The Dutch Writing System

The Dutch writing system is based on the 26-letter Latin alphabet with only one addition - the letter ij, which is most times used in place of the y, although y is sometimes retained in foreign words. The q and x letters are reserved for loan words from other languages.¹

According to the Encyclopædia Britannica, the Dutch writing system is very uniform across the countries in which it is used, especially across The Netherlands and Belgium: "it differs…no more than written English does in the United States and Great Britain."2 This standard Dutch, known as Algemeen Beschaafd Nederlands, is what schoolchildren learn and government officials use in not only The Netherlands and Belgium, but also Suriname and the Netherlands Antilles.

Standard Dutch is officially regulated through The Nederlandse Taalunie, an association setup by The Netherlands and the Dutch-speaking regions of Belgium. The Taalunie defines what is acceptable and not acceptable for Dutch orthography and spelling.

Additional resources on the Dutch writing system can be found on the Web at:

http://www.omniglot.com/writing/dutch.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_language#Writing_system

http://www.komfil.gov.ph/index2.php

¹ "Dutch alphabet" Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_alphabet
[Accessed December 11, 2004]

² "West Germanic languages" Encyclopædia Britannica from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service.
http://www.britannica.com/eb/article?tocId=74777
[Accessed December 11, 2004]