How to Pronounce the Dutch 'ui' Sound - Step by Step

Hey guys!
Let's talk about the most difficult Dutch sound, shall we?
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[@redpilledfag]

I tried learning Dutch by just listening to Dutch people talk and looking at the subtitles, but my ears were unable to register these slight differences. I'm glad I found your channel so I can correct my pronunciation earlier on.

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Yay! So glad it's helpful

[@alysoncollier3651]

I have been struggling with this particular diphthong for a year without clear success. This little video was the best I've seen on this topic.

[@kvlang]

I'm thinking of two expressions for this video: "life saver" or "game changer", you pick one 😄 Thank you so much!!!

[@CatsDutchClasses]

I'll take both 💁‍♀️ thank you!

[@juancarlosvegaoliver8513]

Finally! I had just given up and decided to pronounced iu as au, therefore dutch huis and english house sounded the same for me, but now I can hear the difference!

[@AnnaBlueStar]

Finally...the right teaching. Thank you so much, I was really struggling with this one

[@mohamedyounes5242]

great

[@valentincontilde]

thanks / gracias from Colombia, very useful!

[@t.sultana]

Oh my God! Why did I find you so late! You are so good at explaining!

[@OlexiVR]

Thank you, great video, need to listen to it several times until it works out

[@Jr-ft9ii]

Crystal clear 👌🏼👏🏼

[@yflee6038]

Best "ui" tutorial video on KZbin

[@sihongwang2392]

Very practical!

[@jacobhsia1583]

best explanation I've ever seen!!! Hartelijk dank!!!

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Graag gedaan!

[@Weiweisunn]

Thank you so much! It helps!🙏🙏🙏💜

[@CatsDutchClasses]

You're welcome 😊

[@kathybui1918]

“Ui” in Belgium is pronounced more easily. Thanks very much.

[@francescotonini6268]

How?

[@linguaphile9415]

Thank you so much. As a German native speaker this the diphthong drove me crazy because it seems to be transcribed the wrong way. In dictionaries and tutorials the ipa-symbol used for it is /œʏ̯/, but (correct me if I'm wrong) it is definitely more like /æʏ̯/. The lips are spread at the beginning and are rounded as the second part of the diphthong is pronounced.

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Ohh thanks for letting me know, I had no idea. I definitely agree with you more. Another one that irks me is the pronunciation video of groningen University, it's completely incorrect 😱 I don't know why there's so much misinformation about learning Dutch out there

[@linguaphile9415]

@@CatsDutchClasses I think it has to do with conventions for transcriptions. When I studied English at university they taught us the standard transcription of dictionaries where the vowel in "get" is normally transcribed as /get/, a half-closed vowel, but it is an open vowel. Food is transcribed /fu:d/, but it is actually more like /fʉwd/, a diphthong. There is an interesting video on KZbin by Dr. Geoffrey Lindsey on this topic. He shows that virtually all English vowel symbols are wrong. The same thing seems to apply to Dutch.

[@Blackstarrkhalis]

I was having the same issue. All IPA transcriptions were giving me some version of /œy/, but it never sounded correct as a German and French speaker. It’s definitely more of a /æ/ sound in the beginning as you have stated

[@Asehpe]

I think there is a problem with dialectal variations also. I have lived in the Netherlands for over 12 years, and I have definitely heard the [œʏ̯] pronunciation, but also the [æʏ̯] one (I may be wrong there, but I associate the latter with more southern varieties, like from Leiden down; it's also where they like rolling the r's rather than doing the uvular r more often found in the north and near the German border). I think I've even heard [aʏ̯] (but I'm not 100% sure about the latter). Anyway, it's a lovely language! I wish you veel succes met je Nederlands!

[@shutting88]

Nice.

[@KeesGoedegebuur]

Finally!! I think this is the single best video on this unique wierd sound 👍😃

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Glad it was helpful! 🤗

[@cruelsummer4]

omG I was trying ui since so long but now cos of you, I can pronounce it! also, you're so pretty * _ *

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Congratulations! Glad to hear the video was helpful

[@Roeplala]

To everyone reading this whose native language isn't Dutch. This is a great teacher. But I do have one minor point to make on the 'ui' sound. As a native Dutch person of a certain age I'm thinking such a pity that the 'ui' pronounciation here isn't as clean (zuiver) as it could be. We too have regional differences and the ui sound is prone to differ somewhat everywhere you go. Having said that I can find nothing else to critique and so keep up the good work in learning and teaching Dutch. (feeling so so ABN right now) *Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands translates into Common Civilized Dutch. 😂😂😂 As if...

