The Sje sound part

This is what makes the Swedish language so unique.

It's pronounced [ɧ] and it's formally called voiceless palatal-velar fricative.

What more makes it unique is the many ways of spelling it.

A guy called Garlén estimates that there are 22 spellings of the Sje sound, but some claim that there are over 50 spellings of it.

The SJ spelling is the most common one and it's used in native Swedish words.

It can occur before both front and back vowels, which makes it the hardest spelling of the word.

SJ is normally put before back vowels, but with few exceptions it's put behind front vowels.

Example, sjal (scarf).

The second spelling is SK, but this is an easy one because it only carries the Sje sound before front vowels. When before a back vowel, it's pronounced [sk].

Example, skön (nice).

STJ is only used in five words. Those are Stjäla (steal), stjälk (stalk), stjälpa (overturn), stärna (star) and stjärt (butt).

SKJ is only used in five words. Those are Skjorta (shirt), skjuta (shoot, push), skjuts (ride, hike, vehicle), skjul (shed) and skjuvning/skjuva (shear, push).

STG is usually pronounced [stj] but some people pronounce it as the Sje sound. Only three words use this spelling for the sound. Those are Västgöte (person from Västergötland), östgöte (person from Östergötland) and gästgiveri (inn). The only time STG is pronounced as the Sje sound is in the words Västgöta- and Östgöta- which marks that something has to do with Västergötland or Östergötland.

SCH is usually used for the Tje sound, but mostly at the end of a word and in the beginning of words when before a consonant. When in the beginning or middle of a word it's pronounced like the Sje sound. The SCH spelling is used for words of German origin.

Example, schablon (template) and schlager (Eurovision/Melodifestivalen hit).

CH has two different sounds depending on the origin of the word. The Tje sound is used for words of English origin and the Sje sound is used for words of French origin.

This spelling usually occurs in the beginning of a word.

G may both represent [g], [j] and the Sje sound but it always have the latter pronounciation when put after a front vowel. It's the Sje sound 50% of the time when at the beginning of a word and 99% of the time when in the middle of a word (with few exceptions). G can also correspond to the Tje sound, but this only occurs at the end of a word, with an E after it. This only occurs in words of French origin. In names and words of Scandinavian origin it's pronounced [gə].

-TION, -SION and -SSION are always pronounced with the Sje sound. It's used with words of Latin origin and some of English origin. The -TION spelling has a [t] before the Sje sound.

The easiest one is XJ which is just a Sje sound with a K before it. What more makes it easy is that it only occurs in the place-name Växjö.

And that wraps up the pronounciation bit. Now we will start on the grammar.