The long central vowel

The long central vowel (monophthong) is produced by the middle of the tongue being raised towards the palate and held in a half open position. The lips are spread to neutral. There is no similar sound in Norwegian. Norwegian learners tend to substitute the sound for the Norwegian , which is more close and front, and pronounced with strong lip rounding. Norwegians need to pay attention to the difference so as not to pronounce the sound incorrectly. Spelling is no guide to pronunciation. Check spelling rules. The illustration on the right shows relative tongue position as compared to front vowels.