Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "trots" in Dutch?

trots — a quiet t, a brief r, a short rounded o, and a t-s cluster to close.

trots /trɔts/

Consonants outnumber vowels three to one in this single beat. The word does not inflect in predicate use, so it keeps this compact shape in most sentences you will meet.

Listen: trots

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Sound it out

tr An unaspirated t into a light flick. English "trot" aspirates the t and curls the r, both of which reshape the vowel.

o Lips slightly pursed and the vowel brief, hemmed in by consonants at both ends.

ts A quiet t running straight into a hiss, said as one gesture. English has this cluster in "lots," so the mechanics are familiar.

Hear it in a sentence

Ik ben trots op je werk.

I am proud of your work.

Listen: Ik ben trots op je werk.

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"Ik ben trots op je werk" uses "op" for the thing you are proud of, which is the fixed preposition — "trots van" is not Dutch. "Werk" at the end brings the labiodental w, so the sentence pairs two quite different consonant challenges.

Where English speakers slip

Aspirating the t and curling the r pull the word toward English "trots." Dutch keeps both quiet and brief. Learners also unround the vowel. The preposition is the practical error though — English "proud of" translates to "trots op," and getting it wrong is more noticeable than any sound.