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Swedish · Norwegian · for English speakers

Swedish vs Norwegian: which should you learn?

A side-by-side comparison of Swedish and Norwegian: how hard each is, how long it takes, where you can use it and who each suits.

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Updated · by the 4ToSpeak team

Swedish vs Norwegian at a glance

Swedish compared with Norwegian
FeatureSwedishNorwegian
Written inLatin alphabet (same as English)Latin alphabet (same as English)
Difficulty for English speakersClosest to EnglishClosest to English
Hours to working proficiencyabout 700about 700
Time at 15 minutes a day7.7 years7.7 years
Time at 30 minutes a day3.8 years3.8 years
Time at 1 hour a day1.9 years1.9 years
HelloHejHei
Thank youTackTakk

Estimates for a native English speaker, following the US Foreign Service Institute’s groupings. Languages the Institute does not rank are placed beside their closest relatives. Your own pace will differ.

Choose Swedish if...

  • You want light grammar and a head start on Norwegian and Danish.
  • You will use it in Sweden and parts of Finland.

Watch out for: pitch accent and a few vowels English does not have.

Choose Norwegian if...

  • You want very regular grammar and a good base for reading Swedish and Danish.
  • You will use it in Norway.

Watch out for: dialects vary a lot, and Norwegians often switch to English.

Pronunciation and grammar: what to expect

Swedish. A friendly language for English speakers. Verbs do not change with the person and the grammar is regular. The pitch and the vowels are the parts to practise.

Norwegian. dialects vary a lot, and Norwegians often switch to English

In both, the quickest fix for pronunciation is the same: hear a whole sentence, say it out loud and check how close you were. That is the loop 4ToSpeak runs on every sentence.

Which first, Swedish or Norwegian?

Swedish and Norwegian are close relatives, so a lot carries over. Learn one, and the second takes noticeably fewer hours than starting from scratch. Start with whichever you will use sooner.

If you cannot decide, start both for a week at 15 minutes a day. After seven days you will know which one you look forward to, and motivation matters more than the difference in hours.

Start Swedish or start Norwegian, both free with no card.

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FAQ

Questions, answered

Still stuck? support@4tospeak.com

Is Swedish or Norwegian easier to learn?

Swedish and Norwegian are a close call for English speakers: both take about 700 hours to reach working proficiency, so pick by where you will use it. Difficulty is for native English speakers and follows the US Foreign Service Institute's groupings.

Should I learn Swedish or Norwegian first?

Learn Swedish first if you want light grammar and a head start on Norwegian and Danish. Learn Norwegian first if you want very regular grammar and a good base for reading Swedish and Danish. Swedish and Norwegian are close relatives, so a lot carries over. Learn one, and the second takes noticeably fewer hours than starting from scratch. Start with whichever you will use sooner.

Can I learn Swedish and Norwegian at the same time?

You can, but their similarity makes them easy to mix up. Most learners do better by getting Swedish to a comfortable level first and then adding Norwegian, which will feel much faster.

How long does it take to learn Swedish compared with Norwegian?

At 30 minutes a day, Swedish takes about 3.8 years to reach working proficiency and Norwegian about 3.8 years. Holding a first simple conversation takes far less in either.

Related guides

More on Swedish and Norwegian

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Not sure? Try one Swedish sentence and one Norwegian sentence

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