Consonants
Finnish has thirteen core consonants and several borrowed consonants.
Core consonants
Finnish has thirteen core consonants:
| Letter | IPA | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| d | [deː] | diplomaatti | diplomat |
| g | [geː]1 | geometria | geometry |
| h | [hoː] | helmikuu | February |
| j | [jiː] | joulukuu | December |
| k | [koː] | kaksi | two |
| l | [æl] | lokakuu | October |
| m | [æm] | maaliskuu | March |
| n | [æn] | nolla | zero |
| p | [peː] | poika | boy |
| r | [ær] | raha | money |
| s | [æs] | sisko | sister |
| t | [teː] | tyttö | girl |
| v | [veː] | veli | brother |
Borrowed consonants
Finnish has several borrowed consonants:
| Letter | IPA | Finnish | English |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | [beː] | banaani | banana |
| c | [seː], [k] | CD-ROM, costaricalainen | CD-ROM, Costa Rican |
| f | [æfː] | farkut | jeans |
| q | [kuː] | Qatar [‘ka.tar] | Qatar |
| w | [kaksois.veː] | Waltari2 | Waltari |
| x | [æks] | - | - |
| z | [tset] | Zaire [‘tsaire] | Zaire |
Consonant gradation
Consonant gradation effects three letters in Finnish: k, p, t:
| Strong | Neutral | Weak |
|---|---|---|
| kk | k | -, v, j |
| pp | p | v |
| tt | t | d |
A case takes either strong or weak consonant gradation. As you learn each case, learn the consonant gradation rule for each. A recommendable resource for Finnish grammar is Finnish A Comprehensive Grammar, which is essentially the same as Finnish: An Essential Grammar.
Note
In grammar references, the term neutral is not used. I use it here as a placeholder for the regular ol’ letter.
There is a more thorough (and much more complicated) explanation on Wikipedia about Finnish consonant gradation.
Consonant lengths
Finnish consonants (konsonantit) are either short or long:
- K
- KK
If the length of a short (or single) consonant is K, the length of a long (or double) consonant is K * 2. For example, the letter k in the word black is pronounced [k], and the double k sound in black cat is pronounced [kː].
The letter l in the word tuuli (wind) is pronounced [l], and the double l in tulli (customs—at a border crossing) is pronounced [lː].
Note
The distinction between short and long sounds is important. It can mean the difference between saying tapaamme (we meet) or tappaamme (we kill).