The Danish alphabet is easy to start with because it shares 26 letters with English. Only the last three letters are new, and learning them early makes reading much smoother.
The 29 letters
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Æ Ø Å
The letters c, q, w, x and z mostly appear in loan words and names.
The three extra letters
| Letter | Approximate sound | Example | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| æ | "e" in "bed", often longer | æble | apple |
| ø | "u" in "burn", without the r sound | øl | beer |
| å | "o" in "more" | år | year |
Common tips
- Æ, ø and å are separate letters, so they are sorted after z in Danish dictionaries.
- Vowels change the meaning of a word, so listen carefully: "å" (stream) and "a" are not interchangeable.
- Do not replace them with a, o and aa when typing if you can avoid it. Use your keyboard's Danish layout or hold the letter key on your phone.
How to practise
Practise by listening to a word, repeating it aloud and then reading it. The weekly lists in Beginner vocabulary include pronunciation help, and the Danish pronunciation guide explains why spoken Danish sounds so soft.