Writing on signs in Finland
Ä, ö and double letters
Finnish has ä and ö and lots of double letters, like aa, kk and tt. Many signs repeat the name in Swedish.
- Double vowels and consonants: katu, Kauppa, Apteekki.
- Almost no å, b, c or f in Finnish words.
- Finnish and Swedish on one sign is typical of Finland.
14 photos, grouped by the clue they show.
Key clue Shop sign 6
Key clue Street sign 8
Finland: what its writing looks like
Finnish has ä and ö, and lots of double letters: aa, ee, kk, tt. Words are long, and letters like b, c, f and å almost never appear.
Many signs show the name in Finnish and Swedish, since both are official languages. Streets are katu or tie.
Finnish is used across Finland. On the west coast, Swedish names come first on many signs.
Look-alikes: how to tell them apart
Estonia
SwedenEstonian looks similar, but adds õ and ü. Swedish has å, which Finnish words do not use.
Questions about the writing in Finland
How can I tell Finnish from Estonian?
Look for õ or ü: they are Estonian. Finnish uses ä and ö only.
Why are Finnish signs in two languages?
Finnish and Swedish are both official languages, so many towns show both names.