So, in total, there are 14 vowels in the Icelandic alphabet and 18 consonants. In addition, the Icelandic alphabet has the vowels Æ and Ö. This comma is not an accent but signifies a different vowel with a different sound. All of the regular vowels (A, E, I, O, U and Y) have identical Icelandic vowels with a comma over them. Notice that there’s no C, no Q, no W, and no Z. The stress is always on the first syllable, and there are no silent letters, so the best tip I can give you is to enunciate. When you’ve learned how to pronounce the letters, you can read and pronounce words correctly. I have to say, the most irritating mistake I hear when people try speaking Icelandic is pronouncing Þ like a P (it’s NOT a P) or pronouncing J like the English way of saying J (with a sort of D sound). Let's start with the essentials, the Icelandic alphabet pronunciation. Photo from Wikimedia, Creative Commons, by Max Naylor. I will only be translating between Icelandic and English and providing examples in these two languages. There are some great examples in the videos below.īut is it that hard to speak Icelandic? I don’t think so, and I want to break it down for you as best as possible. However, one of the most entertaining things to come from that eruption was how news reporters and tourists butchered the pronunciation of the volcano: EYJA-FJALLA-JOKULL. I’m not going into details about that eruption. When the Eyjafjallajokull volcano erupted in 2010, the entire world noticed, mainly because international flights were halted. If you are still unsure how to pronounce Reykjavik, the video below may help. The name loosely translates as “Smoke Cove,” similar to the city’s nickname, Smoky Bay. Written phonetically, it would look something like this: RAYK-YAH-VEEK. Reykjavik is pronounced with an “a” and “ee” sound rather than the “e” and “i” used in its spelling. As such, it would be nice to know how to pronounce the name of the city you are in, so let’s start with that. How to Pronounce ReykjavikĪs the capital city and home of the country's primary international airport, Reyjavik is often visitors’ first and last destination in Iceland. Hopefully, I can help you get started and make it look like less of a challenge than you think. For example, my father's first name is Gunnar therefore, I am Gunnar's daughter = Gunnarsdottir. Interesting trivia about Icelandic names: Icelanders don't use surnames they just add -dottir (daughter) or -son (son) after one of their parent's first names, usually the father's. Icelanders are used to it and appreciate you trying, no matter how much you butcher their names. Practically no one gets the hang of how to pronounce Icelandic names quickly, so don’t be too hard on yourself if you find it difficult. For first-time visitors, some of the Icelandic place names and people’s names can be tongue twisters.Īlthough some visitors get the hang of the Icelandic language, these words remain impossible to pronounce for others. Foreigners often complain over or admire the Icelandic language however, almost everyone agrees that it’s difficult to learn.
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