Oorronding en Ontronding

Oorronding (rounding) and ontronding (unrounding) refer to the changes in vowel sounds based on whether the lips are rounded or unrounded. Oorronding and ontronding are about the way our lips move when we say certain vowel sounds in Afrikaans. Let’s learn about them:

Oorronding: Oorronding happens when certain vowel sounds become rounded, which means we make our lips round when saying those sounds. It’s like making a small “O” shape with our lips. It’s like our lips get puffy or kissy! We call this oorronding. It’s fun to make our lips round!

Examples of oorronding:

• The word sewe is pronounced as seuwe
• The word neef is pronounced as neuf

In all these examples, notice how your lips round or pucker when pronouncing words with oorronding.

Ontronding: Ontronding is the opposite of oorronding. Normally, our lips are round for certain sounds, but in ontronding we say these words with slit-shaped lips. It’s like our lips forget to be round!

In Afrikaans, the unrounded vowel sounds are represented by the letters “a”, “e”, and “i”.

Examples of ontronding:

• The word seun is pronounced as seen
• The word rug is pronounced as rig
• The word rusie is pronounced as riesie

Try to be mindful of your lip shape and notice when you need to unround your lips for proper pronunciation. Understanding oorronding and ontronding helps us say words correctly and sound like native Afrikaans speakers. It’s like a special secret about how our lips move when we speak! Practice saying words with oorronding and ontronding, and have fun with the different lip shapes they make