Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "slapen" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce slapen in Dutch?

slapen is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈslaːpə(n)/. It means “to sleep.” SLAH-puh — plain s (never "shl"), long open "aah," and a reduced ending.

SLAH-puh — plain s (never "shl"), long open "aah," and a reduced ending.

slapen /ˈslaːpə(n)/

The open first syllable is what licenses the long vowel under the accent. The stem "slaap" doubles the a in spelling once the syllable closes, which is the same rule applied in reverse — Dutch spelling constantly adjusts to keep vowel length visible.

Listen: slapen

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Sound it out

sl A clean hissing s into a bright l. German turns this cluster into "shl"; Dutch keeps the s sharp, and the l stays forward rather than darkening.

a Give it real length; this is the word's rhythmic centre, stretched because the syllable ends after the vowel.

p Unaspirated, released quietly between the two vowels.

en The p releases directly into this schwa. In the past tense "sliepen" the same ending returns unchanged.

Hear it in a sentence

Ik ga vroeg slapen.

I'm going to sleep early.

Listen: Ik ga vroeg slapen.

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"Ik ga vroeg slapen" uses "gaan" plus an infinitive to express a near-future intention, a construction Dutch leans on heavily. The infinitive lands at the end, and "vroeg" in the middle contributes another velar fricative before the s of "slapen" begins.

Where English speakers slip

The English "sleep" pulls the vowel toward "ee," and German study pulls the s toward "sh." Neither belongs. The vowel is a long, open "aah" produced at the back of the mouth. Learners also tend to give the ending a full "-pen," when native speech reduces it to almost nothing.