3 Pronunciation
Norwegian diphthongs
Norwegian has five common diphthongs represented by the vowel sequences
< ai, ei, au, øy, oy >.
Diphthongs are two adjacent vowel sounds that are occurring within the same syllable. The pronunciation is done as a rapid, gliding shift from one vowel to another. The symbols used here for indicating the pronunciation of the words are equal to those found in The International Phonetic Alphabet, IPA.
| Letter | Speech sound (IPA) | Norwegian words | Pronunciation | English |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ai | /ɑi/ | kai | /'kɑi/ | quai |
| ei | /æi/ | hei | /'hæi/ | hello |
| au | /æʉ/ | sau | /'sæʉ/ | sheep |
| øy | /øy/ | øy | /'øy/ | island |
| oy | /oy/ | soya | /'soyɑ/ | soya |