How do you pronounce 'Skellefteå'?

[Qu Appelle]

So, Vintersorg is from Skellefteå, Sweden.

I have no idea how to pronounce this, and I've been wondering how for months now. My American brain parses this Swedish town name as 'Skittle Tea' :zombie:, but that's obviously not it. A Norwegian friend of mine said that he pronounces it 'Schleffteuh', but I have no idea if that's correct, either.

So, how does someone from Skellefteå pronounce Skellefteå?

 

[ErikSL]

i'm not swedish, i assumed it was " skel-left-tea". I'm sure i pronounce every swedish word or name wrong.

 

[lefay82]

following the rules of the swedish tongue i suppose it can be pronunced like sch(u)ellefteo or something like that.
those Tj or Sj or K(+soft vocal) sounds are hard to reproduce, like stjärna, själ, kärl or kedja

 

[Allfader]

following the rules of the swedish tongue i suppose it can be pronunced like sch(u)ellefteo or something like that.
those Tj or Sj or K(+soft vocal) sounds are hard to reproduce, like stjärna, själ, kärl or kedja

I think the same. if the word has no exceptions would be sound like schelleftéo or something.

 

[amf]

It differs a between different dialects. In "standard" Swedish it would be something like sche-LEFT-e-aw, where the "sch"-part is a bit guttural and pronounced down the throat, a bit like the Spanish "j" in Jesus. Phonetic letter ɧ.
But in the northern parts the sch-sound is pronounced in the front of the mouth more like the English "sh" in shit (Mr V pronounce it in this way for example). I think the phonetic letter is ʂ. And in northern dialects town names that end in å often lose the å... So someone from Skellefteå might pronounce it sche-LEFT-eh.

(I prononce it as a mix between the two... guttaral sch's and northern å-absence)


Also in a folk song called Vårvisa it's pronounced STJELL-ett. I think it's in Pitemål or some similar dialect.

 

[Thidrek]

I'd say it's kinda like Shelleftéo, as mentioned by Allfader, whilst the realization of the "sj"/"ske"-sound is a problem itself.

 

[Rivfadír]

Damn, you Swedes have some weird pronunciations. I always just pronounced it with a straight K.

 

[Alec Walter Conway]

Am I really the only non-swedish person who actually knows how to pronounce this?

 

[Qu Appelle]

Am I really the only non-swedish person who actually knows how to pronounce this?

Probably ;p

My first, last, and only exposure to learning the Swedish language was a gift I received when I was 5, from a family friend of mine. They gave me a children's book on learning Swedish, which I quickly lost soon after I received it. The only thing I remember was dancing Swedish flags on the cover of the book, which I thought was pretty awesome.

But yeah. That was it. That didn't teach me to pronounce city and town names

 

[Thidrek]

Am I really the only non-swedish person who actually knows how to pronounce this?

nej, det är du inte!

 

[pancreator]

nej, det är du inte!

but you dont count, youre german, so swedish is quite easy for you.
and not everyone is a laguage-freak. ;-)

 

[lefay82]

but you dont count, youre german, so swedish is quite easy for you.
and not everyone is a laguage-freak. ;-)

some words are similar but the pronunciation of the two languages is totally different.
i don't know how this can help him to pronunce correctly the city's name.

edit: this makes me remind about an In Extremo's song called Villemann og Magnhild, which is sung in norwegian and is a traditional norwegian song, covered also by storm with the name of Villemann. i cannot really understand why in extremo doesn't care about pronunciation, and adapts words to the german phonetic like Villeman which becomes Fillemann, i mean also for latin texts like Hiemali Tempore and maybe for other languages that i don't know.

 

[paradoxile]

but you dont count, youre german, so swedish is quite easy for you.
and not everyone is a laguage-freak. ;-)

i know how to pronounce it too...and i'm a language freak nor do i have any connection to germanic languages speaking countries(except being in london for two weeks and being in the netherlands for two weeks).

