How do you know whether a word is a de- word or a het- word?

Dutch has two specific articles: "het" is for genderless words and "de" for male and female words. If you
have Dutch as your native language, you usually know whether a word gets "de" or "het". But for
foreigners who learn Dutch, it is mostly a matter of learning by heart. There are no rules for it.
Fortunately, there is some support, although there are always exceptions.

The following categories of words are generally "het words:

diminutives:
o bloempje
o jongetje
o vaasje
Language names:
o Nederlands
o Swahili
names of countries and places:
o het tolerante Nederland
o het Duitsland van na de oorlog
o het statige Den Haag
Names of metals:
o Ijzer
o kwik
names of wind directions:
o noorden
o zuidwesten
names of sports and games:
o tennis
o scrabble
o yahtzee
words with two syllables starting with be-, ge-, ver- and ont-:
o belang
o geweer
o verstand
o ontzet
words that end on -isme, -ment, -sel and -um:
o communism
o instrument
o kapsel
o museum
But: the de or het deksel, de recruitment and de overemployment.

(Note: this applies to the singular. In the plural, all nouns are given the article.
The following words are generally "de" words

words for fruits, trees and plants:

o appel
o eik
o varen
o fuchsia
names of rivers and mountains:
o Waal
o Mount Everest
Names of digits and letters:
o Vier
o X
o tussen-n;
most of the words that people designate:
o ober
o boer
o boerin
o Note: het Kamerlid and het afdelingshoofd.

Furthermore, words with the following outputs are usually "de" words:

-heid, -nis:
o Waarheid
o kennis
-de, -te:
o Liefde
o Diepte
o But this is genderless:
het gebergte

-ij, -erij, -arij, -enij, -ernij:

o Voogdij
o Bakkerij
o Rijmelarij
o Woestenij
o Razernij
o but:
het schilderij;

-ing, -st (behind a verb in I form):

o Wandeling
o Winst
o Dienst
 -ie, -tie, -sie, -logie, -sofie, -agogie:
o Familie
o Politie
o Visie
o Biologie
o Filosofie
o Demagogie
o but genderless are:
het antiek
het elastiek
het publiek
o both "de" and "het" is possible with:
diptiek
koliek
mozaek
portiek
reliek
triptiek

-theek, -teit, -iteit:

o Bibliotheek
o Puberteit
o Stabiliteit

-tuur, -suur:
o Natuur
o Censuur
o but:
het avontuur
het barbituur
het fournituur
het postuur
o and de f het
montuur;

-ade, -ide, -ode, -ude:

o Tirade
o Planetode
o Periode
o Attitude
o But:
Scientific substance names ending on -ide are genderless (e. g. chloride and
bromide).
 -ine, -se, -age:
o Discipline
o Analyse
o Baggage
o but:
het percentage
het promillage
o and "de" or "het"
bosschage
corsage
personage
vitrage
voltage

-sis, -tis, -xis:

o Crisis
o Bronchitis
o Syntaxis
o But:
het chassis.

Finally, there are many words that both "de" and "het" can get sometimes with and sometimes without
any difference in meaning; a number of these words are discussed on www.onzetaal.nl weblog:

o Aas
o Cluster
o Deksel
o Doolhof
o Eigendom
o Fret
o Idee
o Intermediair
o Lpg
o Medicijn
o Pond
o Risico
o Scala
o Words ending with:
-schap
-soort
-spits
As a bonus:
Het schaap and Het konijn are used with Het because this is a category of animal since their genders
have different names:
de ooi - female sheep
de ram - male sheep
het lam - young sheep
de voedster - female rabbit
de rammelaar - male rabbit
het lamprij / de kitten