Consonant i and Sounds Connecting Vowels

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'Consonant i' and Connecting Sounds - Hear for Yourself

The letter i in Dutch does not always sound like 'short i'

or 'long i'

After a vowel or diphthong the letter i sounds like 'Consonant Y' (Dutch J) like in YES or AYE, Dutch - ja 5 ('yes') - je 2 ('you' - singular informal) - Joop (boys' name)
For instance, hear: (de) aai 2 ('caress, stroke') - koeien loeien: "boe" 'cows moo: "moo"'
Listening closely, I always hear a consonant Y (Dutch J) at the end of IE / 'long i'
Hear: - (het) fiasco 2 ('failure') - (de) pion ('a pawn')
The diphthong written as EI or IJ and the diphthong UI have their own unique sound not involving a sound like vowel i
Consonant Y (Dutch J) or Dutch W are quite often heard at the end of the 'long' vowels and the diphthongs, and they are usually more noticeable as connecting sounds between vowels and diphthongs, but they are almost never written in the words, they are rarely seen in the spelling.
For instance, hear: via ('via, by way of') - (de) theorie 2 ('theory') - februari ('February') - eieren ('eggs')

Dieresis - (het) trema
aä - eë - eï - eü - ië - oë - uï - uü
- two dots on top of a vowel indicate that the vowel is pronounced separately from the preceding vowel(s), not forming a long vowel or a diphtong. It may look somewhat similar to the German Umlaut, but its meaning is completely different.
Compare:
Kanaän 2 ('Canaan') — (het) kanaal ('canal, channel')
(de) reünie 2 3 ('reunion') — (de) reuma 2 3 ('arthritis')
poëten 2 ('poets') — poezen 2 3 ('cats')

Consonant i		i = ie + consonant Y (Dutch J)

EI/IJ and UI		Unwritten Connecting Sounds

Related Matter

'Consonant I'

After a vowel or diphthong, and between a vowel or diphthong and a vowel (usually 'voiceless, unstressed E'

) the letter i sounds like 'Consonant Y' (Dutch J)
It's mostly with A, O and OE: (de) kooi / roeien / (de) vlaai

('cage / to row / fruit pie')

A - (de) maïs ('(Indian) corn, maize') - (de) Thai ('a Thai person') - Thais ('Thai') - Thailand - (de) braille ('Braille' - French LL = Dutch J) - pais en vree ("'very peaceful'") (to me, Dutch AI sounds very similar to English I like in 'high, hi!') AA - (de) aai 2 ('caress, stroke') - (de) baai ('bay') - (de) papagaai 2 ('parrot') - (de) haai ('shark') - haaien 2 ('sharks') - (de) vlaai ('fruit pie on bread dough') - maaien ('to mow') - (de) draai ('turn,' "spin") - fraai ('beautiful; splendid') - (de) kraai 2 ('crow') - kraaien 2 ('crows') - saai ('boring') - taai ('tough') - (de) taaiheid ("toughness") - waaien 2 ('wind blowing') - zaaien ('to sow')
- fraai fraaie fraaier fraais ('beautiful, pretty' more -, most -)
- (het) lawaai 2 ('noise') - lawaaiig 2 / lawaaiige ('noisy') (The -IG ending is pronounced with voiceless, unstressed E ('the 'schwa') and not the 'short I' you'd expect from the spelling - more below)
O - hoi ('hurrah!' // 'hello' - slang // 'goodbye' - slang) - toi-toi-toi ('good luck!' - knock on wood)
OO - (de) ooi ('ewe' - sheep) - (de) ooievaar ('stork' - a bird) - ooit ('ever, sometime') - nooit ('never') - mooi / mooie ('beautiful, pretty') - (de) dooi 2 3 'thaw' - (de) fooi ('tip' - to server) - 't Gooi ('the area around Hilversum, South-East of Amsterdam') - (het) hooi ('hay') - (de) hooivork ([hay-] 'pitchfork') - (de) hooiwagen 2 ([haycart] 'Daddy Longlegs spider') - (de) kooi 2 ('cage') - (de) prooi 2 3 4 ('prey') - (het) pleidooi 2 3 ('plea speech') - (het) tournooi 2 ('tournament') - 't dooit ([it is thawing] - 'it stopped freezing') - gooien ('to throw') - weggegooid geld 2 ('money [thrown away] wasted') - (de) rotzooi 2 ('a mess, garbage')
- (de) voltooide tijd 2 3 ('[finished] perfect tense') - (het) voltooid deelwoord ('past participle') - (de) voltooiing 2 ('completion')

