The pronunciation of "Laufey" varies depending on English approximation or original Icelandic/Norse roots. In English, it is often pronounced roughly as "Lau-fay" (like "law-fay"). However, the original Old Norse and Icelandic pronunciations are more complex:
- The "au" sound is similar to the "ow" in "house."
- The "f" between vowels is pronounced like a soft "v."
- The "ey" is pronounced like "ay" in "way" or a glide between "e" in "bed" and a rounded vowel like German ΓΌ.
Thus, a more authentic Old Norse or Icelandic pronunciation would sound roughly like "L-ow-v-ay" with a soft "v" and the ending like "ay" or "oy" glide. The singer Laufey herself mentioned her name is pronounced close to "Levey" or "Levy" in clean Icelandic, which English speakers might approximate as "Leigh-vay" or "Lay-vay".
A simple English pronunciation to use is:
"Law-fay" or "Lau-fay"
For a more Icelandic pronunciation, it is closer to:
"Lay-vay" or "Leh-vey" with softened vowels and a "v" sound instead of
"f".
