The Danish Language

Although Danish is a member of the North Germanic language family, which also includes Swedish, Norwegian, Faroese, and Icelandic, all of which are descended from Old Norse, the language spoken in Denmark is distinct. Danish is spoken by almost 6 million people in Denmark, as well as a Danish minority in Southern Schleswig, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland, the latter two of which are self-governing areas of the Kingdom of Denmark.

Because of its complex pronunciation and a large number of silent characters, the Danish language is regarded as one of the most difficult to master. Danish contains 27 vowel sounds and is unusual in its use of std – a phonological phenomenon peculiar to Danish that characterizes a glottal consonant employed in its pronunciation. To further perplex someone studying Danish, the written language has evolved little since the 16th century, implying that there is a significant discrepancy between the language that is regularly spoken and the way it is written. Visitors to Denmark who seek to learn the local language will be received with friendliness, so don't be afraid to ask for assistance in pronouncing the language's various sounds.