Dutch Grammar • Vowels preceding 'ch'

Dutch spelling reform 2006

As you read on the page about syllables, the combination ch is treated as one consonant.

Lachen --> la - chen

As a consequence, a is an open vowel, which we would classify as a long vowel. But it is not!

Just remember, that every single vowel (as opposed to double vowels and vowel combinations) that precedes ch is a short vowel.

Had the Dutch not decided to treat ch as one consonant, the division would have been: lac - hen. Here, the a is safely enveloped by two consonants, and could thus be considered a short vowel.