How f Is Said
f at the start of a word is a normal f (fara). Between vowels or at the end of a word it is v (hafa, haf). After a vowel and before l or n it is p (Keflavík, nafn).
How It Works
- f: at the start of a word, in double ff and before t or s: fara (go), fiskur (fish), kaffi (coffee), loft (air), aftur (again).
- v: between vowels, after l or r, and after a vowel at the end of a word: hafa (have), gefa (give), höfum (we have), haf (sea), úlfur (wolf), arfur (inheritance). At the very end of a sentence, the final v can lose some of its voice.
- p: after a vowel and before l or n: Keflavík, tafla (board), nafn (name), sofna (fall asleep), efni (material).
Two smaller patterns come up later. Before nd and nt, fn is said like m: hefnd (revenge), nefnt (named). In relaxed speech, an f between á, ó or ú and a, o or u can almost disappear: prófa (try).
Other letters change with their position in the same way, such as ð and g. See ð and þ and k and g before front vowels. When a becomes ö in forms like höfum, that is a separate rule. See u-umlaut.
Examples (6)
- Fiskurinn er ferskur.
The fish is fresh.
Word by Word: The-fish is fresh.
f at the start of a word is a normal f.
- Við höfum ekki tíma.
We don't have time.
Word by Word: We have not time.
f in höfum is between vowels, so it sounds like v.
- Við lentum í Keflavík.
We landed in Keflavík.
Word by Word: We landed in Keflavík.
fl in Keflavík is said pl.
- Ég gleymdi nafninu hans.
I forgot his name.
Word by Word: I forgot the-name his.
fn in nafninu is said pn.
- Barnið er að sofna.
The child is falling asleep.
Word by Word: The-child is at fall-asleep.
fn in sofna is said pn.
- Ég fékk mér kaffi.
I had a coffee.
Word by Word: I got me coffee.
Double ff keeps a real f sound.
Common Mistakes
Writing v for the v sound in the middle of a word.
Við hövum ekki tíma.Við höfum ekki tíma.The v sound between vowels is written with f.
Writing p for the p sound before n.
Barnið er að sopna.Barnið er að sofna.Before l or n, f sounds like p, but the spelling keeps f.
How It Connects
Learn This First
The sounds of f follow the alphabet.
Related Patterns
- ð / þThe Letters Ð and Þ
ð also changes its sound depending on where it stands.
Level 1 - k and g Before e and i
k and g are other letters whose sound depends on their position.
Level 1 - ll / nn / rl / rnThe Sounds LL, NN, RL and RN
Another case where the sound before l or n differs from the spelling.
Level 1 - Vowel Change: a → öThe A-to-Ö Change
Explains the vowel change in forms like höfum.
Level 3
Practice How f Is Said in Bubblegum
Poppy, your AI tutor, writes Icelandic lessons at your level. Tap any grammar point in a lesson to see its full explanation.
