Swedish, with its melodic sound and unique pronunciations, can be a fascinating language to learn. One of the challenges that learners face is getting to grips with the correct pronunciation of certain tricky words. Below are some Swedish words that often trip up learners, complete with phonetic pronunciations and definitions to help you master them.
Sju
(Phonetic pronunciation: /ɧuː/)
This number, meaning ‘seven’, features the voiceless postalveolar fricative /ɧ/, which is a sound quite unique to Swedish and some other Scandinavian languages. It’s akin to saying an ‘h’ sound while rounding your lips.
Jag har sju syskon. (I have seven siblings.)
Sjukhus
(Phonetic pronunciation: /ˈɧʉːkˌhʉːs/)
Meaning ‘hospital’, this word combines the challenging /ɧ/ sound with a long vowel sound and ‘hus’, which means ‘house’.
Hon jobbar på sjukhuset i staden. (She works at the hospital in the city.)
Skjuta
(Phonetic pronunciation: /ˈɧʉːta/)
This verb meaning ‘to shoot’ or ‘to push’ is another example that uses the /ɧ/ sound. It is essential to avoid mixing this pronunciation with ‘sk’ sounds found in English.
Han måste skjuta dörren hårt för att stänga den. (He has to push the door hard to close it.)
Kex
(Phonetic pronunciation: /ɕɛks/)
It means ‘cookie’ or ‘biscuit’ and includes a /ɕ/ sound at the beginning, which may be unfamiliar to some. This sound is similar to the ‘sh’ in ‘ship’.
Kan jag få ett kex till kaffet? (Can I have a biscuit with my coffee?)
Västkusten
(Phonetic pronunciation: /ˈvɛstkʊstɛn/)
This geographical term meaning ‘the west coast’ can challenge language learners with its ‘vä’ sound and the ‘st’ combination.
Sommaren på västkusten är underbar. (Summer on the west coast is wonderful.)
Ögon
(Phonetic pronunciation: /ˈøːɡɔn/)
The word for ‘eyes’ has a long ‘ö’ vowel sound, which is similar to the German ‘ö’ or ‘eu’ in French. The ‘g’ is pronounced as a soft ‘y’ in this context.
Hans ögon är mycket blåa. (His eyes are very blue.)
Sjö
(Phonetic pronunciation: /ɧœː/)
Meaning ‘lake’, this word uses the /ɧ/ sound again, paired with an ‘ö’ vowel, which requires your lips to be rounded.
Vi simmar i sjön varje sommar. (We swim in the lake every summer.)
Tjugo
(Phonetic pronunciation: /ˈɧʉːɡʊ/)
The word for number ‘twenty’ features the tricky /ɧ/ sound as well as a soft ‘g’. It is not pronounced with a hard English ‘j’ or ‘g’.
Han är tjugo år gammal. (He is twenty years old.)
By familiarizing yourself with these tricky Swedish words and practicing their unique pronunciations, you can vastly improve your Swedish speaking skills. Remember, the key to mastering pronunciation is to listen carefully to native speakers and to practice regularly. Lycka till! (Good luck!)
