Learn Hardcore Norwegian: Vi øver på uttalen hver dag. - We practice the pronunciation every day.

øve på uttalen = practice the pronunciation
øve (meg) på å uttale = practice pronouncing When you’re practicing a specific piece or exercise, you can sometimes use øve with a direct object: øve skalaer, øve et stykke. But with abstract skills like pronunciation, øve på is the natural choice.

Why is it uttalen (definite), not uttale?

uttale is the noun “pronunciation.” The definite uttalen = “the pronunciation.”
Norwegian often prefers the definite when referring to a specific, contextually understood thing, e.g., “our pronunciation” or “the pronunciation (of Norwegian).” English would normally omit “the,” but Norwegian frequently uses the definite here.
If you modify the noun, the indefinite can be fine: norsk uttale (“Norwegian pronunciation”).

Can I say Vi øver uttalen without på?

It’s grammatically possible but sounds odd. For practicing skills, say øve på + noun: Vi øver på uttalen. Direct objects with øve are more typical for concrete items, e.g., øve skalaer/replikker/et stykke.

What’s the difference between hver dag and hverdag?

hver dag (two words) = “every day.”
hverdag (one word) = “weekday” or “everyday life.” Don’t use hverdag here.

Why is there no article before dag in hver dag?

With hver (“each/every”), you never use an article. It’s just hver + noun: hver dag, hvert år, hver uke.

Should it be hver or hvert?

It agrees with the noun’s gender:

hver for masculine and feminine nouns: hver dag, hver uke
hvert for neuter nouns: hvert år, hvert minutt

Can I move hver dag to the front?

Yes: Hver dag øver vi på uttalen. Norwegian main clauses follow the V2 rule: whatever you put first (here hver dag), the finite verb (øver) stays in second position, and the subject (vi) comes right after it.

Is øver present tense? How do you conjugate øve?

Yes. å øve (to practice):

Present: øver
Preterite: øvde or øvet (both accepted)
Past participle: øvd or øvet
Present perfect: har øvd/øvet
Present participle (rare): øvende

Do Norwegians ever say øve oss here?

Yes. øve (seg) på emphasizes training oneself:

Vi øver oss på uttalen hver dag. Both with and without oss are common. Without it is a bit leaner and fully idiomatic.

Could I use other prepositions like med, til, or om?

øve på
- skill/aspect: øve på uttalen, øve på å lese
øve med
- companion/instrument: øve med bandet/piano
øve til
- event/goal: øve til konserten/eksamen
øve om is not used in this meaning.

What’s the difference between å øve, å trene, and å praktisere?

øve: practice a skill or piece; most natural for language, music, acting.
trene: train; often physical, but also skills. trene på uttale is possible.
praktisere: practice professionally (law/medicine) or put into practice; not used for drills like pronunciation.

How do I pronounce øver?

ø: rounded front vowel (like French in peu). Shape your lips as for oo, but aim for an ee tongue position.
øver: roughly [ˈøːvər]. Stress on the first syllable. Final r varies by dialect (tap [ɾ] or uvular [ʁ]).

How do I pronounce uttalen?

u: close front rounded [ʉ] (similar to Swedish u).
Double tt: shortens the preceding vowel and lengthens the t ([tː]).
uttalen: about [ˈʉtːɑːlən]. Stress on UT. The -en ending is often a weak -ən.

How do I pronounce hver dag?

hver: often [vær] in Eastern Norwegian (the h is silent; v pronounced). æ like English “a” in “cat,” often long [æː]. Some dialects say [kvær].
dag: [dɑːg] (final g may weaken or devoice depending on dialect).
Together: [vær dɑːg] is common.

Is there a Nynorsk version?

Yes: Vi øver på uttalen kvar dag. You’ll also see the Nynorsk present øvar: Vi øvar på uttalen kvar dag.

What’s the gender of uttale, and can I use a feminine form?

In Bokmål, uttale is feminine, but many feminine nouns can be treated as masculine:

Masculine pattern (very common): en uttale – uttalen
Feminine pattern (also allowed): ei uttale – uttala The sentence uses the masculine-style definite uttalen.

Is uttale also a verb? What about uttalelse?

å uttale = to pronounce; present uttaler, preterite uttalte, past participle uttalt.
uttale (noun) = pronunciation; plural uttaler.
uttalelse (noun) = a statement/comment (different meaning). Definite: uttalelsen.

Can I drop the subject Vi?

No. Norwegian normally requires explicit subject pronouns. Øver på uttalen hver dag is ungrammatical; keep Vi (or another subject).

Any typing tips for ø/å/æ?

ø/Ø: Windows Alt codes 0248/0216; Mac: Option-o/Shift-Option-o; phones: long-press o.
å/Å: Windows Alt codes 0229/0197; Mac: Option-a/Shift-Option-a; phones: long-press a.
æ/Æ: Windows Alt codes 0230/0198; Mac: Option-’/Shift-Option-’; phones: long-press a or e.