Æ, Ø and Å, three letters the world can't understand

Computers and globalisation could spell the demise of the three letters that distinguish the Danish alphabet

Tacked onto the end of the Danish alphabet, the special Danish letters 'æ', 'ø' and 'å' are threatened in a globalised world where the English language's dominance grows daily and where linguistic idiosyncrasies slow the internet's lightning fast communication, reports 24timer newspaper.

The telltale signs of standardisation have already appeared, concerned linguists point out. Denmark's largest corporation has erased the line in its 'ø' split apart the 'æ' in its name and now calls itself 'A.P. Moller-Maersk', for example. And any scholar named 'Søren' knows it's easiest to just use an 'o' when attending conferences abroad.

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