gooien		to throw
ik gooi		I throw, I'm throwing
wij gooien		we throw, we're throwing
ik gooide		I threw
wij gooiden		we threw
ik heb gegooid		I have thrown

OE - (de) boei

2 ('buoy') - boeiend

2 3 ('fascinating, gripping') - doei!

('bye!' - slang) - foei!

2 ("bad!" - disapproval) - Goeie gunst!

2 ('Good grief!') - Hoei

(a town in Belgium) - bloeien

('to bloom, flower') - gloeiend heet

2 3 ([glowing -] 'red-hot') - (de) moeite

2 ('difficulty, exertion') - moeilijk

/ moeilijke

('difficult') - vermoeid

/ vermoeide

('tired') - (de) vermoeidheid

2 3 4 ('fatigue, tiredness') - knoeien

2 ('to spill' // 'to swindle, cheat') - (de) snoeischaar

('pruning clippers') - roeien

2 ('to row') - (de) roeiboot

('rowboat') - (de) sproeier

('sprinkler') - (de) broeikas

2 ('hothouse') - (de) groei

2 ('growth') - groeien

2 3 ('to grow') - vermoeid

/ vermoeide

('tired') - (de) vermoeidheid

2 ('fatigue') - vloeien

('to flow') - vloeiend

2 ('fluent') - vloeibaar

2 ('liquid') - bloeien

('to bloom, flower')
- koeien loeien: "boe"

cows moo: 'moo'
- Al wat groeit en bloeit en ons telkens weer boeit

2 'All things that grow and flower and fascinate us time and again' - title of the nature segment of a popular radio program by Dr. Fop I. Brouwer
- boeien

2 is literally 'to shackle, to handcuff,' but is often used figuratively, 'to captivate, to be fascinating'
- Het boeide me niet

'It was not really interesting, I was bored by it'

Verb Stems ending in Consonant-i
Verbs with infinitives ending in Consonant-i +EN have verb stems ending in Consonant-i and no changes in the preceding vowels; they are regular, 'weak' verbs of the non-'t kofschip class, meaning they have ‑D, ‑DE, and ‑DEN endings of the past participle and in the simple past tense
kraaien kraai making happy baby sounds or roosters crowing
boeien boei literally to shackle, figuratively to captivate, fascinate

gooien		to throw
ik gooi		I throw, I'm throwing
wij gooien		we throw, we're throwing
ik gooide		I threw
wij gooiden		we threw
ik heb gegooid		I have thrown

De wind waait.

2 A wind is blowing Je kunt wel zien uit welke hoek de wind waait

2 ['You can see from which corner the wind is blowing'] - 'You can see where that's coming from, what's behind it' Hij draaide zich om en liep weg

2 3 He turned around and walked away 't dooit

[it is thawing] - it stopped freezing Hij gooit er met de pet naar

2 3 ['He's throwing his cap at it'] - 'He's not making a serious effort' weggegooid geld

2 ('money [thrown away] wasted') koeien loeien: "boe"

cows moo: 'moo'
Al wat groeit en bloeit en ons telkens weer boeit

2 'All things that grow and flower and fascinate us time and again' - title of the nature segment of a popular radio program by Dr. Fop I. Brouwer
- boeien

2 is literally 'to shackle, to handcuff,' but is often used figuratively, 'to captivate, to be fascinating'
- Het boeide me niet

