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''This article describes the phonology of [[Standard Swedish]]. For the phonology of Swedish dialects, please refer to the respective article of each dialect.'' |
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While [[Swedish language|Swedish]] as a written language is uniform and [[standard language|standardized]], |
While [[Swedish language|Swedish]] as a written language is uniform and [[standard language|standardized]], Swedish spoken language is divided into various forms of [[Standard Swedish]], which are all regional variations of orginally central Swedish dialects spoken around the capital of [[Stockholm]], as well as local dialects. The latter are seperate from the regional varieties and all have an individual linguistic history that can be traced back to [[Old Norse]]. The term "dialect" is often used synonymously with that of "regional variation", eventhough few Swedes actually speak genuine dialects today. |
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The differences in the phonology of the various forms of Standard Swedish can be quite considerable. They include major differences in: |
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Although these prestige dialects have developed as a means of communication with speakers of distant and different dialects, and their phonology hence is more uniform than can be said for the more genuine dialects, in addition to minor [[vocabulary]]-differences there exist notable differences with regard to: |
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* [[prosody]] |
* [[prosody]] |
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* the |
* the realization of the [[alveolar trill|/r/]]-[[phoneme]] |
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* [[fricative consonant]] |
* [[fricative consonant|fricatives]] |
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* [[diphtong]]s |
* [[diphtong]]s |
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* [[assimilation (linguistics)|assimilation]] |
* [[assimilation (linguistics)|assimilation]] |
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The differences may be compared with those between [[General American]], [[Australian English]], and the British [[Received Pronunciation]]. |
The differences may be compared with those between [[General American]], [[Australian English]], and the British [[Received Pronunciation]]. |
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The main varieties can be divided into the following regional subdivisions: |
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The terminology is sometimes confusing, and translations to [[English language|English]] may differ, but in this article we will use the terms: |
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* ''Central Swedish'' - spoken in and around [[Stockholm]] and [[Uppsala]] and generally most of [[Svealand]] as well as [[Åland]] |
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* ''Northern Swedish'' - known in Sweden as ''norrländska'' ("Northlandic") and is spoken in [[Norrland]] |
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* '''''South Swedish''''' for the high-status variety [[Götaland]], typically associated with the [[Lund University]], whose speech community approximately can be defined as the population of Sweden's west coast and the provinces south of [[Westrogothia]]–[[Ostrogothia]] |
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* ''Finland |
* ''Finland-Swedish'' - also known as "högsvenska", though the use of the term is in decline, is spoken mainly in [[Helsinki]], the capital of [[Finland]], and is also used as the norm for [[Mandatory Swedish]] |
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* ''Scanian'' - not to be confused with the dialect group [[Scanian]], spoken in the major population centers of [[Malmö]] and [[Lund]] in [[Scania]] |
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For the sake of consistency, the following article will only exceptionally refer to other [[Swedish dialects]]. |
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==Vowels== |
==Vowels== |
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Like many other [[Germanic language]]s, [[Swedish language|Swedish]] has long and short versions of each [[vowel]]. As a general rule, a vowel followed by two consonants is short; otherwise it is long. For example, the Swedish word "glas" (glass) has a long "a", while "glass" (ice cream) has a short "a". To indicate a short vowel preceding a "k", "ck" is used instead of "kk". For example, "tak" (roof) vs. "tack" (thank you). Stressed vowels can be either long or short, but unstressed onees can never be long. |
Like many other [[Germanic language]]s, [[Swedish language|Swedish]] has long and short versions of each [[vowel]]. As a general rule, a vowel followed by two consonants is short; otherwise it is long. For example, the Swedish word "glas" (glass) has a long "a", while "glass" (ice cream) has a short "a". To indicate a short vowel preceding a "k", "ck" is used instead of "kk". For example, "tak" (roof) vs. "tack" (thank you). Stressed vowels can be either long or short, but unstressed onees can never be long. |
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Revision as of 12:37, 26 March 2005
This article describes the phonology of Standard Swedish. For the phonology of Swedish dialects, please refer to the respective article of each dialect.
While Swedish as a written language is uniform and standardized, Swedish spoken language is divided into various forms of Standard Swedish, which are all regional variations of orginally central Swedish dialects spoken around the capital of Stockholm, as well as local dialects. The latter are seperate from the regional varieties and all have an individual linguistic history that can be traced back to Old Norse. The term "dialect" is often used synonymously with that of "regional variation", eventhough few Swedes actually speak genuine dialects today.
The differences in the phonology of the various forms of Standard Swedish can be quite considerable. They include major differences in:
- prosody
- the realization of the /r/-phoneme
- fricatives
- diphtongs
- assimilation
The differences may be compared with those between General American, Australian English, and the British Received Pronunciation.
The main varieties can be divided into the following regional subdivisions:
- Central Swedish - spoken in and around Stockholm and Uppsala and generally most of Svealand as well as Åland
- Northern Swedish - known in Sweden as norrländska ("Northlandic") and is spoken in Norrland
- Finland-Swedish - also known as "högsvenska", though the use of the term is in decline, is spoken mainly in Helsinki, the capital of Finland, and is also used as the norm for Mandatory Swedish
- Scanian - not to be confused with the dialect group Scanian, spoken in the major population centers of Malmö and Lund in Scania
Vowels
Like many other Germanic languages, Swedish has long and short versions of each vowel. As a general rule, a vowel followed by two consonants is short; otherwise it is long. For example, the Swedish word "glas" (glass) has a long "a", while "glass" (ice cream) has a short "a". To indicate a short vowel preceding a "k", "ck" is used instead of "kk". For example, "tak" (roof) vs. "tack" (thank you). Stressed vowels can be either long or short, but unstressed onees can never be long.
