Swedish/Spelling

Grammar

The ng-sound

tung, tvinga, sväng

regn, lugn, ugn, inhägna

An exception is tvungna because the ng spelling of this word is herited from the particip form tvungen.

The tj-sound

English examples of the tj sound: wash, fish, flush, shallow, ship

Before hard vowel, (at the beginning of words), the tj-sound is spelled tj.

tjusa, tjäna, tjalla, tjog

Before soft vowel, (at the beginning of words), the tj-sound is spelled k.

Kina, kela, kind, kärlek, kyrka, körsbär

When not at the beginning of words the tj-sound is spelled sch or rs.

dusch, usch

fors, färsk, kurs

Exceptions with tj-sound kjol, kiosk

The skj-sound

Before soft vowel the skj-sound is spelled sk.

skepp, skinn, sky, skärm, sköld

Before hard vowel the skj-sound is spelled skj.

skjorta, skjul, skjuta

Before the soft vowel ä the skj-sound is sometimes spelled stj.

stjärna, stjärt, stjälk

For some exceptions the skj-sound is spelled sj.

sju, sjätte

For some exceptions in beginning of words, before a soft vowel the skj-sound is spelled g.

generell, generös, giraff

Before hard vowel in some borrowed words spelled ch.

choklad, chock, chans

Before o in some borrowed words spelled ti.

station, situation, aktion

Exceptions with skj-sound

schack

The j-sound

jord, boj,

djup, djungel, djärv, djur

gärna, ge

gjuta, gjorde

hjärna, hjälp

ljuvlig, ljus

The rd and rt-sounds

Pronounced with soft r and long preceding vowel ord, börda

kort, art

The r-sound

This sound depends strongly on dialect. There are five variants.

The s-sound

sång, stilla, bas

cykel, cyklop, cyanid, Cecilia

Z is pronounced like s.
zick-zack, zebra, zon

Example Sentences

Många ugnar finns i Kina. Many owens are in China.

Hjärnan är jättestor. The brain is huge.

I djungelns djup finns många djärva djur. Deep in the djungle there is a lot of brave animals.

I skjulet finns skjorta. In the shed there is shirt.

Exercises

Pronounce these words

juni, hjul, jul, djur, gjuta, gubbe, galt, hjort, hjässa, ge, ljuvlig

kurva, tjusig, köra, kärv, kär, tjäle, tjockis, varsel, mars, kjol

skalle, sjal, stjälpa, skjorta, sko, skinn, generad, gumma, gäst, ljus

vart, färd, fart, hord, rabbla, borra, bura in, barrikad

vagn, dunge, djungel, ting, stygn, tvungna, ringla

bastu, vass, central, Barsebäck, morsning, kross, brons

Language classification: this is a Swedish language resource.