Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "twee" in Dutch?

Q: How do you pronounce twee in Dutch?

twee is pronounced with the stress described below. In IPA it is written /tʋeː/. It means “two.” tvay — the w after t is a soft lip-teeth sound, and the ee is a long, steady "ay."

tvay — the w after t is a soft lip-teeth sound, and the ee is a long, steady "ay."

twee /tʋeː/

One syllable carrying full weight — numbers are content words in Dutch and never reduce. Contrast the compounds it builds, like "twintig" and "tweeëntwintig," where the stress relationships shift but this root always keeps a strong beat.

Listen: twee

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Sound it out

tw A cluster English does not have in this shape. The t is unaspirated and the w that follows is made with the bottom lip near the upper teeth, so the effect is somewhere between English "tw-" and "tv-."

ee Long tense e, the same vowel as in "nee." Doubling the letter is Dutch's way of writing length, and it stays a single pure vowel throughout.

Hear it in a sentence

Ik heb twee broers.

I have two brothers.

Listen: Ik heb twee broers.

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"Ik heb twee broers" shows the plural "broers" formed with a simple -s, one of Dutch's two plural endings. The numeral and the noun run together without any counting word between them, so the phrase is one smooth "tvay-BROORS" with the peak on the noun.

Where English speakers slip

English speakers say "tway" with their own rounded w, pushing the lips forward. Dutch w does not round the lips at all — the bottom lip approaches the teeth, closer to a very soft v. The other frequent error is diphthongising the ee into "tway-ee." Hold the vowel at one position and stop.