Danish and Swedish: 91 words that are the same
Among the two thousand words each language uses most, these are written identically and carry the same meaning in both. If you have one of the two, this is the part you do not have to learn.
A shared word is not proof of a shared root. Two languages can land on the same spelling by borrowing from a third — that is all tren and bomba are — and a word that looks the same can still be said quite differently. What this list is good for is the head start.
| Word | In English | Danish | Swedish |
|---|---|---|---|
| vida /vi/sv /viː/ | we | #11 | #10 |
| digda /dɑj/sv /tɛ/ | you | #21 | #22 |
| nuda /nu/sv /nʉː/ | now | #34 | #37 |
| jada /ja/sv /jɑː/ | yes | #35 | #35 |
| komda [ˈkʰʌm]sv /ˈkɔm/ | to come | #49 | #51 |
| seda [ˈseˀ]sv /seː/ | to see | #56 | #82 |
| kommerda [ˈkʰʌmˀɐ̯]sv /ˈkɔm.ɛr/ | to come | #70 | #42 |
| ellerda /ˈɛlər/sv /ˈɛlɛr/ | or | #72 | #63 |
| fåda [ˈfɔˀ]sv /foː/ | few | #75 | #80 |
| ingenda /ˈenɡən/sv /ˈɪŋˌɛn/ | no | #77 | #75 |
| hejda /hɑj/sv /ˈhɛjː/ | hi, hello | #94 | #85 |
| aldrigda /aldri/sv /²alːdrɪ(ɡ)/ | never | #101 | #92 |
| ser/seːr/ | to see | #110 | #90 |
| igenda /iˈɡɛn/sv /ˈiːjɛn/ | again | #113 | #79 |
| tidda [ˈtˢiˀð]sv /tiːd/ | time | #139 | #162 |
| liv/liːv/ | life | #165 | #155 |
| treda [ˈtˢʁ̥ɛˀ]sv /treː/ | three | #179 | #171 |
| troda /troːˀ/sv /truː/ | belief | #233 | #259 |
| betyderda /beˈtyðˀɐ/sv /bɛˈtyːdɛr/ | to mean | #250 | #317 |
| gavda [ˈɡ̊æˀ]sv /ɡɑːv/ | to give | #260 | #280 |
| tidenda /ˈtiðˀən/sv /ˈtiːdɛn/ | time | #271 | #253 |
| sagtda [ˈsɑɡ̊d̥]sv /sakt/ | to say | #283 | #323 |
| gamleda /ˈɡɑmlə/sv /ˈɡamlɛ/ | old | #284 | #1,435 |
| sesda [ˈseˀs]sv /ˈseːs/ | to see | #289 | #303 |
| femda [ˈfɛmˀ]sv /fɛm/ | five | #297 | #306 |
| gladda /ˈɡlað/sv /ɡlɑː(d)/ | happy, glad | #303 | #398 |
| ny/nyː/ | new | #347 | #366 |
| hellerda /ˈhɛlɐ/sv /ˈhɛlɛr/ | either | #348 | #396 |
| livetda /ˈliːˀvəð/sv /ˈliːvɛt/ | life | #359 | #307 |
| ingentingda /ˈeŋənˌteŋˀ/sv /ˈɪŋɛnˌtɪŋ/ | nothing | #374 | #271 |
| sentda /ˈseːˀnd/sv /seːnt/ | late | #385 | #562 |
| benda /beːˀn/sv /ˈbeːn/ | leg | #472 | #528 |
| blodda [ˈb̥loˀð]sv /bluːd/ | blood | #480 | #534 |
| theda /ˈteːˀ/sv /ˈtheː/ | alternative spelling of te | #483 | #579 |
| perfektda /pɛɐ̯ˈfɛɡd/sv /ˈpɛrfɛkt/ | perfectly | #552 | #535 |
| fredda /freð/sv /freːd/ | peace | #562 | #863 |
| tomda [ˈtˢʌmˀ]sv /tuːm/ | empty | #570 | #654 |
| ungeda [ˈɔŋə]sv /²ˈɵŋːɛ/ | young | #577 | #1,163 |
| nattenda /ˈnadən/sv /ˈnatːɛn/ | night | #610 | #574 |
| kaffeda /ˈkɑfə/sv /²kafːɛ/ | coffee | #622 | #710 |
| svinda /sviːˀn/sv /sviːn/ | hog, pig, swine | #642 | #1,559 |
| krigda [ˈkʰʁ̥iˀ]sv /kriːɡ/ | war | #646 | #764 |
| hårda /hɔːˀr/sv /hoːr/ | hair | #713 | #920 |
| ungda [ˈɔŋˀ]sv /ɵŋː/ | young | #724 | #740 |
| mordda /moːˀr/sv /muːɖ/ | murder | #729 | #755 |
| soverda [ˈsɒːwɐ]sv /ˈsuːvɛr/ | to sleep | #746 | #809 |
| middagda [ˈmed̥a]sv /ˈmɪda/ | midday, noon | #776 | #711 |
