(:title Vowels preceding 'ch':)
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PICS:arrowlink.gif"internal link" [[FORUM:quiz.php?c=8 | Spelling exercises]] PICS:link_icon.gif"link"[[AXS:ax.pl?http://taalunieversum.org/nieuws/1393/ | Dutch spelling reform 2006]]
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{$TransBy} [[Main.AboutMe | Bieneke Berendsen]]
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As you read on the page about  [[04 | 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 [[09 | 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.

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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.
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