Dutch vs German: 300 Words That Are Nearly Identical

Dutch and German are close cousins, and nowhere is that clearer than in everyday vocabulary. Words like klein/klein (small), denken/denken (to think), and stoppen/stoppen (to stop) line up letter for letter, while pairs like vinden/finden (to find) or jaar/jahr (year) differ by just a letter or two. If you already speak one of these languages, you are not starting from zero with the other.

This page lines up word pairs side by side so you can see the patterns at a glance: matching spellings, one-letter swaps, and small, predictable sound shifts. Below the list, our flashcards let you practice typing the Dutch word for an English prompt, with spaced repetition to lock in the ones you don't know yet and accents forgiven so you can focus on the word itself.

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Dutch vs German: 300 Words That Are Nearly Identical: the list

#EnglishDutchGerman
1then dan dann
2to think denken denken
3to find vinden finden
4man man mann
5to take nemen nehmen
6to hear horen hören
7year jaar jahr
8to help helpen helfen
9to bring brengen bringen
10to ask vragen fragen
11small klein klein
12to mean menen meinen
13other andere andere
14father vader vater
15to thank bedanken bedanken
16to lie liggen liegen
17to stop stoppen stoppen
18to play spelen spielen
19to fall vallen fallen
20state staat staat
21money geld geld
22work werk werk
23idea idee idee
24best beste besten
25family familie familie
26night nacht nacht
27own eigen eigen
28city stad stadt
29to lose verliezen verlieren
30to remember herinneren erinnern
31to belong behoren gehören
32to live wonen wohnen
33to carry dragen tragen
34head kop kopf
35to sound klinken klingen
36fear angst angst
37dad papa papa
38to murder vermoorden ermorden
39to leave verlaten verlassen
40face gezicht gesicht
41number nummer nummer
42doctor dokter Doktor
43daughter dochter tochter
44young jong jung
45murder moord mord
46strong sterk stark
47king koning könig
48poor arm arm
49full vol voll
50treasure schat schatz
51to fly vliegen fliegen
52light licht licht
53prison gevangenis gefängnis
54to hang hangen hängen
55to sing zingen singen
56mom mama mama
57dog hond hund
58to plan plannen planen
59hard hard hart
60piece stuk stück
61half half halb
62careful voorzichtig vorsichtig
63to lead leiden leiten
64president president präsident
65point punt punkt
66to recognize herkennen erkennen
67control controle kontrolle
68absolute absoluut absolut
69fantastic fantastisch fantastisch
70to report melden melden
71at all überhaupt überhaupt
72to treat behandelen behandeln
73boat boot boot
74to jump springen springen
75to run rennen rennen
76interesting interessant interessant
77blue blauw blau
78guilty schuldig schuldig
79master meester meister
80camera camera kamera
81service dienst dienst
82game spel spiel
83to function functioneren funktionieren
84star ster stern
85letter brief brief
86movement beweging bewegung
87enormous enorm enorm
88stone steen stein
89aunt tante tante
90club club klub
91glass glas glas
92direction richting richtung
93to telephone telefoneren telefonieren
94innocent onschuldig unschuldig
95to catch vangen fangen
96slower langzamer langsamer
97wonder wonder wunder
98beer bier bier
99tea thee tee
100village dorp dorf
101explanation verklaring erklärung
102government regering regierung
103mountain berg berg
104to force dwingen zwingen
105to react reageren reagieren
106trip reis reise
107judge rechter richter
108class klasse klasse
109energy energie energie
110to offer aanbieden anbieten
111gift geschenk geschenk
112to order bestellen bestellen
113officer officier offizier
114mean gemeen gemein
115bird vogel vogel
116connection verbinding verbindung
117prisoner gevangene gefangener
118hero held held
119official officieel offiziell
120to concern betreffen betreffen
121simple simpel simpel
122manure mest mist
123to refuse weigeren weigern
124program programma programm
125queen koningin königin
126mayor burgemeester bürgermeister
127to start starten starten
128to film filmen filmen
129commander commandant kommandant
130to flee vluchten flüchten
131interest interesse interesse
132true waar wahr
133theory theorie theorie
134cellar kelder keller
135thief dief dieb
136project project projekt
137suitcase koffer koffer
138magic magie magie
139naked naakt nackt
140field veld feld
141machine machine maschine
142west westen westen
143break pauze pause
144art kunst kunst
145trade handel handel
146vampire vampier vampir
147north noorden norden
148anyway sowieso sowieso
149exciting spannend spannend
150university universiteit universität
151change verandering veränderung
152to prepare voorbereiden vorbereiten
153nature natuur natur
154to accuse beschuldigen beschuldigen
155article artikel artikel
156urgent dringend dringend
157photography fotografie fotografie
158at least minstens mindestens
