Intonation:
* Rising intonation: Swedish tends to have a rising intonation, especially at the end of sentences. This can make it sound like questions, even if they aren't.
* Musicality: Swedish speech has a more musical quality than many other languages, with a lot of variation in pitch and rhythm.
Pronunciation:
* "R" sounds: Swedish has two distinct "r" sounds, one guttural and one more like a "w" sound.
* "L" sounds: Swedish "l" sounds are often pronounced further back in the mouth than English "l" sounds.
* "S" sounds: The "s" sound can be pronounced with a slight hissing quality.
* "Th" sounds: Swedish doesn't have the "th" sound, so it's often replaced with a "t" or "d" sound.
Vowel sounds:
* Lengthened vowels: Swedish vowels are often longer than their English counterparts.
* Distinct vowel sounds: Swedish has many vowel sounds that don't exist in English, which can make it difficult for English speakers to learn.
Other features:
* Soft consonants: Swedish consonants are generally softer than English consonants, especially at the end of words.
* Reduced vowels: Vowels in unstressed syllables can be reduced to a schwa-like sound.
Examples:
* The "r" sound in the word "Stockholm" is pronounced with a guttural sound.
* The word "hej" (hello) is pronounced with a rising intonation.
* The word "tack" (thank you) has a softer "k" sound than in English.
Resources:
* You can find many examples of Swedish accents on YouTube.
* There are also many online resources that can help you learn more about Swedish pronunciation.
Ultimately, the best way to understand how a Swedish accent sounds is to hear it for yourself. So, listen to some Swedish speakers and see if you can pick out the key features!