Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "nu" in Dutch?

A rounded front vowel after n — say "knee" and then purse your lips without moving the tongue.

nu /ny/

Two letters and one beat, and the whole word rests on a vowel English does not possess. Because there is no closing consonant, the vowel is completely exposed — there is nowhere for an approximation to hide, which makes this a useful diagnostic word.

Listen: nu

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Sound it out

n A plain n, tongue tip on the ridge, released straight into the vowel.

u The long close front rounded vowel of French "tu" and German "über." Hold an "ee," freeze the tongue, then round the lips. English has no vowel in this position, so it has to be built rather than recalled.

Hear it in a sentence

Ik moet nu gaan.

I have to go now.

Listen: Ik moet nu gaan.

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"Ik moet nu gaan" places the time adverb between the modal and the infinitive, which is standard Dutch order. The sentence ends on "gaan" with its velar fricative and long vowel, so it moves from a tight front-rounded vowel to a wide-open back one.

Where English speakers slip

The reflex is "noo" or "new." "Noo" puts the tongue at the back; "new" adds a y-glide before the vowel. Dutch has neither — the tongue is forward from the start and the lips are rounded throughout. Practise switching between "nie" and "nu": same tongue, lips rounded or not, and the contrast makes the target obvious.