Start here: Icelandic Online (University of Iceland)
Icelandic Online is the best free starting point for beginners. It’s a complete self-study platform created by the University of Iceland, with A1–A2 paths, short lessons, audio, and auto-graded tasks. You can learn at your own pace and review core phrases, grammar, and pronunciation in context.
Set a small daily goal (15–25 minutes) and do one to two lessons each day. The site works well on desktop and mobile, so you can sneak in quick review sessions anywhere. Pair it with a simple phrase notebook or flashcards to lock in new words.
- Create a free account and start with the Survival or Beginner track.
- Always listen to the audio first, then read the text and repeat aloud.
- Use the built-in quizzes to check progress before moving on.
- Save tricky phrases to a personal list for daily review.
Classic courses and PDFs you can download
The FSI Icelandic Basic Course is public domain and ideal for structured, old-school learning. You get a full course book in PDF plus audio drills — perfect for pronunciation, rhythm, and core patterns. It’s not flashy, but it’s thorough and completely free.
You can also find free audio for Colloquial Icelandic from the publisher; while the book is paid, the audio is helpful on its own for beginners to shadow phrases. Beyond that, search for university or community language handouts: many publish beginner phrase sheets and simple grammar overviews as free PDFs.
- FSI Icelandic Basic Course: free PDF + audio (great for drills).
- Colloquial Icelandic: free audio from the publisher; book is paid.
- Printable phrase sheets: greetings, numbers, time, directions.
- One-page grammar cheat sheets for articles, cases, and verb basics.
Free apps and sites for daily practice
Mix structured study with bite-size practice. Memrise has community-made Icelandic courses for beginners; Clozemaster helps you learn words in real sentences. Both are easy to use and keep you moving without overwhelm.
For pronunciation and vocabulary, Forvo, Wiktionary, and Tatoeba are invaluable. If you like flashcards, Anki is a powerful free tool: build your own deck from phrases you encounter so you learn exactly what you need.
- Memrise: beginner vocab and phrases with audio (free community courses).
- Clozemaster: sentence-based practice to reinforce patterns.
- Anki: spaced-repetition flashcards; add your own Icelandic cards.
- Forvo: hear native recordings of words and names.
- Wiktionary and Tatoeba: meanings, examples, and basic usage.
Learn with videos, podcasts, and real Icelandic
YouTube is full of beginner-friendly lessons: search for “Icelandic A1,” “Icelandic pronunciation,” or “Icelandic phrases for travel.” Watch short clips, repeat out loud, and turn on captions when available. Shadowing (speaking along with the audio) makes tricky sounds feel natural faster.
For real-life listening, check RÚV’s children’s shows (KrakkaRÚV) and programs with Icelandic subtitles. Children’s content uses clear pronunciation and everyday vocabulary, which is perfect for beginners. Aim for 5–10 minutes daily to build listening confidence.
- YouTube: short A1 lessons, alphabet and sounds, basic dialogues.
- RÚV and KrakkaRÚV: slow, clear Icelandic with subtitles.
- Shadowing: listen, pause, repeat, then read and repeat again.
- Create a “phrase bank” of lines you want to reuse in conversation.
A simple 30-day plan for absolute beginners
This easy plan keeps your study routine light but consistent. Adjust times to suit your schedule and add rest days if needed. Consistency beats cramming.
By the end of 30 days, you should handle greetings, numbers, basic questions, and common travel or daily phrases — a solid A1 foundation.
- Daily (15–25 min): 1–2 lessons on Icelandic Online + quick review.
- 3x/week (10 min): Memrise or Clozemaster for vocabulary reinforcement.
- 3x/week (10 min): Shadow a short video or audio; focus on sounds.
- 2x/week (10 min): Anki review of your custom phrase deck.
- Weekly (20 min): Print or save a PDF cheat sheet; highlight tough bits.
- Weekly (15 min): Write a mini-script (introductions, café order) and practice aloud.
FAQ
- Is Icelandic hard to learn for English speakers?
- It has new sounds and grammar cases, but steady daily practice makes it manageable. With 20–30 minutes a day, many beginners reach a solid A1 in a few months.
- Can I learn Icelandic for free without buying a book?
- Yes. Use Icelandic Online for structure, FSI PDFs for drills, and free apps for practice. If you later want a book, add it after you build momentum.
- Where can I get a free Icelandic PDF?
- Start with the FSI Icelandic Basic Course (free PDF + audio). You can also find university or community phrase sheets and grammar summaries released as free PDFs.
- How do I practice pronunciation and make it feel easy?
- Listen first, then shadow. Use Forvo to hear natives, record yourself on your phone, and compare. Short, daily repetition beats long sessions.
- What useful beginner phrases should I learn first?
- Start with: Halló! (Hello), Hvað heitir þú? (What’s your name?), Ég heiti… (My name is…), Takk! (Thanks), Afsakið (Excuse me), Hvar er…? (Where is…?).