159to accompany begeleiden begleiten
160damage schade schaden
161kiss kus kuss
162to complain klagen klagen
163storm storm sturm
164to heal helen heilen
165powerful machtig mächtig
166logical logisch logisch
167percent procent prozent
168treatment behandeling behandlung
169center centrum zentrum
170traitor verrader verräter
171shield schild schild
172universe universum universum
173to mark markeren markieren
174to rain regenen regnen
175mirror spiegel spiegel
176prince prins prinz
177alcohol alcohol alkohol
178justice gerechtigheid gerechtigkeit
179song lied lied
180to roll rollen rollen
181magical magisch magisch
182local lokaal lokal
183to be ashamed schamen schämen
184hunter jager jäger
185copy kopie kopie
186rocket raket rakete
187assistant assistent assistent
188tip tip tipp
189email e-mail E-Mail
190angel engel engel
191identity identiteit identität
192coast kust küste
193player speler spieler
194romantic romantisch romantisch
195to inform informeren informieren
196spy spion spion
197mask masker maske
198scene scène szene
199expert expert experte
200midnight middernacht mitternacht
201to press drukken drücken
202level niveau niveau
203poison gif gift
204style stijl stil
205technology technologie technologie
206button knop knopf
207laboratory laboratorium laboratorium
208organization organisatie organisation
209model model modell
210network netwerk netzwerk
211technical technisch technisch
212extreme extreem extrem
213affair affaire affäre
214skull schedel schädel
215candidate kandidaat kandidat
216to prevent verhinderen verhindern
217edge rand rand
218suspicious verdacht verdächtig
219weight gewicht gewicht
220series serie serie
221grave graf grab
222typical typisch typisch
223steel staal stahl
224brilliant briljant brillant
225figure figuur figur
226reality realiteit realität
227count graaf graf
228course cursus kursus
229title titel titel
230legend legende legende
231novel roman roman
232emotional emotioneel emotionale
233practical praktisch praktisch
234market markt markt
235reinforcement versterking verstärkung
236shirt hemd hemd
237gasoline benzine benzin
238poet dichter dichter
239patient geduldig geduldig
240library bibliotheek bibliothek
241therapy therapie therapie
242method methode methode
243russian russisch russisch
244general algemeen allgemein
245applause applaus applaus
246thirst dorst durst
247metal metaal metall
248exact exact exakt
249financial financieel finanziell
250to operate opereren operieren
251nest nest Nest
252study studie studie
253to design ontwerpen entwerfen
254temple tempel tempel
255governor gouverneur gouverneur
256entrance ingang eingang
257june juni juni
258factory fabriek fabrik
259theft diefstal diebstahl
260original origineel originell
261product product produkt
262to confess bekennen bekennen
263character karakter charakter
264campaign campagne kampagne
265flat plat platt
266intense heftig heftig
267coma coma koma
268tension spanning spannung
269shark haai hai
270compliment compliment kompliment
271to turn wenden wenden
272to sink zinken sinken
273paradise paradijs paradies
274actor acteur akteur
275heat hitte hitze
276motel motel motel
277date datum datum
278battery batterij batterie
279protocol protocol protokoll
280wage loon lohn
281surgeon chirurg chirurg
282phone number telefoonnummer telefonnummer
283popular populair populär
284internal intern intern
285thin dun dünn
286satellite satelliet satellit
287tragic tragisch tragisch
288comrade kameraad kamerad
289website website webseite
290kidney nier niere
291mystery mysterie mysterium
292priority prioriteit priorität
293centimeter centimeter zentimeter
294matter aangelegenheid angelegenheit
295electric elektrisch elektrisch
296to manipulate manipuleren manipulieren
297cheek wang wange
298profile profiel profil
299donkey ezel esel
300plague pest pest

Tips

Frequently asked questions

Why do so many Dutch and German words look almost identical?

Dutch and German both developed from the same West Germanic branch, so much of their everyday vocabulary — words like denken/denken (to think) or brengen/bringen (to bring) — shares the same roots and has stayed close in spelling and sound.

If I already know German, can I skip learning Dutch vocabulary?

No — the overlap gives you a head start, not a finish line. Many pairs like helpen/helfen (to help) or nemen/nehmen (to take) are close but not spelled the same, and endings do not always match, as in beste/besten (best), so it is still worth practising each word actively.

How do the flashcards on this page work?

You see an English prompt and type the Dutch word from memory; the app uses spaced repetition to bring back words you are still shaky on and space out the ones you know well. Accents are forgiven, and you can sign up free with just an email — no card, no password.

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