Grammar · Topic 15 · A1 · 6 questions · about 10 minutes

Spelling rules: long and short vowels

Spellingsregels: lange en korte klinkers

kaas – kazen but kas – kassen: in Dutch, whether a vowel is pronounced long or short decides whether you write a letter once or twice in the plural and in verb forms.

Explanation

Basic terms

- klinker = vowel: a, e, i, o, u

• medeklinker = consonant: b, d, k, m, s …

• lettergreep = syllable

aa, ee, oo, uu are pronounced long; a single a, e, i, o, u in a closed syllable is pronounced short.

kaascheese (long a)
kasgreenhouse (short a)

Nouns: from singular to plural

Long vowel: in a word of one syllable you write two vowels (kaas). In the plural the syllable stays open; a single consonant shows that the vowel before it is pronounced long, so you write one vowel: kaas → kazen, doos → dozen.

Short vowel: a word of one syllable has a single vowel (kas). In the plural the consonant is written double so that the vowel stays short: kas → kassen, bus → bussen.

Long (LANG) – singular	Plural	Short (KORT) – singular	Plural
de kaas	de kazen (s → z)	de kas	de kassen
de teek	de teken	de bes	de bessen
het vuur	de vuren	de bus	de bussen
de doos	de dozen (s → z)	de mok	de mokken
de steel	de stelen	de pil	de pillen
de staaf	de staven (f → v)	de dam	de dammen

Verbs: from infinitive to singularLocked

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Let op: s wordt z, f wordt vLocked

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Words you need

de klinkervowel
de medeklinkerconsonant
de lettergreepsyllable
het enkelvoudsingular
het meervoudplural
de uitspraakpronunciation
langlong
kortshort

Example questions

1 / 6

Question 1

Wat is het meervoud van 'de bus'?

What is the plural of 'de bus'?

The u is pronounced short; to keep it short, the s is written double: bussen.

Test yourself

1 / 6

0 of 6 answered · 0 correctYour answers are kept on this device.

Question 1

Wat is het meervoud van 'de bus'?

Choose an option

My answers

2Wat is het meervoud van 'de kaas'?Locked
3Kies de juiste vorm van 'maken': ik ___Locked
4Kies de juiste vorm van 'pakken': ik ___Locked

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