| sekunderda /seˈkɔnˀdɐ/sv /sɛˈkɵndɛr/ | second | #779 | #883 |
| historienda /hiˈsdoɐ̯ˀjən/sv /ˈhɪstuːˌriːɛn/ | history | #912 | #1,200 |
| blåda /blɔːˀ/sv /bloː/ | blue | #923 | #1,299 |
| luftenda /ˈlɔfdən/sv /ˈlɵftɛn/ | air | #928 | #1,314 |
| musikda /musik/sv /mʉˈsiːk/ | music | #931 | #1,026 |
| faderda /ˈfaːðɐ/sv /²fɑːdɛr/ | father | #938 | #969 |
| tredjeda /ˈtreðjə/sv /ˈtreːˌdjɛ/ | third | #969 | #936 |
| sovda [ˈsɒwˀ]sv /soːv/ | to sleep | #978 | #975 |
| respektda /ʁeˈsbɛɡd/sv /ˈrɛspɛkt/ | respect | #992 | #1,185 |
| gravidda /ɡraviːd/sv /ɡraˈviːd/ | pregnant | #1,006 | #1,211 |
| fartda /farˀt/sv /ˈfɑːt/ | speed | #1,017 | #850 |
| personligtda /pɛɐ̯ˈsoːˀnlid/sv /ˈpɛʂɔˌnlɪkt/ | personal | #1,039 | #1,816 |
| himlenda /ˈhemlən/sv /ˈhɪmlɛn/ | sky | #1,075 | #1,249 |
| isda /ˈiːˀs/sv /iːs/ | ice | #1,078 | #1,660 |
| glasda /ˈɡlas/sv /ɡlɑːs/ | glass | #1,102 | #1,055 |
| medicinda /mediˈsiːˀn/sv /mɛdɪˈsiːn/ | medicine | #1,131 | #1,564 |
| partnerda /ˈpɑːdnɐ/sv /ˈpatnɛr/ | partner | #1,175 | #1,149 |
| ansvarda /ansvaːˀr/sv /ˈansvɑːr/ | responsibility | #1,181 | #1,276 |
| solenda /ˈsoːˀlən/sv /ˈsuːlɛn/ | sun | #1,215 | #1,255 |
| vinda /viːˀn/sv /viːn/ | wine | #1,244 | #1,278 |
| luftda [ˈlɔfd̥]sv /ˈlɵft/ | air | #1,295 | #1,679 |
| absolutda [ɑbsoˈlud]sv /absɔˈlʉːt/ | absolutely | #1,299 | #628 |
| procentda [pʁ̥oˈsɛnˀd̥]sv /prʊˈsɛnt/ | percent | #1,322 | #1,505 |
| minutda /miˈnud/sv /ˈmiːnʉt/ | minute | #1,323 | #1,075 |
| professorda /pʁoˈfɛsɐ/sv /ˈpruːfɛˌsɔr/ | professor | #1,330 | #1,793 |
| guldda [ˈɡ̊ul]sv /ɡɵld/ | gold | #1,350 | #1,485 |
| edda /ˈeːˀˌdeːˀ/sv /eːd/ | an oath | #1,361 | #1,709 |
| havetda [ˈhæˀvəð]sv /ˈhɑːvɛt/ | sea, ocean | #1,368 | #1,240 |
| magida /maˈɡi/sv /ˈmɑːɡiː/ | magic | #1,404 | #1,550 |
| skyldigda /skyldi/sv /ˈsxyldɪɡ/ | guilty | #1,414 | #655 |
| farligda /ˈfɑːli/sv /²fɑːrlɪ(ɡ)/ | dangerous | #1,425 | #1,513 |
| bortda [ˈb̥ɒːd̥]sv /bɔʈː/ | away, off | #1,448 | #188 |
| regeringenda /ʁeˈɡeːˀˌʁeŋˀən/sv /rɛˈjeːrɪŋɛn/ | government; the executive body of a country's governmental… | #1,476 | #1,476 |
| energida /enɛɐ̯ˈɡiːˀ/sv /ˌɛnːərˈɧiː/ | energy | #1,520 | #1,791 |
| syndda /søn/sv /ˈsynd/ | sin | #1,535 | #714 |
| fredagda /ˈfreːˀda/sv /ˈfreːdɑːɡ/ | Friday | #1,547 | #1,953 |
| informationda /enfɒmaˈɕoːˀn/sv /ɪnfɔrmasˈxuːn/ | information | #1,593 | #824 |
| rapportda /ʁɑˈpɒːd/sv /rapˈɔʈː/ | a report | #1,634 | #1,882 |
| mordetda /ˈmoːˀʌð/sv /ˈmuːrdɛt/ | murder | #1,648 | #1,288 |
| blodetda /ˈbloðˀəð/sv /ˈbluːdɛt/ | blood | #1,670 | #1,663 |
| strandenda /ˈsdʁɑnˀən/sv /ˈstrandɛn/ | beach | #1,692 | #1,543 |
| eftermiddagda /ˈɛfdɐmeˌdaːˀ/sv /ˈɛftɛrˌmɪdaɡ/ | afternoon | #1,709 | #1,773 |
| sekundda /seˈkɔnˀd/sv /sɛˈkɵnd/ | second | #1,710 | #1,389 |
| klubbenda /ˈklubən/sv /ˈklɵbɛn/ | a club | #1,901 | #1,874 |
The speaker plays the voice the LangX app uses for that language — synthesised, not a native speaker, so treat it as a guide.
The overlap is the easy part.
The rest comes from using it with someone who speaks it.