DENMARK: English-language announcements on the København metro have switched to using Danish pronunciations for station names.
‘Originally, the station names were pronounced as they would be in English, as this was intended to make it easier for non-Danish speakers to recognise the names’, said Eva Lind, Commercial Director at metro authority Metroselskabet, on July 1. However, a survey of tourists and international residents found that people preferred the Danish pronunciation, as they wanted to learn the names of the stations in Danish, and it also makes it easier to ask for directions.
Actor Thomas Magnussen, who along with Katrine Falkenberg recorded the original announcements, has recorded a total of 99 English announcements with a new pronunciation. ‘Although people have chuckled at how funny the English pronunciation sounded, many have also said that it gave it a more international feel’, he said.
