▁unclear . ▁The ▁following ▁can ▁be ▁said : ▁ ▁In ▁eastern ▁B rab ant , ▁and ▁all ▁of ▁Lim burg , ▁the ▁pron unci ation ▁remained ▁di ph th ong al . ▁▁ ▁is ▁frequently ▁found ▁written ▁with ▁just ▁, ▁which ▁may ▁indicate ▁a ▁mon oph th ong al ▁pron unci ation . ▁ ▁never ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁long ▁v owel ▁, ▁however , ▁as ▁no ▁rh yme ▁pairs ▁between ▁these ▁v ow els ▁are ▁found . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁coast al ▁areas ▁( F land ers , ▁Holland ), ▁ ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁a ▁mon oph th ong ▁ ▁or ▁. ▁Before ▁vel ar ▁and ▁lab ial ▁con son ants , ▁the ▁pron unci ation ▁was ▁a ▁close ▁. ▁This ▁is ▁revealed ▁by ▁the ▁distinction ▁in ▁sp elling ▁between ▁ ▁and ▁. ▁ ▁In ▁western ▁B rab ant , ▁the ▁pron unci ation ▁of ▁ ▁was ▁more ▁close , ▁probably ▁mon oph th ong al ▁. ▁ ▁The ▁v ow els ▁, ▁ ▁and ▁, ▁term ed ▁" sharp - long " ▁and ▁denoted ▁with ▁a ▁circum flex ▁ ê ▁ ô , ▁developed ▁from ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁long ▁v ow els . ▁The ▁opening ▁di ph th ong ▁pron unci ation ▁was ▁probably ▁w ides p read , ▁and ▁perhaps ▁once ▁universal , ▁as ▁it ▁is ▁now ad ays ▁still ▁found ▁in ▁both ▁West ▁F lem ish ▁and ▁in ▁Lim burg ish , ▁at ▁opposite ▁ends ▁of ▁the ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁language ▁area . ▁In ▁the ▁general ▁area ▁in ▁between , ▁including