Understanding ‘au’ and ‘ou’
In Dutch, some words use the letters ‘au’ or ‘ou’ to make specific sounds. It’s important to know when to use each one.
When to use ‘au’
- Use ‘au’ when the sound is similar to the English ‘ow’ in ‘cow’.
Examples of words with ‘au’
- auto (car)
- gebouw (building)
- stout (naughty)
When to use ‘ou’
- Use ‘ou’ when the sound is similar to the English ‘oo’ in ‘food’.
Examples of words with ‘ou’
- huis (house)
- koud (cold)
- vrouw (woman)
Common Mistakes
It’s easy to mix up ‘au’ and ‘ou’. Just remember the sounds:
- ‘au’ = ‘ow’ (as in cow)
- ‘ou’ = ‘oo’ (as in food)
Practice by reading and writing words with ‘au’ and ‘ou’.