# Swedish: pronunciation of är



## Red Arrow

Hi everyone

I know that, depending on where the speaker comes from, the pronunciation of är can sound like /æ:r/, /e:r/ or /ɛ:r/. (I am talking about the vowel, I know the R can sound different as well)
I am totally fine with all those pronunciations , but today I was listening to Swedish cartoon songs and well... < --- >
_
Det är dom vi är
Det är den jag är_

The second är is pronounced with æ while the others are pronounced with e. Is there a specific reason for this? Or does she say it that way to prevent rhyming är with itself? (which might sound stupid)


< Unapproved video link removed.  Cagey, moderator >


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## cocuyo

I don't think there's any particular reason. I my neck of the woods the r is not pronounced at all, and it is e mostly, but it can vary. Not only dialects and sociolects vary, but also personal pronunciation.

The video link was removed, so I cannot hear her. I certainly don't think there's any thought about not rhyming - after all, in the examples, normally -t -r and -g are dropped.

In the rare cases of pronouncing -r in är, the ä is mostly pronounced æ.


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## Red Arrow

cocuyo said:


> I don't think there's any particular reason. I my neck of the woods the r is not pronounced at all, and it is e mostly, but it can vary. Not only dialects and sociolects vary, but also personal pronunciation.
> 
> The video link was removed, so I cannot hear her. I certainly don't think there's any thought about not rhyming - after all, in the examples, normally -t -r and -g are dropped.
> 
> In the rare cases of pronouncing -r in är, the ä is mostly pronounced æ.


Okay, thanks.

I don't know why the video link was removed - the video was official - but it doesn't really matter I guess.
The -t, -r and -g are dropped indeed.


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## applefarm

I have noticed that pronunciation of that "är" depends of the tempo of the speech.
The slower the speech the more it tends to sound finnish/estonian "[ä]". For example, if you look from Youtube tutorials where teachers speak slowly then you hear mostly "[ä]". Also, when you hear in radio/tv that swedes construct sentences more spontanously and slowly, making pauses inside the sentence, because they are not yet sure what to say, then you hear also often the [ä]. The example is: "What is your opinion about X? - Jag....tror...att det.......äääär...mmm...en viktig sak...".

So the slow tempo goes more to nordic "ä" and faster speak goes to english "e".


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## Red Arrow

applefarm said:


> I have noticed that pronunciation of that "är" depends of the tempo of the speech.
> The slower the speech the more it tends to sound finnish/estonian "[ä]". For example, if you look from Youtube tutorials where teachers speak slowly then you hear mostly "[ä]". Also, when you hear in radio/tv that swedes construct sentences more spontanously and slowly, making pauses inside the sentence, because they are not yet sure what to say, then you hear also often the [ä]. The example is: "What is your opinion about X? - Jag....tror...att det.......äääär...mmm...en viktig sak...".
> 
> So the slow tempo goes more to nordic "ä" and faster speak goes to english "e".


Thank you! It makes more sense now, although it still doesn't explain the last är. It is pronounced like this 

De e dom vi ääääääär
De e den ja eeeeeeer

I guess it is just an artistic choice. It wouldn't sound good with four e's.


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## applefarm

Here are two examples:

1.
Slow speach, therefore finnish/estonian "ä", at 1:29:





2.
Slow speach, but this time not finnish/estonian "ä", but is instead english "e", at 0:53:





My observation is that when we talk about slow speak then variant 1 occurs ca 70% of times by swedes (songs, teaching classes, poems, and other such slow areas), and, the variant 2 occurs 30% of times, is rarer.

But in fast speach tempo, which you hear most of the times in life, you hear the english "e" in word "är" pronounciation.

And i have noticed that also for word "Jag" the slow speach pronounciation says out the last letter "g" [jaag], but in fast speach the last letter "g" is not pronounced, it is as [jaa].

To sum up, i would suggest to use english "e" for word "är" every time, and everyone will understand you.

This was my guess/understanding, can also be wrong.


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## solregn

applefarm said:


> To sum up, i would suggest to use english "e" for word "är" every time, and everyone will understand you.



I think this might be a bit confusing advice, since the pronunciation of the letter "e" in English actually sounds more like the Swedish letter "i"... And I can't think of one dialect/sociolect, etc., where "Jag är" is pronounced [jaa(g) ii]!

The variants that I am familiar with either include a pronounced 'r' (especially in slow speech, as mentioned), or consist of a single long vowel only, 'ä' or 'e' depending on geographical location, but pronounced in Swedish (of course?).


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## AutumnOwl

Red Arrow :D said:


> _Det är dom vi är
> Det är den jag är_
> 
> The second är is pronounced with æ while the others are pronounced with e. Is there a specific reason for this?


Usually the word "är" is pronounced "ä" or "e" (depending on from where in Sweden we are), but if we want to put the stess, or give emphasis, on the word, most of us try to pronounce it "correct", the way it's spelt, "är", in this case:
_Det är dom vi *är*
Det är den jag *är*_

Compare this:
Jag är här - I'm here
Jag *är* här - I am here


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## Red Arrow

AutumnOwl said:


> Usually the word "är" is pronounced "ä" or "e" (depending on from where in Sweden we are), but if we want to put the stess, or give emphasis, on the word, most of us try to pronounce it "correct", the way it's spelt, "är", in this case:
> _Det är dom vi *är*
> Det är den jag *är*_
> 
> Compare this:
> Jag är här - I'm here
> Jag *är* här - I am here


Yeah, but it was pronounced like this:

De e dom vi är
De e den ja e


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## Lugubert

AutumnOwl said:


> Usually the word "är" is pronounced "ä" or "e" (depending on from where in Sweden we are), but if we want to put the stess, or give emphasis, on the word, most of us try to pronounce it "correct", the way it's spelt, "är", in this case:
> _Det är dom vi *är*
> Det är den jag *är*_
> 
> Compare this:
> Jag är här - I'm here
> Jag *är* här - I am here



Me, mostly Western Sweden, 73, translator, stickler for correctness as taught 60 years ago. Never the less, I'd say

De e dom vi *e *(Written rather "Det är dem (som) vi är")
De e den ja *e*

Ja e här
Ja *e* här

Hearing "är" as "är" in any connection would sound strange to me. I'd probably guess that the speaker had a quite northern dialect.


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