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<div style="font-size:300%"> Pronunciation Guide in Icelandic</div>
<div style="font-size:300%"> Pronunciation Guide in Icelandic</div>


When trying to pronounce words in Icelandic, some knowledge of a Scandinavian language is useful. Compared to English, the vowels are different, however, most consonants are pronounced similar to English. 
The Icelandic alphabet consists of 32 letters. There are also three letters used for foreign words, and one obsolete letter. Icelandic uses the latin alphabet, which is the same as the English alphabet and most Western European languages. There are some letters that are not found in English, and even some letters that only Icelandic uses.


The Icelandic alphabet has kept two old letters which no longer exist in the English alphabet: Þ, þ (þorn, modern English "thorn") and Ð, ð (eð, anglicised as "eth" or "edh"), representing the voiceless and voiced "th" sounds (as in English "thin" and "this"), respectively. Below is a guide to pronunciation.  
Below are tables of the Icelandic alphabet and its pronunciation. (To listen to it go here: <nowiki>https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/File:Is-Icelandic_alphabet.oga</nowiki> )
{| class="wikitable"
|Upper case
|Lower case
|Name
|-
|A
|a
|a
|-
|Á
|á
|á
|-
|B
|b
|bé
|-
|D
|d
|dé
|-
|Ð
|ð
|eð
|-
|E
|e
|e
|-
|É
|é
|é
|-
|F
|f
|eff
|-
|G
|g
|gé
|-
|H
|h
|há
|-
|I
|i
|i
|-
|Í
|í
|í
|-
|J
|j
|joð
|-
|K
|k
|ká
|-
|L
|l
|ell
|-
|M
|m
|emm
|-
|N
|n
|enn
|-
|O
|o
|o
|-
|Ó
|ó
|ó
|-
|P
|p
|pé
|-
|R
|r
|err
|-
|S
|s
|ess
|-
|T
|t
|té
|-
|U
|u
|u
|-
|Ú
|ú
|ú
|-
|V
|v
|vaff
|-
|X
|x
|ex
|-
|Y
|y
|ypsilon y
|-
|Ý
|ý
|ypsilon ý
|-
|Þ
|þ
|þorn
|-
|Æ
|æ
|æ
|-
|Ö
|ö
|ö
|}
Letters C, Q, and W are not part of the Icelandic alphabet, but are used in foreign words:
{| class="wikitable"
|Upper case
|Lower case
|Name
|-
|C
|c
|sé
|-
|Q
|q
|kú
|-
|W
|w
|tvöfalt vaff
|}
The final letter, Z, is no longer used in Icelandic as of 1973. However, it is used only in very rare cases preserved in historic names of structures, organizations, and the like, such as Verzló (a school in Reykjavík).
{| class="wikitable"
|Upper case
|Lower case
|Name
|-
|Z
|z
|seta
|}
And of course, letters C, Q, and W are used more often than letter Z is.


