Nýrómur, a three-year research and development project aimed at creating a comprehensive system for computer-assisted pronunciation training in Icelandic, has officially begun. The project addresses a pressing need in Icelandic society, where immigrants now make up over 18% of the population, and international interest in the Icelandic language and culture continues to grow.

Nýrómur builds on the pronunciation training system developed during the CAPTinI project (2020–2023). The new system uses advanced speech technology and artificial intelligence to assess students’ pronunciation in real time and provide personalised feedback tailored to each learner’s skills and needs.

Pronunciation is often one of the biggest obstacles for those learning Icelandic. With Nýrómur, we are creating a tool that makes pronunciation training accessible anytime and anywhere, offering immediate and accurate feedback.

Says Dr Jón Guðnason, project manager at Reykjavík University.

Specialisation for Icelandic

The project places particular emphasis on pronunciation features that can be difficult for foreign learners, such as vowel length, rhythm, intonation, and stress. The goal is to integrate the system with Icelandic Online—the interactive Icelandic-as-a-second/foreign-language learning platform at the University of Iceland—which nearly 300,000 people have used since its inception. The pronunciation system will also be made accessible and open so that developers working in this field can benefit from its outcomes.

There are many aspects of Icelandic pronunciation that require special training, even among native speakers. By combining advanced technology with proven teaching methods, we can help students improve their speaking and listening comprehension skills and boost their confidence in communication.

Explains Dr Kolbrún Friðriksdóttir, project manager at the University of Iceland.

Broad Collaboration

The project is the result of collaboration among three leading institutions and one company. Reykjavík University leads the project and contributes expertise in speech technology; the University of Iceland provides knowledge in linguistics and second-language teaching, as well as access to Icelandic Online; the Árni Magnússon Institute for Icelandic Studies contributes linguistic and pedagogical expertise; and Vikonnekt handles technical implementation and long-term sustainability.

Icelandic Online has proven to be an invaluable resource for Icelandic learners around the world.By adding advanced pronunciation training, we hope to make the platform even more powerful and useful for its users.

Says Dr Kolbrún.

Benefits for Society

The project is expected to help immigrants integrate into Icelandic society through improved language skills, enhance communication in multicultural workplaces, and provide teachers with modern tools to support their students.

Nýrómur is a three-year project (2025–2028) funded by the Icelandic Language and Technology Programme (Markáætlun í tungu og tækni) with a grant of approximately 90 million ISK. The first version of the system will be launched early on so that users can begin benefiting from the project from the start.