sc, sch, stg, and ch

sc, sch, and ch are foreign letter combinations with no defined pronunciation in Swedish, while stg is a rare combination with an optional exceptional pronunciation.

Note

It seems that many speakers of Swedish today who do not have a marked regional accent do not differentiate the tj-sound and the rs-sound. They never occur in the same position in a word, so no confusion arises from merging them. For simplicity, these sounds will be referred to here as the sh-sound, even though the letter combination sh does not actually occur in native Swedish words.

sc (2)

Dictionary data and anecdotal data on these two uncommon word groups is messy and it is difficult to say anything conclusively. However, it would be safe to pronounce them as follows:

• lasciv, lascivitet - “lashiv-”
• oscillation (3): oscillation, oscillering, oscillograf - “osilla-”

stg (2)

These can optionally be pronounced as written (e.g., vast•jöte).

• västgöte, västgötska
• östgöte, östgötska

sch

sch is normally pronounced with an sh-sound before consonants (schlager) or at the end of a syllable (affisch).

This is also the general case before certain suffixes, even if the suffix starts with a vowel:

• affisch•era, affisch•ering, affisch•pelare, affisch•ör
• klysch•a, klysch•ig

sch as sk (1)

This minor exception also occurs in Italian muscial terms, though they are not included here because they were not present in the Wiktionary dataset.

• schizo- (3): schizofren, schizofreni, schizoid

sch as sj-sound (25)

It is worth noting that the CEFR lists include three exceptional sch words — schema (B2), schack (C1), and tiddschema (C2) — and no words where sch is pronounced with an sh-sound.

• ackuschör, ackuschörska
• kapuschong
• manschett (2): manschett, manschettknapp
• schabbel
• schablon (4): schablon, schablonbelopp, schablonmässig, schablonisera
• schabrak
• schack (10): kinaschack, schack, schackbräde, schackklubb, schackmatt, schackpjäs, schackspelare, schacka, schackel, schackra
• schakal
• schakt (7): gruvschakt, hisschakt, schakt, schaktmaskin, schaktmassa, schakta, schaktning
• schal
• schalottenlök
• schampo, schamponera
• scharlakan (3): scharlakan, scharlakansfeber, scharlakansröd
• schas, schasa
• schattera/-ering
• schatull
• schavott (3) schavott, schavottera, schavottering
• scheelit
• schema (7): arbetsschema, körschema, tidsschema, schema, schemalägga, schemaläggning, schematisk
• schimpans (2): dvärgschimpans, schimpans
• schism (3) schism, schismatiker, schismatisk
• schottis
• schyst
• schäfer
• schäs

ch

ch as sh-sound (13)

Usually for “ch” in words borrowed from English or Spanish.

• chans (6): chans, chansartad, chanslös, överlevnadschans, chansa, chansning
• charter, chartra
• chatt, chatta
• check (8): check, checkkonto, checklista, soundcheck, forechecka, checka, forecheckning, incheckning
• cheese
• Chile, chilenare, chilenska
• chili (4): chilifrukt, chilipeppar, chilipulver, chilisås
• chilla, chinchilla
• chip (3): mikrochip, potatischips, chips
• chutney
• machete
• manchester
• Seychellerna, seychellier, seychellisk/-iska

Note

chans can be pronounced with either a tj-sound or a sj-sound.

ch as sj-sound (35)

Usually for “ch” in words borrowed from French.

• attaché (4): attaché, kulturattaché, militärattaché, pressattaché
• blanchera /-ering
• béchamelsås
• **busschaffis **
• chabasit
• chaffis (2): taxichaffis, chaffis
• champagne (4): champagne, champagneflaska, champagneglas, champagnekork
• champinjon
• charabang
• charad
• chark
• charkuteri
• charlatan (2): charlatan, charlataneri
• Charlott, Charlotta, Charlotte
• charm (9): charm, charmknutte, charmoffensiv, charmtroll, charma, charmant, charmera, charmig, charmör
• chassi
• chasidism, chassidism
• chaufför (5): lastbilschaufför, långtradarchaufför, privatchaufför, taxichaufför, chaufför, busschaufför
• chauvinism /-ist/-istisk
• chef (26): avdelningschef, budgetchef, butikschef, byråchef, departementschef, enhetschef, expeditionschef, förvaltningschef, generalstabschef, informationschef, kanslichef, kommunikationschef, kompanichef, myndighetschef, presschef, redaktionschef, regeringschef, riksbankschef, rikspolischef, rättschef, stabschef, statschef, säkerhetschef, verksamhetschef, chef, chefredaktör, chefskap, chefsförhandlare, chefsrådman, chefsåklagare
• chevaleresk (1): chevalereskhet
• cheviot
• chiffer
• chiffonjé
• chiffrering
• chimär
• chinjong
• chock (10): elchock, kulturchock, chock, chockbesked, chockhöja, chockhöjning, chocktillstånd, chockvåg, chocka, chockera
• choklad (10): ischoklad, mjölkchoklad, choklad, chokladbit, chokladboll, chokladbrun, chokladkaka, chokladmjölk, chokladprovning, chokladsås
• dechiffrer- (3): dechiffrerbar, dechiffrera, dechiffrering
• detache- (3) detachera, detachering, detachement
• kliché (2): kliché, klichéartad
• masochism (2): masochism, sadomasochism
• nonchal- (3): nonchalans, nonchalant, nonchalera
• Sachalin