Norwegian and Swedish: 118 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 | Norwegian | Swedish |
|---|---|---|---|
| vino /ʋiː/sv /viː/ | we | #10 | #10 |
| ja/jɑː/ | yes | #33 | #35 |
| utno /ˈʉːt/sv /ʉːt/ | out | #46 | #58 |
| dinno /diːn/sv /dɪn/ | your, yours | #49 | #47 |
| ossno /ɔsː/sv /ɔs/ | us | #50 | #57 |
| se/seː/ | to see | #60 | #82 |
| fåno /ˈfoː/sv /foː/ | few | #70 | #80 |
| sa/ˈsɑː/ | to say | #77 | #74 |
| bra/brɑː/ | well | #78 | #53 |
| ellerno /ˈɛlər/sv /ˈɛlɛr/ | or | #85 | #63 |
| ser/seːr/ | to see | #88 | #90 |
| gjordeno /ˈjûːɾə/sv /ˈjʊˌɖɛ/ | to do | #122 | #102 |
| dagno /dɑːɡ/sv /dɑː(ɡ)/ | a day | #123 | #153 |
| nedno /ˈnɛd/sv /neːd/ | down | #129 | #856 |
| sett/sɛtː/ | to see | #130 | #200 |
| årno /oːɾ/sv /ˈoːr/ | a year | #137 | #121 |
| gjortno /jurt/sv /jʊrt/ | to do | #146 | #144 |
| alltidno /ˈɑlˌtiːd/sv /²alːtiːd/ | always | #152 | #148 |
| treno /tɾeː/sv /treː/ | three | #163 | #171 |
| tid/tiːd/ | time | #170 | #162 |
| ingentingno /²ɪŋːɛntɪŋ/sv /ˈɪŋɛnˌtɪŋ/ | nothing | #171 | #271 |
| livetno /ˈliːvə/sv /ˈliːvɛt/ | life | #179 | #307 |
| hennesno /ˈhɛˌneːs/sv /²hɛnɛs/ | her | #206 | #177 |
| gladno /ɡɽɑː/sv /ɡlɑː(d)/ | happy, glad | #263 | #398 |
| livno /liːʋ/sv /liːv/ | life | #269 | #155 |
| tidenno /ˈtiːdn̩/sv /ˈtiːdɛn/ | time | #270 | #253 |
| sagtno /ˈsɑkt/sv /sakt/ | to say | #283 | #323 |
| fem/fɛm/ | five | #284 | #306 |
| nyno /ˈnyː/sv /nyː/ | new | #296 | #366 |
| husetno /ˈhʉːsət/sv /ˈhʉsɛt/ | a house | #318 | #387 |
| gamleno /ˈɡɑmlə/sv /ˈɡamlɛ/ | old | #322 | #1,435 |
| dagenno /ˈdɑːɡən/sv /ˈdɑːɡɛn/ | a day | #326 | #470 |
| natt/natː/ | night | #337 | #439 |
| viktigno /ˈvɪktɪ/sv /²vɪktɪ(ɡ)/ | important | #394 | #1,251 |
| ordno /uːɾ/sv /ˈuːrd/ | a word | #409 | #444 |
| allno /ˈɑl/sv /al/ | all | #419 | #459 |
| sitterno /ˈsɪtər/sv /ˈsɪtːɛr/ | to sit | #433 | #422 |
| matno /maːt/sv /mɑːt/ | food | #445 | #477 |
| fullno /fʉl/sv /ˈfɵlː/ | drunk | #464 | #588 |
| ses/ˈseːs/ | to see | #466 | #303 |
| sentno /ˈseːnt/sv /seːnt/ | late | #478 | #562 |
| tomno /ˈtɔm/sv /tuːm/ | empty | #479 | #654 |
| hus/hʉːs/ | a house | #490 | #403 |
| restenno /ˈrɛstn̩/sv /ˈrɛstɛn/ | remainder, rest | #523 | #615 |
