> > To me the English 'v'
> > sounds almost exactly like 'f' and I have trouble differentiating
> > between 'f', 'v' and 'w' when I (try to) speak English.
>
> It never ceases to amaze me how subtle differences can be so important to
> native speakers of a language and yet sail by the ears of others without
> registering. You're right, 'f' and 'v' are completely distinct in English,
> and we would never confuse words like "fine" and "vine". And yet as an
> English speaker I have all kinds of trouble with the Icelandic/Norse vowels
> 'e' vs. 'ei', which I'm sure to you are totally distinct.

Exactly :-) To me the difference between 'get' (I can) and 'geit' (goat)
is as clear as day but the difference between 'fine' and 'vine' is as clear
as a foggy night.

Another English subtlety which I have trouble reproducing is the difference
between the _quality_ of the vowels in 'boot' and 'book'. To me, however,
the vowel in 'boot' is clearly _longer_ (different in quantity) from the
one in 'book'. Native English speakers don't seem to notice that difference
- yet, to my ears at least, they produce it accurately every time they utter
the words.

Kveðja,
Haukur