An Introduction to Icelandic Sounds
Icelanders are very proud of their language. The Icelandic language is the closest relative to Old Norse, and has been conservative in retaining some very old features lost in other Germanic languages. That's especially true of Icelandic grammar.
A lot has changed since Norse times, and Icelandic pronunciation is no exception. Still, if you pay attention to the rules below, you'll be able to pronounce most Icelandic words based on their spelling.
This website has Icelandic words, sound files and practice exercises to help you learn Icelandic pronunciation. Here's a short table of contents for this page:
Long vowels and short vowels
There are two types of vowels in Icelandic. The first is called a long vowel. Notice the long mark on top of these long vowels.
| Icelandic Long Vowel | Sounds like English... | |
| já | yes | out |
| hér | here | yet |
| líka | too | each |
| bróðir | brother | shows |
| þú | you | soon |
| nýr | new | (same as í) |
The second type of vowel is a short vowel. Listen for the difference between long and short vowels.
| Icelandic Short Vowel | Sounds like English... | |
| að fara | to go | saw |
| ef | if | let |
| minn | my | sit |
| kona | woman | rock |
| hundur | dog | none (try French reçu) |
| systir | sister | (same as i) |
Look out for these two vowels. They don't have long and short variations.
| Vowel | Sounds like... | |
| sæll | hello | height |
| kjöt | meat | set, but with rounded lips |
Practice Activity
Now, try saying these Icelandic words out loud:
Single consonants
Most Icelandic consonants will be easy to pronounce. Keep in mind that p, t and k have a puff of air, just like in English.
| Icelandic consonant | Sounds like... | |
| kærasti | boyfriend | kick |
| pítsa | pizza | park |
| tala | speak | take |
Their counterpart plosives (b, d and g) are different in Icelandic. They're voiceless.
| Consonant | Sounds like... | |
| bátur | boat | spark |
| dagur | day | stamp |
| góður | good | sky |
Pay attention to the sound of the Icelandic consonants j, r, ð and þ.
| Consonant | Sounds like... | |
| maður | man | then |
| hjarta | heart | yes |
| rúm | bed | better (American pron.) |
| þið | all of you | thing |
Keep an ear out for g. It sounds like a rough "h" before Icelandic t, and like a voiced rough "h" between vowels or between a vowel and the end of a word.
| Consonant | Sounds like... | |
| sagt | said | none (try Scottish loch) |
| dagur | day | none (try Spanish agua) |
| og | and | none (try Spanish agua) |
The letter f is pronounced like v between two vowels.
Practice Activity
Speak these Icelandic words aloud:
Vowel combinations (dipthongs)
When multiple vowels have their pronunciations combined, they form a diphtong. Listen how the diphthongs au and ei (or ey) sound in Icelandic.
| Icelandic vowels | Sound like... | |
| auga | eye | they (but with rounded lips) |
| eiga | supposed to | they |
| eyra | ear | they |
Consonant combinations
The Icelandic double consonants pp, tt and kk are pronounced like a single p, t or k with an h-sound before it. Hear the "aitch" in these words:
| Icelandic consonants | Sound like... | |
| ekki | not | (h + k) |
| stoppa | stop | (h + p) |
| þetta | this | (h + t) |
Icelandic f is pronounced like a "p" in the combinations fl and fn (when they come after a vowel). Compare this to the other pronunciations of f:
| Consonants | Sound like... | |
| safn | museum | (p + n) |
| hafa | have | v (btwn vowels) |
| að fara | to go | f (elsewhere) |
The consonant clusters sl, sn, rl, rn and ll all insert a "t" sound before the n or l.
| Consonants | Sound like... | |
| íslenska | Icelandic | (s + t + l) |
| barn | child | (r + t + n) |
| bíll | car | (t + l) |
Icelandic speakers pronounce hv like "kv".
| Consonants | Sound like... | |
| hvað | what | (k + v) |
Practice Activity
Say these words in Icelandic:
Further resources
There are a few recommended offline courses with thorough pronunciation guides and audio CDs (allowing you to hear and imitate the pronunciation of native Icelandic speakers).
Beginner's Icelandic
Forvo has a list of words in Icelandic you can listen to. Sigur Rós has a basic pronunciation guide. You might try this page on Icelandic Phonology (Wikipedia) if you know IPA. An Icelandic learner also has a video of pronouncing the alphabet.