Getting the sounds right is a huge step toward feeling confident when you speak. Dutch pronunciation can seem tricky, especially with sounds that don't exist in English. But the good news is that Dutch spelling is very consistent. Once you learn the rules, you can reliably figure out how to say most words.

Dutch vowels come in two main flavors: short and long. The spelling tells you which one to use. A double vowel (aa, ee, oo, uu) is always long. A single vowel in a closed syllable (a syllable that ends in a consonant) is short. An open syllable (ending in a vowel) makes a single vowel long.

Let's see how this works in practice.

You'll also frequently encounter the letter 'e' making an unstressed sound, like the 'a' in 'sofa'. This is called a schwa. You hear it in common words like de (the) and in the '-en' ending of many verbs, like in lopen (to walk).

Many Dutch consonants sound just like their English counterparts. But a few are famously different. The most well-known is the guttural 'g', which is also used for 'ch'.

Here are a few other consonants to watch out for:

• j is always pronounced like the 'y' in 'yes'. So, jas (coat) sounds like 'yas'.
• w sounds more like an English 'v'. To say water (water), bring your top teeth to your bottom lip.
• r can be tricky. It can be rolled at the front of the mouth or be guttural like the 'g'. For now, using a standard English 'r' is perfectly fine. The key is to be understood.
• A d or b at the end of a word sounds like a 't' or 'p'. The word hond (dog) is pronounced like 'hont'.

Diphthongs are combinations of two vowels that create a single, gliding sound. Dutch has a few that can trip up learners.

The pair ij/ei sounds very similar to the 'uy' in the English word 'buy' or the 'i' in 'fine'.

The pair ou/au sounds like the 'ow' in 'how' or 'now'.

The most unique Dutch diphthong is ui. There's no direct equivalent in English. To approximate it, start by saying the 'ow' sound from 'how', but round your lips as if you were about to say 'ee'. It's a sound that glides from something like an 'a' to an 'ee' with rounded lips.

Like in English, Dutch words have stressed and unstressed syllables. In most Dutch words with two or more syllables, the stress falls on the first syllable. For example, in spreken (to speak), the emphasis is on spre-ken.

There are exceptions, especially with prefixes. For example, in the word verstaan (to understand), the stress is on the second syllable: ver-staan. For now, the best way to learn these patterns is by listening to native speakers and imitating them.

Listen to how sentences flow. The melody of Dutch is quite different from English. Imitating this rhythm, even before you have a large vocabulary, will make you sound more natural.

Don't worry about getting every sound perfect right away. The goal is clear communication, and that comes with practice.