Norwegian

Consonants

IPA

Examples

Nearest English
equivalent

Swed.

Norw.

b

abort ('abortion')

about

ɕ

ç

Kina ('China')

hue

d

dag

do

ɖ

nord ('north')

order

f

fot ('foot')

fold

ɡ

god ('good')

ago

h

hatt ('hat')

hoot

ɧ

ʂ

Swedish: sjö,
Norwegian: sjø ('lake')

shoe

j

jojo ('yo-yo')

you

k

kafé ('café')

coo

l

lake (Norwegian and
Swedish: 'brine', 'burbot')

love

ɭ

Karl (male first name)

twirl

m

man ('mane')

mood

n

natt ('night')

noon

ɳ

barn ('child')

turner

ŋ

ting ('thing')

long

p

pappa ('father')

pool

r

år ('year')

A flapped or trilled R.

s

sabel ('sabre')

soon

ʂ

torsdag ('Thursday')

marshal
(in some dialects)

t

torsdag ('Thursday')

too

ʈ

parti ('political party')

cartel

v

vaktel ('quail')

vote


Vowels

IPA

Examples

Nearest English
equivalent

Swed.

Norw.

ɑː

mat [ˈmɑːt] "food"

bra

a

ɑ

fast [ˈfast]/[ˈfɑst] "steady,
unmoving"

British stack

hel [ˈheːl] "whole"

Scottish save

ɛː

häl [ˈhɛːl] "heel"

there

ɛ

häll/helle [ˈhɛl]
"flat rock"

hell

æː

ära [æːra]/"
ære" [æːre] "honour"

Australian ham

æ

färsk/fersk
[ˈfæʂːk] "fresh"

trap

sil [ˈsiːl] "sieve"

leaf

ɪ

sill/sild [ˈsɪl]/
[ˈsɪl(d)] "herring"

hill

mål [ˈmoːl] "goal"

Scottish/Canadian
stove

ɔ

moll [ˈmɔl] "minor"
(music)

moll, with round lips

øː

dö/dø ['døː] "die"

No English equivalent;
German long ö

œ

nött [ˈnœt] "worn"
in Swedish

nøtt "nut" in Norwegian

No English equivalent;
German short ö

œː

öra [œːra] "ear"

No English equivalent;
French sœur

ʉː

ful [ˈfʉːl] "ugly,
cunning, sly"

fuel, Australian food,
with tight lips

ɵ

ʉ

full [ˈfɵl]/[ˈfʉl] "full"

British butcher

bot [ˈbuːt] "penance"

boot

ʊ

bott [ˈbʊt] "lived"
in Swedish

put, with tight lips

syl [ˈsyːl] "awl"

No English equivalent;
French long u

ʏ

syll [ˈsʏl] "sleeper"
(railroad) in Swedish;
fylle "fill" in Norwegian

No English equivalent;
German short ü

unstressed

ə

begå [bəˈgoː] "commit"

about


Stress and tone

IPA

Examples from a rich
regional variety

Swedish

ˈa

[ˈandɛn]

"the duck"

Tone 1 / acute accent:

• Single stress with
single falling tone
in Stockholm: [ˈândɛn]

• Low tone [ˈà] in Oslo
and falling tone [ˈâ]
in western Norway

ˈa.ˈa

[ˈanˈdɛn]

"the spirit"

Tone 2 / grave accent:

• Double stress with
double falling tone in
Stockholm: [ˈânˈdɛ̂n]

• Falling-rising tone [ˈâ]
in Oslo and rising-falling
tone in western Norway

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