'It was not really interesting, I was bored by it' Ik ben in een kleine stad opgegroeid

2 3 I've grown up, I've been brought up in a small town Ik ben opgegroeid in een kleine stad

I've grown up, I've been brought up in a small town Hij is in armoede opgegroeid

2 3 He was brought up in poverty, He's grown up poor vermoeid

/ vermoeide

2 tired
vermoeiend

2 tiring

D 'Softening' to consonant Y (Dutch J)
Listening to Dutch, you'll notice that some D's are changing into consonant Y (Dutch J) - usually before voiceless E:

goed goede goeie 2 - (good)
goeiemorgen (good morning)
op een goeie dag ... (someday ...)
rood rode rooie 2 - (red)
die rooie veger (that red broom - not a stock expression)
door de rooie gaan (cross into extremes)
(de) rode kool 2 3 / (de) rooie kool red cabbage ‑>>
dood dode dooie (dead)
op z'n dooie gemak ([at his dead ease] - taking his time, without any hurry)

Long i / IE ends in consonant Y (Dutch J)

To my ears, long i / IE

2 (usually after a consonant, not after a vowel like in the chapter above) always ends in consonant Y (Dutch J) - somewhat faint at the end of a word, but more clearly pronounced when followed by a vowel or diphthong. For instance, listen to:
- drie

('3') - wie?

2 ('who?')
Heeft-ie kinderen?

2 Does he have children?
-ie is a colloquial 'he' ‑>> A - (het) fiasco

2 ('failure') - riant

('~comfortable') - (de) triangel

('triangle' - music) - (de) ammoniak

('ammonia')
AA - ezels balken: "ia"

('donkeys bray: "eeyo"')
- via

('via, by way of') - (de) liniaal

('ruler, straightedge') - linialen

('rulers, straightedges') - triviaal

2 ('trivial') - cruciaal

('very important') - Ria

(girls' name) - Amalia

(a girls' name) - Adriaan

2 3 (a boys' name) - (de) variatie

2 ('variation')
- Pia

(girls' name) - (de) piano

('piano') — hear the same sound with a different spelling: - (de) pyjama

2 (pajamas) — the powers that be could as well have decided that the spelling was 'piama'
exception: in many common words with ‑CIA‑ the 'long I'

sound has disappeared and the I is just a consonant-Y (Dutch J): speciaal

2 ('special') ('special') - (de) specialiteit

('specialty') - sociaal

('social') - asociaal

2 ('anti-social') - (het) socialisme

('socialism')
Actually, in almost all words with CI and SI the i is only a consonant Y (Dutch J) - cruciaal

('very important') already mentioned above is the exception to the exception
E - drieëneenhalf

2 ('3½') - Daniël

(a boys' name) - desoriënterend

2 ('disorienting, disorientating')
EE - (het) dieet

2 3 4 ('diet') - diëten

('diets')
- (de) drieëenheid

('(the) trinity') - principieel

2 ('principled') - De Geallieerden

2 ('The World War II Allies' - the U.S., the Soviet Union, Great Britain etc.)
Like some words with -CIA, in 'officieel' the 'long I'

sound has disappeared and the I is just a consonant-Y (Dutch J): - officieel

/ officiële

2 ('official, formal')
E (uh) - Azië

('Asia') - Californië

2 ('California') - knieën

2 ('knees') - calorieën

2 ('calories')
AU/OU - miauw

2 ('meow') - poezen/katten miauwen: "miauw"

('cats meow - meow')
EU - serieus

/ serieuze

2 3 4 5 / serieus / serieuze

('serious') - religieus

('religious') - ambitieus

('ambitious') - curieus

2 ('curious, strange, unusual') - furieus

('furious, very angry') - ingenieus

2 ('ingenious, inventive, clever') - modieus

('fashionable') - mysterieus

2 3 ('mysterious, enigmatic') - prestigieus

('prestigious, having high status') - superieur

('superior') - inferieur

('inferior')
Exception: In some Dutch words from French the i in IEU is just a consonant Y (Dutch J) - (de) ingenieur

