Learning to speak a new language is exciting; learning to write a new language is even more exciting! It will open new worlds for you. So, dig into these tips and advice for learning how to master the Swedish alphabet easily - at SwedishPod101 we make it easy, fun and relevant for you!
Starting anything from scratch can be challenging, especially if you learn how to write in a language completely different from your own. It is really like navigating through a territory that is completely unknown to you.
However, this need not be a big hurdle or a problem! At SwedishPod101, we introduce you to Swedish writing in simple, easy-to-follow steps, and you can ask for advice or help anywhere along the way. It is important to master the Swedish alphabet completely from the start.
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The Swedish alphabet is very easy to learn because it uses the same alphabet as English, except for the last three: å, ä, ö.
Knowing the basics of the Swedish alphabet is a huge step in learning Swedish because it’s a “phonetic” language. That means if you know the letters, then you can read the words and people will understand you. In fact, the writing system is so exact that when you ask someone to spell a word, they usually just say it slower. We’ll go over the pronunciation of each letter and the rules for spelling in our pronunciation series.
Alphabet The Swedish alphabet consists of nine vowels and twenty consonants. The vowels are a, e, i, o, u, y, å, ä, and ö. This is similar to the English vowels, apart from å, ä, ö and y.
You also form words the same as in English by putting letters together in certain orders. Swedish is a Germanic-based language, so it shares many words with English and German. Cognates are similar-looking words with similar meanings. For example, “electricity” (elektricitet) and “traditional” (traditionell) are English-Swedish cognates.
Learning Other Languages If you know Swedish, then Norwegian, Danish, Icelandic and German will be easier to understand and learn because they share common roots.
The modern Swedish alphabet is derived from the Latin alphabet but consists of 29 letters rather than the 26 standard Latin letters. The three extra letters Åå, Ää, and Öö are found at the end of the alphabet. 20 consonants and nine vowels make up the whole of the Swedish alphabet though some letters, such as Gg, are rarely used except in foreign words. You will also find foreign letters applied to non-native words or names, even in official documents, but those letters are not considered part of the Swedish alphabet. The vowels themselves can be grouped into hard (Aa, Oo, Uu, Åå) and soft (Ee, Ii, Yy, Ää, Öö). Note that Yy is considered a vowel, not a consonant, in the Swedish language.
If you are trying to learn Swedish you will find that learning the alphabet is one of the easier tasks. Pronunciation of Swedish words can be a little more difficult. In addition, because there are many different dialects spoken throughout Sweden, Swedish words can sometimes be pronounced differently depending on what region you are visiting. Learning the standard Swedish language is helpful, as this is the dialect spoken in most metropolitan areas and large cities such as Stockholm.
When you are beginning to learn Swedish it might not be a top priority to learn the Swedish alphabet, particularly if you are learning the language phonetically. However, sooner or later you will want to buckle down and learn the alphabet, especially if you plan to learn Swedish writing at some point. Learning the alphabet will be helpful when you are looking up Swedish words, whether for the spelling or the meaning. Also, though the alphabet looks similar to other Latin-based alphabets, pronunciation of the different Swedish letters is distinct.
Upper Case
Lower Case
Name
A
a
/ɑː/
B
b
/beː/
C
c
/seː/
D
d
/deː/
E
e
/eː/
F
f
/ɛfː/
G
g
/ɡeː/
H
h
/hoː/
I
i
/iː/
J
j
/jiː/
K
k
/koː/
L
l
/ɛlː/
M
m
/ɛmː/
N
n
/ɛnː/
O
o
/uː/
P
p
/peː/
Q
q
/kʉː/
R
r
/ærː/
S
s
/ɛsː/
T
t
/teː/
U
u
/ʉː/
V
v
/veː/
W
w
/²dɵbːɛlˌveː/
X
x
/ɛks/
Y
y
/yː/
Z
z
/²sɛːta/
Å
å
/oː/
Ä
ä
/ɛː/
Ö
ö
/øː/
Learning Swedish letters is simple, and once you know the letters you can move on to studying words. Whether you are learning through a Swedish podcast, like those offered by SwedishPod 101 or through flashcards, a dictionary can be a handy tool to use. This is where knowing the alphabet can come in handy during your Swedish lessons. Knowing the approximate spelling of a word will make it easier to look up when needed. Learning the Swedish alphabet will become the basis for all your subsequent language lessons, so don’t put it off. Learn the alphabet first and the rest will follow.
