Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "onder" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce onder in Dutch?

onder is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈɔndər/. It means “under.” ON-dur — short rounded o under the stress, and a weak second syllable with a faint r.

ON-dur — short rounded o under the stress, and a weak second syllable with a faint r.

onder /ˈɔndər/

Front-stressed and, like "achter," it keeps that stress when it works as a separable prefix — "onderzoeken" is an exception where the prefix is inseparable and unstressed, which is exactly the sort of pair that makes Dutch prefix stress worth paying attention to.

Listen: onder

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Sound it out

o Rounded rather than flat — British "on" rather than American. The cluster behind it closes the syllable.

nd Both consonants clearly said, with the d keeping its voicing because it sits inside the word rather than at the end.

er The weak ending: schwa and a very light r, reduced almost to "-uh" in ordinary speech.

Hear it in a sentence

De kat zit onder de tafel.

The cat is under the table.

Listen: De kat zit onder de tafel.

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"De kat zit onder de tafel" uses "zitten" rather than "zijn," because Dutch prefers a posture verb where English just says "is." Cats sit, bottles stand, books lie — and choosing the right one is a habit that takes months to build.

Where English speakers slip

The American "under" supplies an unrounded vowel and a dominant r, both of which need changing: round the o slightly and keep the r faint. Learners also confuse "onder" with "beneden": "onder" is underneath something, "beneden" is downstairs, and English "below" blurs the two.