The clearest distinction between separable and inseparable verbs is the stress: separable verbs have stressed _prefixes_, while inseparable verbs have stressed _verbs_. Unfortunately, this way, you will have to consult a good dictionary to establish whether the verb is separable or inseparable.
Apart from the stress, there are a few specific hints that can help you distinguishing between the two type of compound verbs.
First of all, inseparable verbs can only take certain prefixes:
Common prefixes for inseparable verbs: | A few (but only a few!) inseparable verbs take:
Usually part of inseparable verbs:
mis (miss, wrong)
vol (full)
Mostly used for separable verbs, yet also common for inseparable verbs:
om (around, over)
onder (under)
over (over) | Generally used for separable verbs, but occasionally part of inseparable verbs:
aan (on, to)
achter (behind, after)
door (through, on)
voor (for, before)
weer (again, re-)
Verbs that begin with prefixes other than the ones mentioned above are always separable. E.g. _tegen_ (against), _op_ (on), or _uit_ (out, off). However, note that separable verbs can also begin with the prefixes listed above.
The challenge lies in determining whether a verb that begins with one of the prefixes listed above, is separable or inseparable. For each prefix in the table, there are a few guidelines to establish whether the verb it is connected to is separable or not. These are outlined on the next page.