# Norwegian: pronunciation of "rd" - exceptions



## Xander2024

Hello everyone,

I've read in my grammar book that the letter combination "rd" is pronounced [rd] after short stressed vowels, for example "verden", "ferden", "orden", "torden", "varden", unlike the same combination in "en ferd", "en verdi" etc. Could a native speaker tell me if it's true to fact or not? Honestly speaking, I don't see why it should be the separate [rd] in "ferden" but the alveolar [ḍ] in "en ferd"? Or is it that there no hard and fast rules about that and [rd] can always be pronounced as [ḍ]? 

Takk in advance.


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## TomTrussel

The book might actually be onto something here, the r-sound in "verden, ferden, orden, torden and varden" is more clearly pronounced than the r-sound in "en verdi" I'm not so sure when it comes to "en ferd" though, as I feel that also comes after a short stressed vowel...  The rd-sound is also one that changes a LOT from dialect to dialect in Norwegian, but for Oslo-area, I'm inclined to give the grammar book my vote, but there are also areas (northern regions springs to mind) where you can always pronounce it as [ḍ]

TT


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## Xander2024

Tusen takk for hjelpen, Tom.


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## Xander2024

Is there a risk of being misunderstood if I pronounce [rd] instead of [ḍ] or vice versa?


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## TomTrussel

I really don't think so... if you always pronounce the r clearly, you may sound like you over-articulate, and if you always use [ḍ] people may think you learned Norwegian living in an area where they do 

TT


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## Xander2024

Good.  Then I'll try to just remember the exceptions and follow the general rules.


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## NorwegianNYC

TT is right, you have to pronounce them as _retroflexes_. However, there are exception: _hard_ is not pronounced with a retroflex, nor is _gard_.


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## Xander2024

As for retroflexes, I've noticed that in some words the pronunciation of r + consonant resembles the English "r". As for "hard" and "gard", are they pronounced with [ḍ]?


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## TomTrussel

I wouldn't go as far as saying they are pronounced like english r, but they certainly come closer than our regular r-sound. I'm no expert, but to try; I think of English r as loose tongue + loose cheeks, normal Norwegian r as tense tongue + tense cheeks, while the rd in "gard" and "hard" is tense tongue + loose cheeks... hmm...  ok, that probably made you more confused than you was before reading my reply, maybe someone else can take it further  

TT


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## Xander2024

That's okay, Tom. I can always pick out "grains of truth" and try to make it clear for myself.

Tusen takk for hjelpen.


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## NorwegianNYC

TomTrussel said:


> I wouldn't go as far as saying they are pronounced like english r, but they certainly come closer than our regular r-sound. I'm no expert, but to try; I think of English r as loose tongue + loose cheeks, normal Norwegian r as tense tongue + tense cheeks, while the rd in "gard" and "hard" is tense tongue + loose cheeks... hmm...  ok, that probably made you more confused than you was before reading my reply, maybe someone else can take it further
> 
> TT



TT - that is actually a damn good explanation. I did not think of that.


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