BELGIUM · MIDFIELDER
How to pronounce
Kevin De Bruyne
KEHV·ihnduh·BROY·nuh
Native [ˈkɛvɪn də ˈbrœynə] → American /ˈkɛv.ɪn də ˈbrɔɪ.nə/
Sound by sound
5 little beats. BIG = the stressed part.
- KEHV the ‘eh’ in bed — say this beat loudest
- ihn the ‘ih’ in sit
- duh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
- BROY the ‘oy’ in boy — say this beat loudest
- nuh the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
Like a local vs like an American
Don’t say…
- duh-BROON
- duh-BROYN (one syllable)
- BREW-nee
- KEHV·ihn duh·BROY·nuh — stress on KEHV and BROY
Where the name comes from
De Bruyne is a Flemish (Belgian Dutch) surname meaning “the brown-haired one”. The tricky part is “Bruyne”: the Dutch “ui” vowel has no English equivalent, so Americans land on “BROY” — duh-BROY-nuh.
- Nation
- Belgium
- Position
- Midfielder
- Born
- 28 Jun 1991
Why French names trip up English speakers
- Nasal vowels. -an, -on, -in, -en are said through the nose in French; American English just uses the plain vowel + n.
- Silent endings. Final consonants are often silent, and -é is ‘ay’ (Dembélé → dahm-beh-LAY).
- The French R is made in the back of the throat; Americans simply use a normal ‘r’.
- Stress falls late — usually toward the last syllable, not the first.
Hear it for real
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FAQ
How do you pronounce Kevin De Bruyne?
Kevin De Bruyne is pronounced KEHV·ihn duh·BROY·nuh in American English — 5 beats, stressing KEHV and BROY.
What position does Kevin De Bruyne play?
Kevin De Bruyne is a midfielder for Belgium (the Belgian national team).
Where does the name Bruyne come from?
De Bruyne is a Flemish (Belgian Dutch) surname meaning “the brown-haired one”. The tricky part is “Bruyne”: the Dutch “ui” vowel has no English equivalent, so Americans land on “BROY” — duh-BROY-nuh.