How the letters are pronounced
{| class="wikitable"
{| class="wikitable"
|Letter
|Letter
|Pronunciation in English
|Explanation
|-
|-
|A
|A
|"a" sound in father
|is like  "a" in "bar", "tar" and "car"
|-
|Á
|is like  "ou" in "house", "about" and "shout"
|-
|B
|same as  English P, but without the puff of air, as in "spit"
|-
|D
|same as  English T, but without the puff of air, as in "stick"
|-
|Ð
|is like  "th" in "feather", "father" and  "that", but as the last letter of a word it is like "th"  in "thin".
|-
|-
|E
|E
|"e" sound in bed
|same as  in English except that it's always short, like in "bed" and  "end"
|-
|É
|same as English "yay"
|-
|F
|same as  in English "from"; like "p" in "hip" before n
|-
|G
|like  "k" in "wick" at the beginning of a word or between a  vowel and -l, -n; /ɣ/ after vowels, before a, u, ð, r, and when it's the last  character of a word; like "ch" in Scottish "loch" after  vowels and before t, s; like "y" in "young" between vowel  and -i, -j; dropped between a, á, ó, u, ú
|-
|H
|same as  in English "hello"
|-
|I
|is like  the first "i" in "inside" and "impossible"
|-
|Í
|like an  English "ee" and the "i" in "Maria" and the  "y" in "diary"
|-
|J
|is like  "y" in "yes", "yogurt" and "yield"
|-
|K
|same as  in English "king"
|-
|L
|same as  in English "love"
|-
|M
|same as  in English "mom"
|-
|N
|same as  in English "never"
|-
|O
|like  "a" in British English "all" and "o" in  "bolt"
|-
|Ó
|is like  "o" in "sole" and like "oa" in "goat"  and "soap"
|-
|P
|generally  same as in English "Peter", but can be softer
|-
|R
|generally  same as in Scottish English, virtually identical to a Spanish rolled R, from  the very front of the mouth
|-
|S
|same as  in English "soup"
|-
|-
|I, Y
|T
|"i" sound in little
|same as  in English "time"
|-
|-
|U
|U
|"u" sound in German höher or "eu" sound in French neuf
|virtually  identical to a French "u" (as in "cul"), or a German  "ü" (as in "über"). Equivalent to English "i"  as in "kit", but with the lips rounded
|-
|Ú
|like  English "oo" as in "zoo"
|-
|V
|between  English V and W
|-
|X
|same as  in English "six"
|-
|Y
|exactly  like Icelandic "i", it's only a matter of spelling
|-
|-
|Æ
|Ý
|"æ" sound in eye
|exactly  like Icelandic "í", it's only a matter of spelling
|-
|-
|ö
|Þ
|"ö" sound in German höher or "eu" sound in French neuf
|like  English "th" in "thunder", "theatre" and "thong"
|-
|-
|ð
|Æ
|"th"  sound in weather (voiced th)
|is like  the name of the letter "i" in English or the sound of the letters  "ai" in the words "Thai food". Hi/hæ & bye/bæ are the same in English and Icelandic
|-
|-
|þ
|Ö
|"th"  sound in thord (unvoiced th)
|like  German "ö" and English "u" in "urgent" or "fur". Equivalent to English "e" as in "bed",  but with the lips rounded
|} 
|}
Notes:
* Icelandic words never begin with Ð, and no    words end with Þ.
 
* I and Y share the same pronunciation, as    do Í and Ý.


Icelandic is a North Germanic language spoken in Iceland where it is the national language.
Icelandic is a North Germanic language spoken in Iceland where it is the national language.
Line 185: Line 424:
Book: Learn to Speak Icelandic: without even trying, Stephen Hernandez''
Book: Learn to Speak Icelandic: without even trying, Stephen Hernandez''


 
[[Category:Alphabet-and-Pronunciation]]''
[[Category:Alphabet-and-Pronunciation]]

Revision as of 10:24, 2 October 2021

Icelandic-Language-PolyglotClub.png
Pronunciation Guide in Icelandic

The Icelandic alphabet consists of 32 letters. There are also three letters used for foreign words, and one obsolete letter. Icelandic uses the latin alphabet, which is the same as the English alphabet and most Western European languages. There are some letters that are not found in English, and even some letters that only Icelandic uses.

Below are tables of the Icelandic alphabet and its pronunciation. (To listen to it go here: https://en.wikibooks.org/wiki/File:Is-Icelandic_alphabet.oga )

Upper case Lower case Name
A a a
Á á á
B b bé
D d dé
Ð ð eð
E e e
É é é
F f eff
G g gé
H h há
I i i
Í í í
J j joð
K k ká
L l ell
M m emm
N n enn
O o o
Ó ó ó
P p pé
R r err
S s ess
T t té
U u u
Ú ú ú
V v vaff
X x ex
Y y ypsilon y
Ý ý ypsilon ý
Þ þ þorn
Æ æ æ
Ö ö ö

Letters C, Q, and W are not part of the Icelandic alphabet, but are used in foreign words:

Upper case Lower case Name
C c sé
Q q kú
W w tvöfalt vaff

The final letter, Z, is no longer used in Icelandic as of 1973. However, it is used only in very rare cases preserved in historic names of structures, organizations, and the like, such as Verzló (a school in Reykjavík).

