108 words · Cognates · Borrowed Words · Similarities
Good news! Dutch and English are closely related, and hundreds of words are nearly identical. Here are ~100 cognates grouped by category — words you already know!
Food & Drink
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| water | water | /ˈʋaː.tər/ | Identical spelling, slightly different pronunciation |
| bier | beer | /biːr/ | Dutch uses ie for the English ee sound |
| wijn | wine | /ʋɛi̯n/ | ij is a Dutch diphthong, sounds like “vine” |
| banaan | banana | /baː.ˈnaːn/ | Double a for the long vowel |
| tomaat | tomato | /toː.ˈmaːt/ | Stress on the second syllable |
| chocolade | chocolate | /ʃoː.koː.ˈlaː.də/ | Extra syllable: sho-koh-LAH-duh |
| koffie | coffee | /ˈkɔ.fi/ | One of the Netherlands’ favorite drinks |
| thee | tea | /teː/ | Sounds like English “tay” |
| appel | apple | /ˈɑ.pəl/ | Double p, same fruit |
| sinaasappel | orange (fruit) | /ˈsi.naːs.ˌɑ.pəl/ | Literally “China’s apple” — a bonus cognate inside a cognate |
| pasta | pasta | /ˈpɑs.taː/ | Identical in both languages |
| soep | soup | /sup/ | Dutch oe = English “oo” sound |
Technology
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| computer | computer | /kɔm.ˈpjuː.tər/ | Pronounced with Dutch vowels: com-PYOO-tur |
| internet | internet | /ˈɪn.tər.nɛt/ | Universally borrowed |
| telefoon | telephone | /teː.ləˈfoːn/ | oo = long “o” sound |
| software | software | /ˈsɔft.wɛːr/ | Used as-is from English |
| website | website | /ˈwɛp.sɑi̯t/ | Used as-is from English |
| e-mail | email | /ˈiː.meːl/ | Sometimes written as email in modern Dutch |
| printer | printer | /ˈprɪn.tər/ | Same word, same meaning |
| monitor | monitor | /ˈmɔ.ni.tɔr/ | Same word, same meaning |
| camera | camera | /ˈkaː.mə.raː/ | Identical spelling |
| video | video | /ˈviː.deː.oː/ | Identical spelling |
| radio | radio | /ˈraː.diː.oː/ | Identical spelling |
| televisie | television | /teː.ləˈvi.zi/ | -sie ending instead of -sion |
Animals
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| kat | cat | /kɑt/ | k instead of c — a common Dutch spelling pattern |
| rat | rat | /rɑt/ | Identical |
| muis | mouse | /mœy̯s/ | Dutch ui is a unique diphthong |
| vis | fish | /vɪs/ | v instead of f, s instead of sh |
| beer | bear | /beːr/ | Dutch ee = long “ay” sound |
| pinguïn | penguin | /pɪŋ.ɡyˈɪn/ | The diaeresis (trema) shows u and i are separate sounds |
| kangoeroe | kangaroo | /ˌkɑŋ.ɡuˈruː/ | Dutch phonetic spelling |
| krokodil | crocodile | /ˈkroː.koː.dɪl/ | Very close — just drops the final e |
Music & Art
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| muziek | music | /myˈzik/ | -iek ending instead of -ic |
| piano | piano | /piˈjaː.noː/ | Identical |
| gitaar | guitar | /ɣiˈtaːr/ | Double a for the long vowel |
| viool | violin | /viˈjoːl/ | Means the same instrument; closer to “viol” |
| concert | concert | /kɔnˈsɛrt/ | Identical spelling |
| museum | museum | /myˈzeː.ʏm/ | Identical spelling, slightly different pronunciation |
| theater | theater | /teːˈjaː.tər/ | Identical spelling |
| opera | opera | /ˈoː.pə.raː/ | Identical |
Science
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| universiteit | university | /ˌy.ni.vɛr.siˈtɛi̯t/ | -iteit = -ity |
| professor | professor | /proːˈfɛ.sɔr/ | Identical |
| student | student | /styˈdɛnt/ | Identical spelling, Dutch pronunciation: stoo-DENT |
| laboratorium | laboratory | /ˌlaː.boː.raːˈtoː.riˌʏm/ | Full Latin form preserved in Dutch |
| experiment | experiment | /ɛks.peː.riˈmɛnt/ | Identical |
| chemie | chemistry | /ʃeːˈmi/ | Shorter form; ch pronounced as “sh” or “kh” |
| biologie | biology | /biˌjoː.loːˈɣi/ | -ie ending instead of -y |
| fysica | physics | /ˈfiː.zi.kaː/ | From the same Greek root |
| wiskunde | mathematics | /ˈʋɪs.kʏn.də/ | Not a cognate — this is the native Dutch word! (Mathematica exists but is rarely used) |
| energie | energy | /ˌeː.nɛrˈɣi/ | -ie ending instead of -y |
Places & Geography
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| hotel | hotel | /hoːˈtɛl/ | Identical |
