Faroese pronunciation
From UniLang Wiki
Pronunciation of Faroese letters is somewhat different from the English letters. Therefore, I take the liberty to add stuff from other languages to fill the gaps. Hopefully, when this list is complete, English letters will be everywhere.
Contents |
Vowels
| Vowel | Long pronunciation | Short pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| A, a | εa | far |
| Á, á | ɔa | ɔ |
| E, e | De: leben | where |
| I, i | feel | ι |
| Í, í | ʊi | ʊi |
| O, o | phonetic | for |
| Ó, ó | though | Fr: heure |
| U, u | food | ʊ |
| Ú, ú | ʉu | ʉ |
| Y, y | feel | ι |
| Ý, ý | ʊi | ʊi |
| Æ, æ | εa | a |
| Ø, ø | ø: | ɶ |
Notes:
First of all, e, i/y, o, u, and ø are NEVER diphthongs.
a/æ: In the northern part of the country, a, when in front of ng and nk is often pronounced [ε], but in loan words as [a].
In most villages in Suðuroy, short æ is pronounced [ε]: rætt [rεt:] and long æ [e:]: mær [me:r].
Sometimes a is pronounced [a:]. This occurs in loan words like statur (state). [sta:tωr]
á: á is pronounced [ǫ], when it is follow by an [a]: fáa (get) [fǫ:a].
In Norðuroyggjar and the northernmost villages of Eysturoy long á is pronounced [a:]. tá [ta:]
i/y: The relative pronoun ið is pronounced [ωi], except in connection with another word like tá ið [tɔajι]
ó: In Suðuroy and Sandoy the short ó is pronounced [ɔ]: dóttir [dɔt:ιr]
In front of gv ó is pronounced [ε]: sjógvur [∫εgvωr], but in Suðuroy [ɔ]: [∫ɔgvωr]
In Norðuroyggjar, Eysturoy, the northern part of Streymoy, Vágar, Skúvoy and in the village of Sandur and Skopun on Sandoy, long ó is pronounced [εu]/[ɶu]: sól [sεul]/[sɶul]
In Nólsoy and as a relic in the village of Dalur on Sandoy, the long ó is pronounced [au]: sól [saul]
ú: In front of gv and in another few specific cases, the short ú is pronounced [ι]: kúgv [kιgv]
ø: In the dialects of Suðuroy the short ø is pronounced [�?]: børn [b�?dn].
External links in other languages
- German readers please look at the project: Wikibooks - Deutsch-Føroyskt
Diphtongs
| Diphtong | Long pronunciation | Short pronunciation |
|---|---|---|
| Ei, ei | eye | eye/far |
| Ey, ey | hate | De: Leben |
| Oy, oy | boi | boi |
Notes on the diphthongs:
ei: In Norðuroyggjar, Eysturoy, the northern part of Streymoy and also some village in the southern part of Streymoy, the ei is pronounced:
[ɔi] when long,
and [ɔi] or [ɔ] when short.
ey: In some dialects in Suðuroy ey is pronounced [εi], where the diphthong in other parts of the country has been shortened: eydna [εidna].
oy: When last in some island names oy is pronounced [ι]: (í) Fugloy [fωglι], (í) Skú(g)voy [sgιgvι], [sgúuvι]. Note: the ú is supposed to be a u with a dash through it, à la the Maltese ħ.
Consonants
| Consonants | 1st pronunciation | 2nd pronunciation (if any) |
|---|---|---|
| B, b | boy | |
| D, d | bed | |
| Ð, ð | when last in word: silent | j, v or other |
| F, f | father | |
| G, g | go | jail, between vowels j, v or numb |
| H, h | hat | |
| J, j | you | |
| K, k | cat | China |
| L, l | low | |
| M, m | man | |
| N, n | no | |
| P, p | pea | |
| R, r | rat | |
| S, s | so | |
| T, t | toe | |
| V, v | vivid |
Notes:
D
Note on d: If j is behind d the pronunciations is often [ʤ]: djarvur [ʤarvʊr]. Though, some dialects have the pronunciation [dj] in some cases.
Ð
Ð's pronunciation is very different, but here are some rules:
ð is j, when it's behind i/y, í/ý, ei, ey or oy: friður [fri:jʊr] (peace), and when it's infront of i and not behind u, ú or ó: loðin [lo:jιn] (furry/hairy)
ð is v, when it's behind u, ú and ó: muður [mʊvʊr] (mouth), and when it's infront of u and not infront of i/y, í/ý, ei, ey or oy: maður [mεavʊr] (man), and also sometimes when between two of the vowels, not mentioned here: æða [εava] (eider).
ð is silent, when it's between two vowels, other than those mentioned here vaða [vεaa] (to wade), when it's next to another consonant, e.g. rð or ðr: harður [hεarʊr] (hard), or when it's last in a word: orð [o:r] (word).
ðg makes [g:]: steðga [stεg:a] (stop), ðk makes [k:], maðkur [mak:ʊr] (earthworm) and ðr sometimes makes [r]: aðrir [εarιr] (others) and sometimes [gr]: æðr [agr] (vein).