 

[paradoxile]

It differs a between different dialects. In "standard" Swedish it would be something like sche-LEFT-e-aw, where the "sch"-part is a bit guttural and pronounced down the throat, a bit like the Spanish "j" in Jesus. Phonetic letter ɧ.
But in the northern parts the sch-sound is pronounced in the front of the mouth more like the English "sh" in shit (Mr V pronounce it in this way for example). I think the phonetic letter is ʂ. And in northern dialects town names that end in å often lose the å... So someone from Skellefteå might pronounce it sche-LEFT-eh.

(I prononce it as a mix between the two... guttaral sch's and northern å-absence)


Also in a folk song called Vårvisa it's pronounced STJELL-ett. I think it's in Pitemål or some similar dialect.

so in northern parts Umeå is pronounced Umeh?

 

[Thidrek]

some words are similar but the pronunciation of the two languages is totally different.
i don't know how this can help him to pronunce correctly the city's name.

edit: this makes me remind about an In Extremo's song called Villemann og Magnhild, which is sung in norwegian and is a traditional norwegian song, covered also by storm with the name of Villemann. i cannot really understand why in extremo doesn't care about pronunciation, and adapts words to the german phonetic like Villeman which becomes Fillemann, i mean also for latin texts like Hiemali Tempore and maybe for other languages that i don't know.

Yeah, In Extremo's pronunciation is terrible. I really like the music (the older stuff) but everytime I listen to Villeman og Magnhild or Herr Mannelig (Swedish Traditional) I'm getting sick... I don't understand why one who is making music professionally does not care about pronunciation.

The Swedish vocabulary is easy for me to learn, that's right, but I can hardly understand a word when they speak, it's so... like overpronounced...

 

[pancreator]

The Swedish vocabulary is easy for me to learn, that's right, but I can hardly understand a word when they speak, it's so... like overpronounced...

thats quite normal, its the same with german/norwegian. try web-radio, if youre patient, it will be better after time.

@lefay:

there are also a few differences in grammar, but in all its just about to take care about a few of "special" rules, thats all. and some words with different writing can become similar in pronounciation.

and if someone is interested, why not read the swedish lyrics while listening to mr. v? *lol* so you can claim that he was your teacher, when you tried to learn swedish, haha.

 

[lefay82]

Yeah, In Extremo's pronunciation is terrible. I really like the music (the older stuff) but everytime I listen to Villeman og Magnhild or Herr Mannelig (Swedish Traditional) I'm getting sick... I don't understand why one who is making music professionally does not care about pronunciation.

that's the point. i appreciate a lot their interest for ancient languages, the research that must be under the choosing of a traditional or historical text, like merseburger zauberspruche for example...but if you have to do one thing, you should do it at the best you can, you have to be prepared, to study the pronunciation...then you will be professional and do a good work.

The Swedish vocabulary is easy for me to learn, that's right, but I can hardly understand a word when they speak, it's so... like overpronounced...

me too...
i've downloaded some disney cartoons like svärdet i stenen or askungen but i can understand only some words, even if they are for children and they might not use difficould words :Smug:

 

[lefay82]

thats quite normal, its the same with german/norwegian. try web-radio, if youre patient, it will be better after time.

@lefay:

there are also a few differences in grammar, but in all its just about to take care about a few of "special" rules, thats all. and some words with different writing can become similar in pronounciation.

and if someone is interested, why not read the swedish lyrics while listening to mr. v? *lol* so you can claim that he was your teacher, when you tried to learn swedish, haha.

i've studied german at school, now i can remember only few things, but some german words help me to understand the meaning of some swedish words (also english helps sometimes).
yes grammar is different, maybe german grammar is a little bit more difficult, i mean for phrase construction, the fact that the verb must always be in second position, but not in subordinate phrases (where goes at the end).
i mean for me it's hard to think in a such ordinate way, in my own language you are quite free to put words in the order you prefer, so german sounds too much mathematical and strict sometimes.

the few swedish that i've learned comes from vintersorg's songs

 

[Mantis]

Am I really the only non-swedish person who actually knows how to pronounce this?

Hmm don't think so, maybe the only one who knows what is and how to pronunce je-sais-tout

touché

 

[Naglfar]

Hmm don't think so, maybe the only one who knows what is and how to pronunce je-sais-tout

touché

yeeeouch

it's three words too in almost everyone language

lololol