Dutch orthography

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The main point for someone who isn't familiar with the language is the difference between short and long vowels.

First an easy rule: when a vowel is written as a double vowel it is always long:

boot (boat)
vuur (fire)
kaak (cheek)
heet (hot)


There is however already one exception: the long 'i' is written as 'ie'

niet (not)


(a note on pronunciation: Dutch has two lengths for long vowels: long and extra long. Extra long vowels appear when a long vowel stands in front of the letter r)


These words are all examples of closed syllables, and a long vowel in a closed syllable is always written double (aa/ee/ie/oo/uu).

So when is a syllable closed:

  • when it is the last syllable of a word and is followed by 1 or more consonants
  • when it is not the last syllable of word and is followed by 2 or more consonants
hoofden (heads)
baarden (beards)
eenden (ducks)
vierkant (square)
vuurwerk (fireworks)


All other syllables are called open:

  • final syllables without a consonant
  • non-final syllables followed by exactly one consonant

When a long vowel appears in an open syllable it is written with a single letter.

Let's first look at non-final syllables:

boten (boats)
vuren (fires)
kaken (cheaks)
beten (bites)

Exception 'ie' remains 'ie' even in an open syllable

bieren (beers)


In final syllables: 'aa', 'oo', 'uu' become single

piano (piano)
weldra (soon)
nu (now)

but 'ee' and 'ie' remain double

zee (sea)
knie (knee)


Single vowels in closed syllables are short:

kant (side)
stok (stick)
sterker (stronger)
punt (point)
kind (child)


[edit]

Mute e

But the most difficult part in Dutch orthography is the 'schwa' or 'mute e', and it is pronounced as the 'e' in the English article 'the' (e.g. the book).

When an 'e' appears in a syllable that is not stressed it is mute (and in that case it doesn't matter if the syllable is open or closed):

kinderen (children)

The stress is on the first syllable so both the e's are mute and are pronounced as the 'e' in 'the'.


When a word ends on a single 'e', this vowel is also always mute:

ze (she)
de (the)
aarde (earth)


To conclude let's look at following words:

  • bedelen with stress on the first e: this means 'to beg' and has a long first e and the second and third are mute.
  • bedelen with stress on the second e: this means 'to distribute' and has a long second e, the first and third are mute.
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