Where other vowels that are placed at the end of a syllable are always long, the e requires a second look.
Important rule:
an unstressed 'e' is always a 'mute e'
A mute e is pronounced as English 'e' in 'the cap':
'e'.
This is slightly distressing, as it is difficult for non-native speakers to determine where the stress lies. However, good dictionaries indicate the position of the stress. In this chapter, the stresses of all words that contain open e's will be underlined.
In the following examples, the stressed syllables are underlined and the mute e's are bold. It goes without saying that stressed e's can be both long or short.
| verkennen
| to explore
| werkelijk
| really
|
| wetende
| knowing
| rekenen
| to calculate
|
| gevangen
| imprisoned
| bedelen
| to beg
|
| betreurens-waardig
| deplorable
| bedelen
| to assign, to distribute
|
verkennen, wetende, gevangen, betreurenswaardig, werkelijk, rekenen, bedelen, bedelen
Rule of thumb:
a single, open e at the end of a word is always mute.
Examples:
gewoonte (habit), waarde (value), Bieneke (that's me), lengte (length), lente (spring)
All mp3 files on this page
mute e
verkennen, wetende, gevangen, betreurenswaardig, werkelijk, rekenen, bedelen, bedelen
gewoonte (habit), waarde (value), Bieneke, lengte (length), lente (spring)
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