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Norwegian

Norwegian sounds

æ, ø and å, silent letters, kj and sj — and the melody of Norwegian.

12 minutes · A free lesson from Start here · Roman and Urdu pronunciation guides and English meanings are shown under each phrase

Norwegian spelling is fairly regular. Learn a handful of patterns, and you can say most words you read.

Listen and repeat

takkSay: takتاکMeans: thanksshort a, like the 'a' in 'father' but quickTusen takk!Say: toosuhn tak!تُوسَن تاک!Means: Thank you very much! (literally: a thousand thanks)
bokSay: bookبُوکMeans: booko often sounds like 'oo'Jeg leser en bok.Say: yai lehsuhr ehn book.یائی لےسَر اےن بُوک.Means: I am reading a book.
påSay: pohپوMeans: on, atå sounds like the 'aw' in 'saw'Boka ligger på bordet.Say: booka liguhr poh boorduh.بُوکا لِگَر پو بُوردَ.Means: The book is on the table.
husSay: hoosہُوسMeans: house; housesu: say 'oo' and push your lips forwardHuset er rødt.Say: hoosuht ehr roet.ہُوسَت اےر روےت.Means: The house is red.
bySay: bueبیُMeans: town, cityy: say 'ee' with rounded lipsOslo er en stor by.Say: osloo ehr ehn stoor bue.اوسلُو اےر اےن ستُور بیُ.Means: Oslo is a big city.
kjøreSay: shoeruhشوےرَMeans: to drivekj is a soft hiss, close to 'sh'Jeg kjører bil til jobben.Say: yai shoeruhr beel teel yobuhn.یائی شوےرَر بیل تیل یوبَن.Means: I drive to work.
sjøSay: shoeشوےMeans: sea, lakesj, skj and sk before i or y sound like 'sh'Vi bor ved sjøen.Say: vee boor veh shoeuhn.وی بُور وے شوےَن.Means: We live by the sea.
hvaSay: vaواMeans: whathv- and hj-: the h is silentHva heter du?Say: va hehtuhr doo?وا ہےتَر دُو?Means: What is your name? (literally: What are you called?)
norskSay: noshkنوشکMeans: Norwegianrs sounds like 'sh' in eastern NorwayJeg snakker litt norsk.Say: yai snakuhr lit noshk.یائی سناکَر لِت نوشک.Means: I speak a little Norwegian.
jegSay: yaiیائیMeans: Ijeg (I) sounds like 'yai'Jeg heter Ali.Say: yai hehtuhr alee.یائی ہےتَر الی.Means: My name is Ali.
godSay: gooگُوMeans: gooda d at the end is often silentGod morgen!Say: goo mornگُو مورنMeans: Good morning!
gjøreSay: yoeruhیوےرَMeans: to dogj, and g before i or y, sound like 'y'Hva skal du gjøre i dag?Say: va skal doo yoeruh ee dag?وا سکال دُو یوےرَ ای داگ?Means: What are you going to do today?

Norwegian also has two melodies, called tones. tanken can mean "the tank" or "the thought", and only the melody tells them apart. You will pick the tones up by listening — do not worry about them at first. People in different parts of Norway speak very differently, and every dialect is correct Norwegian.

tankenSay tankuhnتانکَنMeans: the tank — or the thought (only the melody tells them apart)

Lesson quiz

Check what you have learned. Choose an answer to see whether it is right, and why.

Quick check: How does “kj” in “kjøre” sound?

  1. Like English k followed by j
  2. A soft hiss, close to “sh”
  3. Like the ch in “church”
Show the answer

B: A soft hiss, close to “sh” — kj is a soft hiss: kjøre sounds close to “shøre”.

Quick check: How does “jeg” sound in eastern Norwegian?

  1. Like “yai”
  2. Exactly as it is written
  3. Like “jig”
Show the answer

A: Like “yai” — jeg (I) is said “yai”.

Quick check: How can you type æ, ø and å without a Norwegian keyboard?

  1. a, o and a
  2. e, o and o
  3. ae, oe and aa
Show the answer

C: ae, oe and aa — The answers in this course accept ae, oe and aa. Learn the real letters for the test.

Quick check: What tells “tanken” (the tank) and “tanken” (the thought) apart?

  1. The melody of the word
  2. The spelling
  3. Nothing at all
Show the answer

A: The melody of the word — Norwegian has two word melodies, called tones. You pick them up by listening.

Quick check: Which letter is silent in “hva”?

  1. v
  2. h
  3. a
Show the answer

B: h — Before v and j the h is silent: hva sounds like “va”.

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