('engineer' - French G) - (het) milieu

2 ('(the) Environment')
-IEUW Dutch -IEUW

2 sounds very much like EW in English NEW: Dutch long I (IE)

+ Dutch UW:

- nieuw

/ nieuwe

2 ('new') - (het) nieuws

('news') - het nieuws

2 ('the news') (de) kieuw

2 3 ('gill' - fish breathing)
O: - (de) pion

('a pawn') - (het) bastion

('stronghold' - a type of fortification)
OO - (het) trio

('trio') - (het) riool

2 ('sewer') - (de) radio

2 ('radio') - (de) bioloog

('biologist') - (de) prioriteit

('priority') - (de) spion

2 ('spy') - spionnen

2 ('spies')
exception: (het) ion

('ion') - ionen

('ions') - here, I is pronounced as consonant Y; also note that O is short in the singular and long in the plural, very unusual for a 'modern' word
OE - krioelen

2 3 ('teeming, swarming, crawling') - (de) kampioen

2 ('champion') - (de) schorpioen

2 ('scorpion')
C/S-rule: - (het) pensioen

('pension') — French OU sounds like Dutch OE

- (het) enthousiasme

2 3 ('enthusiasm') - enthousiast

2 3 ('enthusiastic') — another exception to exception: - (het) visioen

2 ('vision')
U - (het) stadium

2 ('stage' of development) - (de) geranium

('geranium' - a plant) - (het) kalium

('Potassium') - (het) lithium

('Lithium') - (het) natrium

('Sodium') - (het) jodium

('Iodine') - see also: chemistry

EI/IJ and UI

The diphthong written as EI or IJ

and the diphthong UI

have an unique sound not involving vowel i — though there is a 'Consonant Y' (Dutch J) sound at the end of EI/IJ.

- (de) hei ('heath, moor' // 'heather') - (de) kei 2 3 ('rock, boulder') - (het/de) lei ('slate' // 'writing board') - mei ('May' - the month of) - [(de)] bij 2 ('~near/at/with // side- // 'bee') - (de) dij 2 ('thigh') - gij 2 (Flemish 'you') - hij ('he') - jij ('you' - singular informal) - mij ('me') - (de) rij 2 ('row, line') - (het) tij ('tide') - wij 2 ('we') - zij 2 ('she' // 'they')
- (het) ei 2 ('egg') - (de) eik ('oak') - (de) eis ('demand') - ijl 2 3 4 ('thin' - air) - (het) ijs ('ice' // 'ice cream')
- vrijheid blijheid 2 ('freedom brings along, creates happiness')
- (de) vijand 2 ('enemy')
- beiaard 2 ('church bells player') — Compare with: -bejaard ('elderly, ~over 65') - (de) bejaarde 2 ('elderly person')
EE - bijeen 2 3 ('together, ~gathered')
E (uh) (het) ei 2 ('egg') - eieren ('eggs') - heien 2 ('driving piles into the ground' - for a house foundation on soft soil) - vrij / vrijer ('free / more free') - dij / dijen ('thigh / thighs') - gedijen ('to grow well' - plants) - Bulgarije ('Bulgaria')
- van een leien dakje (['off a slate roof'] - 'very easy')
I: - (de) zijingang 2 ('side entrance')
the EI and IJ page

