The Faroese Alphabet - 29 Nordic Letters with Ð, Æ, Ø

Q: How many letters are in the Faroese alphabet?

The Faroese alphabet has 29 letters : A, Á, B, D, Ð, E, F, G, H, I, Í, J, K, L, M, N, O, Ó, P, R, S, T, U, Ú, V, Y, Ý, Æ, Ø.

Q: What is the letter ð (eth) in Faroese?

The letter ð (eth) is special to Nordic languages: • Pronounced like "th" in "this" • Also found in Icelandic and Old English • Used in words like "góður" (good) • A remnant of Old Norse writing

Q: How is Faroese different from other Scandinavian languages?

Faroese has unique features : • Most conservative pronunciation of Nordic languages • Uses ð (eth) , which Danish and Norwegian lost • Complex vowel system with 29 distinct vowel sounds • Preserves more Old Norse features than other Nordic languages

Q: Where is Faroese spoken?

Faroese is spoken primarily in the Faroe Islands : • Faroe Islands - about 48,000 speakers • Denmark - about 18,000 speakers • Total of approximately 66,000 native speakers • Official language of the Faroe Islands alongside Danish

Q: What do the accent marks mean in Faroese?

Accent marks in Faroese indicate long vowels : • á, í, ó, ú, ý - all represent long vowel sounds • Change the meaning of words • Example: "ar" vs "ár" (year) • Essential for correct pronunciation and meaning

Q: Is Faroese similar to Icelandic?

Yes! Faroese and Icelandic are closely related : • Both descended from Old Norse • Share letters like ð (eth) and þ (thorn, in Icelandic) • Speakers can understand each other with some effort • Both preserve features lost in mainland Scandinavian languages

Faroese Alphabet at a Glance

29 letters: 8 vowels and 21 consonants
Spoken by approximately 66,000 native speakers primarily in the Faroe Islands
Official language of the Faroe Islands (autonomous territory of Denmark)
Uses Latin script for writing ^[1]
Features unique Nordic letters: ð (eth), æ, ø, and vowels with acute accents
North Germanic language of the West Scandinavian branch
Preserves many archaic Old Norse features while maintaining distinct identity

Faroese Vowels (Uppercase)

Uppercase A, pronounced like "ah" in "father"

Uppercase E, pronounced like "e" in "bed"

Uppercase I, pronounced like "ee" in "see"

Uppercase O, pronounced like "o" in "go"

Uppercase U, pronounced like "oo" in "boot"

Uppercase Y, pronounced like "ee" in "see"

Uppercase Æ ligature, pronounced like "eye" in English

Uppercase Ø with stroke, rounded front vowel

Faroese Vowels (Lowercase)

[ah]

[eh]

[ee]

[oh]

[oo]

[ee]

[eye]

[uh]

[ah]

The letter "a" as in "at" (at).

[eh]

The letter "e" as in "ein" (one).

[ee]

The letter "i" as in "is" (ice).

[oh]

The letter "o" as in "og" (and).

[oo]

The letter "u" as in "um" (about).

[ee]

The letter "y" as in "ynski" (wish).

[eye]

The letter "æ" as in "ær" (honor).

[uh]

The letter "ø" as in "øl" (beer).

Faroese Consonants (Uppercase)

Uppercase B, voiced bilabial plosive

Uppercase D, voiced alveolar plosive

Uppercase Ð (eth), voiced dental fricative like "th" in "this"

Uppercase F, voiceless labiodental fricative

Uppercase G, voiced velar plosive

Uppercase H, voiceless glottal fricative

Uppercase J, pronounced like "y" in "yes"

Uppercase K, voiceless velar plosive

Uppercase L, lateral approximant

Uppercase M, bilabial nasal

Uppercase N, alveolar nasal

Uppercase P, voiceless bilabial plosive

Uppercase R, alveolar trill

Uppercase S, voiceless alveolar fricative

Uppercase T, voiceless alveolar plosive

Uppercase V, voiced labiodental fricative

Faroese Consonants (Lowercase)

[beh]

[deh]

[th]

[eff]

[geh]

[hah]

[yot]

[kah]

[ell]

[emm]

[enn]

[peh]

[err]

[ess]

[teh]

[veh]

[beh]

The letter "b" as in "barn" (child).

