Dutch · speaking-first

Learn to speak Dutch

Actually speak Dutch — real conversations with an AI tutor, not just tapping flashcards.

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Hear real Dutch

Tap any phrase to hear a native speaker. This is what your first lesson sounds like.

Why speak Dutch with AvalaVoice

Real conversations

Speak with an AI tutor that adapts to your level and keeps the conversation going in Dutch.

Pronunciation coaching

Get scored on how you sound, with feedback in your own language.

A guided path

A structured journey from your first hello to confident everyday Dutch.

Native audio

Every word and sentence comes with pre-recorded native audio to model.

What learning Dutch actually involves

About 25 million speakers across the Netherlands, Flanders and Suriname. Dutch sits closer to English than any other major language, which creates a very specific problem: nearly everyone you want to practise with speaks excellent English and will switch the instant you hesitate.

How long it takes

One of the quickest languages for an English speaker to pick up, around 600–750 hours. The vocabulary and sentence rhythm feel familiar almost immediately. Finding somebody willing to let you struggle through it is the real difficulty.

Three things that trip up English speakers

1De or het

Dutch has two definite articles and the assignment is largely unpredictable. Roughly two-thirds of nouns take "de", which makes guessing viable and being consistently right hard. Native speakers notice the misses immediately.

2Word order that moves

The verb sits second in main clauses and last in subordinate ones, and adding a modal or a perfect tense flings parts of the verb to opposite ends of the sentence: "Ik heb gisteren een boek gekocht."

3Separable verbs, stacked at the end

As in German, prefixes detach and drift to the close of the sentence. Unlike German, there are no cases slowing you down — which is why Dutch feels easy for about a month and then abruptly stops being easy.

Sounds worth getting right early

g and ch
The famous scraped sound at the back of the throat, harsher in the north than in Flanders. "Gracht" contains two of them in quick succession.
ui
As in "huis". No English vowel is near it: it begins somewhere around "ow" and finishes rounded and forward.
ij
Written as two letters, pronounced as one diphthong, roughly "ay" — and in some regions closer to "ah-ee".

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What comes easier than you expect

You already know more than you think: water, hand, boek, huis, drinken, oud. Dutch and English separated relatively recently and the everyday core is still visibly shared, so simple sentences come together within days.

Where Dutch stands today

Present on the big platforms but thinly — a second-tier offering almost everywhere. Speaking practice is especially scarce, because the Netherlands is one of the hardest places on earth to be a beginner out loud.

What you'll learn

20 themed units · 200 words · 481 sentences, all with native audio.

1First Hellos
2Family & Friends
3Daily Life
4Numbers, Time & Dates
5Eating Out
6Shops & Spending
7Around Town
8On the Move
9Asking for Help
10Home & Living
11Body & Health
12Weather & Seasons
13Feelings & Moods
14Hobbies & Free Time
15Animals & Nature
16Phones & Tech
17Food & Cooking
18Work & Jobs
19Travel Trouble
20Clothes & Colours

Browse the full Dutch phrasebook with native audio →Or find your Dutch level in 2 minutes →Or get your Dutch pronunciation scored, free →

Questions

How hard is Dutch for an English speaker?

One of the quickest languages for an English speaker to pick up, around 600–750 hours. The vocabulary and sentence rhythm feel familiar almost immediately. Finding somebody willing to let you struggle through it is the real difficulty.

What is the hardest part of learning Dutch?

De or het. Dutch has two definite articles and the assignment is largely unpredictable. Roughly two-thirds of nouns take "de", which makes guessing viable and being consistently right hard. Native speakers notice the misses immediately.

Can I really learn to speak Dutch with an app?

Yes — AvalaVoice is built around speaking. You hold real spoken conversations with an AI tutor that listens, replies, and gives you feedback on grammar, vocabulary and pronunciation after every session.

Does AvalaVoice score my Dutch pronunciation?

It does. You get pronunciation feedback in your own native language, so you know exactly which sounds to fix.

Is it free?

You can practise 5 minutes of speaking every day for free, no credit card. Paid plans add more minutes, scenario packs and tools.

Say your first words in Dutch today

Five minutes a day, free. Your AI tutor is ready when you are.