Dutch · Pronunciation Guide

How do you pronounce "ziek" in Dutch?

zeek — but with a barely-voiced z, so it sounds closer to "seek" than English speakers expect.

ziek /zik/

Both consonants are brief, so the long vowel carries the whole word rhythmically. In "zieke" a schwa is appended and the k moves between vowels, softening slightly — the stressed syllable itself is unchanged.

Listen: ziek

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Sound it out

z Very little voicing on this initial z — start with breath and let the buzz arrive late, if at all.

ie The long "ee" of "seek," bright and tense, held steady throughout.

k An unaspirated final stop, released without any puff of air.

Hear it in a sentence

Ik ben vandaag ziek.

I'm sick today.

Listen: Ik ben vandaag ziek.

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"Ik ben vandaag ziek" places the time word before the adjective, which is standard Dutch order and the reverse of English "I'm sick today." The bare adjective at the end leaves the final k fully exposed with nothing to soften it.

Where English speakers slip

The full English z buzz is the main import, giving a heavier start than Dutch uses. Learners also aspirate the final k. Watch for the near-neighbour "zeek," which is not a word, and for "zeeg" — but the real listening confusion is with "zoek" (search), where only the vowel differs: "ee" versus "oo."