A language’s alphabet is its building blocks. Trying to learn how to write in Swedish without first learning its alphabet is a bit like trying to build a brick house without touching the individual bricks! It is impossible to do a good job that way. So don’t believe language schools and methods that try to teach you otherwise. You will regret it later.
Also, once you start recognizing symbols and words, you will be encouraged by your own progress and motivated to learn even faster. Even just learning the basics of the alphabet will allow you to start recognizing simple Swedish words, and it will feel great!
Furthermore, knowing the alphabet even helps with pronunciation, as learning the individual letters of any language will start uncovering nuances and intricacies that are not always apparent when you’re simply listening to the words.
Completely mastering the Swedish alphabet, no matter how long it takes, will give you an excellent head start in learning how to write and read the language. It will offer you a solid foundation on which to build the other language skills, so set a goal to learn the alphabet so well that you’re able to recite it in your sleep!
Read on for helpful tips and secrets to learning the Swedish alphabet quickly and effectively.
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This eBook is a MUST-HAVE for all Swedish learning beginners!
Download your Free Swedish practice sheets PDF today and learn the Swedish language in no time! This is a must-have guide for absolute beginners
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3 Reasons to Learn Swedish Through PDF Lessons
Let’s now take a closer look at how studying Swedish lessons in PDF format can help you reach your dream in up to half the time of normal video or audio lessons!
① Saves Minutes on Your Data Plan
Learning Swedish through PDF lessons can dramatically reduce your data use. Once a lesson or tool is downloaded, you can then access it offline via your computer or smartphone any time or place regardless of Internet access. And once you’ve download the Swedish lessons in PDF format, you can actually access them faster than logging in and trying to do so via a live site. So not only will learning Swedish using PDF lessons save minutes on your data plan—it will save you some significant time as well as the lessons add up!
② Print and Take All Swedish Lessons and PDF Tools With You Anywhere
Sometimes, a tiny smartphone screen just isn’t adequate, especially when you are trying to learn something new. The great thing about PDF lessons, tools or files is that they can be quickly printed and taken anywhere after you download them. In fact, printing out Swedish lessons in PDF format can actually save you time when compared to going through the material on a smartphone with a small screen—even with the extra printing time!
③ Great Study Tool to Boost Retention and Mastery
Studying video or audio lessons online is a great way to learn a language because students can play and rewind sections as many times as needed until the lesson is mastered. But when you review the same Swedish lessons again in PDF format, an incredible thing happens: your retention dramatically improves! Thanks to Time Spaced Repetition, seeing the information again in written format helps reinforce the information in your mind and improves both retention and recall. The benefits of learning Swedish using PDF lessons quickly add up to significant time savings for you, your data plan, and your dream of learning a new language!
Why are we giving it away?
Learning to read and write is a must for all beginners. Although you get video lessons on how to write in Swedish at SwedishPod101, you’ll still need physical worksheets to practice on. That’s why you’re getting this printable tutorial PDFs as a gift.
With a language, like with anything you have to learn from scratch, having a few mnemonic devices handy are key to learning it fast. A mnemonic device is basically any method or technique that helps you to retain or commit something to memory more easily.
Here are a few mnemonic devices to memorize the Swedish alphabet so you can speed up learning how to write in Swedish.
① Find and Learn an Alphabet Song or Poem in Swedish
Can you still remember your childhood alphabet song in your own language? The best way to commit it to memory so you can recite it is still your mom or first teacher’s way - with music, a song and/or a poem! Find a recording and learn to sing the song, or recite the poem along as best as you can. Ask your SwedishPod101 teacher to help you understand exactly what you are singing or saying, and soon you’ll have reciting the alphabet under your belt! Repeat it out loud as often as possible.
However, you still need to learn how to write it.
② Study a Few Letters At a Time
Remember when you were young and learning to write for the first time? You didn’t start with words or sentences; you started with letters, one at a time!