Phoneme (IPA) |
Grapheme | Pronunciation sample, IPA and translation |
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iː | i | [iːs], "ice" | is,
yː | y | [ˈˈyːla], "howl" | yla,
ʉː | u | [ʉ̟ːt], "out" | ut,
eː | e | [eːk], "oak" | ek,
ɛː | ä | [lɛːs], "read" (imperative) | läs,
ɑː | a | [ˈɑːl], "alder" | al,
øː | ö | [øːl], "beer" | öl,
uː | o | [ˈuːruː], "unease", "worry" | oro,
oː | å, o | [ˈoːka], "travel", "go" | åka,
/ɛː/ and /øː/ are lowered when followed by /r/, /l/ dental consonants or by their retroflex counterparts. In Central Swedish, especially younger speakers are increasingly using [ɶː] in other phonotactic contexts as well. Words like fördömande ("judging") and fördummande ("dumbing") often are pronounced similarly, if not identically.
- [ɛː] -> [ˈæː] ( ära, [æːra] "honor").
- [øː] -> [œ̟ː] ( öra, [œ̟ːra], "ear").
Phoneme (IPA) |
Grapheme | Pronunciation sample, IPA and translation |
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ɪ | i | [ˈɪma], "mist" | imma
ʏ | y | [ˈʏlə], "wool" (textile) | ylle,
ɵ | u | [ɵl], "wool" (material) | ull,
œ | ö | [çœt], "meat"; "flesh" | kött,
ɛ | e, ä | [ɛst], "estonian" | est,
a | a | [ark], "ark"; "sheet" (of paper) | "ark",
ɔ | å, o | [ˈɔta], "eight"} | åtta,
ʊ | o | [ʊʈ], "(geographic) place" | ort,
Just like the long vowels, the short ones exhibit the same allophonic pattern when preceding supradental consonants.
- [œ] -> [ɶ̟] ( dörr, /dœ̟r/, "door"). The
- [ɛ] -> [æ] ( ärt, /æʈ/ , "pea").
Unstressed "e"s are pronounced [ə] ( stele, /bəˈgoː ˈsteːlə/, "commit", "stela"), i.e. a basic schwa.
Consonants
Phoneme (IPA) | Graphemes | Pronunciation sample, IPA and translation |
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p | p | /pal/, "stool" | pall,
b | b | /buːk/, "book" | bok,
t | t | /stuːr tand/, "big", "tooth" | stor, tand
d | d | /dɑːg/, "day" | dag,
ʈ¹ | rt | |
ɖ¹ | rd | /hoːɖ/, "hard" | hård,
k | k | /koʈ skɑːl/, "short", "shell" | kort , skal,
g | g | /gɑːs/, "gas" | gas,
Phoneme (IPA) |
Graphemes | Pronunciation sample, IPA and translation |
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f | f | /fɵl/, "full" | full,
v | v | /vɑːk/, "hole in the ice" | vak,
s | s | /sɪst/, "last" | sist,
ʂ² | rs, sch | /koʂ ˈʂlɑːgɛr/, "cross", "hit" (song) | kors, schlager,
ɧ² | sj, stj, | /ɧʉː ˈɧæːrnaa ɧʉːl/, "seven", "star", "shed" | sju, stjärna, skjul,
ɕ | k, tj | /ɕʉːr, ɕɪnd/, "bull", "cheek" | tjur, kind,
j | j, g | /juːɖ/, "earth"; "soil" | jord,
h | h | /hoːɖ/, "hard" | hård,
Phoneme (IPA) |
Graphemes | Pronunciation sample, IPA and translation |
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r | r | /rɑːk/, "straight" | rak,
Phoneme (IPA) |
Graphemes | Pronunciation sample, IPA and translation |
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l | l | /liːla/, "purple" | lila,
ɭ | rl | /soːɭ/, "murmur" | sorl,
Phoneme (IPA) |
Graphemes | Pronunciation sample, IPA and translation |
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m | m | /mɑːl/, "moth" | mal,
n | n | /noːl/, "needle" | nål,
ɳ¹ | rn | /gɑːɳ/, "yarn" | garn,
ŋ | ng, gn | /gɔŋ/, "path", "(style of) walk" | gång,
- ¹ The combination of "r" with "t", "d" or "n" results in retroflex consonants, which are not limited by word boundaries. Example: Vi går nu ("we're leaving now") and vi går till sta'n ("we're going downtown (to the city)") are rendered [vɪˈgoːɳʉː] and [vɪgoʈɪˈstɑːn].
- ² Most variations distinguish betweeen /ɧ/ and [ʂ], but both are rendered [ʂ] in northern Sweden and in Finland-Swedish. Although the differentiated use of the two fricatives have distinct rules in the dialects that use both, they should be considered allophones.
The letter "r" has many quite distinct variations in Standard Swedish. In the southern variants the sound is rendered with [ʀ]. In Central Swedish the "r"s can vary greatly depending on social and phonotactic context. The "correct" pronunciation is usually considered to be [r] but in reality the variations are considerable. At the beginning of words, the /r/ is often pronunced as a the fricative [ʐ], in consonant clusters often as [ʂ] and especially in Stockholm as the approximant [ɹ]. Uses of taps like [ɾ] are also common.
References
- Engstrand, Olle Fonetikens grunder (Studenlitteratur, Lund 2004) ISBN 91-44-04238-8