Dette er en tørrdrakt snarere enn en våtdrakt.

Dette means this and is often used when pointing something out or identifying something.

So Dette er en tørrdrakt ... is like saying This is a drysuit ...

By contrast, det often means it or that, depending on context.

A useful shortcut:

• dette = this
• det = it / that

Also, in Norwegian, dette er ... is very common when introducing or identifying something you can see, such as an object in front of you or in a picture.

Because both tørrdrakt and våtdrakt are common-gender nouns in Norwegian, so they take the indefinite article en.

• en tørrdrakt = a drysuit
• en våtdrakt = a wetsuit

The article is repeated because each noun phrase needs its own article:

• en tørrdrakt
• en våtdrakt

You cannot normally leave out the second en here.

Yes. In Norwegian, compound nouns are usually written as one word.

So:

• tørr + drakt = tørrdrakt
• våt + drakt = våtdrakt

This is very typical in Norwegian. English often uses two words or a hyphen where Norwegian uses a single compound word.

There is also a meaning difference:

• tørrdrakt = the specific type of suit called a drysuit
• tørr drakt = literally a dry suit/outfit, meaning a suit that is dry

So the one-word form matters.

Drakt means something like suit, outfit, or costume, depending on context.

In diving vocabulary:

• tørrdrakt = drysuit
• våtdrakt = wetsuit

You will also see drakt in other compounds, where it refers to some kind of clothing or uniform.

Snarere enn means rather than.

It is used when comparing two possibilities and saying that one is more accurate, more appropriate, or more correct than the other.

So this sentence means that the thing should be identified as:

• a drysuit and not
• a wetsuit

It often sounds a bit more careful or precise than a simple contradiction.

Yes. It is the same enn, which usually means than.

For example:

• større enn = bigger than
• snarere enn = rather than

In snarere enn, the whole phrase works together as a fixed expression, but enn is still the comparison word.

Yes, absolutely. A very natural alternative would be:

Dette er ikke en våtdrakt, men en tørrdrakt.

That means This is not a wetsuit, but a drysuit.

The difference is mainly nuance:

• snarere enn = rather than, a bit more nuanced or corrective
• ikke ..., men ... = more direct contrast

Both are correct and natural.

Because Dette er ... is a statement, while Er dette ... would be a question.

Compare:

• Dette er en tørrdrakt. = This is a drysuit.
• Er dette en tørrdrakt? = Is this a drysuit?

In Norwegian main clauses, the finite verb usually comes in the second position. Here:

• Dette = first element
• er = second element

So the word order is exactly what you would expect in a normal statement.

The hardest parts for English speakers are usually ø and å.

• ø in tørr is a rounded front vowel. A rough English approximation is the vowel in bird for some accents, but with rounded lips.
• å in våt is roughly like the vowel in law or more in many English accents.

A few extra notes:

• tørrdrakt is one compound word, so say it smoothly as one unit.
• The double consonant in tørr shows that the vowel is short.
• Norwegian pronunciation varies somewhat by dialect, but those approximations will help you get close.

It is not overly formal, but it is slightly more careful or precise than the most basic alternatives.

So:

• snarere enn sounds thoughtful or corrective
• ikke ..., men ... sounds more straightforward

You can definitely use snarere enn in normal written and spoken Norwegian, especially when you want to say more accurately X than Y.