Received: from relay1.olypen.com (relay1.olypen.com [208.200.248.8]) by mx1.eskimo.com (8.9.1a/8.8.8) with ESMTP id SAA18303 for ; Thu, 23 Dec 1999 18:52:04 -0800 Received: from haukkala(ppp-2068.olypen.com[208.229.228.73]) (17477 bytes) by relay1.olypen.com via sendmail with P:smtp/R:inet_hosts/T:smtp (sender: ) id for ; Thu, 23 Dec 1999 18:52:01 -0800 (PST) (Smail-3.2.0.109 1999-Oct-27 #2 built 1999-Dec-15) Message-ID: <000401bf4db9$d46f0f80$49e4e5d0@haukkala> From: "Leo Haukkala" To: "Matt Wirkkala" Subject: Introduction to Finnish - Pronunciation Date: Thu, 23 Dec 1999 18:51:38 -0800 Organization: None MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0001_01BF4D76.C3DEC720" X-Priority: 3 X-MSMail-Priority: Normal X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook Express 5.00.2615.200 X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2615.200 X-UIDL: bc629254f512472b4f1cc6a361f0ab20 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01BF4D76.C3DEC720 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Introduction to Finnish - Pronunciation Pronunciation of Finnish [Vowels] [Consonants] [Length] [Diphthongs] [Stress] [Intonation] Vowels Sound Description of the Sound Finnish Examples Click on word to hear sound =20 a like a in father banaani, radio=20 e like e in set tee, englanti=20 i like i in sit Helsinki, viisi=20 o like o in toy soolo=20 u like u in book (but lips more pursed) ruusu, puu=20 y like German =FC or French u; i.e. like i=20 but with tightly rounded lips hyv=E4, yksi=20 =E4 like a in hat p=E4iv=E4=E4=20 =F6 like German =F6 or French eu; i.e. like e=20 but with more strongly rounded lips =F6ljy, s=F6p=F6=20 Consonants Sound Description of Sound Finnish Examples=20 b like b in ball banaani, baari=20 d like d in do kahdeksan, yhdeks=E4n=20 f like f in fan filmi, filosofia=20 g like g in guide geologia=20 h like h in hen Helsinki=20 j like y in yes joo, marja=20 k like k in pumpkin (softer k than in kit, no aspiration) kahvi, = markka=20 l like l in let litra, nolla=20 m like m in moon markka=20 n like n in no nelj=E4, numero=20 ng like ng in singing but longer Helsingiss=E4=20 p like p in spin (softer p than in pin, no aspiration) p=E4iv=E4=E4, = piano=20 r like Spanish r (slightly rolled), r should not affect the=20 quality of the adjacent vowels radio=20 s like s in stop soolo, viisi=20 t like t in stop (softer t than in top, no aspiration) tee=20 v like v in van viisi=20 Length The distinction between long and short consonant and vowels is very = important in Finnish. Long sounds are indicated by doubling a letter. = For an idea of the difference between long and short sounds, compare the = p sounds in top part with to part or the vowels in feed and fit. In = Finnish, a difference in length can make a difference in meaning, as in taka 'back' (prefix) takaa 'from behind' takka 'fireplace' taakka 'burden' Diphthongs Finnish has a large number of diphthongs, i.e. combinations of two = different vowels in one syllable. A few Finnish dipththongs are very = much like dipththongs in English, others are less familiar. Sound Description of the Sound Finnish Examples=20 ai like ai in aisle laiva=20 ei like ey in hey hei=20 oi like oi in voice moi=20 ui like uy in Spanish muy uida=20 yi resembles ui in French suis but Finnish y=20 slightly less rounded than French u kysyi=20 =E4i =E4 followed by a short i in the same syllable p=E4iv=E4=E4=20 =F6i =F6 followed by a short i in the same syllable t=F6ihin=20 au resembles ow in cow auto=20 eu e followed by a short u in the same syllable leuka=20 iu i followed by a short u in the same syllable viulu=20 ou like o in so but more rounded koulu=20 =E4y =E4 followed by a short y in the same syllable t=E4ynn=E4=20 =F6y =F6 followed by a short y in the same syllable p=F6yt=E4=20 ie like ie in Spanish bien mies=20 uo like uo in Italian buona Suomi=20 y=F6 y followed by a short =F6 in the same syllable Hyv=E4=E4 = y=F6t=E4=20 Stress=20 In Finnish, the world stress is always on the first syllable. At the = same time, the vowels and consonants of unstressed words pronounced just = as distinctly and clearly as in stressed syllables. As Finnish words are = often lengthy due to suffixation and compounding, the words can have = secondary stresses on later syllables. Intonation All Finnish sentences, statements as well as questions, have a falling = intonation. Yes/No Questions are not formed by changing intonation but = by adding a question particle -ko or -k=F6 . E.g. Puhutko sin=E4 suomea? = ('Do you speak Finnish?) [Vowels] [Consonants] [Length] [Diphthongs] [Stress] [Intonation] To sitemap Last reviewed: December 8, 1997. Please send comments to: paivir@fiat.gslis.utexas.edu=20 ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01BF4D76.C3DEC720 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Introduction to Finnish - Pronunciation <= !DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2//EN">
 

