Introduction to Finnish Language
Finnish Alphabet
The Finnish Alphabet
The Finnish alphabet is your first step to speaking the language. It's based on the familiar Latin alphabet, but with a few extra characters. The best part? Finnish is almost completely phonetic. That means each letter almost always makes the same sound. Once you learn the alphabet, you can pronounce nearly any word you see.
There are 29 letters in total. Let's look at them, their Finnish names, and how they sound.
| Letter | Finnish Name | Approximate Sound |
|---|---|---|
| A, a | aa | 'a' as in father |
| B, b | bee | 'b' as in bed |
| C, c | see | 's' as in see or 'k' as in cat |
| D, d | dee | 'd' as in dog |
| E, e | ee | 'e' as in bet |
| F, f | äf | 'f' as in fan |
| G, g | gee | 'g' as in go |
| H, h | hoo | 'h' as in hat |
| I, i | ii | 'ee' as in see |
| J, j | jii | 'y' as in yes |
| K, k | koo | 'k' as in king |
| L, l | äl | 'l' as in leg |
| M, m | äm | 'm' as in man |
| N, n | än | 'n' as in no |
| O, o | oo | 'o' as in more |
| P, p | pee | 'p' as in pen |
| Q, q | kuu | 'k' as in queen |
| R, r | är | A rolled 'r', like in Spanish |
| S, s | äs | 's' as in sun |
| T, t | tee | 't' as in top |
| U, u | uu | 'oo' as in boot |
| V, v | vee | 'v' as in van |
| W, w | kaksois-vee | 'v' as in van |
| X, x | äks | 'ks' as in box |
| Y, y | yy | Like the German 'ü' or French 'u' |
| Z, z | tseta | 'ts' as in cats |
| Å, å | ruotsalainen oo | 'o' as in more |
| Ä, ä | ää | 'a' as in cat |
| Ö, ö | öö | 'u' as in burn |
The Special Vowels
The letters that look most unfamiliar are Ä and Ö. They represent vowel sounds that are crucial in Finnish. Getting them right is key to being understood.
The letter Ä makes a sound like the 'a' in the English word "cat" or "hat." It's a bright, open sound made at the front of your mouth.
Mother
The letter Ö sounds like the 'u' in "burn" or "fur." To make this sound, shape your lips like you're saying "ooh," but try to say "ee" instead.
Oil
There's also Å, which is called the "Swedish o." It's pronounced just like the Finnish O. You'll only see it in Swedish names, like the city of Borgå (the Finnish name is Porvoo).
Borrowed Letters
Some letters in the alphabet are rarely used in native Finnish words. These are often called "loanword letters" because they mainly show up in words borrowed from other languages.
The letters B, C, F, Q, W, X, and Z fall into this category. When you see them, they are usually in international words you might already recognize.
For example:
- Banaani (banana)
- Coca-Cola
- Farkut (jeans, from the American brand name Farmer's)
- Watti (watt)
Their pronunciation typically follows the source language, but Finns might adapt them slightly. For instance, W is often pronounced just like V.
The key takeaway is that Finnish spelling is consistent and reliable. Master these 29 letters and their sounds, and you'll be able to read the language with confidence.