Similarities Between English and Dutch

We can’t deny the fact that English is one of the most dominant languages in the world as this is the medium of communication all over the world be it global trade, cultural exchange programs, etc but did you know that Dutch is the closest language to English after Frisian? Dutch and English both belong to the West Germanic branch of the Indo-European Language family with some similarities like words and phrases identical to English. Interesting fact isn’t it? In today’s blog, we will take a deep dive into the similarities between English and Dutch, their shared history, and how close these two languages are so if you are planning to learn a new language or considering studying abroad this blog can be extremely beneficial for you.

The Historical Connection Between English and Dutch

English and Dutch have a long and intertwined history. The earliest forms of these languages emerged in the 5th century AD when Germanic tribes invaded Britain. These tribes spoke different dialects of a language that linguists call Proto-Germanic, which was also the ancestor of the German language. There are also factors that influenced both these languages where the Norman Conquest of 1066 in England and many words were absorbed during Viking raids and while global trade exchanges at that time especially from the Jewish merchants who spoke Hebrew. Over time, these dialects diverged into different languages due to geographic isolation, political changes, and cultural influences and both English and Dutch were influenced by Latin, the language of the Roman Empire and the Catholic Church, as well as by Celtic languages.

Relevant Read- History of English Literature

The Similarities Between English and Dutch

As we have seen, English and Dutch have a common origin and a long history of contact and influence. This explains why they have many similarities. We have hand-picked some of the similarities in terms of vocabulary, grammar, pronunciation, etc so kindly take a look below:

Vocabulary

One of the most evident similarities between English and Dutch is their vocabulary. Many words in both languages are cognates, meaning they have the same origin and meaning and they even sound pretty similar. For example:

• apple – appel
• banana – banaan
• tomato – tomaat
• work – werk
• place – plaats
• dry – droog
• clean – kuis
• rain – regen
• fall – val
• board – bord
• ear – oor
• phone – telefoon

Pronunciation

The second thing you will notice when you hear Dutch spoken is that it sounds somewhat familiar to English. That’s because as we mentioned earlier both are West Germanic languages, which means they share a common ancestor and have many words that sound alike. For example, pronounce these words in your mind:

– water (water)

– huis (house)

– boek (book)

– appel (apple)

– kat (cat)

As you can see, these words are almost identical in both languages, except for some minor differences in spelling and accent. This makes it easier for English speakers to memorize and remember Dutch words.

Spelling

Another aspect of similarity between English and Dutch is spelling. As we mentioned before, many words are spelt almost the same way in both languages. This makes it easier for English speakers to read and write in Dutch.

Grammar

English and Dutch also have similarities in grammar as they primarily use 26 Latin alphabet, which is also used in English. However, they do not come without some differences. The Dutch verb system is similar to the English on,e although there are some exceptions, and we will obviously discuss them later on this blog.

List of Similar Words in English and Dutch

Here we have listed below a few words that have some meaning, and sound the same in both English and Dutch:

English	Dutch
mother	moeder
father	vader
brother	broer
sister	zus
friend	vriend
cheese	kaas
milk	melk
bread	brood
water	water
beer	bier

Also, Read- Student Life in Netherlands

Differences Between English and Dutch

Even after having significant similarities between English and Dutch, these languages differentiate themselves to gain individual attention, and it can also be difficult for English speakers to learn the Dutch language 

Here is a detailed table comparing English and Dutch across multiple linguistic aspects:

Aspect	English	Dutch
Language Family	West Germanic	West Germanic
Alphabet	26 letters (Latin script)	26 letters (Latin script)
Origins	Old English (Anglo-Saxon), with influences from Latin, Old Norse, and Norman French	Old Low Franconian (Frankish), with influences from Latin, French, and German
Phonetics	Complex, with varied vowel sounds and many silent letters	More consistent but with challenging guttural sounds, especially “g” and “sch”
Vowel System	12 pure vowels, 8 diphthongs	13 pure vowels, 4 diphthongs
Grammar	SVO (Subject-Verb-Object) structure; simple tenses with auxiliary verbs	V2 (Verb-Second) structure in main clauses; rich use of separable verbs and compound tenses
Plurals	Typically “s” or “es” (e.g., cats, boxes)	Typically “en” or “s” (e.g., katten, auto’s)
Articles	Definite: “the”	Definite: “de” (common gender), “het” (neuter)
Pronouns	He, she, it (gendered)	Hij, zij, het (gendered, with neuter distinction)
Word Order	Relatively fixed	Flexible with inversion for emphasis
Cognates	Many shared words like water, hand, and house	Many shared words like water, hand, and house
Common Greetings	Hello, Good morning, How are you?	Hallo, Goedemorgen, Hoe gaat het?
Loanwords	Heavy influence from Latin, French, Old Norse	Moderate influence from French, English, and German

Loanwords in English and Dutch

Loanwords are basically words that are borrowed from one language and incorporated into a different language with bare minimum modification or no modification at all to the original word. 

Loanwords in English from Dutch- 

English has borrowed many words from Dutch over the centuries. A few of them are:

• Jacht- yacht
• Koekje- cookie
• Ezel- easel 
• Landschap- landscape
• Brandewijn- brand 

Loanwords in Dutch from English– 

Dutch has also borrowed many words from English, especially in the fields of technology, entertainment, and sports. For example:

• computer – computer
• internet – internet
• email – email
• film – film
• tennis – tennis

Related Reads:

Top 10 Language Learning Websites	Branches of Linguistics, PDF & Branches of Phonetics
History of English Literature	Importance of Language Learning for Academic and Career Development after 10th Grade
7 Reasons Why English is the Most Spoken Language in the World	50 Facts About English Language that will Surprise You

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