Oslo Norwegian · Bokmål-aligned
The Oslo-area variety, the most widely heard spoken Norwegian in national broadcasting. Closely associated with Bokmål, the more Danish-influenced of the two written standards.
Western Norwegian
Also known as: Bergen Norwegian, Vestlandsk
The Norwegian of the western fjords, centred on Bergen. The basis of much of Nynorsk, the second written Norwegian standard built from rural dialects rather than Dano-Norwegian.
Shareable facts
Want a Western Norwegian app?
Vote and we'll prioritise it. Top-voted dialects move up the roadmap. One vote per email.
Frequently asked questions
What language is Western Norwegian?
Western Norwegian is a dialect of the Norwegian language.
Where is Western Norwegian spoken?
Western Norwegian is primarily spoken in Norway.
Which region is Western Norwegian associated with?
Western Norwegian is part of the Europe region on DialectAtlas.
Is Western Norwegian known by other names?
Yes — Western Norwegian is also referred to as Bergen Norwegian, Vestlandsk.
What are the other dialects of Norwegian?
Norwegian also includes Eastern Norwegian, Trøndersk. Each variety has its own vocabulary, pronunciation, and cultural context.
Other Norwegian dialects
See on the atlas →Trøndelag Norwegian
The Norwegian of Trøndelag in central Norway, around Trondheim. Distinct from both eastern and western varieties in vowel realisation and intonation.
Nearby dialects
See on the atlas →305 km away
The Oslo-area variety, the most widely heard spoken Norwegian in national broadcasting. Closely associated with Bokmål, the more Danish-influenced of the two written standards.
430 km away
The Norwegian of Trøndelag in central Norway, around Trondheim. Distinct from both eastern and western varieties in vowel realisation and intonation.
471 km away
A para-Romani variety spoken by Traveller communities in Sweden and Norway, combining a Romani-derived lexicon with a Scandinavian grammatical frame. It descends from the speech of Romani groups present in the region since the sixteenth century and survives today largely as an in-group vocabulary register.
482 km away
A heavily archaic North Germanic variety spoken in Älvdalen in northern Dalarna, Sweden. Often classified as a separate language; preserves Old Norse features lost in all other living varieties.
672 km away
The North Germanic language of the Faroe Islands. Closely related to Icelandic and Western Norwegian; co-official with Danish in the islands.
675 km away
The Copenhagen-based standard of Danish. A North Germanic language, widely cited for its highly reduced vowels and famously challenging stød (a quasi-tonal feature) for learners.