Swedish/Spelling

Grammar

The ng-sound

tung, tvinga, sväng

regn, lugn, ugn, hägn

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,

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 o in some borrowed words spelled ch.

choklad, chock

Before o in some borrowed words spelled ti.

station, situation, aktion

Exceptions with tj-sound

schack, kjol, kiosk

The j-sound

jord, boj,

djup, djungel, djärv, djur

gärna, ge

gjuta, gjorde

hjärna, hjälp

ljuvlig, ljus

The rd-sound

ord, börda

The rt-sound

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

zick-zack

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.