Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "oud" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce oud in Dutch?

oud is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ʌut/. It means “old.” owt — the ou diphthong as in "out," and the final d comes out as a t.

owt — the ou diphthong as in "out," and the final d comes out as a t.

oud /ʌut/

One beat, with the diphthong supplying all of the internal movement. The comparative "ouder" adds an unstressed syllable and simultaneously reveals the d — so the word gets longer and its final consonant changes character, without the accent shifting an inch.

Listen: oud

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Sound it out

ou A diphthong beginning near an open "ah" and gliding toward "oo," close to the vowel in English "house." Dutch spells this same sound both "ou" and "au" with no difference in pronunciation.

d Written d, said as t. Final devoicing is automatic in Dutch, and the inflected "oude" restores the real d between vowels, which proves what the underlying consonant is.

Hear it in a sentence

Dat gebouw is heel oud.

That building is very old.

Listen: Dat gebouw is heel oud.

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"Dat gebouw is heel oud" ends on the bare adjective, so the devoiced t is fully exposed. Notice "gebouw" contains the same ou diphthong plus the unstressed ge- prefix, making the sentence a neat rhyme between subject and predicate.

Where English speakers slip

Reading the letters separately produces "oh-ud" or "ood." It is the two-part glide of "out." The final consonant is the second trap: the spelling shows a d and English speakers duly voice it, but Dutch devoices every word-final b, d and g without exception. Say "owt" and let "oude" remind you where the d went.