Norwegian Pronunciation, Today’s Topics:

Rhythm and Tone

• Consonant and vowel length
Erik Skuggevik, 13th Sept. 2023
• More pronunciation features
• Introduction to tonemes
Lecture 4

We will go over long/short consonants and vowels, and how different stress affects rhythm. We will
also have a Lytteøvelse (G9, below) and drill some vowels.

Sound mechanics
Many pronunciations and spellings in Norwegian are what they are by convention; we just have to
learn them. But a few are ‘physiological’ – and they tend to be the same in many languages. One
sound is affected by the preceding or by the following sound, called assimilation. For example:

n- followed by -g or -k
When speaking at normal pace, trying to say an n- before a -k or –g, the tongue is already moving
towards its next position in preparation for the g/k- (both are produced in the same location, see
below) and the n- is ‘dragged’ along with it. The result is an n- that sounds more like a -ng [ŋ]:

Senke [seŋke] • Bank [baŋk] • En kaffe [eŋ-kaffe] • Gjengangere [jeŋ-gaŋere] • En gang [eŋ-gaŋ]

The same thing happens in English too: (drink, enganged)

n- followed by -p or -b
The same phenomenon as above. In preparation for the p/b the lips are closing, so the n- comes out
more like an m.
En pakke [empakke] • Han prøvde [hamprøvde] • min pappa [mimpappa]
En benk [em-beŋk] • Tannpuss [tam-puss] • Hun besto [hum-besto] • anbefale [ambefale]
The same in English: (in progress, sunburn)

The pronunciation of -r-

The Norwegian r is called a tap or a trill (excluding South and West coast) produced just behind the
upper teeth. Many people struggle to produce it. Here is a trick. A sound that is produced in the exact
same location is a d, this consonant is a so-called plosive – you close the airflow, let pressure build up
and release it. If you substitute the r with a d, and then pronounce that d faster and faster, you get an r
(tap). Your tongue just flicks against the upper palate. You can then move from
bda
bra. Edik
Erik fedie
ferie
When the -r comes at the end of a sentence or utterance (i.e. nothing follows it), it actually becomes
just a little breathy sound. Compare: Leke vs leker • tenke vs tenker • gange vs ganger

Voiced and voiceless consonants Voiceless Voiced

Many consonants come in pairs, where one is voiced and the other voiceless. t d
That means simply that one is followed by vocal cord vibration, and the other p b
is followed by just breath – but otherwise they are identical. In Norwegian k g
there are many pairs but also some gaps. It can but useful to know about this f v
when trying to remember the right sounds. ç j
s
(The symbol ç represents spellings kj-, tj-, or ki-/ky-, ʃ represents the sound sh)
ʃ

1
 ESk G9

Lytteøvelse
1 2 3
lus vi leke

los vy lekke

4 5 6
god allé fot

gå alle fort

7 8 9
barna Ja, ha det bra. barnet

barnet Jeg har det bra. banne

10 11 12
sprett være Pass deg!

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Ekstra:

Bønder (farmers) (t1)

Bønner (beans) (t2)