Swedish Learning Community and Resources

Swedish Accents

Source: Canva

Sweden is not one of the world's biggest countries, and we "only" have one primary language, Swedish, but oh boy, do we have a lot of accents. Let's break it down a bit.

So, Sweden consists of several parts, both geographically and administratively. Here are some of the main parts:

Regions

Sweden can be divided into three major regions: Norrland, Svealand, and Götaland. Norrland is the northernmost part of the country and encompasses a significant portion of its land area. Svealand is located in the central part of the country and includes the capital city, Stockholm. Götaland is the southern part of the country, stretching from south Svealand to southern Sweden.

Counties

Sweden is divided into 21 counties, which are administrative units. Each county has its own council and a governor representing the state at the regional level. Examples of some counties include Stockholm County, Skåne County, Västra Götaland County, and Norrbotten County.

Municipalities

The counties, in turn, are divided into municipalities, the lowest administrative unit level in Sweden. There are a total of 290 towns in the country. Examples of some cities include Stockholm, Gothenburg, Malmö, Uppsala, and Luleå.

Besides the above, Sweden has territories outside the European continent, such as Gotland and Öland, and islands and archipelagos along the coast.

As mentioned, Sweden has various regional accents and dialects reflecting the country's linguistic diversity. Here are a few notable accents.

Stockholm Accent

The accent spoken in the capital city, Stockholm, is often considered the standard or "neutral" Swedish. It is influenced by the Central Swedish dialect, known as "rikssvenska" or "standard Swedish," and is widely understood throughout the country.

Gothenburg Accent

The accent in Gothenburg, a major city on the west coast, is distinct and easily recognizable. It features a melodic intonation and certain unique pronunciations.

Scanian Accent

The Scanian accent (Skånska) is spoken in the province of Skåne in southern Sweden. It has a distinctive melodic and sing-song quality, and some vowel sounds are pronounced differently than standard Swedish.

Norrlandic Accents

Norrland, the northern part of Sweden, is known for its diverse accents and dialects. The accents in Norrland can vary significantly from place to place. Some dialects have similarities to standard Swedish, while others have distinct features such as elongated vowels or different intonations.

Dalecarlian Accent

The Dalecarlian (Dalademål) accent is spoken in the province of Dalarna in central Sweden. It has preserved some older linguistic features and has a somewhat distinct pronunciation compared to standard Swedish.

These are just a few examples, and many more regional accents and dialects across Sweden exist. The linguistic landscape can vary even within smaller regions, and people's speech patterns can be influenced by age, social background, and personal experiences.

Curious about what the different accents sound like? Look at the videos below. 

Dialektnyheter #1

 

Source: Canva