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Chapter 3 of 16 · Explore the Norwegian path

The script · Chapter 3 of 16

Read nine real words before you learn anything else

Put the new sounds to work on nine real words like house, forest and fox, before any grammar. Then nine letter groups that make one sound each, and the spelling system is nearly finished.

≈ 3 min of reading · Practise at your own pace

What’s in this chapter
  • The nine letters you just met are all these nine words need.
  • Try each word once, reveal it, say it aloud. Most of them return in the readings.
  • Nine letter combinations follow, and the spelling system is nearly finished.
  • Three of them say “sh” or the soft hiss; those are the ones worth practising.

Work each one out before you reveal it. Six of nine is a good first pass.

Nine words for the stories

Say the word aloud, then reveal.

  1. hus

    The tight u.

    Show answer +
    hushuus“house”
  2. mus
    Show answer +
    musmuus“mouse”
  3. sol

    o is “oo”.

    Show answer +
    solsool“sun”
  4. skog
    Show answer +
    skogskoog“forest”
  5. rev

    A long e is “ay”.

    Show answer +
    revrayv“fox”
  6. tre
    Show answer +
    tretray“tree”
  7. gå

    å is “aw”.

    Show answer +
    gågaw“to go”
    Add
    gå — to go · Estimated A1
  8. bjørn

    j says y, and ø is “ur”.

    Show answer +
    bjørnbyurn“bear”
  9. jente
    Show answer +
    jenteYEN-tuh“girl”

Nine letter groups that make one sound

Two or three letters together can make one sound. Read each row across and say the example.

What you seeWhat it saysIn a word
ei“ay”, as in “day”, starting a little further openveivay“road”
au“a-uu” — the a of “cat” gliding into the tight usausa-uu“sheep”
øy“oy”, as in “boy”, but starting at øøyoy“island”
sj“sh”sjøshur“sea”
skj“sh” as wellskjeshay“spoon”
kj“ch” — the soft hiss of a whispered “huge”kjæreCHA-ruh“dear”
gjygjøreYUR-uh“to make”
hvv — the h is silenthvavah“what”
ngthe ng of “singer”, with no g after itingenING-en“nobody”

Three spread further. sk before i, y or øy says “sh”: skishee“ski”. k before i or y, and tj, say the soft “ch”: kirkeCHIR-kuh“church”. g before i, y or ei says y: gikkyik“went”.

Two words that use the new letter groups

  1. sjø

    sj is “sh”; ø is “ur”.

    Show answer +
    sjøshur“sea”
  2. vei

    ei is the vowel of “day”.

    Show answer +
    veivay“road”
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