Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "toch" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce toch in Dutch?

toch is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /tɔx/. It means “still / anyway.” tokh — unaspirated t, short rounded o, and the harsh Dutch fricative.

tokh — unaspirated t, short rounded o, and the harsh Dutch fricative.

toch /tɔx/

Weight varies enormously with function. As a contradicting adverb — "ik doe het toch" — it takes real emphasis; as an unstressed particle seeking agreement, it almost disappears. The same three letters can be the loudest or quietest word in a sentence.

Listen: toch

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Sound it out

t A quiet release with the air held back. Put a hand in front of your mouth: an English t moves it, a Dutch one does not.

o Round the lips and keep it quick. British "tot" is the reference point; the fricative behind it seals the syllable.

ch Narrow the gap between the back of the tongue and the soft palate until the air rasps audibly. Being word-final, it can be held for as long as you like.

Hear it in a sentence

Het is duur, maar ik koop het toch.

It's expensive, but I'll buy it anyway.

Listen: Het is duur, maar ik koop het toch.

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"Het is duur, maar ik koop het toch" puts "toch" at the very end, where it carries the contradiction and the final beat. That end position is what makes the concession land, and moving the word earlier would change the emphasis entirely.

Where English speakers slip

The ch becomes a k, giving "tok," which is the standard substitution. It is a fricative, and this word is one of the best places to practise it because there is nothing else in the word to distract you. Learners also flatten the vowel to an American "ah" instead of rounding it slightly.