Letter Names
The names of the letters are:
| Letter | Name | IPA | Typical sound value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aa | a | between English 'father' and 'cat' | |
| Áá | á | the "ow" in "cow" | |
| Bb | bé | 'p' with no puff of air. | |
| Dd | dé | 't' with no puff of air. | |
| Ðð | eð | the "th" in "the" (always medially, not initially). | |
| Ee | e | "eh" like the "e" in "end" | |
| Éé | é | a shorter sounding "yeah" | |
| Ff | eff | (same as in English sometimes, see notes) | |
| Gg | gé | (same as in English sometimes, see notes) | |
| Hh | há | (same as English) | |
| Ii | i | the "i" in "win" | |
| Íí | í | the "e" in "we" | |
| Jj | joð | said as a "y" or an aspirated "y" (see notes) | |
| Kk | ká | 'k' with a puff of air. | |
| Ll | ell | (same as in English) | |
| Mm | emm | (same as in English) | |
| Nn | enn | (same as in English) | |
| Oo | o | the "our" in "four" (British English) | |
| Óó | ó | "oh" | |
| Pp | pé | 'p' with a puff of air. | |
| Rr | err | rolled, as in Spanish, but slightly more delicately | |
| Ss | ess | always an unvoiced "s" never a voiced "z" sound | |
| Tt | té | 't' with a puff of air. | |
| Uu | u | 'i' in 'in' but rounded. | |
| Úú | ú | like the "ou" in "you" | |
| Vv | vaff | similar to English 'v' | |
| Xx | ex | like the hard German "ch" followed by an s | |
| Yy | ypsilon y | same as 'i' | |
| Ýý | ypsilon ý | same as 'í' | |
| Þþ | þorn | "th" as in "thing" (commonly initially, with some exceptions) | |
| Ææ | æ | "eye" | |
| Öö | ö | "e" in "end" but rounded, from the middle of the mouth |
Read more about this topic: Icelandic Alphabet
Famous quotes containing the words letter and/or names:
“I have been thinking this half hour how to begin my letter and cannot for my soul make it out. I wish to the Lord one could write a letter without any beginning for I am sure it allways puzzles me more than all the rest of it.”
—Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826)
“It was a poetic recreation to watch those distant sails steering for half-fabulous ports, whose very names are a mysterious music to our ears.... It is remarkable that men do not sail the sea with more expectation. Nothing was ever accomplished in a prosaic mood.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)