| fred/freːd/ | peace | #526 | #863 |
| blodno /bluː/sv /bluːd/ | blood | #575 | #534 |
| sist/ˈsɪst/ | last, lastly | #596 | #1,027 |
| ungeno /ˈʊŋə/sv /²ˈɵŋːɛ/ | young | #597 | #1,163 |
| fallno /ˈfɑl/sv /ˈfal/ | to fall | #638 | #337 |
| kaffeno /kɑfːə/sv /²kafːɛ/ | coffee | #652 | #710 |
| gifteno /ˈjɪftə/sv /ˈjiːftɛ/ | married | #673 | #1,530 |
| nummerno /nʉ.mər/sv /¹nɵmɛr/ | a number | #678 | #594 |
| ungno /ʊŋː/sv /ɵŋː/ | young | #701 | #740 |
| krigno /kɾiːɡ/sv /kriːɡ/ | war | #718 | #764 |
| historienno /hɪˈstuːrɪən/sv /ˈhɪstuːˌriːɛn/ | history | #732 | #1,200 |
| kortno /kɔʈ/sv /kɔrt/ | short | #740 | #645 |
| nattenno /ˈnɑtn̩/sv /ˈnatːɛn/ | night | #745 | #574 |
| soverno /ˈsoːvər/sv /ˈsuːvɛr/ | to sleep | #779 | #809 |
| tv/ˈteːˌveː/ | television | #817 | #799 |
| sjuno /ʃʉː/sv /ɧʉː/ | seven | #844 | #658 |
| kroppenno /ˈkrɔpən/sv /ˈkrɔpɛn/ | a body | #857 | #843 |
| kontrollno /kʊnˈtrɔl/sv /ˈkɔntrɔl/ | control | #868 | #1,131 |
| babyno /ˈbæ͡ɪbʏ/sv /ˈbabyː/ | a baby | #877 | #1,305 |
| agentno /ɑˈɡɛnt/sv /aˈɡɛnːt/ | an agent | #897 | #753 |
| nyheterno /ˈnyːˌheːtər/sv /ˈnyːheːtɛr/ | news | #901 | #879 |
| sovno /ˈsoːv/sv /soːv/ | to sleep | #935 | #975 |
| matenno /ˈmɑːtn̩/sv /ˈmɑːtɛn/ | food | #942 | #1,252 |
| tredjeno /ˈtræ͡ɪə/sv /ˈtreːˌdjɛ/ | third | #967 | #936 |
| håretno /ˈhoːrət/sv /ˈhoːrɛt/ | hair | #982 | #1,652 |
| respektno /rəˈspɛkt/sv /ˈrɛspɛkt/ | respect | #996 | #1,185 |
| pistolenno /pɪˈstuːln̩/sv /ˈpɪstuːlɛn/ | a pistol | #1,009 | #1,293 |
| gravidno /ɡrɑˈviːd/sv /ɡraˈviːd/ | pregnant | #1,042 | #1,211 |
| båtenno /ˈboːtn̩/sv /ˈboːtɛn/ | a boat | #1,043 | #1,221 |
| ansvarno /ˈɑnˌsvɑːr/sv /ˈansvɑːr/ | responsibility | #1,046 | #1,276 |
| fulltno /ˈfʉlt/sv /ˈfɵlt/ | fully | #1,051 | #986 |
| fallerno /ˈfɑlər/sv /ˈfalɛr/ | to fall | #1,053 | #1,382 |
| skogenno /ˈskuːɡən/sv /ˈskuːjɛn/ | forest, wood | #1,065 | #1,020 |
| blå/bloː/ | blue | #1,089 | #1,299 |
| ordetno /ˈuːrə/sv /ˈuːrdɛt/ | a word | #1,137 | #1,284 |
| brevno /breːʋ/sv /breːv/ | a letter | #1,175 | #1,101 |
| hårno /ˈhoːr/sv /hoːr/ | hair | #1,204 | #920 |
| pistolno /pɪˈstuːl/sv /ˈpɪstuːl/ | a pistol | #1,215 | #1,113 |
| vinno /ʋiːn/sv /viːn/ | wine | #1,218 | #1,278 |
