Getting started with Dutch is straightforward because it uses the same 26-letter Latin alphabet as English. This means you already recognize all the characters. However, the sounds they make can be quite different.

Dutch vowels have two main sounds: long and short. The sound a vowel makes depends on whether it's in an open or closed syllable.

An open syllable ends in a vowel, which makes the vowel sound long. For example, in maken (to make), the first syllable is 'ma-', so the 'a' has a long 'aa' sound.

A closed syllable ends in a consonant, which makes the vowel sound short. For example, in man (man), the syllable is closed by the 'n', so the 'a' has a short 'ah' sound.

When a word needs a long vowel sound in a closed syllable, the vowel is doubled. Compare man (man) with maan (moon). Both are closed syllables, but doubling the 'a' in maan makes it long.

Some Dutch sounds don't have a direct equivalent in English. These require a bit of practice.

The most famous is the g sound. It's a guttural sound, made in the back of your throat. It's similar to the 'ch' in the Scottish word loch or the German Bach. You'll hear it in words like goed (good) and graag (gladly).

Dutch also features several diphthongs, which are combinations of two vowels that create a single, gliding sound.

One interesting pair is ei and ij. They sound exactly the same! There's no rule for when to use which one; you simply have to memorize the spelling of each word. It's a common challenge even for native Dutch speakers.

Now let's check your understanding of these new sounds.

Great work. Getting the hang of these foundational sounds will make learning new words much easier.