Dutch uses the same 26 letters as English, but many of them have different names. The vowels are named after their long Dutch sound, and a handful of consonants sound nothing like their English names. Learn those few and you can spell your name at the _gemeente_, at the GP or on the phone without a single confused pause.
The pattern
Dutch vowel letters are named after their long sound (_aa_, _ee_, _ie_, _oo_, _uu_). Most consonant names combine the consonant sound with a vowel: _bee_, _dee_, _ef_, _em_.
- Vowels: _aa_ (a, like "ah"), _ee_ (e, like "ay" in day), _ie_ (i, like "ee" in see), _oo_ (o), _uu_ (u: say "ee" with rounded lips).
- With _aa_: _haa_ (h) and _kaa_ (k).
- The surprises: _gee_ (g, with the rough [Dutch g](#/lesson/g-and-ch) from the back of the throat), _jee_ (j, sounds like "yay"), _kuu_ (q), _vee_ (v), _wee_ (w), _iks_ (x) and _zet_ (z).
- The y is called _ij_ in the alphabet. When spelling, people usually say _Griekse ij_ ("Greek ij") to avoid confusion. You may also hear _ypsilon_.
- _ij_ is officially two letters, but it often acts as one. When a word starting with _ij_ needs a capital, both letters get one: _het IJsselmeer_, _IJsland_. Otherwise you write lowercase _ij_, as in _het ijs_ (ice).
- On the phone, _lange ij_ means i plus j and _korte ei_ means e plus i, because the two [sound the same](#/lesson/vowel-combinations). For extra clarity, add a name: _p van Pieter_.
The whole alphabet, out loud: _aa, bee, cee, dee, ee, ef, gee, haa, ie, jee, kaa, el, em, en, oo, pee, kuu, er, es, tee, uu, vee, wee, iks, ij, zet_.
Examples
| Kunt u dat spellen? | Can you spell that? |
|---|---|
| Ik heet Daan: dee, aa, aa, en. | My name is Daan: D, A, A, N. |
| Ik heet Priya: pee, er, ie, Griekse ij, aa. | My name is Priya: P, R, I, Y, A. |
| Is dat een ee of een ie? | Is that an E or an I? |
| Carlos, met een cee, niet met een kaa. | Carlos, with a C, not with a K. |
| Van Dijk, met een lange ij. | Van Dijk, spelled with IJ. |
| Mei, met een korte ei. | Mei, spelled with EI. |
| Met een p van Pieter. | With a P, as in Pieter. |
Why it works this way
English letter names drifted over the centuries: A became "ay", E became "ee" and I became "eye". Dutch stayed much closer to the old Latin names. So each vowel name is the long Dutch sound of that vowel, and most consonant names are the consonant sound with a vowel attached, after it (_bee_) or before it (_ef_). That turns the alphabet into a free pronunciation lesson: _aa_, _ee_, _ie_, _oo_ and _uu_ are the same long vowels you hear in _ja_, _twee_, _drie_, _zo_ and _nu_. The next lesson, [short and long vowels](#/lesson/short-long-vowels), builds directly on them.
Remember: the Dutch _ee_ sounds like an English A, and the Dutch _ie_ sounds like an English E. Your English ear will swap them, so trust the Dutch name, not the English echo.
Watch out
- Not: _Sanne: es, ee, en, en, ie_ Say: _Sanne: es, aa, en, en, ee_ (English A and E sound like Dutch _ee_ and _ie_, so this spells Senni)
- Not: _Gijs: jee, lange ij, es_ Say: _Gijs: gee, lange ij, es_ (_jee_ is the letter j; the g is _gee_, with the rough Dutch g)
- Not: _Aziz: aa, zee, ie, zee_ Say: _Aziz: aa, zet, ie, zet_ (_de zee_ means the sea; the letter z is _zet_)
- Not: _Ijsselmeer_ Say: _IJsselmeer_ (when a word starting with _ij_ needs a capital, both letters get one)
Quick check
- How do you spell Daan: _dee, aa, aa, en_ or _dee, ee, ee, en_?
- Fill in the gap: Mei is spelled _em, ee, ..._
- Fix the sentence: _Fatima gaat naar Ijsland._
- Which is the Dutch name of the letter j: _gee_ or _jee_?
Answers
- _dee, aa, aa, en_ (the Dutch a is _aa_; _ee_ would be an e).
- _ie_ (the Dutch name of i is _ie_).
- _Fatima gaat naar IJsland._ (a name starting with _ij_ gets a capital on both letters).
- _jee_ (_gee_ is the g, with the rough Dutch g).
Use it today
Say your name, your street and the two letters of your postcode out loud, letter by letter, in Dutch. Repeat it until it feels boring, so the next time someone at the doctor's or the _gemeente_ asks _Kunt u dat spellen?_, you answer without thinking.