Tones and melodies

Have you ever thought about that Norwegian (and Swedish as well) sounds a bit like a song? This is because we have certain patterns to follow when it comes to pronunciation. You can for instance have two words that are WRITTEN the same, but means two completely different things. How can you tell the difference? Well, when you read it, you will most likely know from the context of what you are reading. But when you are speaking, it is the tone that tells you which word you are saying.

There are two types of "tones": single tone and double tone. Listen while reading, then repeat after me:

Single tone:
Used in words with only ONE syllable, but also for longer words enging in -el, -en and -er. The single tone starts low and rises at the end of the word. For example

Kul (cool)                                                               Finger (finger)

Double tone:
Usually in words with two or more syllables. Starts on a high tone, drops and rises back to the original tone.

Dame (lady)                                                              Nydelig (beautiful)

Pairs of words:
Single tone:                                                             Double tone:
Henger (hanging)                                                   Henger (trailer)
Ånden (the spirit)                                                   Ånden (the breath)