▁standard ▁Dutch , ▁the ▁v ow els ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁" soft - long " ▁v ow els ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁modern ▁Dutch ▁period . ▁ ▁In ▁southern ▁Fland ers , ▁southern ▁B rab ant ▁and ▁Holland , ▁ ▁appears ▁sp elled ▁with ▁ ▁( e . g . ▁st ien ▁for ▁ste en ), ▁while ▁ ▁appears ▁with ▁ ▁( e . g . ▁sp eg hel ▁for ▁sp ieg hel ), ▁suggesting ▁a ▁mer ger ▁between ▁these ▁ph on emes . ▁▁ ▁is ▁sometimes ▁found ▁to ▁rh yme ▁with ▁. ▁It ' s ▁possible ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁v ow els ▁merged ▁under ▁some ▁conditions , ▁while ▁remaining ▁distinct ▁in ▁other ▁cases . ▁ ▁In ▁B rab ant , ▁ ▁occasionally ▁rh ym es ▁with ▁. ▁In ▁western ▁B rab ant , ▁this ▁implies ▁a ▁close ▁mon oph th ong al ▁pron unci ation ▁. ▁ ▁The ▁v ow els ▁, ▁ ▁and ▁, ▁term ed ▁" soft - long " ▁and ▁denoted ▁with ▁a ▁mac ron ▁ ē ▁ ō , ▁developed ▁through ▁the ▁length ening ▁of ▁Old ▁Dutch ▁short ▁v ow els ▁in ▁open ▁sy ll ables , ▁but ▁also ▁frequently ▁before ▁. ▁They ▁were ▁simple ▁mon oph th ongs ▁in ▁all ▁Middle ▁Dutch ▁dialect s , ▁with ▁the ▁exception ▁of ▁western ▁Fland ers ▁where ▁ ▁later ▁developed ▁into ▁. ▁They ▁might ▁have ▁been ▁close - mid ▁but ▁also ▁perhaps ▁open - mid ▁, ▁ ▁and ▁, ▁as ▁in ▁modern ▁Lim burg ish . ▁ ▁There ▁were ▁two ▁open ▁v