Learn Finnish Alphabets: Your First Step to Speaking Finnish
The Finnish alphabet is the foundation of mastering the language. It consists of 29 letters, including the unique ä, ö, and Ã¥. Unlike English, Finnish pronunciation is consistent—each letter is always pronounced the same way!
Why Learn the Alphabet?
✅ Helps with correct pronunciation
✅ Makes reading and writing easier
✅ Builds confidence in speaking Finnish fluently
Here we learn to pronounce the alphabets. Check below youtube video for audio presentation.
Here’s the Finnish alphabet with English pronunciation:
| Letter | Pronunciation (English Approx.) | Words & Meanings |
|---|---|---|
| A | ah (like in "car") | Auto (car), Apina (monkey), Aurinko (sun) |
| B | beh (like in "bay") | Banaani (banana), Bussi (bus), Broileri (broiler) |
| C | seh (like in "say") | Celsius (Celsius), Cafe (café), Centti (cent) |
| D | deh (like in "day") | Delfiini (dolphin), Desilitra (deciliter), Demo (demo) |
| E | eh (like in "bet") | Elokuva (movie), Enkeli (angel), Että (that) |
| F | ef (like in "effort") | Fakta (fact), Farmari (farmer), Filosofia (philosophy) |
| G | geh (like in "gate") | Genetiikka (genetics), Golf (golf), Gaselli (gazelle) |
| H | hoh (like in "hope") | Hauska (fun), Hiiri (mouse), Hedelmä (fruit) |
| I | ee (like in "see") | Ilma (air), Ihminen (human), Iso (big) |
| J | yot (like "y" in "yes") | Joki (river), Juusto (cheese), Joulu (Christmas) |
| K | koh (like in "cold") | Koira (dog), Kissa (cat), Kukka (flower) |
| L | el (like in "love") | Lintu (bird), Lamppu (lamp), Lumi (snow) |
| M | em (like in "moon") | Maito (milk), Meri (sea), Matto (carpet) |
| N | en (like in "nice") | Nainen (woman), Numero (number), Nuori (young) |
| O | oh (like in "or") | Onni (happiness), Omena (apple), Olut (beer) |
| P | peh (like in "pen") | Pöytä (table), Pallo (ball), Päivä (day) |
| Q | kuu (rare, in loanwords) | Qatar (Qatar), Quota (quota), Qwerty (QWERTY) |
| R | err (rolled "r") | Rakkaus (love), Ruoho (grass), Ranne (wrist) |
| S | es (like in "sun") | Sade (rain), Suomi (Finland), Sieni (mushroom) |
| T | teh (like in "top") | Taivas (sky), Talo (house), Tyttö (girl) |
| U | oo (like in "boot") | Uusi (new), Ulkomaalainen (foreigner), Uni (dream) |
| V | veh (like in "vet") | Vesi (water), Vuori (mountain), Väri (color) |
| W | tupla-veh (double V) | WC (toilet), Whisky (whisky), Web (web) |
| X | eks (loanwords) | Xylitol (xylitol), X-ray (X-ray), Xenon (xenon) |
| Y | ü (like German "über") | Yksi (one), Ystävä (friend), Yö (night) |
| Z | tset (used in loanwords) | Zebra (zebra), Zirkoni (zircon), Zoomata (zoom) |
| Ã… | oah (rare, Swedish origin) | Ã…land (Ã…land), Ã…bo (Turku, old name), Ã… (river, in Swedish) |
| Ä | æh (like "a" in "cat") | Äiti (mother), Ääni (voice), Älykäs (smart) |
| Ö | eu (like German "schön") | Öljy (oil), Ötökkä (bug), Öinen (nocturnal) |
FINNISH VOWELS:
The vowels A, O, and U are considered back vowels. The vowels E, I, Y, Ä, and Ö are considered front vowels.
Watch the below youtube version for audio
