Do you know how to pronounce Fjällräven? No? You’re not the only one. This world-famous Swedish brand is known for creating super sleek, technical outerwear that is both reliable and stylish, but how do you say it? All those dots … Wonder no more, here is the easy way to remember how to pronounce Fjällräven, written out phonetically.

The Pronunciation

The first part is fairly straightforward. We start by simply saying a regular, everyday ‘F’ sound, just as if you’re about to say ‘Fish’. Easy, Fffffff… Then the part that most people are unsure of; that ‘jäll’ part. In Swedish, ‘J’ is pronounced in the same way that would pronounce a ‘y’. Also, the Swedish latter Ä with the two dots above is pronounced as a flat ‘ah’ rather than ‘ay’. And, just to be clear, we mean ‘ah’, not ‘ar’. Think about when you were in primary school and you learned the alphabet as flat sounds. That’s the kind of ‘a’ sound we’re looking for. So this section is pronounced like ‘Y-ah-ll’. Then the last part is pronounced using the same sound as that mid-section, due to the presence of another Swedish ‘Ä’. So its ‘R-ah-ven”. So, all together now:

F - Y-ah-ll - R-ah-ven

Easy peasy. Fjällräven translates as ‘Arctic Fox’, hence the adorable badge logo that we see stamped on all of the brand’s coats, jackets and popular Kanken backpacks. And Kanken is pronounced more like ‘Konken’, by the way, if we’re aiming for full pronunciation accuracy.So now you know how to pronounce Fjällräven, let’s take a closer look at why this brand’s products are so popular the world over.

The History Behind the Style

Image source: Fjallraven.com

This wonderfully Scandinavian, effortlessly stylish brand was founded over 50 years ago by Swedish explorer, Åke Nordin, who was on a mission to make nature more accessible to everybody. Fjällräven’s famous Kanken backpacks began life in a young Åke’s basement, where he used his father’s tools and his mother’s sewing machine to fill a gap he had spotted in the market. This gap was a need for a backpack that was spacious enough to hold an explorer’s gear while also sitting comfortably on the back. Åke eventually created a wooden-framed backpack, providing both support and comfort for the wearer. He then spent 10 years honing and perfecting this design, eventually creating his first product for sale in 1960 – a backpack with a lightweight aluminium frame. From here, other defining products were eventually created, including the much-loved Fjällräven Greenland Jacket and the Kanken backpack, plus a wider range of hiking, camping and mountaineering gear. Over the decades the Fjällräven name became the most trusted in Sweden before expanding across Scandinavia and eventually all over the world. Today, the classic styles of this amazing brand have become a major trend, with the Kanken making appearances everywhere from the great outdoors to the streets of the biggest cities.

Fjällräven at CHO

The Fjällräven collection at CHO Fashion & Lifestyle is home to over 150 styles of Fjällräven backpacks, including all the key Kanken styles and colours. From the Kanken Classic backpack to Kanken no.2, Mini Kanken and Re-Kanken, there’s a style and colour scheme in our collection to suit every personality and lifestyle. Our backpack collection also includes the iconic Greenland Top backpack, plus a wider range of Fjällräven duffel bags and ladies’ shopper style bags. This brand truly has everything covered, and each essential style is designed and crafted to the same technical standards as the original hardwearing designs that began all those decades ago in Åke Nordin’s basement. And no Fjällräven clothing and accessories collection would be complete without the brand’s signature outerwear essentials; the jackets. We have everything from the unbeatable Fjällräven Greenland jacket to the warm and windproof Skogso and High Coast Wind styles. Each jacket is crafted from the sturdiest, weatherproof materials to ensure long-lasting and reliable outerwear that’s both season-appropriate and perfectly on-trend. For the full range of jackets, backpacks and accessories from this masterful Swedish outerwear brand, pay a visit to our full Fjällräven clothing and accessories range here at CHO Fashion & Lifestyle.

Skål!