How to Pronounce “The Hague”

American (US)

/ðə ˈheɪɡ/

British (UK)

/ðə ˈheɪɡ/

proper noun — A city, the capital of South Holland, Netherlands; the administrative capital of the Netherlands.

The final e is silent. The transcription /ðə ˈheɪɡ/ ends on a consonant sound, so the written e at the end of “The Hague” is not pronounced.

Where the stress falls. “The Hague” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ðə ˈheɪɡ/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.

An unstressed vowel reduces to schwa. /ðə ˈheɪɡ/ contains a schwa /ə/ — the short, neutral “uh” that English unstressed syllables collapse into. Saying /ə/ there, instead of the vowel the spelling suggests, is most of what makes the word sound native.

What does "The Hague" mean?

The Hague (proper noun): A city, the capital of South Holland, Netherlands; the administrative capital of the Netherlands.

How do you pronounce "The Hague" in American vs British English?

Both accents use the same sequence of phonemes for "The Hague", /ðə ˈheɪɡ/, so the difference you hear is in how the vowels are coloured rather than in which sounds are used. Play both on this page to compare.

What is the IPA transcription of "The Hague"?

/ðə ˈheɪɡ/ in American English, /ðə ˈheɪɡ/ in British English.

Which syllable is stressed in "The Hague"?

“The Hague” has 2 syllables, and the transcription /ðə ˈheɪɡ/ puts the primary stress mark (ˈ) before the second one — so the second syllable is the longest and loudest. The others are said quickly and lightly.