DutchFlemish

DutchFlemish is a label used in linguistics and encyclopedic contexts to describe the shared Dutch language varieties spoken in the Netherlands and in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is not an officially recognized language; DutchFlemish refers to the continuum of Dutch varieties across these regions, united by a common standard form used in formal writing, Algemeen Nederlands (General Dutch), and by widely understood core vocabulary and grammar.

In practice, the Dutch language as used in the Netherlands and Flanders is highly mutually intelligible. Distinctions tend to appear in pronunciation, vocabulary, and some idiomatic expressions, with Flemish Dutch showing features typical of Belgian usage. The orthography is unified for formal writing; however, Belgium and the Netherlands may favor different terminology in everyday speech and media.

The Flemish region has its own regional varieties of Dutch, including West Flemish and East Flemish, while the Netherlands includes Hollandic and Brabantic varieties. These regional varieties coexist with the standard language in education, media, and administration. In Belgium, Dutch is one of the official languages, alongside French and German, and is taught in schools across Flanders; in the Netherlands, Dutch is the sole official language.

Scholars often treat Dutch and Flemish as dialects or varieties of a single West Germanic language rather than as separate languages. The term DutchFlemish thus reflects linguistic geography and sociolinguistic identity more than a separate linguistic entity.