Upper case Lower case Name
Z z seta

And of course, letters C, Q, and W are used more often than letter Z is.

How the letters are pronounced

Letter Explanation
A is like "a" in "bar", "tar" and "car"
Á is like "ou" in "house", "about" and "shout"
B same as English P, but without the puff of air, as in "spit"
D same as English T, but without the puff of air, as in "stick"
Ð is like "th" in "feather", "father" and "that", but as the last letter of a word it is like "th" in "thin".
E same as in English except that it's always short, like in "bed" and "end"
É same as English "yay"
F same as in English "from"; like "p" in "hip" before n
G like "k" in "wick" at the beginning of a word or between a vowel and -l, -n; /ɣ/ after vowels, before a, u, ð, r, and when it's the last character of a word; like "ch" in Scottish "loch" after vowels and before t, s; like "y" in "young" between vowel and -i, -j; dropped between a, á, ó, u, ú
H same as in English "hello"
I is like the first "i" in "inside" and "impossible"
Í like an English "ee" and the "i" in "Maria" and the "y" in "diary"
J is like "y" in "yes", "yogurt" and "yield"
K same as in English "king"
L same as in English "love"
M same as in English "mom"
N same as in English "never"
O like "a" in British English "all" and "o" in "bolt"
Ó is like "o" in "sole" and like "oa" in "goat" and "soap"
P generally same as in English "Peter", but can be softer
R generally same as in Scottish English, virtually identical to a Spanish rolled R, from the very front of the mouth
S same as in English "soup"
T same as in English "time"
U virtually identical to a French "u" (as in "cul"), or a German "ü" (as in "über"). Equivalent to English "i" as in "kit", but with the lips rounded
Ú like English "oo" as in "zoo"
V between English V and W
X same as in English "six"
Y exactly like Icelandic "i", it's only a matter of spelling
Ý exactly like Icelandic "í", it's only a matter of spelling
Þ like English "th" in "thunder", "theatre" and "thong"
Æ is like the name of the letter "i" in English or the sound of the letters "ai" in the words "Thai food". Hi/hæ & bye/bæ are the same in English and Icelandic
Ö like German "ö" and English "u" in "urgent" or "fur". Equivalent to English "e" as in "bed", but with the lips rounded

Notes:

  • Icelandic words never begin with Ð, and no words end with Þ.
  • I and Y share the same pronunciation, as do Í and Ý.

Icelandic is a North Germanic language spoken in Iceland where it is the national language.

Here are the letters and how to pronounce them:

Letter A a B b D d E e F f G g H h I i J j K k L l M m N n O o P p R r S s T t U u V v X x Y y Á á Æ æ É é Í í Ð ð Ó ó Ö ö Ú ú Ý ý Þ þ
Name a bé dé e eff ge há i joð ká ell emm enn o pé err ess té u vaff ex ufsilon y á æ é í eð ó ö ú ufsilon ý þorn
IPA [aː] [pjeɛ̯] [tjeɛ̯] [eɛ̯] [ɛfː] [cjeɛ̯] [häu̯] [ɪː] [joɔ̯ð̠] [kʰäu̯] [ɛtːl̥] [ɛmː] [ɛnː] [oɔ̯] [pʰjeɛ̯] [ɛrː] [ɛsː] [tʰjeɛ̯] [ʏː] [vafː] [ɛxs] [ˈʏfsɪlɔn ɪː] [äu̯] [ai̯] [jeɛ̯] [iː] [eɛ̯ð̠] [ou̯] [œː] [uː] [ˈʏfsɪlɔn iː] [θ̠ɔrːtn̥]
Audio

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Video: Pronunciation

Sources

Book: Learn to Speak Icelandic: without even trying, Stephen Hernandez'

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