Danish flashcards
for vocabulary learning

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The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) provides a standardized set of symbols to represent the sounds of spoken language. Below are the IPA symbols for Danish pronunciation, with examples and descriptions, including the pronunciation of these sounds in English.

Danish Vowels

• /a/ - as in kat, pronounced /kat/ (like "a" in father /ˈfɑːðər/)
• /ɛ/ - as in mænd, pronounced /mɛn/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
• /i/ - as in mit, pronounced /mit/ (like "ee" in see /siː/)
• /o/ - as in sol, pronounced /soːl/ (like "o" in not /nɒt/)
• /u/ - as in hus, pronounced /huːs/ (like "oo" in boot /buːt/)
• /ø/ - as in høre, pronounced /ˈhøːrə/ (like "u" in nurse /nɜːs/)
• /æ/ - as in mærke, pronounced /ˈmæɐkə/ (like "a" in cat /kæt/)
• /y/ - as in by, pronounced /byː/ (like "u" in menu /məˈnjuː/)

Danish Diphthongs

• /ɑu̯/ - as in hav, pronounced /hɑu̯/ (like "ow" in how /haʊ/)
• /ɔi̯/ - as in løj, pronounced /lɔi̯/ (like "oy" in boy /bɔɪ/)
• /iw/ - as in ivrig, pronounced /ˈiwʁi/ (an i followed by a w-like glide; different from the /juː/ in few)

Danish Consonants

• /p/ - as in pige, pronounced /ˈpiːə/ (like "p" in pen /pɛn/)
• /b/ - as in barn, pronounced /baːn/ (like "b" in bat /bæt/)
• /t/ - as in tage, pronounced /ˈtæːə/ (like "t" in top /tɒp/)
• /d/ - as in dag, pronounced /dæː/ (like "d" in dog /dɒɡ/)
• /k/ - as in kat, pronounced /kat/ (like "k" in cat /kæt/)
• /ɡ/ - as in gave, pronounced /ˈɡæːvə/ (like "g" in go /ɡoʊ/)
• /f/ - as in fisk, pronounced /fɛsk/ (like "f" in fun /fʌn/)
• /v/ - as in vase, pronounced /ˈvɛːsə/ (like "v" in voice /vɔɪs/)
• /s/ - as in søster, pronounced /ˈsøstər/ (like "s" in see /siː/)
• /s/ - as in zebra, pronounced /ˈseːbʁɑ/ (like s in see; the written z is voiceless here)
• /ʃ/ - as in shop, pronounced /ʃɔp/ (like "sh" in shoe /ʃuː/)
• /ɕ/ - as in tjener, pronounced /ˈɕeːnər/ (similar to "ch" in chill /tʃɪl/)
• /t/ - as in tids, pronounced /tiðs/ (Danish t can have an s-like release, but it is not the separate t+s sequence in cats)
• /dj/ - as in Djøf, pronounced /djœf/ (a d followed by the y sound in yes, rather than a single affricate)
• /ŋ/ - as in kongen, pronounced /ˈkɔŋən/ (like "ny" in canyon /ˈkænjən/)
• /l/ - as in lam, pronounced /lam/ (like "l" in leaf /liːf/)
• /ʁ/ - as in ræv, pronounced /ʁɛw/ (a uvular r formed farther back than the usual English r in carrot)
• /ʁ/ - as in råd, pronounced /ʁɔːð/ (a uvular fricative, not present in English)
• /m/ - as in mand, pronounced /man/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
• /n/ - as in nat, pronounced /nat/ (like "n" in net /nɛt/)

Unique Features of Danish Pronunciation

While Danish pronunciation shares similarities with other Scandinavian languages, it also has unique features that are important for learners to understand.

• Stød: Stød is creaky voicing that can include glottal closure and can distinguish words. For example, hun (she) vs. hund (dog) [hun] vs. [hunˀ].
• Soft D: Danish soft d is an approximant [ð̞], often transcribed /ð/. It resembles the th in English this /ðɪs/, but is produced with less friction; it is not an ordinary stop /d/.
• Vowel Reduction: In unstressed syllables, vowels are often reduced to a schwa /ə/, making some words tricky to distinguish.
• Schwa Assimilation: Unstressed /ə/ can assimilate to a neighbouring sonorant, which then forms the centre of the syllable. Danish does not have a front-back vowel harmony system.