Long Vowels: One Letter or Two

Level 1

A syllable that ends in a vowel is open, and one that ends in a consonant is closed. A long vowel is written double in a closed syllable (boom) but single in an open one (bo-me).

How It Works

Two ideas explain most Afrikaans vowel spelling:

  • An open syllable ends in a vowel, like bo in bo-me. A single vowel letter here is read long.
  • A closed syllable ends in a consonant, like boom or kat. A single vowel letter here is read short, so a long vowel must be doubled.

Long vowels. In a closed syllable, the long vowel is doubled: boom, maan, skool, uur (hour). When an ending that starts with a vowel is added, the last consonant moves to the next syllable. The first syllable is now open, so one vowel letter is enough: bo-me, ma-ne, sko-le, u-re. Other endings work the same way: groot → groter (bigger).

Short vowels. A short vowel in a stressed syllable has to stay in a closed syllable. So when an ending is added, the next consonant is doubled: kat → kat-te, sak → sak-ke, bus → bus-se, kop → kop-pe (heads). Written with one t, kate would be read with a long a.

What does not change. Vowels spelled with two different letters, such as ie, oe, eu, ui and ou, stay the same: boek → boeke, huis → huise. At the end of a word, ee stays double, because a single final e sounds like uh: twee, see.

These rules shape the spelling of plurals, comparatives and diminutives. See plural spelling changes, comparative -er and diminutive -ie.

Examples (5)

  1. Daar is drie bome in die tuin.

    There are three trees in the garden.

    Boom becomes bome. The syllable bo- is open, so one o is enough.

  2. Die skole is vandag toe.

    The schools are closed today.

    Skool becomes skole in the plural.

  3. Ons het twee katte.

    We have two cats.

    Kat doubles its t, so the a stays short.

  4. Die sakke is swaar.

    The bags are heavy.

    Sak doubles its k in the plural: sakke.

  5. My huis is groter as joune.

    My house is bigger than yours.

    Groot becomes groter. The syllable gro- is open, so one o is enough.

Common Mistakes

  • Keeping the double vowel in an open syllable.

    Daar is drie boome in die tuin.
    Daar is drie bome in die tuin.

    Once the m moves to the next syllable, bo- is open and needs only one o.

  • Forgetting to double the consonant after a short vowel.

    Ons het twee kate.
    Ons het twee katte.

    With one t, the a would be read long. Doubling the t keeps the short a of kat.

How It Connects

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Long Vowels: One Letter or TwoLevel 1

Learn This First

The one-letter or two-letter rule for long vowels builds on the vowel spellings.

Learn Next

Patterns that build on this one.