F
Note on f: ft is sometimes pronounced [t:]. aftur [at:ʊr] adv. (again, back)
G
Notes on g:
g is [ɟ], when it's infront of e, i, y and ey. genta [ɟεnta] (girl)
gj is [ɟ], when in front of all other vowels: Gjógv [ɟɛgv] (Cleft).
Note: The following rules are similar to the ones with ð!
g is [j], when it's behind i/y, í/ý, ei, ey or oy, siga [si:ja] ((to) say) and when it's infront of i and not behind u, ú or ó.
g is [v], when it's behind u, ú and ó, and when infront of u and not a, á, í, o, ó, u, ú, ý, æ, ø, ei and oy.
g is silent, when between two vowels not mentioned above: draga [drεaa/drε:a] ((to) drag), or when behind vowel/diphthong in the end of a word. tog [to:] (rope)
gd is sometimes pronounced [d:]: søgdu [sɶd:ʊ] ((they) said), and gn sometimes [dn].
H
Notes on h:
hj is sometimes pronounced [c]: hjá [cɔa] (prepos.: at, by) and sometimes [j]. hjarta [jarta] (heart)
hv is pronounced [kv]. hvør [kvø:r] (who)
K
Notes on k:
k can be both [k] and [g], when between certain vowels or diphthong/vowel and last in a word following a diphthong/vowel. taka [tεaka/tεaga] ((to take)
k is pronounced [c] when infront of e, i, y and ey. kemur [ce:mʊr] ((he) comes)
kj is pronounced [c]. kjølur [cø:lʊr] (keel)
L
Notes on l:
ll is pronounced [dl]: fjall [fjadl] (mountain), but sometimes [l:].
ll is pronounced [l:], when infront of a consonant: gullringur (goldring).
M
Note on m:
In the ending -um the m is pronounced [n]: okkum [ɔk:ʊn] (us). This occurs very often, for -um is the interflection ending of the Dative: í Føroyum [ʊi fø:rjʊn] (in the Faroes).
N
Notes on n:
nn is, when behind ei or oy pronounced [dn]. oynni [ɔidnι] (dative of the island)
The word tinna is also pronounced with the [-dn-]. In some dialects is Suðuroy nn is also pronounced [dn] in conjunction with other vowels (á, í, ó, ú). ánni [ɔdnι] (dative of the river]. Otherwise, nn is pronounced [n:]. renna [rεn:a] ((to) renna)
P
Note on p:
p can be both [p] and [b], when between certain vowels or diphthong/vowel and last in a word following a diphthong/vowel. keypa [cεipa/cεiba] ((to) buy)
R
Notes on r:
r is silent in some words: fyrsti [fιstι] (the first) and when infront of n in definite plural endings: hestarnir [hεsdanιr] (the horses), konurnar [ko:nωnar] (the women/wifes)
rð is pronounced [r]: jørð [jø:r].
rn is most often pronounced [dn]: barn [badn], but in some words it's pronounced [rn]: firnast [fιrnast] (?), ernir [εrnιr] (?), farnir [farnιr] (gone, 3rd pers. singl.). Infront of consonants, rn is pronounced [n]: jarnsmiður [jansmijʊr] (ironsmith), barndømi [bandø:mι] (childhood), sometimes as [m]: barnburður. [bambu:rʊr]
rs can sound [ʃ]: Tórshavn [tɔʃhaun] (Thor's harbour), fýrs [fʊʃ] (eighty).
rt can sound [ʃt]. This holds also infront of spoken [ʧ]: Kirkjubøur [ʧɪʃʧʊbøwʊr] (Church field).
S
Notes on s:
sj is pronounced [∫]: sjón [∫ɔun] (sight), esja. [e:∫a]
sk is pronounced [∫], when infront of e, i, y or ey in a syllable with a stress: skera [∫e:ra] (cut), skil [∫i:l] (wit), skyld [∫ιld] (related), skeyt [∫εit] (shot).
skj is pronounced [∫]: skjóta [∫ɔuta] (shoot).
stj is usually pronounced [∫]: stjørna [∫ɶdna] (star), now though often read as [stj] in stjóri [stjɔurι] (foreman), [∫ɔurι] is a line/rope.
ss is virtually always [s:]: fossur. [fɔs:ʊr] (waterfall)
T
Notes on t:
Between certain vowels and vowels/diphthongs and when last in a word behind a diphthong/vowel t is pronounced as [t] or [d]: sita [si:ta/si:da] ((to) sit), lutur [lu:tʊr/lu:dʊr] (object), fat [fεat/fεad] (plate)
t is silent infront of sl: veitsla [vai∫la].
tj is often, though not in all dialects, pronounced [c]: tjóvur [cɔuvʊr] (thief)
tt is pronounced [t:]: fittur [fιt:ʊr] (cute, nice)
V
Notes on v:
v is pronounced [f] infront of unvoiced consonant: skeivt [skaift].
The word hevði (had) is pronounced [hεijι].
vn is when behind of a, e, ø or o pronounced [un] or [vn]: havn [haun/havn] (port, harbour), hevna [hεuna/hεvna] ((to) revenge), søvn [søun/søvn] (sleep), stovnur [stɔunʊr/stɔvnʊr] (stem, (bird) population).
vn is sometimes pronounced [m]: javnt [jamt] (evenly), javnaldrar [jamaldrar] (persons of same age)
