The Dutch pronunciation that is currently featured is based on the British English pronunciation of John, i.e. it is the Dutch approximation of the BE pronunciation.The Dutch phonetical spelling of /ˈd͡ʑɔn/ is Djon. A small number of Dutch parents have actually used that spelling on their sons, in order to ensure that the name will always be pronounced in that way... rather than in one of the other two ways that are common in the Dutch-speaking world.Yes, that's right - there are two other pronunciations for John in the Dutch-speaking world. One is northwestern Dutch (possibly with some Frisian influence), whilst the other is based on the French pronunciation of John: [noted -ed]• /'ʃɔn/ → spelled phonetically as Sjon in Dutch • /'ʒɔn/ → spelled phonetically as Zjon in DutchThe French-based pronunciation is the standard pronunciation in Flanders (Belgium) and the south of the Netherlands (specifically the provinces of Limburg and North Brabant). This is because these parts have historically been more exposed to the French language and culture than the rest of the Dutch-speaking world.The two pronunciations listed above are also the oldest: they were used at least as early as the 1880s, as that is when the name John was already used occasionally in the Dutch-speaking world. That's long before the post-war period of World War II, which is when English names gained much greater exposure in Belgium and the Netherlands. This exposure includes the original English pronunciation of these names, which means that the English-based pronunciation of John is actually a fairly recent development in the Dutch-speaking world. As a consequence, this pronunciation is most common amongst the younger generations; the older generations are more likely to use the Dutch or French-based pronunciation instead.With that said, here is a general collection of 50+ audio clips of native Dutch speakers saying the name:• https://nl.forvo.com/search/John/nl/ (in Dutch)And here you can specifically listen to the northwestern Dutch pronunciation ("Sjon"):• https://nl.wiktionary.org/wiki/John (in Dutch) • https://youtu.be/_B7BZSdsnC4 (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:01)Here are video clips of the French-based pronunciation ("Zjon"), as it is said in the southern Dutch provinces of Limburg and North Brabant:• Limburg: https://youtu.be/0J_sO0CkWvo (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:02) • Limburg: https://youtu.be/lFDYMQ7u-7g (in Dutch and Limburgish; the name is said at 0:15) • Limburg: https://youtu.be/NeMM7sC90B0 (in Dutch and Limburgish; the name is said at 0:16) • Limburg: https://youtu.be/UnfKZpQvEeo (in Dutch and Limburgish; the name is said at 0:28 and 1:33 and 1:36 and 1:57) • North Brabant: https://youtu.be/bgoQplPbNh4 (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:00 and 0:09)And here is the French-based pronunciation ("Zjon") as it occurs in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium:• https://youtu.be/Ck2200hct5w (in Dutch; the name is said at 2:13 and 2:14) • https://youtu.be/_NHpX_6NzD8 (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:05) • https://youtu.be/pznJySMa3gM (in Dutch; the name is said at 4:10) • https://youtu.be/JcSGsYlPuCM (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:31)Lastly, here is a video clip featuring an elderly Dutch bearer of the name; he was 88 years old at the time (first half of 2024):• https://youtu.be/QzVW6i04r0Q (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:09 and 0:19 and 1:33 and 2:08)Other relevant sources regarding the pronunciation of John:• https://li.wiktionary.org/wiki/John (in Limburgish) • https://www.behindthename.com/bb/fact/5312314 (in English) • https://forum.scholieren.com/showthread.php?t=539014 (in Dutch) • the comment that I wrote here in this comment section on 11 January 2013.
John is not pronounced 'Jahn', it is pronounced 'John' or 'Jon'. The American pronunciation is incorrect as the name originates in England in the Western cultural context, well before the US.
The Dutch phonetical spelling of /ˈd͡ʑɔn/ is Djon. A small number of Dutch parents have actually used that spelling on their sons, in order to ensure that the name will always be pronounced in that way... rather than in one of the other two ways that are common in the Dutch-speaking world.
Yes, that's right - there are two other pronunciations for John in the Dutch-speaking world. One is northwestern Dutch (possibly with some Frisian influence), whilst the other is based on the French pronunciation of John: [noted -ed]
• /'ʃɔn/ → spelled phonetically as Sjon in Dutch
• /'ʒɔn/ → spelled phonetically as Zjon in Dutch
The French-based pronunciation is the standard pronunciation in Flanders (Belgium) and the south of the Netherlands (specifically the provinces of Limburg and North Brabant). This is because these parts have historically been more exposed to the French language and culture than the rest of the Dutch-speaking world.
The two pronunciations listed above are also the oldest: they were used at least as early as the 1880s, as that is when the name John was already used occasionally in the Dutch-speaking world. That's long before the post-war period of World War II, which is when English names gained much greater exposure in Belgium and the Netherlands. This exposure includes the original English pronunciation of these names, which means that the English-based pronunciation of John is actually a fairly recent development in the Dutch-speaking world. As a consequence, this pronunciation is most common amongst the younger generations; the older generations are more likely to use the Dutch or French-based pronunciation instead.
With that said, here is a general collection of 50+ audio clips of native Dutch speakers saying the name:
• https://nl.forvo.com/search/John/nl/ (in Dutch)
And here you can specifically listen to the northwestern Dutch pronunciation ("Sjon"):
• https://nl.wiktionary.org/wiki/John (in Dutch)
• https://youtu.be/_B7BZSdsnC4 (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:01)
Here are video clips of the French-based pronunciation ("Zjon"), as it is said in the southern Dutch provinces of Limburg and North Brabant:
• Limburg: https://youtu.be/0J_sO0CkWvo (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:02)
• Limburg: https://youtu.be/lFDYMQ7u-7g (in Dutch and Limburgish; the name is said at 0:15)
• Limburg: https://youtu.be/NeMM7sC90B0 (in Dutch and Limburgish; the name is said at 0:16)
• Limburg: https://youtu.be/UnfKZpQvEeo (in Dutch and Limburgish; the name is said at 0:28 and 1:33 and 1:36 and 1:57)
• North Brabant: https://youtu.be/bgoQplPbNh4 (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:00 and 0:09)
And here is the French-based pronunciation ("Zjon") as it occurs in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium:
• https://youtu.be/Ck2200hct5w (in Dutch; the name is said at 2:13 and 2:14)
• https://youtu.be/_NHpX_6NzD8 (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:05)
• https://youtu.be/pznJySMa3gM (in Dutch; the name is said at 4:10)
• https://youtu.be/JcSGsYlPuCM (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:31)
Lastly, here is a video clip featuring an elderly Dutch bearer of the name; he was 88 years old at the time (first half of 2024):
• https://youtu.be/QzVW6i04r0Q (in Dutch; the name is said at 0:09 and 0:19 and 1:33 and 2:08)
Other relevant sources regarding the pronunciation of John:
• https://li.wiktionary.org/wiki/John (in Limburgish)
• https://www.behindthename.com/bb/fact/5312314 (in English)
• https://forum.scholieren.com/showthread.php?t=539014 (in Dutch)
• the comment that I wrote here in this comment section on 11 January 2013.