How to pronounce æ in Danish

To pronounce æ in Danish, spread your lips wide and open your mouth a little more than for the e in English “bed”. That is the usual Danish æ, as in mælk. Next to an r, it opens further and comes close to the a in “cat”, as in træ. Tap any word to hear it, and try the word pairs at the bottom.

What letter is æ?

Æ is a letter of its own, not an a and an e glued together. Danish has 29 letters, and the last three come after z: æ, ø, å. In a dictionary, words with æ come after z. Its name is just the sound itself, and on the phone Danes spell it Æ som i Ægir.

English used the same letter a thousand years ago, and it is called “ash”. That is why phoneticians use æ for the vowel in “cat”. In Danish, it is simply a vowel you use every day.

How to pronounce æ in Danish: the usual sound

Most of the time, æ sounds like its name. Think of the e in “bed”, but with wider lips, and hold it a little longer when the vowel is long.

1. Spread your lips, as in a small smile. No rounding.
2. Keep your tongue at the front of your mouth, the tip behind your lower teeth.
3. Open your jaw a little, more than for e, less than for a.
4. Do not glide. English “air” moves; the Danish æ stays in one place.

• æbleapple
• læseto read
• mælkmilk
• sælseal (the animal)
• hælheel
• vægwall

The second sound: æ next to r

The letter r pulls vowels open and back in Danish. So when æ stands next to r, the mouth opens more, and the sound comes close to the a in English “cat”. Many guides only give you this sound, which is why you hear different advice.

• trætree, wood
• græsgrass
• rævfox
• bæreto carry

Do not worry too much about this one. If you open your mouth for the r, the æ follows by itself.

Where do you hear æ without seeing it?

This is the part that confuses learners: the letter e often makes the æ sound, especially when it is short. You see an e, you hear an æ.

• hesthorse
• festparty

Spelling and sound do not match one to one in Danish, and the pronunciation guide goes through the other vowels.

Æ or e? Æ or a? Listen to the difference

In the course, æ sits between two neighbours on the vowel map: a is more open, e is more closed. These pairs change only the vowel, and the meaning changes with it. Tap each word, then say both out loud.

For a, your mouth is most open, like the a in “cat”. For æ, close it a little. For e, close it a little more, like “ay” in “day” without the y at the end.

Test yourself: which vowel is it?

Say the word, decide, then open the answer.

Is the vowel in mælk closer to “bed” or to “cat”?

Closer to “bed”. There is no r next to it: mælk.

Is the vowel in træ closer to “bed” or to “cat”?

Closer to “cat”, because of the r: træ.

Which letter makes the æ sound in hest?

The e. Short e often sounds like æ: hest.

How do you type æ?

On a Danish keyboard, æ has its own key. On an English Mac keyboard, press Option and the apostrophe key; add Shift for Æ. On Windows, hold Alt and type 0230 on the number pad (0198 for Æ). On a phone, hold down the a key. Without Danish letters, write ae: Ægir becomes Aegir.

Questions people ask

Is æ pronounced like the a in cat?

Sometimes. Next to r, yes, nearly. In most other words it is closer to the e in “bed”, held a little longer.

What does æ mean on its own?

In standard Danish it is just a letter. In the dialect of Southern Jutland, though, æ is a word meaning “I”.

Is æ the same as ä in German or Swedish?

Very close. The Swedish and German ä is the same kind of sound, written with a different letter.