Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "langzaam" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce langzaam in Dutch?

langzaam is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈlɑŋzaːm/. It means “slow.” LAHNG-zahm — beat on the first half, the ng is a single nasal, and the second vowel is long.

LAHNG-zahm — beat on the first half, the ng is a single nasal, and the second vowel is long.

langzaam /ˈlɑŋzaːm/

Compound stress falls on the first element, LANG-zaam, with the second half taking secondary weight. That is the opposite of "goedkoop," where the second element wins — Dutch compound stress is not fully predictable, which is why each compound has to be learned as a unit.

Listen: langzaam

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Sound it out

lang Bright l, short open "ah," and one velar nasal with no hard g behind it. This is the word "lang" doing duty as the first half of a compound.

z Weakly voiced here, sitting close to s. It also has to be launched directly out of the nasal, which is an awkward junction at first.

aa Wide and held, taking secondary stress. Clipping it collapses the compound into something like "langzum."

m A closing m with the lips fully together, giving the word a soft landing.

Hear it in a sentence

De trein is vandaag langzaam.

The train is slow today.

Listen: De trein is vandaag langzaam.

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"De trein is vandaag langzaam" ends on the compound adjective, so the final long vowel and m close the sentence gently. "Vandaag" beforehand is itself end-stressed, van-DAAG, giving the sentence a stress pattern that shifts back to the front on the last word.

Where English speakers slip

The ng attracts a hard g, producing "LANG-guh-zahm." It is one nasal running straight into the z. Learners also shorten the second vowel, which flattens the compound into something like "langzum." And the z, following a nasal, tends to come out as a full English z — Dutch keeps it light.