Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "sluiten" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce sluiten in Dutch?

sluiten is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈslœytə(n)/. It means “to close.” SLOW-tuh — but the ui is a rounded diphthong with no English equivalent, not the "ow" of "cow."

SLOW-tuh — but the ui is a rounded diphthong with no English equivalent, not the "ow" of "cow."

sluiten /ˈslœytə(n)/

First-syllable stress, and that syllable is dominated by the diphthong, which takes time to travel from its rounded start to its glide. Give it that time; rushing it is what turns the ui into a flat English vowel.

Listen: sluiten

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Sound it out

sl A plain hissing s into a bright l — no "shl," and no darkening of the l.

ui Start with the lips rounded and the tongue mid-front, near French "deux," then glide toward a loose "uh" while keeping the rounding. To an English ear it lands somewhere near "ow," but the mouth is doing something entirely different.

t Unaspirated, closing the diphthong sharply.

en A plain weak ending after a demanding diphthong. Once the ui is done, the rest of the word is coasting.

Hear it in a sentence

Wilt u het raam sluiten?

Could you close the window?

Listen: Wilt u het raam sluiten?

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"Wilt u het raam sluiten?" is a formal request using "u" and the matching verb form "wilt." The infinitive lands at the end, and just before it "raam" gives you a long open "aah" — a useful contrast with the rounded diphthong that follows immediately after.

Where English speakers slip

The letters "ui" invite the "ow" of "out," which starts wide open and unrounded. Dutch begins with pursed lips and the tongue forward. Others guess "oo-ee" from the spelling, which is equally wrong. The fix is mechanical: round the lips first, then move — do not open the mouth wide at any point.