Hoelang (hoe vaak) is the Dutch word for “how often,” and it is used in questions about frequency. The correct spellings are typically either two words "hoe vaak" as a question phrase, or in some contexts you can see "hoeveel" as the adjective/adverb meaning “how much/many,” which is a different usage. Here’s how to distinguish and use them:

• Hoe vaak: asks about frequency (how many times something occurs)
  • Examples:
    • Hoe vaak train jij per week? [ How often do you train per week?](javascript:void(0))
    • Hoe vaak komt de bus hier langs? [ How often does the bus pass here?](javascript:void(0))
• Hoeveel / Hoe veel: asks about quantity or amount (how much/many)
  • Hoeveel: used for countable quantities
    • Hoeveel geld heb je? [ How much money do you have?](javascript:void(0))
    • Hoeveel boeken heb jij gelezen? [ How many books have you read?](javascript:void(0))
  • Hoe veel (two words) is the standard form when used as part of a question or clause; in many contexts “hoeveel” is written together as one word, but “hoe veel” can appear in older or stylistic texts. In modern standard Dutch, use hoeveel as one word for most ordinary questions about quantity. [Hoeveel/ Hoe veel](javascript:void(0))

Common pitfalls and tips:

• Don’t mix up the meanings: gebruik “hoe vaak” for frequency (times per period) and “hoeveel” for quantity (how much/many).
• When forming answers, you typically respond with a numeral and unit, e.g., “Drie keer per week” or “Drie boeken.”
• For more advanced nuance, Dutch distinguishes between de-woorden and het-woorden for articles when you’re learning about nouns, but that is a separate topic from hoe vaak/hoeveel. [hoe vaak](javascript:void(0)) [hoeveel](javascript:void(0))

If you want, I can give you quick practice sentences to test your usage of hoe vaak vs hoeveel in different contexts.