A Breath Before pp, tt and kk
Put a short h breath before pp, tt, kk: takk sounds like tahk and ekki like ehki. The same happens before pl, pn, tl, tn, kl, kn: epli, vatn.
How It Works
- Double pp, tt, kk. takk (thanks), ekki (not), detta (fall), stoppa (stop), dóttir (daughter), átta (eight), brekka (slope).
- p, t, k before l or n. epli (apple), opna (open), vatn (water), ætla (intend), Hekla (the volcano), læknir (doctor).
The breath is short but clear, like breathing out just before closing your lips or tongue for the consonant. You can hear it in the word everyone learns first: takk.
Where it does not happen. At the start of a word, p, t and k are followed by a puff of air, as in English: taka (take). A single p, t or k between vowels has no breath at all, and most speakers say it softly, close to b, d or g: tapa (lose), fata (bucket). In the north, many speakers keep a puff of air here, and that is also correct. See regional pronunciation.
Before a pre-aspirated consonant, the vowel is always short. See long and short vowels.
Examples (5)
- Takk fyrir.
Thank you.
Word by Word: Thanks for.
kk in takk has a breath before it: tahk.
- Ég skil ekki.
I don't understand.
Word by Word: I understand not.
kk in ekki sounds like hk.
- Má ég fá vatn?
May I have some water?
Word by Word: May I get water?
tn in vatn gets the same breath: vahtn.
- Hún borðar epli.
She is eating an apple.
Word by Word: She eats apple.
pl in epli gets a breath: ehpli.
- Dóttir mín er átta ára.
My daughter is eight years old.
Word by Word: Daughter my is eight years.
tt in dóttir and átta both get a breath.
Common Mistakes
Spelling the breath as h.
Tahk fyrir.Takk fyrir.The h sound is only in the pronunciation. The spelling is always kk.
Writing a single t where the word has tt.
Ég á eina dótur.Ég á eina dóttur.The breath belongs to tt. A single t between vowels has no breath, so the spelling tells you how to say the word.
How It Connects
Learn This First
Pre-aspiration builds on vowel length.
Related Patterns
- ll / nn / rl / rnThe Sounds LL, NN, RL and RN
Another case where the pronunciation adds a sound the spelling does not show.
Level 1 - takkThanks (Takk)
The most common word with this sound.
Level 1 - ekkiNot (Ekki)
Another everyday word with a breath before kk.
Level 1 - Regional Pronunciation
Northern speakers say single p, t and k with a puff of air.
Level 6
Practice A Breath Before pp, tt and kk in Bubblegum
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