Decide on tackling only a few letters each week, and then don’t move on from these till you are completely familiar with them. Don’t take on too many at once, or you may become discouraged. Also, remember to ask your teacher at SwedishPod101 if you have questions!
Learn to incidentally spot the letters in books, road signs (If you’re living in the country), magazines, on TV, anywhere you encounter written Swedish. Remember to write them out!
③ Write Out the Letters of the Alphabet By Hand
Make it a goal to write out your week’s letters at least once a day, and commit to this goal. You can also do it every time you have a free moment. Get yourself a special notebook for this purpose that you can carry with you anywhere you go. Sitting on the train or bus? Waiting for someone somewhere? Whip out your notebook and write the Swedish alphabet, or the letters you are learning. Aim for about 20 repetitions, while silently saying the letter in your head as you write it out. This way, you will soon be able to form and write words all by yourself! Exciting, isn’t it?
Writing something down with a pen also seems to engrave it in the brain in a way that nothing else does. As an added benefit, it gives you the satisfaction of seeing a new language in your own writing!
Once you’ve mastered the whole alphabet, commit to writing it out in its entirety at least once a day, for at least one month. More repetitions are obviously better.
④ Involve Your Whole Body
Research has shown that the more senses and actions we use to learn something, the quicker the new information sticks in the memory and becomes habitual. To apply this principle while learning the Swedish alphabet, write out huge letters by tracing them in the soil, or with chalk on the floor. Now, while saying the letter out loud, walk on the lines you have just traced. In this way, you ‘write’ the letter by moving your whole body!
Having fun just makes it even easier to learn something, so why not ‘write’ the letters out with dance steps while moving to your favorite Swedish music!
This is a simple trick that seems silly, but you’ll be surprised how quickly you will commit intricate letters to memory this way. It really works!
⑤ Use Associations To Memorize Letters
This technique would involve saying the Swedish letter out loud, and then thinking of a word in your own language that sounds the same as the letter. That would then create a phonic association that should make it easier for you to remember the letter. Better even if the association is something you can draw or picture.
If the script of the new alphabet is very different from your own, look at it closely, and see if you can find an image that the letter reminds you of
⑥ Now Have Fun Trying To Write Words!
Try to write words from your own language in Swedish, and ask your friendly SwedishPod101 teachers for feedback! Or post them on the forum and see if anyone can read them. You will be so pleased with yourself when you start writing words that are readable and recognizable by native speakers.
Do you know how to say hello in Swedish? It’s the most basic phrase that you’ll need to say and hear in everyday life. If you don’t know yet, learn 15 ways to say hello and greet others in Swedish. Why 15? The more variations you know, the more you can speak and the more fluent you become!
Can you introduce yourself in Swedish? Don’t worry! Check out the 10 Swedish Lines You Need To Introduce Yourself with this free Review Sheet. From “My name is…“ and “I live in…” down to “My hobbies are…” Just review the 10 lines. It will only take you 2 minutes. Then, introduce yourself in the comment section below!
How good is your Swedish? Care to put it to the test? Here’s the deal! We’ve come up with this must-know Swedish Phrases List. Learn the top 25 Swedish phrases, hear the native pronunciation and put your Swedish to the test. Did you know them all? If not, review the list and master these easy phrases!
Has anyone thanked you today? We will. Thank you for reading this article and learning with us! In fact, today, you’ll learn the many different ways to say “Thank You” in Swedish. It’s one of the most important Swedish phrases. Check it out and watch the video too to practice your pronunciation.
Say Hello in Swedish
Introduce Yourself
Top Swedish Phrases
Thank You in Swedish
A language’s alphabet is its building blocks. Trying to learn how to write in Swedish without first learning its alphabet is a bit like trying to build a brick house without touching the individual bricks! It is impossible to do a good job that way. So don’t believe language schools and methods that try to teach you otherwise. You will regret it later.
With a language, like with anything you have to learn from scratch, having a few mnemonic devices handy are key to learning it fast. A mnemonic device is basically any method or technique that helps you to retain or commit something to memory more easily.
Hej Lidiia,
Ingen orsak! 😁👍 Jag hoppas att du tyckte det var användbart.
(No problem! 😁👍 I hope that you thought it was useful.)
Vicky
Team SwedishPod101.com