| restaurant | restaurant | /rɛs.toːˈrɑnt/ | Identical spelling, Dutch pronunciation |
| park | park | /pɑrk/ | Identical |
| station | station | /stɑˈsjɔn/ | Usually refers to a train station |
| supermarkt | supermarket | /ˈsy.pər.mɑrkt/ | -markt instead of -market |
| garage | garage | /ɣaːˈraː.ʒə/ | Pronounced gah-RAH-zhuh |
| bank | bank | /bɑŋk/ | Same word for both the financial institution and a bench |
| flat | flat/apartment | /flɑt/ | Used the same way as British English “flat” |
Daily Life
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| lamp | lamp | /lɑmp/ | Identical |
| ring | ring | /rɪŋ/ | Identical |
| film | film | /fɪlm/ | Identical |
| sport | sport | /spɔrt/ | Identical |
| bus | bus | /bʏs/ | Identical |
| taxi | taxi | /ˈtɑk.si/ | Identical |
| probleem | problem | /proːˈbleːm/ | -eem ending instead of -em |
| systeem | system | /sɪsˈteːm/ | -eem ending instead of -em |
| plan | plan | /plɑn/ | Identical |
| moment | moment | /moːˈmɛnt/ | Identical |
| test | test | /tɛst/ | Identical |
| alcohol | alcohol | /ˈɑl.koː.hɔl/ | Identical spelling |
Professions
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| dokter | doctor | /ˈdɔk.tər/ | k instead of c |
| piloot | pilot | /piˈloːt/ | Double o for the long vowel |
| ingenieur | engineer | /ˌɪn.ʒəˈnøːr/ | French-influenced spelling |
| architect | architect | /ˌɑr.ʃiˈtɛkt/ | Identical spelling |
| politie | police | /poːˈli.tsi/ | -ie ending instead of -ce |
| manager | manager | /ˈmɛ.nə.dʒər/ | Borrowed directly from English |
| directeur | director | /diˈrɛk.tøːr/ | French-influenced ending -eur |
| journalist | journalist | /ʒʊr.naːˈlɪst/ | Identical |
Abstract Concepts
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| informatie | information | /ˌɪn.fɔrˈmaː.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
| situatie | situation | /ˌsi.tyˈaː.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
| organisatie | organization | /ˌɔr.ɣaː.niˈzaː.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
| communicatie | communication | /ˌkɔ.my.niˈkaː.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
| directie | direction/management | /diˈrɛk.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
| natie | nation | /ˈnaː.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
| emotie | emotion | /eːˈmoː.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
| reactie | reaction | /reːˈɑk.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
| traditie | tradition | /traːˈdɪ.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
| generatie | generation | /ˌɣeː.nəˈraː.tsi/ | -tie = -tion |
Other Recognizable Words
| Dutch | English | IPA | Notes |
|---|
| boek | book | /buk/ | Dutch oe = English “oo” sound |
| naam | name | /naːm/ | Double a for the long vowel |
| hand | hand | /hɑnt/ | Identical |
| arm | arm | /ɑrm/ | Identical |
| vinger | finger | /ˈvɪŋ.ər/ | v instead of f — a very common Dutch pattern |
| lip | lip | /lɪp/ | Identical |
| lang | long | /lɑŋ/ | Also means “tall” in Dutch |
| warm | warm | /ʋɑrm/ | In Dutch, warm often implies quite hot |
| oud | old | /ɑu̯t/ | Dutch ou is a diphthong |
| goud | gold | /ɣɑu̯t/ | Dutch ou where English has ol |
| groen | green | /ɣrun/ | Dutch oe = English “oo” sound |
| open | open | /ˈoː.pən/ | Identical |
Spelling Patterns: English to Dutch
Recognizing these patterns will help you guess the meaning of many Dutch words:
| English Pattern | Dutch Pattern | Examples |
|---|
| -tion | -tie | nation → natie, emotion → emotie |
| -ly | -lijk | friendly → vriendelijk, possible → mogelijk |
| -ty | -teit | university → universiteit, quality → kwaliteit |
| -ous | -eus | famous → fameus, nervous → nerveus |
| c- (before vowels) | k- | cat → kat, cold → koud |
| f- | v- | finger → vinger, fish → vis |
| -oo- | -oe- | book → boek, cool → koel |
| th- | d- | the → de, three → drie |
Tip: When you encounter a new Dutch word, try saying it aloud. Many words that look unfamiliar on paper sound very similar to their English equivalents when spoken.