wél

Wél is a Dutch adverbial particle written with a diaeresis over the e (wél). It marks contrastive or emphatic usage and is often used to signal that something is true in fact or that it goes against an expectation, in contrast with the negation niet or with a more limited interpretation of wel.

Usage and meaning

Wél is used to strengthen a statement or to oppose a prior idea. It can indicate that something happened or is the case despite doubt, reluctance, or contrary assumptions. For example: “Dat is wél waar.” means “That is indeed true.” “Ik wil wél meegaan.” expresses a definite willingness, in contrast to a more tentative form. “We hebben wél tijd.” asserts that time is available, contrary to possible doubt. And in responses to negative expectations, it can affirm an opposite outcome: “Het is wél mogelijk.”

Orthography and usage notes

The word is the emphatic or contrastive variant of wel and is written with a diaeresis on the e to distinguish its emphatic reading from the plain wel. The pronunciation remains the same in most dialects, with the phonetic value [ʋɛl], while the diacritic signals nuance rather than a different sound. Wél is common in both the Netherlands and Belgian Dutch, though its use can vary by style and register. In everyday writing, wél is often preferred when an emphatic contrast is intended.

See also

Dutch orthography; contrastive particles; emphasis markers.