The rhyme dictionary is an extension of Frysker.nl, the digital writing tool that supports drafting, spelling and translating Frisian texts. The Fryske Akademy had long wanted to do something with rhyme, but on a scientific basis. That more people would like to have a Frisian rhyming dictionary was expressed in early 2023 in a column by Pieter Zijlstra in the Leeuwarder Courant. Together with him and two of his mates, Teun de Vries and Sweder Oosterkamp, we then worked on a first version that could be used by everyone on 12 November 2023.

The rhyming dictionary is based on word lists and phonetic writing, the way sounds are recorded in a language. After introducing a rhyming word, the dictionary searches for words that rhyme in three steps. First, it determines which part of the rhyme word to search with. This is done based on the number of syllables, also taking into account that some consonants are omitted in the phonetic alphabet and mute (silent) sounds. Then it looks at which words end up similar in sound. Finally, all results are filtered and sorted.

The rhyming dictionary then looks at how common the words are, whether they are obsolete, and whether they are preferred forms or variants. When sorting, it first groups by number of syllables and then sorts by pure rhyme or semi-rhyme, internal similarities, and by Frisian alphabet. The rhyme dictionary works on the basis of standard Frisian. It is also possible to search for 'half-rhyme'. Then it looks for sounds that are close to each other, such as 'ii' and 'ie' in 'priis' and 'Fries'. With time, the Fryske Akademy hopes to make the rhyming dictionary better by identifying even more forms of half-rhyme and also paying more attention to the variety of regional pronunciations.