How to pronounce Swedish
Say it like SWEE-dish. Swedish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SWEE).
Click the play button next to American or British to hear how to pronounce Swedish. Choose Slow to hear each sound clearly.
- SWEE
- dish
- Main stress
- Lighter stress
- Unstressed
Swedish pronunciation, sound by sound
Read the parts left to right, then blend them together without pausing.
- SWEESay this part loudest and longest. The vowel is the "ee" in see.
- dishKeep this part quick and light. The vowel is the "i" in sit.
American vs British pronunciation of Swedish
American and British speakers say Swedish in essentially the same way: /ˈswidɪʃ/ in the US and /ˈswiːdɪʃ/ in the UK.
British respelling: SWEE-dish.
What does Swedish mean?
- of or relating to or characteristic of Sweden or its people or culture or language“the Swedish King”“Swedish punch”
- a Scandinavian language that is the official language of Sweden and one of two official languages of Finland
Questions about saying Swedish
How do you pronounce Swedish?
Say SWEE-dish. The American pronunciation is /ˈswidɪʃ/. In British English it is /ˈswiːdɪʃ/. Press play above to hear it at normal speed or slowly.
How many syllables are in Swedish?
Swedish has two syllables, and the main stress falls on the first one (SWEE). Broken into parts: SWEE · dish.
Do Americans and Brits say Swedish the same way?
Almost exactly. The American form is /ˈswidɪʃ/ and the British form is /ˈswiːdɪʃ/, so you can use either pronunciation with any listener.