Pronunciation
Introduction
This is the most difficult part of the language. Like English, it is rarely pronounced the way it's written. |
If you've already met a Dane, you might have been challenged with this phrase: Rødgrød med fløde |
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It means 'Red pudding with cream' |
It is fairly important to pronounce Danish correctly. Unlike English, which is more widely spoken, Danish does not easily tolerate deviations. You might on the odd occasion find yourself misunderstood because of a single sound, especially the farther away you move from Copenhagen. |
For example, in et æg
(an egg) the g sounds a bit like a k. It is not pronounced with the voiced g as it is in English. To you the two words might sound quite similar, but many Danish speakers won't understand you if you say egg. |
The following pages will introduce you to the Danish alphabet and give examples of how each letter is pronounced in different words. |