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Pronouncing short vowels

A1Spelling And Pronunciation · lesson 14 of 28

a | Pronounce like English _u_ in _but_[ɑ]

zacht (soft)

zat (plenty, drunk)

gat (hole)

nat (wet)

kam (comb)

star (stiff, stubborn)

pakken (to get)

wachten (to wait)

wakker (awake)

e | Pronounce like English _e_ in _let_[ɛ]

gek (crazy)

bestek (cutlery)

rem (brake)

stem (voice)

les (lesson)

spel (game)

merken (to notice)

wekker (alarm clock)

stekker (plug)

kelder (basement)

i | Pronounce like English _i_ in _sit_[ɪ]

wit (white)

Brit (a British man)

bezit (possession)

kin (chin)

gil (scream)

stil (silent)

wissen (to erase)

richten (to aim)

onmiddellijk (immediately)

winter (winter)

o | Pronounce like English _o_ in _border_, but shorter [O] and [ɔ]

los (loose, free)

vol (full)

lot (fate)

zot (crazy)

stom (stupid)

zon (sun)

donker (dark)

worden (to become)

slordig (untidy)

u | Pronounce like English _u_ in _burden_[ʏ]

kus (kiss)

Rus (a Russian)

zus (sister)

nut (use)

mug (mosquito)

vlug (quick)

tussen (between)

gulden (guilder)

zuchten (to sigh)

y | The same as English _y_ in _system_[ɪ]

mys-te-rie (mystery)

sys-teem (system)

symp-toom (symptom)

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zacht, zat, gat, nat, kam, star, pakken, wachten, wakker gek, bestek, rem, stem, les, spel, merken, wekker, stekker, kelder wit, Brit, bezit, kin, gil, stil, wissen, richten, onmiddellijk, winter los, vol, zon, lot, zot, stom, donker, worden, slordig kus, Rus, zus, nut, mug, vlug, tussen, gulden, zuchten mysterie, systeem, symptoom

Short vowels Vowels preceding 'ch'
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