Norwegian vowels

The Norwegian alphabet contains nine vowels:

The vowel letters may indicate short or long vowel sounds. All nine vowels may occur as long or short. In the examples below, the colon, < ː >, indicates a long vowel. Absence of colon after the vowel indicates a short vowel.

The vowel is usually short before two or more consonant letters:

In other cases the vowel is normally long:

In addition to the distinction between short and long vowel, some vowel letters in Norwegian may also represent other vowel sounds:

1) In many words a short < o > is pronounced like < å >:

2) A short < u > may be pronounced as < o >:

3) In many words with < e > + r, both short and long < e > is pronounced like < æ >:

4) In one important word < e > is pronounced < i >:

The Norwegian and English vowel letters compared