UI by itself, and in words ending in UI there should be a (Dutch) W sound: ui(w) 2 — though some people say UI with a 'Consonant Y' (Dutch J) ending: ui(j) 2 - I don't like it
- (de) ui 2 3 ('onion') - (de) bui 2 ('shower' - rain) - (de) hoestbui 2 ('coughing fit') - (de) huilbui ('crying fit') [(de)] lui ('people' - slang // 'lazy') - stuurlui ('ship officers') - zeelui 2 ('sailors, ship workers') - (de) trui 2 ('woollen sweater') - (de) ijstrui 2 ('thick woollen sweater') - (de) coltrui 2 ('turtleneck sweater')
- Huib ('(a boys' name') - juichen ('to cheer') (de) huid 2 ('skin') - (de) duif 2 3 ('pigeon, dove') - (het) tuig 2 3 ('~gear' // 'bad people') - (de) buik ('belly') - (de) uil 2 3 4 5 ('owl') - (de) duim 2 ('thumb') - (de/het) duin ('dune') - (de) stuip ('spasm, convulsion') - (het) huis 2 ('house') - uit 2 ('out of, out, from, off') - zuiver 2 3 ('pure') - huizen ('houses') - fluisteren 2 3 ('to whisper')
BUT when UI is followed by a vowel (usually a 'voiceless, unstressed E' - the 'schwa') then there is no W‑sound but a 'Consonant Y' (Dutch J)
uien ('onions') - (de) uier ('udder' - cow) - (de) luier ('diaper, nappy') - (de) sluier ('a veil') - (de) grauwsluier ('a gray veil' - detergent commercial) - buien ('rainshowers') - (de) luiaard 2 3 ('lazy person; sloth')
Compare: - (de) kruiwagen 2 3 ('wheelbarrow') - (de) kruier 2 3 ('porter' - staff person carrying luggage)
the UI page

Other Vowel Connectors — or not

'Long E'
As I hear it, Dutch 'long E'

always ends in a sound like consonant Y (Dutch J) — more clearly pronounced when followed by a vowel ?or diphthong
- (de) fee

('fairy') - hé

('hey!') - mee

('~with, ~along, ~along with) - nee!

('no!') - (de) ree

2 ('roe,' a deer type) - (het) vee

2 3 ('cattle') - (de) wee

('contraction' - birth) - (de) zee

('sea')
- (de) eed

2 3 ('oath') - Eef

(a girls' name) - (het) eelt

2 3 4 ('hardened skin, calluses') - één (een)

2 ('1, one') - (de) eer

2 ('honor')
A - (de) reactie

('reaction')
AA - Bea

(a girls' name) - (de) alinea

2 ('paragraph') - reageren

2 3 ('to react') - realistisch

('realistic') - creatie

slow ('creation, design, something made') - De Atlantische Oceaan

2 ('The Atlantic Ocean') - De Indische Oceaan

('The Indian Ocean') - De Grote Oceaan

('The [Large Ocean] Pacific') - De Stille Oceaan

('The [Quiet Ocean] Pacific') - Korea

(Korea)
EE - (de) meeëter

('acne pimple') - the two 'long E's' do not connect, there is a split-second pause
E (uh) - (de) onderzeeër

('submarine') - weeën

('contractions' - birth) - naweeën

2 3 ('contractions after a birth' - but usually figuratively: 'later effects of an event, aftermath') - zeeën en meren

('seas and lakes') - de zeven zeeën

2 ("the seven seas") - twee zeeën

('two seas') - ideeën

2 ('ideas')
'En'

2 ('and') by itself is with 'short E' but when it's in the middle of numbers it's usually pronounced with voiceless, unstressed E: - tweeëntwinig

('22') - tweeëndertig

2 ('32') - één tweeëndertigste

('1/32')
IE - (de) cafeïne

2 ('caffein') = (de) theïne

2 ('theine')
O - (het) neon

('neon')
OO - (de/het) stereo

('stereo' // ' sound system') - feodaal

('feudal') - (de) deodorant

('deodorant') - (de) geoloog

('geologist') - (de) geograaf

('geographer') - Leo

2 (a boys' name) - (de) aureool

('halo, aureole') - Theo

(a boys' name) - (de) theorie

2 ('theory') - (de) meteoor

2 ('meteor')
U - (het) museum

('museum') - museums

2 ('museums') - Mattheüs

2 ('Matthew')
UU - (de) reünie

2 3 ('reunion')