Pronunciation of = Finnish

[Vowels] [Consonants] = [Length] [Diphthongs] [Stress] [Intonation]

Vowels

Sound

Description of the Sound

Finnish Examples
Click on word to = hear=20 sound

a

 like a in father banaani, radio

e

 like e in set tee, englanti

i

 like i in sit Helsinki, viisi

o

 like o in toy soolo

u

 like u in book (but lips more pursed) ruusu, puu

y

 like German =FC or French u; i.e. like i =
but=20 with tightly rounded lips		 hyv=E4, yksi

=E4

 like a in hat p=E4iv=E4=E4

=F6

 like German =F6 or French eu; i.e. like e =
but=20 with more strongly rounded lips		 =F6ljy, s=F6p=F6
<= /CENTER>

Consonants

Sound Description of Sound Finnish Examples

b

 like b in ball banaani, baari

d

 like d in do kahdeksan, yhdeks=E4n

f

 like f in fan filmi, filosofia

g

 like g in guide geologia

h

 like h in hen Helsinki

j

 like y in yes joo, marja

k

 like k in pumpkin (softer k than in = kit,=20 no aspiration) kahvi, markka

l

 like l in let litra, nolla

m

 like m in moon markka

n

 like n in no nelj=E4, numero

ng

 like ng in singing but longer Helsingiss=E4

p

 like p in spin (softer p than in = pin, no=20 aspiration) p=E4iv=E4=E4, piano

r

 like Spanish r (slightly rolled), r should not affect the =

quality of the adjacent vowels

 radio

s

 like s in stop soolo, viisi

t

 like t in stop (softer t than in = top, no=20 aspiration) tee

v

 like v in van viisi

Length

The distinction between long and short consonant and = vowels is=20 very important in Finnish. Long sounds are indicated by doubling a = letter. For=20 an idea of the difference between long and short sounds, compare the p = sounds in=20 top part with to part or the vowels in feed and = fit.=20 In Finnish, a difference in length can make a difference in meaning, as = in

          taka 'back'=20 (prefix)

Diphthongs

Finnish has a large number of diphthongs, i.e. combinations of two = different vowels in one syllable. A few Finnish dipththongs are very = much like=20 dipththongs in English, others are less familiar.

Sound Description of the Sound Finnish Examples
ai like ai in aisle laiva
ei like ey in hey hei
oi like oi in voice moi
ui like uy in Spanish muy uida
yi resembles ui in French suis but Finnish y=20
slightly less rounded than French u 		kysyi
=E4i =E4 followed by a short i in the same = syllable p=E4iv=E4=E4
=F6i =F6 followed by a short i in the same = syllable t=F6ihin
au resembles ow in cow auto
eu e followed by a short u in the same syllable leuka
iu i followed by a short u in the same syllable viulu
ou like o in so but more rounded koulu
=E4y =E4 followed by a short y in the same = syllable t=E4ynn=E4
=F6y =F6 followed by a short y in the same = syllable p=F6yt=E4
ie like ie in Spanish bien mies
uo like uo in Italian buona Suomi
y=F6 y followed by a short =F6 in the same = syllable Hyv=E4=E4=20 y=F6t=E4

Stress =

In Finnish, the world stress is always on the first syllable. At = the same=20 time, the vowels and consonants of unstressed words pronounced just as=20 distinctly and clearly as in stressed syllables. As Finnish words are = often=20 lengthy due to suffixation and compounding, the words can have secondary = stresses on later syllables.

Intonation

All Finnish sentences, statements as well as questions, have a = falling=20 intonation. Yes/No Questions are not formed by changing intonation but = by adding=20 a question particle -ko or -k=F6 . E.g. Puhutko sin=E4 = suomea?=20 ('Do you speak Finnish?)

[Vowels] [Consonants] = [Length] [Diphthongs] [Stress] [Intonation]

To sitemap

Last reviewed: December 8, 1997.

Please send comments to: paivir@fiat.gslis.utexas.edu= =20
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