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Thank you. Throughout the years, this has been the most helpful technique for my students to get close to the ui sound. As native Dutch speakers, we obviously don't start the diphthong in the same way, but once students get used to this pronunciation, they'll transition into the native sound more easily.

[@17422Yamin]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@zeeshanzia2310]

U r great

[@omheba2267]

Nice explanation.. het is mooooi

[@Triharyanto1968]

Terima kasih banyak Mbak

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Sama sama 🤗

[@Martame1234]

This video is really good. Could you make a similar one for the EU sound? Like in Euro

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Thanks 😊 It's on my list

[@AnnaBlueStar]

Any time between 9am -2pm your Bali time works for me in NZ time

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Sorry, I didn't see this before. Unfortunately I start at 3pm Bali time. I do work on weekends though. You can check my schedule and book a class here: www.italki.com/i/reft/6b6fCD/6b6fCD/dutch?hl=en&

[@theChaosKe]

I wasnt even aware it was supposed to be a different sound, thanks for clearing that up for me. I am learning dutch comming from german and if i understand it correctly au/ou vs ui would be comparable to au vs äuw in german?

[@CatsDutchClasses]

I guess so, although this sound doesn't really exist in German. My German students struggle with this sound and the ei/ij the most, because everything else is so similar

[@nipanipa8479]

Ik geen ST.....Waarom moet 100%???😢😢 Moeilijk ๆๆๆๆ Dank je wel

[@Riot076]

Interesting - it's literally the same pronunciation as with the "ow" sound (like in the word "How") in some Northern Irish dialects of English

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Omg that's so interesting. Thanks for.sharing

[@juliawirch2454]

I thought that was an "oi" sound..."hoi, noi, broin, coi"

[@karpatyaliroy6002]

I also feel a difference in tongue position; when I pronounce ui, my tongue is in a more front position than when I say ou. Or am I just imagining it?

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Good observation! Maybe slightly, but whatever works right =)

[@AnnaBlueStar]

Me again Cat, I am trying to schedule some classes with you. I am in New Zealand. I am having difficulty understanding how to book etc. What are the best times for you to work? Cheers

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Hi, well I'm 10 months late replying to this comment, but doing a rebrand now. Feel free to contact me on Instagram if you're still interested. @catsdutchclasses

[@giorgosmalfas7486]

What about EI, and IJ?

[@CatsDutchClasses]

I have another video on my channel about those sounds 😊

[@sungod86]

Is the old Dutch spelling "uy" pronounced the same as the modern "ui"?

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Yes :)

[@slavianalbanovich9025]

is the same in the Flemish language and in Afrikaans?

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Yes for flemish, but I'm not sure about Afrikaans. I think so though

[@daniellestaub3189]

I'm from South Africa and ui sounds different in Afrikaans to Dutch

[@Andy-mo4uk]

My dutch teachers say r most of the time like the english r...are they doing that right? XD

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Hey, I've actually got a video on the r sound, here it is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/p5nKe51niMmMpZIsi=wsLvwyrdIQHGBDxF

[@shutting88]

Is there an "a" sound in Dutch like "a" in cat or happy in English?

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Nope, that's why the Dutch often can't pronounce the difference between bet and bat

[@shutting88]

@@CatsDutchClasses but e in hebben seems to sound like a in cat.

[@CatsDutchClasses]

@@shutting88 interesting, it's not supposed to. The two e's in hebben should sound the same as those in helmet.

[@ronaldderooij1774]

the "a" in kat sounds like the "a" in the english "yacht" (not surprisingly it is derived from the Dutch word "jacht").

[@ronaldderooij1774]

@@CatsDutchClasses I have to disagree. He is right. The first "e" in "hebben" is the same as in the english "cat" to my Dutch ears.

[@phychemnerd]

Sounds a bit like the Canadian "out"

[@CatsDutchClasses]

Does it? I'm not sure 😅

[@Legac706]

0:28 zäyt, zaut

[@BobWitlox]

Are you Finnish? A Finnish friend of mine told me that ui sounds like äy (in Finnish phonetics). When he said äy, I heard ui.

[@Legac706]

@@BobWitlox ye i am

[@famingwang5982]

sounds like 'eü'?

[@CatsDutchClasses]

We don't have an eü sound, but we do have an eu sound. I'll make a video on that

[@brian-gj4cl]

Difficult to tell the pronunciation difference in speaking

[@CatsDutchClasses]

The more you practice, the easier it will get. Trust me!

[@alaaalqetwi6733]

Can i get your email Thanks alot 🌹🌹🌹🌹😗