About this site

The aim of Speak Swedish! is to provide a high quality resource for adults who wish to learn Swedish online.

It is part of the Speak Languages! network of websites.

Access to the site is completely free. We are currently adding sound, and soon users will also be able to hear all the phrases and vocabulary spoken by native Swedish speakers.

If you have any comments or suggestions, or spot any mistakes however small, please contact us – we appreciate your feedback.

Gothenburg, Sweden

About the Swedish language

Swedish is spoken by around 9 million people in Sweden, as well as a further 300,000 in Finland where it is an official language. The Swedish speakers in Finland are distributed mainly along the south-western and southern coasts, as well as on the Åland Islands in the Baltic Sea which belong to Finland.

Swedish belongs to the Northern Germanic (or Scandinavian) branch of the Indo-European language family, as do Danish and Norwegian. It is closely related to those languages and is to a certain extent mutually intelligible with them.

So why learn Swedish?

Travel
Although most Swedes are excellent linguists, an ability to speak Swedish will make any visit to Sweden much more enjoyable, as you will be able to move around cities like Stockholm independently and understand shop signs and restaurant menus without interpretation.

Culture
Sweden has a strong artistic and literary culture and is prominent in the performing arts. It also has a rich musical tradition embracing many genres such as classical, choral, folk, pop, rock, and especially jazz. Learning to speak Swedish will enable you to better appreciate these activities and integrate socially.