About this tool

Swedish nouns belong to one of two grammatical genders: common gender (en-words, n-ord) or neuter (ett-words, t-ord). About 75% of Swedish nouns are en-words. Knowing the gender of a noun is essential — it determines the indefinite article (en katt, ett hus), the definite suffix (katten, huset), and adjective agreement. This tool covers 81,007 Swedish nouns sourced from the SALDO lexical resource.

Suffix rules of thumb

These 26 ending patterns predict grammatical gender with high accuracy. They are guidelines, not guarantees — exceptions exist but are uncommon.

Semantic rules of thumb

• 🐾
  People & animals—Words for people and animals are almost always en-words.
• ⏰
  Time units—Most time units are en-words.Exceptions: ett år, ett dygn.
• ☕
  Drinks—Drinks are usually en-words.
• 🌿
  Plants & trees—Plants and trees are usually en-words.
• ☕️
  Compound words—The gender of a compound noun is always determined by its last component. kaffe (en) + rep (ett) = kafferep (ett). The last word always wins.

Frequently asked questions

How do I know if a Swedish noun is en or ett?

Most Swedish nouns (about 75%) are en-words. While there are no absolute rules, the suffix and semantic patterns above are highly reliable. When no pattern matches, the word must be learned individually — which is exactly what Artikulera is built for.

What percentage of Swedish nouns are en-words?

Approximately 75% of Swedish nouns are en-words (common gender). The remaining 25% are ett-words (neuter). A small number of nouns accept both genders.

Are there exceptions to the rules?

Yes. The suffix rules are strong guidelines but not guarantees. Among time units (usually en-words), ett år and ett dygn are common exceptions. The compound word rule is the most reliable with very few exceptions.

Why do Swedish nouns have grammatical gender?

Swedish historically had three genders (masculine, feminine, neuter) inherited from Proto-Germanic. Modern Swedish simplified this to two: common gender (combining old masculine and feminine, marked with en) and neuter (marked with ett).

How do Swedish articles work?

Swedish uses a two-article system. Indefinite: en katt (a cat), ett hus (a house). Definite: the article becomes a suffix — katten (the cat), huset (the house). The definite suffix is -en or -n for en-words and -et or -t for ett-words.

Where does the noun data come from?

The 81,007 nouns come from SALDO, a lexical resource for modern Swedish developed by Språkbanken at the University of Gothenburg. Rule-of-thumb classifications for 4,496 high-frequency nouns are sourced from the Artikulera word list.

How can I practice Swedish noun gender?

The Artikulera app for iPhone offers structured practice with over 4,500 common Swedish nouns using spaced repetition (intervallbaserad repetition). It teaches all 30 rules of thumb so you learn patterns, not just individual words.