Basics & Pronunciation
Swedish (Svenska) is a North Germanic language, closely related to Danish and Norwegian. Many words are similar to German (Hund = hund, Haus = hus, Wasser = vatten). However, the pronunciation has its pitfalls — especially the melodic emphasis (intonation), which gives Swedish its singing character.
Special Letters
- Å/å: Like an open "o" (similar to the "o" in "vor")
- Ä/ä: Like "ä" in German
- Ö/ö: Like "ö" in German
Pronunciation Tips
- sj/sk (before e, i, y, ö, ä): A unique sound — a soft "sh" at the back of the mouth, almost like a gentle "ch" (e.g., sjö = lake, sked = spoon)
- kj/tj: Like "ch" in "ich" (e.g., kjol = skirt, tjugo = twenty)
- g (before e, i, y, ö, ä): Like "j" (e.g., göra = pronounced "jöra")
- r: In southern Sweden (Skåne), pronounced gutturally like in French, in the rest of the country as a tongue-tip "r"
- d, g, h: Often silent at the end of a word (e.g., god = pronounced "guh")
