Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
The letter z is rare, used in names and a few loanwords such as zon "zone". z historically represented /ts/. By 1700, this had merged with /s/. As a result, z was replaced by s in 1700. z was instead used in loanwords for historical /z/. z is the second least used letter in Swedish, before q . [11]
The letter Å (å in lower case) represents various (although often similar) sounds in several languages. It is a separate letter in Danish, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, North Frisian, Low Saxon, Transylvanian Saxon, Walloon, Chamorro, Lule Sami, Pite Sami, Skolt Sami, Southern Sami, Ume Sami, Pamirian languages, and Greenlandic alphabets.
The Swedish sound can also be spelled several different ways, including dj , g , gj , hj , j , or lj , similarly to the tj-sound which can be spelled with ch (in some loanwords), k , kj , or tj . Traditional spelling therefore often results in a large difference between written and spoken language (deep orthography).
The Sweden pronunciation is based primarily on Central Standard Swedish, and the Finland one on Helsinki pronunciation. Recordings and example transcriptions in this help are in Sweden Swedish, unless otherwise noted. See Swedish phonology and Swedish alphabet § Sound–spelling correspondences for a more thorough look at the sounds of Swedish.
Swedish has a large vowel inventory, with nine vowels distinguished in quality and to some degree in quantity, making 18 vowel phonemes in most dialects. Another notable feature is the pitch accent, a development which it shares with Norwegian. Swedish pronunciation of most consonants is similar to that of other Germanic languages.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
A few letters that did not indicate specific sounds have been retired – ˇ , once used for the "compound" tone of Swedish and Norwegian, and ƞ , once used for the moraic nasal of Japanese – though one remains: ɧ , used for the sj-sound of Swedish. When the IPA is used for broad phonetic or for phonemic transcription, the letter–sound ...
The AOL.com video experience serves up the best video content from AOL and around the web, curating informative and entertaining snackable videos.