, so this is a word where the cognate actively misleads.