Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "spelen" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce spelen in Dutch?

spelen is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /ˈspeːlə(n)/. It means “to play.” SPAY-luh — plain s in "sp," long "ay," and a bright l before the reduced ending.

SPAY-luh — plain s in "sp," long "ay," and a bright l before the reduced ending.

spelen /ˈspeːlə(n)/

The single l after the vowel is the spelling clue that the vowel is long, and it also tells you where the accent lands. Written "spellen" with a doubled l, the vowel goes short and the word means something else entirely — to spell.

Listen: spelen

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Sound it out

sp Hissing s plus an unaspirated p. Resist the German-influenced "shp" — Dutch keeps the s clean in every position.

e Close to "ay" in "play" but without the upward drift — English glides at the end of that vowel and Dutch does not.

l A bright forward l linking the syllables, made with the tongue tip up and the body low.

en This ending is what distinguishes the infinitive from the stem "speel," and it is also the plural ending — one form doing three grammatical jobs.

Hear it in a sentence

De kinderen spelen in het park.

The children are playing in the park.

Listen: De kinderen spelen in het park.

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"De kinderen spelen in het park" uses the plural verb form, which happens to be identical to the infinitive — a convenient overlap in Dutch. The reduced "het" flattens to "ut," so the sentence's second half runs together as "in-ut-PARK."

Where English speakers slip

English "spell" and "play" pull in opposite directions and neither is right: the Dutch vowel is long but not diphthongised, closer to a held "eh" than to "ay" in "play." The s must also stay a plain hiss. Watch out for the minimal pair with "spellen" — the vowel length is the only thing distinguishing playing from spelling.