Do Norwegian and Swedish sound the same?
Know One, Know ‘Em All? Danish and Norwegian are very similar, or indeed almost identical when it comes to vocabulary, but they sound very different from one another. Norwegian and Swedish are closer in terms of pronunciation, but the words differ.
Can Norwegian speakers understand Swedish?
Yes, but Norwegians are better at understanding Swedish than the other way around. In Norway there are many dialects. They differ quite a bit from each other with differing vocabulary and grammar. Many words considered Swedish are also found in many Norwegian dialects.
How can you tell the difference between Norwegian and Swedish?
Other notable differences
- Danish and Norwegian have the vowel letters æ and ø, but Swedish has ä and ö.
- Norwegian has (more) diphthongs, and Nynorsk especially so.
- Letter combinations ch and ck and letters q and x are common in Swedish, while in Danish and Norwegian they only occur in new loanwords and foreign names.
What is the difference between Norwegian and Swedish?
Norwegian and Swedish are closer in terms of pronunciation, but the words differ. I like to think of the Scandinavian languages like three sisters. Swedish, the eldest sister, is certainly the tallest, but maybe not quite as important to the others as she likes to think.
Why is the Norwegian language so different from other languages?
There are three main reasons for this. First, Norwegian is quite simply the “middle child” — written like Danish but sounding like Swedish. Second is that they’re used to hearing Swedish and Danish on TV and radio.
What language is similar to Swedish?
Swedish — Sweden’s national language and one of Finland’s national language — and Danish are written in a similar manner. If Swedish, Danish and Norwegian were sisters, Swedish would be the eldest of them all.
Can Scandinavian speakers read each other’s languages?
Generally, speakers of the three largest Scandinavian languages (Danish, Norwegian and Swedish) can read and speak each other’s languages without great difficulty. This is especially true of Danish and Norwegian.