How to pronounce Scandinavia
Say it like skan-dih-NAY-vee-uh. Scandinavia has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (NAY).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce Scandinavia. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- skan
- dih
- NAY
- vee
- uh
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Scandinavia pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- skanGive this part a little weight. The vowel is the "a" in cat.
- dihKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
- NAYSay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ay" in day.
- veeKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- uhKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the relaxed "uh" in about.
American vs British pronunciation of Scandinavia
American and British speakers say Scandinavia in essentially the same way: /ˌskændɪˈneɪviə/ in the US and /skændɪˈneɪviə/ in the UK.
British respelling: skan-dih-NAY-vee-uh.
What does Scandinavia mean?
- A geographic region of Northern Europe, consisting of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden collectively and sometimes Finland, Iceland, Åland and the Faroe Islands.
Where does Scandinavia come from?
Borrowed from Latin Scandināvia, from Proto-Germanic *Skadinawjō, the source also of Old English Sċedeniġ and Old Norse Skáney > Swedish Skåne (“southern tip of Sweden, Scania”).
Questions about saying Scandinavia
How do you pronounce Scandinavia?
Say skan-dih-NAY-vee-uh. The American pronunciation is /ˌskændɪˈneɪviə/. In British English it is /skændɪˈneɪviə/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in Scandinavia?
Scandinavia has five syllables, and the main stress falls on the third one (NAY). Broken into parts: skan · dih · NAY · vee · uh.
Do Americans and Brits say Scandinavia the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˌskændɪˈneɪviə/ and the British form is /skændɪˈneɪviə/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.