| blodetno /ˈbluːət/sv /ˈbluːdɛt/ | blood | #1,219 | #1,663 |
| slagno /ˈʃlɑːɡ/sv /slɑːɡ/ | A hit; punch | #1,228 | #1,454 |
| skyldigno /ˈʃʏldɪ/sv /ˈsxyldɪɡ/ | guilty | #1,278 | #655 |
| professorno /prʊ.ˈfɛ.sʊr/sv /ˈpruːfɛˌsɔr/ | professor | #1,284 | #1,793 |
| senno /ˈseːn/sv /seːn/ | late | #1,290 | #100 |
| åretno /ˈoːrət/sv /ˈoːrɛt/ | a year | #1,297 | #976 |
| hotelletno /hʊˈtɛlə/sv /ˈhuːtɛlɛt/ | a hotel | #1,321 | #1,490 |
| teamno /ˈtiːm/sv /tiːm/ | a team | #1,357 | #1,197 |
| normaltno /nʊrˈmɑːlt/sv /ˈnɔrmɑːlt/ | normally | #1,375 | #1,303 |
| fredagno /ˈfreːˌdɑːɡ/sv /ˈfreːdɑːɡ/ | Friday | #1,426 | #1,953 |
| mordno /ˈmʊrd/sv /muːɖ/ | murder | #1,428 | #755 |
| fiendenno /ˈfiːəndn̩/sv /ˈfiːɛndɛn/ | an enemy | #1,476 | #1,864 |
| svinno /ˈsviːn/sv /sviːn/ | hog, pig, swine | #1,484 | #1,559 |
| bankenno /ˈbɑŋkən/sv /ˈbaŋkɛn/ | a bank | #1,490 | #1,684 |
| frihetno /friː.heːt/sv /friːheːt/ | freedom, liberty | #1,507 | #1,621 |
| luftno /ˈlʉft/sv /ˈlɵft/ | air | #1,515 | #1,679 |
| edno /ˈɛd/sv /eːd/ | an oath | #1,520 | #1,709 |
| ringenno /ˈrɪŋən/sv /ˈrɪŋɛn/ | ring; a circular piece of material | #1,526 | #1,832 |
| kilometerno /ˈçiːlʊˌmeːtər/sv /ɕɪlʊˈmeːtɛr/ | a kilometre | #1,530 | #1,867 |
| båt/ˈboːt/ | a boat | #1,533 | #1,356 |
| tolvno /ˈtɔl/sv /tɔlv/ | twelve | #1,566 | #1,319 |
| låst/ˈloːst/ | to lock | #1,569 | #1,926 |
| barenno /ˈbɑːɳ̩/sv /ˈbɑːrɛn/ | a bar | #1,575 | #1,770 |
| faderno /ˈfɑːdər/sv /²fɑːdɛr/ | father | #1,591 | #969 |
| sugerno /ˈsʉːɡər/sv /ˈsʉjɛr/ | to suck | #1,608 | #1,388 |
| solenno /¹suː.lən/sv /ˈsuːlɛn/ | sun | #1,638 | #1,255 |
| fienderno /ˈfiːəndər/sv /ˈfiːɛndɛr/ | an enemy | #1,691 | #1,716 |
| offerno /ˈɔfər/sv /ˈɔfɛr/ | a sacrifice | #1,756 | #1,173 |
| kroppno /kɾɔpː/sv /ˈkrɔpː/ | a body | #1,769 | #684 |
| tomtno /ˈtʊmt/sv /tuːmt/ | empty | #1,770 | #1,980 |
| luftenno /ˈlʉftn̩/sv /ˈlɵftɛn/ | air | #1,785 | #1,314 |
| hotellno /hʊˈtɛl/sv /hʊˈtɛlː/ | a hotel | #1,797 | #1,544 |
| klubbenno /ˈklʉbən/sv /ˈklɵbɛn/ | a club | #1,914 | #1,874 |
| energino /ɛnərˈɡiː/sv /ˌɛnːərˈɧiː/ | energy | #1,946 | #1,791 |
| fiendeno /ˈfi.əndə/sv /²fiːˌɛndɛ/ | an enemy | #1,970 | #1,887 |
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.