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Learning Dutch?
Now is The Time
Program 3

Pronunciation
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Hear Names

Words

Phrases

Grammar

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Dutch spelling/pronunciation rules say that:

a double vowel is always 'long'
(de) slaap ('sleep') - (de) vloot 2 ('fleet')
a single vowel at the end of a word is always 'long' (except E)
(de) sla ('lettuce') - (de) vlo 2 ('flea') - de 2 ('the' #1)
a single vowel followed by one or more consonants at the end of a word is 'short'
slap ('weak') - (het) vlot 2 3 ('raft')
a single vowel followed by one consonant followed by another vowel is 'long.' (The syllables split is before the single consonant. This is somewhat like English 'silent E')
slapen (sla-pen) ('to sleep) vloten (vlo-ten) 2 ('fleets')
a single vowel followed by two or more consonants is 'short.' (The syllable break is between the consonants)
slappe (slap-pe) ('weak') - vlotten (vlot-ten) 2 3 ('rafts')
This rule 'works' for double consonants, but not always when the consonants are different
Diphthongs don't have 'short' and 'long' forms

So (de) man

2 ('man, human adult male) has the plural mannen (man-nen)

2 while (de) maan

2 ('moon') has the plural manen (ma-nen)

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