Dutch is a West Germanic language spoken by over 23 million people as a first language in the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, and as a second language in many other countries.
The Dutch alphabet consists of 26 letters, including the following additional letters:
é, ë, ï, ö, ü, and é with acute accents (é is also used in loanwords)ij and y (both considered separate letters)ch, ng, and ij (considered digraphs)g is pronounced as a guttural sound similar to the “ch” in Scottish “loch”.j is pronounced as the “y” in “yes”.ui is pronounced as the “ui” in “huis” (house).ij is pronounced as a diphthong similar to the “ei” in “rein” (pure).eu is pronounced as the “oi” in “boil”.sch is pronounced as the “sk” in “school”.ch is pronounced as the “k” in “kilo” at the beginning of a word, and as the guttural “ch” sound elsewhere.ng is pronounced as the “ng” in “sing”.Hallo!: Hello!Hoe gaat het?: How are you?Ik spreek geen Nederlands.: I don’t speak Dutch.Tot ziens!: Goodbye!Een biertje, alstublieft.: A beer, please.Ik hou van jou.: I love you.