# Danish: Stød



## tuckat

Thank you so very much! I hope you don't mind if I ask one more question...
I'm still a little confused about the stød. Do you always pronounce "kommer" with a glottal stop? And what about "kommet" or "været"? And am I correct in thinking that it is not extremely important to use the stød correctly, or will I sound somewhat ignorant using it incorrectly?


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## Foygl

Using the stød can be quite hard for learner of the Danish language, not just because it can be difficult to produce, but also because it may be realized as either a creaky voice or as a glottal stop, both giving a "push-effect" (thus the name "stød," which literally translates as "push," in this context, although some dictionaries will also simply translate it as "glottal stop") And yes, you are correct, the stød is not utterly important. In fact, many parts of Denmark don't even have the stød, although the majority has. The southern part of Jutland and some southern parts of Funen have tones instead, and much of southern Funen and Zealand (and Bornholm) don't have either tones or stød. So you will be perfectly understood even though you haven't got the stød right. But personally, I think the stød gives a nice twist to the language, so if I were you I would try learning to use it, but it's of course a matter of taste and preference.

Personally, yes, I always pronounce "kommer" with a glottal stop (as secondary articulation), [kɐˀmɐ]. The same goes for both "kommet" and "været" as well, [kɐˀmm̩d̥] and [ʋæˀɐd̥]. The glottal stop is not very important in the example with "kommer," but with many other of such verbs it's important, because the present tense is spelled exactly like the derived agent noun, and they are pronounced exactly in the same way as well, with one exception: the glottal stop. Here is an example: svømmer (swims), [sʋœˀmɐ]; svømmer (swimmer), [sʋœmɐ].

Another thing worth looking into is also the use of syllabic consonants in Danish, especially [n̩] and [m̩]. It could already be seen in the example with "kommet," but here is another example, of how I pronounce "hund" and all its inflections, a word I have chosen because of both its use of stød and syllabic consonants: [hunˀ] (hund; dog), [hunˀn̩] (hunden; the dog), [hunːˀ] (hunde; dogs), [hunˀn̩ˀə] (hundene; the dogs). 

A last note. Notice that I'm no expert with IPA, and I'm not completely sure if all of the vowels represent exactly the sounds I use. We have so many of them, and many of them sound almost identical, so it has been hard to me to find the right IPA-equivalents. I'm however sure about the consonants I have used, which also is the most important thing in this discussion.


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## hanne

Hehe, I'm happy we have somebody around now who knows and explains these things better than I do .

Anyway, about "kommer", how about an example like "det kommer an på vejret" - do you have stød in kommer there? (I don't think I do, but it might just be very weak, so I don't even notice it myself...)

Also, speaking of "hund", it's worth mentioning that if you pronounce that without stød you'll get the same as "hun" (she). Or is there, Foygl, some other difference that I'm failing to put my finger on?


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## Foygl

Hej, Hanne! 

Jeg skal ikke kunne sige om mine forklaringer er bedre end dine, men jeg er da glad for at høre, at mine forklaringer i det mindste ikke er helt hen i vejret. 

No, I think you are right, I don't have any stød in the sentence you provided either. I don't know why the stød has disappeared though. As far as I know, all the general rules regarding stød are based on a particular word containing a stød and not on the context, but in this case it seems like it is the context which has led to the loss of the stød.
And yes, you are right, without the stød, it would be "hun" (she)! It's funny to think of the slight changes in pronunciation which can lead to major differences in meaning and understanding.


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## tuckat

Wow, I just want to thank you guys so much! It is such a great help! My friend for whom I was learning Danish is now in another country for a couple of months and I have nobody with whom I can speak Danish. I truely express my complete, heartfelt thanks! And like I said earlier, I do feel a bit guilty asking so many questions and giving nothing in return, so if anybody would ever need any help with Russian, I would be more than happy to help! Mange, mange, mange, mange, MANGE tak!


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## Foygl

You are very welcome! And of course, feel free to ask as many questions as you wish!

And thank you for the offer Russian helping offer.


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## Sepia

hanne said:


> Hehe, I'm happy we have somebody around now who knows and explains these things better than I do .
> 
> Anyway, about "kommer", how about an example like "det kommer an på vejret" - do you have stød in kommer there? (I don't think I do, but it might just be very weak, so I don't even notice it myself...)
> 
> Also, speaking of "hund", it's worth mentioning that if you pronounce that without stød you'll get the same as "hun" (she). Or is there, Foygl, some other difference that I'm failing to put my finger on?


 
I totally aggree with you - I don't hav a GS neither in "jeres" nor in "kommer". Would be nice to know more precisely which regional accents they are talking about. The areas I have a closer relation to are South Jutland (Schleswig) and Copenhagen.

Storm P made some nice hints to the almost totally missing GS in the Funen dialect - once his protagonist thought that a murder had happened, but it turned out that a boy was just yelling for his mother.


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## Rallino

> Anyway, about "kommer", how about an example like "det kommer an på vejret" - do you have stød in kommer there? (I don't think I do, but it might just be very weak, so I don't even notice it myself...)



Sorry about reviving this old thread, but I have to ask. 

The stød is always on the stressed syllable, right? Now what I'm going to say might very well be complete nonsense o), but I think the reason why it disappears in the phrase _det kommer an_ is maybe because of the fact that _at komme an_ is a phrase and is sort of considered one word, with the particle '_an_' carrying the stress. Therefore there is no stressed syllable on _kommer_ anymore to hold the stød. 

Could this be the reason?


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## Tjahzi

Yes, that would make perfect sense.


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