voiceless, unstressed E, the 'schwa'
As already seen above, 'voiceless, unstressed E' (the 'schwa') connects to immediately preceding vowels, for instance: - ideeën 2 ('ideas') - bijen 2 ('bees')
But 'voiceless, unstressed E' (the 'schwa') does not connect to vowels or diphthongs following after it - there is a (very short) pause, 'vocal stop.' This is usually with the prefixes be- and ge-
- geavanceerd 2 ('advanced') - geëerd 2 ('honored, respected') - geïnteresseerd ('interested') - geïnd ('collected' - money) - geopend ('opened, open') - georganiseerd 2 3 ('organised') - geuit (ge-uit) 2 ('expressed, voiced')
dit stopcontact is niet geaard this power outlet is not ['earthed'] grounded een geaard stopcontact a grounded power outlet de geaarde stekker the grounded power plug - (de) beambte ('official') - beangstigend 2 ('frightening, alarming') - beëdigd ('sworn in, under oath, board-certified') - beëindigen 2 ('to end, put a stop to') - (de) beoordeling ('assesment, judgement, review')

AA
'Long A' does not connect to vowels or diphthongs after it, there is a split-second break, 'vocal stop'
- naäpen 2 3 ('to ape, mimic, imitate') - Kanaän ('Canaan') - Rafaël (a boys' name) - (de) Sinaï - naïef 2 / naïef/naïeve 2 3 ('naive') - (de) aorta ('aorta') - (de) chaos ('chaos') - chaotisch ('chaotic') - Laos

EU
The diphthong EU almost never connects with vowels after it
- smeuïg 2 ('smooth, creamy, appetizing' - "easy to eat" - food)

OO
To my ears, 'Long O' ends in a faint, very faint Dutch W-sound — there is not always a connection to a subsequent vowel
- (de) vlo 2 ('flea') - zo ('very' // '~as' // 'soon') - (de) auto ('car') - (de) banjo 2 ('banjo') - (het) ego ('ego') - (de) foto ('picture, photograph') - ho! ('stop') - (de/het) kilo 2 ('kilo, kilogram')
- zoals 2 ('like,' 'as,' 'similar to,' 'the way that') - Joannes (a boys' name, the evangelist John) - (de) oase ('oasis')
- zo'n 2 3 (zoown/zowun 2 3) = zo een 2 3 (such a') - Zoë (a girls' name) - zo-even (zoëven) 2 3 ('a moment ago')
- zoiets (zo-iets) 2 3 ('such a thing, something like that') - zo-iemand 2 ('such a person, someone like that')
- (de) coördinator 2 ('coordinator') - (de) coördinatie ('coordination') - (de) coöperatie ('cooperation')

OE
As I hear it, OE ends in a faint Dutch W-sound
- doei (doe-ie) ('goodbye, see you' - very informal - it is also said as - doei ) - (de) Bedoeïen ('Bedouin')
I could include words from French with OU that sounds like Dutch OE: - (de) douane 2 3 ('customs' - border) - (de) gouache ('gouache') - (de) zouaaf ('zouave' - Papal soldier) - zouaven ('zouaves')

U
U 2 (polite 'you') by itself does not sound the same as Uw (polite 'your') (the U in UW is always 'long' ‑>>)
Heeft Uw hond U gebeten? Did your dog bite you? - (het) menu ('menu') - (de) duw ('push')
- (de) accu ('car battery') - continu 2 3 ('continuous, continuously, all the time') - hu! 2 ('stop!' // 'go!' - horse calls) - (het) individu 2 ('individual' - a person)
- zenuw ('nerve') - ruw 2 / ruwe ('rough') - ruwweg ('roughly' - estimating) - sluw ('sly, clever') - schuw ('very shy')
When U is followed by another vowel, a Dutch W‑sound is inserted, usually unwritten: situatie ('situation') - januari ('January') - dualiteit ('duality') - fluctuatie ('fluctuation')
- (het) duel ('duel') - (het) minuet ('minuet' - a dance) - (de/het) suède 2 ('suede')
Between U and 'long E' the W is sometimes written, but not always. It doesn't make a difference in the sound - (het) fluweel ('velvet') - (het) juweel 2 ('jewel') - [(het)] ritueel ('ritual' // 'a ritual') - actueel ('topical, current') - eventueel 2 ('possibly, in case ...)
- majestueus 2 ('majestic')
- (de) ruïne 2 3 ('ruin', dilapidated building) - ruïneren 2 ('to ruin, cause serious damage)
- (de) fluor ('fluorine') - (het) duo 2 ('duo')
Between two U's that are not one 'long U' there is a split-second pause - (het) vacuüm 2 3 ('vacuum') (some people say the second U as a 'short U' )
the U page

