Learn Norwegian vocabulary by typing words and phrases from flashcards. The flashcard summary allows you to check your progress and select flashcards to learn.
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Flashcards settings
The flashcards have their specific settings. You can make the following changes to customize your vocabulary learning experience:Choosing the number of flashcards per exercise
You can choose how many flashcards you want to practice during a typing session. The default number is ten. Selecting a smaller amount of vocabulary may be a good idea if you are a beginner.
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You can choose which variant of English the flashcards will use: British or American English. Since there are differences between the two, you can select the variant you prefer.
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If your keyboard layout does not support certain special characters or diacritics of the language you practice with flashcards, the system can ignore some of these characters. Special characters will be accepted as their closest Latin alphabet equivalents when possible. For example, if the word to type is único and you type unico because your layout doesn't support accents, it won't be considered an error.
Phonetic Symbols in Norwegian Pronunciation
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) provides a standardized set of symbols to represent the sounds of spoken language. Below are the IPA symbols for Norwegian pronunciation, with examples and descriptions, including the pronunciation of these sounds in English.
Norwegian Vowels
- /ɑ/ - as in tak, pronounced /tɑːk/ (similar to "a" in father /ˈfɑːðər/)
- /e/ - as in se, pronounced /seː/ (like "e" in bed /bɛd/)
- /i/ - as in bit, pronounced /biːt/ (like "ee" in see /siː/)
- /o/ - as in sol, pronounced /suːl/ (like "o" in not /nɒt/)
- /u/ - as in hus, pronounced /hʉːs/ (similar to "oo" in boot /buːt/)
- /ø/ - as in ønsker, pronounced /ˈœnskər/ (like "u" in burn /bɜːrn/)
- /y/ - as in fy, pronounced /fyː/ (like "u" in French lune /lyn/)
- /æ/ - as in ær, pronounced /æːr/ (like "a" in cat /kæt/)
- /øi/ - as in høy, pronounced /høy/ (like "oy" in boy /bɔɪ/)
- /ei/ - as in hei, pronounced /hæɪ/ (like "ay" in say /seɪ/)
Norwegian Consonants
- /p/ - as in panne, pronounced /ˈpɑnːə/ (like "p" in pen /pɛn/)
- /b/ - as in bil, pronounced /biːl/ (like "b" in bat /bæt/)
- /t/ - as in tak, pronounced /tɑːk/ (like "t" in top /tɒp/)
- /d/ - as in dag, pronounced /dɑːɡ/ (like "d" in dog /dɒɡ/)
- /k/ - as in katt, pronounced /kɑtː/ (like "k" in cat /kæt/)
- /ɡ/ - as in gutt, pronounced /ɡʉtː/ (like "g" in go /ɡoʊ/)
- /f/ - as in fisk, pronounced /fɪsk/ (like "f" in fun /fʌn/)
- /v/ - as in vann, pronounced /vɑnː/ (like "v" in voice /vɔɪs/)
- /s/ - as in sol, pronounced /suːl/ (like "s" in see /siː/)
- /ʃ/ - as in skje, pronounced /ʃeː/ (like "sh" in shoe /ʃuː/)
- /ʂ/ - as in sjåfør, pronounced /ʂoːˈføːr/ (like "sh" in sharp /ʃɑːrp/)
- /ç/ - as in kjøtt, pronounced /çœtː/ (like "ch" in German ich /ɪç/)
- /l/ - as in lys, pronounced /lyːs/ (like "l" in leaf /liːf/)
- /r/ - as in rød, pronounced /røːd/ (a rolled "r", similar to the "r" in Spanish perro /ˈpero/)
- /m/ - as in mann, pronounced /mɑnː/ (like "m" in man /mæn/)
- /n/ - as in natt, pronounced /nɑtː/ (like "n" in net /nɛt/)
- /ŋ/ - as in ring, pronounced /rɪŋ/ (like "ng" in song /sɒŋ/)
- /j/ - as in ja, pronounced /jɑː/ (like "y" in yes /jɛs/)
Unique Features of Norwegian Pronunciation
While Norwegian pronunciation shares similarities with other Scandinavian languages, it also has unique features that are important for learners to understand.
- Tonal Accent: Norwegian has two distinct tonal accents that can change the meaning of a word. For example, bønder (farmers) /ˈbø̀nːər/ vs. bønner (beans) /ˈbǿnːər/.
- Retroflex Consonants: In some dialects, the combination of /r/ with certain alveolar consonants like /t/ and /s/ results in retroflex sounds, such as /ʈ/ and /ʂ/.
- Palatalization: Some consonants, like /k/ and /g/, are palatalized before front vowels, similar to the palatalization in other languages.
- Vowel Length: Like Czech and Japanese, Norwegian distinguishes between short and long vowels. For example, skål (bowl) /skuːl/ vs. skal (shall) /skɑl/.
- Intonation Patterns: Norwegian has distinctive intonation patterns that differ between the two main dialects: East Norwegian and West Norwegian. This affects the melody of spoken Norwegian.
- Consonant Clusters: Norwegian often uses consonant clusters that can be challenging for non-native speakers, such as in språk (language) /sprɔːk/.
- Dialectal Variations: Pronunciation can vary significantly across different Norwegian dialects, affecting vowels, consonants, and intonation patterns. For example, the pronunciation of the word jeg (I) can range from /jæɪ/ to /je/ to /e/ depending on the region.