Swedish Pronunciation Guide
Swedish pronunciation follows consistent rules, but there are some tricky sounds. Mastering the difference between hard and soft vowels is the key to sounding natural.
Hard vs. Soft Vowels
The Letter 'K'
Hard K /k/
Before hard vowels (A, O, U, Å) or at the end of a word.
Soft K /ɕ/ (The "TJ" sound)
Before soft vowels (E, I, Y, Ä, Ö). Sounds like a soft "sh" or "ch".
The Letter 'G'
Hard G /g/
Before hard vowels (A, O, U, Å) or at the end of a word.
Soft G /j/ (Like English 'Y' in 'Yes')
Before soft vowels (E, I, Y, Ä, Ö) and often after R/L.
The 'SK' Combination
Hard SK /sk/
Before hard vowels (A, O, U, Å).
Soft SK /ɧ/ (The "SJ" sound)
Before soft vowels (E, I, Y, Ä, Ö). This is a unique Swedish sound, often described as a "dark sh".
Special Sounds
The "SJ" Sound /ɧ/
Can be spelled many ways: sj, stj, skj, sch, ti (in -tion).
The "TJ" Sound /ɕ/
Spelled tj or kj (or soft K). Similar to English 'sh' but softer.
The "RS" Sound /ʂ/
When R is followed by S, they merge into a retroflex "sh" sound.
The "NG" Sound /ŋ/
Spelled ng or g before n. Like English "sing".