{"id":184,"date":"2010-01-09T16:30:25","date_gmt":"2010-01-09T20:30:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/?p=184"},"modified":"2010-01-09T16:30:25","modified_gmt":"2010-01-09T20:30:25","slug":"sj-vs-kj","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/norwegian\/sj-vs-kj\/","title":{"rendered":"“sj” vs. “kj”"},"content":{"rendered":"

If you haven’t already been confused about the difference in these two sounds, “sj” and “kj”, I hope this post prevents any future confusion regarding the matter.\u00a0 There is a small, but important difference between the pronunciation of the two; it is sometimes difficult for beginners to hear the difference, and even more difficult to produce the\u00a0two different\u00a0sounds.\u00a0 The English word “shoe” is probably the closest to the Norwegian pronunciation of the word sju <\/strong>(the number 7).\u00a0 The “sj” sound is almost (but not quite exactly) the same as the Englsih “sh” sound.\u00a0\u00a0When I try to explain the distinction between the English\u00a0“sh” and the Norwegian “sj,” I point out\u00a0that the\u00a0Norwegian “sj” seems to be a softer sound than the English “sh.”\u00a0 It’s interesting to me to clarify distinctions between sounds because I think they depend on factors that we don’t necessarily think about to a great degree.\u00a0 For example, there are many different sounds that the English “sh” prefix is followed by…sheep, shanty, shook, sherry, Shawn, shrine-both vowels and consonants can follow the “sh” prefix.\u00a0 However, in Norwegian, there are very limited sounds that follow the “sj” prefix.\u00a0 Sj\u00f8, sjel, sjakk, sjokolade, sjiraff.\u00a0 Maybe I am crazy, but it seems like there are fewer words that can be produced with the Norwegian ”sj” than the English ”sh.”\u00a0 However, now I am getting off track from my original intention for this post.\u00a0 Back to ”sj” vs.\u00a0”kj.”<\/p>\n

Let’s take a look at some words that begin with both prefixes.<\/p>\n

”SJ<\/strong>”:\u00a0 sjokk<\/strong> (shock), sjelden<\/strong> (seldom) ,sjalu<\/strong> (jealous), sjanse<\/strong> (chance), sjuk<\/strong> (sick), sj\u00e5vinisme<\/strong> (chauvinism)Notice the cognates and the different ways the same words start in English (ch, j, sh)-<\/p>\n

”KJ<\/strong>”:\u00a0 kj\u00f8kken<\/strong> (kitchen), kjeller <\/strong>(basement, cellar), kjempe<\/strong> (fight), kj\u00e6r<\/strong> (beloved, dear), kjole <\/strong>(dress).<\/p>\n

It is difficult to try to explain the distinction between the two sounds without being able to actually make the sounds for you to hear.\u00a0 In order to make the ”kj” sounds, your tongue has to be up against your bottom teeth.\u00a0 Once your tongue is positioned there, try to say ”shhhh” and you essentially produce the ”kj” sound.\u00a0 Try it and look in the mirror.\u00a0 I encourage you also to listen to audio recordings of native Norwegians speaking and try to distinguish between the two sounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It took me longer to figure out how to pronounce the ”kj” sound than I think any other sound in the Norwegian language.\u00a0 It was not until someone explained the importance of the location of the tongue that I really got the sound down.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u00d8ve, \u00f8ve, \u00f8ve!\u00a0 Practice, practice, practice!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

If you haven’t already been confused about the difference in these two sounds, “sj” and “kj”, I hope this post prevents any future confusion regarding the matter.\u00a0 There is a small, but important difference between the pronunciation of the two; it is sometimes difficult for beginners to hear the difference, and even more difficult to…<\/p>\n

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