Words from French
Words from French often don't follow Dutch spelling rules:
(het) detail ('detail') - failliet 2 ('bankrupt; bankruptcy') - (de) medaille 2 ('a medal') - (het) braille ('Braille') - (de) taille 2 ('waist') - (de) wespentaille ('a wasp's waist')
(de) portemonnaie ('purse')
(de) migraine 2 ('migraine') - (de) quarantaine 2 (quarantine)
[(de)] militair ('a soldier; military') - ordinair 2 ("common," 'vulgar') - vulgair 2 ('vulgar, cheap') - populair 2 ('popular, generally liked') - (de) documentaire ('documentary')
(de) portefeuille ('wallet') - (het) feuilleton 2 3 ('feuilleton, (print) serial')
- (het) oeuvre ('an artist's works') - manoeuvre 2 ('maneuver, strategic move') - but in the Dutchified verb manoeuvreren 2 ('to maneuver') the OEU is pronounced as OO (Dutch OE )
- (de) douane 2 3 ('customs' - border) - (de) gouache ('gouache') - (de) zouaaf ('zouave' - Papal soldier) - zouaven ('zouaves')
- (de) bouillon 2 3 4 ('beef broth') - fouilleren 2 ('to frisk, body-search') - Louis (boys' name) - Ze zijn gebrouilleerd 2 3 ('They are not on good terms, they're not speaking to each other' - posh)

Major Exceptions to Phonetic Spelling - 2

The -IG ending

is pronounced with voiceless, unstressed E

('the 'schwa') and not the 'short I'

you'd expect from the spelling.
- smeuïg

2 ('smooth, creamy, appetizing' - "easy to eat" - food)
heiig

('hazy' - old-fashioned) - lawaaiig

2 / lawaaiige

('noisy')
zijig

('silky // soft-headed, weak-kneed')
more -IG

In a very small number of Dutch words, usually between two vowels, Y is like English 'consonant Y' as in YES:
yoghurt 2 ('yogurt') - royaal 2 ('generous, ample') - loyaal 2 ('loyal') - loyaliteit 2 ('loyalty') - rayon 2 ("area")
the Y page

Unlike double vowels followed by a single consonant (for instance groot / grote 2 - more) double vowels followed by i do not change when an ‑E‑ending is added:
mooi - mooie - mooi / mooie 2 beautiful, pretty
mooi / mooier / mooist beautiful / more beautiful / most beautiful ‑>>
The syllable break is mooi-er, after the i. Breaking off as mo-ier would look silly to Dutch people and IE might not be pronounced correctly, but it is unusual that the syllable break is not at the pause, vocal stop.
(de) kraai 2 / kraaien (kraai-en) 2 crow / crows

The words (de) koe and (de) vlo 2 have irregular plurals where an i is inserted before the ‑EN plural ending:
koeien - koe / koeien 2 cow / cows
vlooien 2 3 - vlo / vlooien flea / fleas
(Some people assume the I is already there in the singular and say: koei, vlooi)

'Consonant i' and Connecting Sounds - Hear for Yourself

'Consonant I'

Long i / IE ends in consonant Y (Dutch J)

EI/IJ and UI

Other Vowel Connectors — or not

Related Matter