NATION
How to pronounce
Sweden
SWEE·duhn
Native [ˈsvæ̌rjɛ] → American /ˈswiː.dən/
Sound by sound
2 little beats. BIG = the stressed part.
- SWEE the ‘ee’ in see — say this beat loudest
- duhn the relaxed ‘uh’ in sofa
Talking about Sweden
The words that trip people up — what to call the team, the people, and the language.
- One person
- a Swede
- The people / the team
- Swedes
- As an adjective
- Swedish
One person is a Swede (not “a Swedish”); the adjective and the language are Swedish. The Swedes call their country Sverige, which sounds nothing like the English “Sweden”.
Like a local vs like an American
Don’t say…
- SWEE-dehn (clear “eh” ending)
- SWAY-duhn
- SWEE·duhn — stress on SWEE
Where the name comes from
Sweden traces back to the Svear (Old English Sweon), the early Germanic people whose name is thought to come from a root meaning “one’s own (people)”. The native name Sverige is from Old Norse Svíaríki, literally “realm of the Svear”. English “Sweden” descends from the people-name rather than from Sverige.
- Capital
- Stockholm
- Confederation
- UEFA
- World Cup best
- Runners-up (1958, as hosts)
Hear it for real
Say it out loud — and check it.
SayWaader listens to your pronunciation and tells you exactly what to fix, syllable by syllable.
Practice in the appFAQ
How do you pronounce Sweden?
Sweden is pronounced SWEE·duhn in American English — 2 beats, with the stress on SWEE.
Where does the name Sweden come from?
Sweden traces back to the <em>Svear</em> (Old English <em>Sweon</em>), the early Germanic people whose name is thought to come from a root meaning “one’s own (people)”. The native name <em>Sverige</em> is from Old Norse <em>Svíaríki</em>, literally “realm of the Svear”. English “Sweden” descends from the people-name rather than from <em>Sverige</em>.
Why does the Swedish name Sverige look so different from “Sweden”?
They split early. “Sweden” came into English from the name of the Svear people, while <em>Sverige</em> grew from Old Norse <em>Svíaríki</em>, “realm of the Svear”. Same origin, two very different-sounding results — <em>Sverige</em> is roughly SVAIR-yeh.