Resource Feature: Íslenzka.is
The creator of Íslenzka.is kindly approved this resource feature, as well as its mention and recommendation in the course, following an email inquiry.
What is it?
Íslenzka.is is a website by Mark, a man with an interest in linguistics who started learning Icelandic after a trip to Iceland in 2011. In addition to Íslenska.is, Mark also ran Íslenzka.net, a well-made bog documenting his Icelandic learning journal, which is now inactive.
The website is powered by a subset of data from the Database of Modern Icelandic Inflection (DMII), developed by Stofnun Árna Magnússonar, an Icelandic governmental institution dedicated to researching, recording, preserving, and sharing the Icelandic language.
Íslenzka.is allows users to search this database and generate blank inflection tables for many words. Users can then fill in the tables and receive feedback on whether their entries are correct. Beyond word searches, the website offers additional tools, including a flashcard system, a quiz function, and a customizable table quiz. The table quiz lets users test themselves on words from the database, filtering them based on various selectable criteria.
Why is it useful?
Íslenzka.is is a valuable tool for Icelandic learners, providing a quick and efficient way to practice inflection.
One of the biggest challenges for beginners learning Icelandic is mastering the inflectional system. While there are many effective ways to practice, Íslenzka.is stands out by allowing users to generate inflection tables instantly and receive immediate feedback on their accuracy. After reviewing the feedback, users can regenerate the table and continue practicing until they have fully memorized the word’s inflections.
The website also enables users to search for specific words or paradigms, making it especially useful for reinforcing tricky inflections that require extra practice. By repeatedly working through challenging patterns, learners can strengthen their grasp of Icelandic morphology.
Additionally, the website’s flashcard, table, and quiz functions provide further opportunities to test knowledge. These features generate random words for users to inflect, helping them develop inflectional intuition. The flashcard and table functions are particularly useful, as they allow users to set criteria for word selection, ensuring focused practice on difficult paradigms.
Tips
To get the most out of Íslenzka.is, I recommend repeating a paradigm until you can fill in the entire table correctly without relying on external resources or the program’s answer-checking functions. Specifically, avoid pressing Enter to move to the next cell, as this checks your entry immediately. Instead, use the Tab key to navigate through the table and only check your answers after completing the entire set. While this method is more challenging and time-consuming, it will help you internalize the patterns more effectively.
Additionally, since the program automatically verifies your answers and moves vertically when you press enter, it’s easy to develop a habit of completing tables in a strictly vertical manner. However, I recommend varying your approach.
The goal of learning inflections isn’t just to fill out tables correctly but to use the words fluently in real-life situations. Thinking about and completing tables horizontally—rather than just vertically—can reinforce associations between different grammatical categories. This method helps build connections between singular and plural forms, present and past tenses, and definite and indefinite constructions, making patterns more recognizable.
Lastly, always ensure that you’re working with the correct table. Because of the program’s structure, it’s easy to navigate to the wrong table by mistake. Before you begin filling it out, double-check the label at the top to confirm you’re practicing the right paradigm.
Limitations
Íslenzka.is has some limitations and should not be relied upon as a complete or comprehensive resource.
One key limitation is that the site does not account for multiple correct inflectional variations. In some cases, valid forms are mistakenly marked as incorrect. For example, the verb að duga can become either duga or dugi in the first-person singular, but Íslenzka.is incorrectly marks dugi as wrong.
Additionally, the search function only supports nominative singular forms for nouns and adjectives and the bare infinitive for verbs. This means that searching for an inflected form, such as sterkan,will not return results for its base adjective, sterkur.
Lastly, it is easy to land on the wrong table. If you search for íslenska without checking the dropdown menu and simply press enter, the site will return the verb að íslenska rather than the noun íslenska. Since the verb is far less common, this could lead to confusion or unintended results.