To help you navigate these terms, I have included a general pronunciation guide for the specific characters found in Old Norse. Note that Old Norse is a "stress-initial" language, meaning the emphasis is almost always on the first syllable.
General Old Norse Pronunciation Guide
á: Long "ah" as in father.
í: Long "ee" as in machine.
ó: Long "oh" as in pole.
ö: Like the "u" in burn or the "i" in bird.
þ (Thorn): Hard "th" as in thin.
ð (Eth): Soft "th" as in this or weather.
j: Always a "y" sound as in yes.
r: Usually "rolled" or "tapped" like in Spanish.
A — G
Æsir (ON: Æsir) — Pronunciation: EYE-seer The primary tribe of gods (including Odin, Thor, and Frigg).
Althing (ON: Alþingi) — Pronunciation: AL-thin-gee The national assembly of Iceland established in 930 CE.
Asgard (ON: Ásgarðr) — Pronunciation: AHS-garth-er The celestial realm inhabited by the gods.
Blót (ON: Blót) — Pronunciation: BLOHT (rhymes with boat) The central act of worship and ritual offering.
Dísir (ON: Dísir) — Pronunciation: DEE-seer Female ancestral spirits or deities.
Fylgja (ON: Fylgja) — Pronunciation: FILL-gyah A supernatural "follower" or animal spirit attached to a person.
Gebo (ON: Gjöf) — Pronunciation: GYUV (G is hard, like gift) The core principle of reciprocity and "The Gift."
Gothi / Gythia (ON: Goði / Gyðja) — Pronunciation: GO-thee / GITH-yah A priest or priestess; historically a local chieftain.
Grith (ON: Grið) — Pronunciation: GRITH (rhymes with with) A localized or temporary truce.
H — O
Hamingja (ON: Hamingja) — Pronunciation: HAHM-ing-yah The personification of a person’s luck and spiritual power.
Hávamál (ON: Hávamál) — Pronunciation: HOW-vah-mowl "The Sayings of the High One"; Odin’s ethical wisdom.
Hof (ON: Hof) — Pronunciation: HOF (rhymes with loaf or off depending on dialect, usually short o) A temple or hall dedicated to religion.
Hörgr (ON: Hörgr) — Pronunciation: HOR-ger A stone altar or cairn.
Innangard (ON: Innangarðs) — Pronunciation: IN-nahn-garth-er "Inside the yard"; the realm of law and civilization.
Jotun (ON: Jötunn) — Pronunciation: YOR-tun A "giant" or chaotic entity from the outside world.
Midgard (ON: Miðgarðr) — Pronunciation: MITH-garth-er "Middle-enclosure"; the physical world of humans.
Norns (ON: Nornir) — Pronunciation: NOR-neer The three beings who weave the tapestry of fate.
Örlög (ON: Örlög) — Pronunciation: OR-log The layers of past actions that determine the present.
R — Y
Ragnarök (ON: Ragnarök) — Pronunciation: RAG-nah-rock "The Fate of the Gods"; the final battle and rebirth.
Runes (ON: Rúnar) — Pronunciation: ROON-ar The alphabetic script and symbols of mystery.
Seidr (ON: Seiðr) — Pronunciation: SAY-ther (th as in this) A form of shamanic magic and prophecy.
Thing (ON: Þing) — Pronunciation: THING The legislative and judicial assembly of free men.
Utangard (ON: Utangarðs) — Pronunciation: OOT-ahn-garth-er "Outside the yard"; the realm of chaos and the wild.
Valkyrie (ON: Valkyrja) — Pronunciation: vahl-KEER-yah "Chooser of the Slain" who escorts the dead to Valhalla.
Vanir (ON: Vanir) — Pronunciation: VAH-neer The tribe of gods associated with fertility and the land.
Wyrd (ON: Urðr) — Pronunciation: URTH (rhymes with earth, but with a soft "th") The principle of fate and what has happened.
Yggdrasil (ON: Yggdrasill) — Pronunciation: IG-drah-sill The World Tree that connects the nine realms.
I hope you found something useful in this essay. You can find me on most social media @asktheamericanpagan.
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