[deh]

The letter "d" as in "dag" (day).

[th]

The letter "ð" as in "góður" (good).

[eff]

The letter "f" as in "far" (go).

[geh]

The letter "g" as in "góður" (good).

[hah]

The letter "h" as in "hestur" (horse).

[yot]

The letter "j" as in "ja" (yes).

[kah]

The letter "k" as in "kalt" (cold).

[ell]

The letter "l" as in "land" (land).

[emm]

The letter "m" as in "mamma" (mother).

[enn]

The letter "n" as in "navn" (name).

[peh]

The letter "p" as in "pappír" (paper).

[err]

The letter "r" as in "reyður" (red).

[ess]

The letter "s" as in "summarur" (summer).

[teh]

The letter "t" as in "tú" (you).

[veh]

The letter "v" as in "vatn" (water).

Faroese Nordic Letters (Lowercase)

[ow]

[ee]

[oh]

[oo]

[ee]

[eye]

[uh]

[th]

[ow]

Lowercase a with acute accent, as in "ár" (year).

[ee]

Lowercase i with acute accent, as in "í" (in).

[oh]

Lowercase o with acute accent, as in "ógv" (awe).

[oo]

Lowercase u with acute accent, as in "ús" (us).

[ee]

Lowercase y with acute accent, as in "ýr" (bow).

[eye]

Lowercase æ ligature, as in "ær" (honor).

[uh]

Lowercase o with stroke, as in "øl" (beer).

[th]

Lowercase eth, as in "goður" (good).

Faroese Nordic Letters (Uppercase)

[OW]

[EE]

[OH]

[OO]

[EE]

[EYE]

[UH]

[TH]

[OW]

Uppercase A with acute accent, as in "Álvur" (an elf). Pronounced like "ow" in "cow".

[EE]

Uppercase I with acute accent, as in "Ísland" (Iceland). Pronounced like "ee" in "see".

[OH]

Uppercase O with acute accent, as in "Óskar" (Oscar). Pronounced like a long "oh".

[OO]

Uppercase U with acute accent, as in "Úti" (outside). Pronounced like "oo" in "food".

[EE]

Uppercase Y with acute accent, as in "Ýmis" (various). Pronounced like "ee" in "see".

[EYE]

Uppercase Æ ligature, as in "Ævintýr" (adventure). Pronounced like "eye" or like "ai" in "air".

[UH]

Uppercase O with stroke, as in "Øl" (beer). Pronounced like "u" in "fur" or French "eu".

[TH]

Uppercase Eth, as in "Ða" (those). Pronounced like "th" in "that" (voiced dental fricative).

[null]

[eyn]

[tvayr]

[tree-jir]

[fee-ra]

[fim]

[seks]

[shay]

[ow-ta]

[neej-yu]

[null]

Zero.

[eyn]

One.

[tvayr]

Two.

[tree-jir]

Three.

[fee-ra]

Four.

[fim]

Five.

[seks]

Six.

[shay]

Seven.

[ow-ta]

Eight.

[neej-yu]

Nine.

Expand All Collapse All

How many letters are in the Faroese alphabet?

What is the letter ð (eth) in Faroese?

How is Faroese different from other Scandinavian languages?

Where is Faroese spoken?

What do the accent marks mean in Faroese?

Is Faroese similar to Icelandic?

References:

[1] Unicode Consortium. "Latin Extended-B Block". Retrieved from Unicode Latin Extended-B
[2] Statistics Faroe Islands. "Population and Society". Retrieved from Faroe Islands Statistics