You "C" there is a fine line between coffee and pocket

I feel as though the Swedish language is going to kill me before I figure out how to speak it. I try to listen to conversations and am feeling like I recognize more words everyday. My family and friends here in Sweden are always urging me to try and use what Swedish I do know. My wife tells me that she thinks I have a good vocabulary so far, but that she thinks I should not be so shy about speaking. Anyone who knows me, knows that I am never one to shy away from speaking and that is what makes this so frustrating to me. I hear people speaking and it sounds so graceful and even beautiful at times. When I try however it sounds like a coughing donkey. I will say things that I practice a thousand times and my wife or any other Swedish person will look at me, cock their head to the side like a confused dog does and with a pleading look in their eyes ( as to say please god do not make that awful noise again ) they will say. "What"?

So I decided that I would work on writing things instead. Problem with writing things is that a lot of  Swedish words sound very similar with the only differences being long or short vowels. Plus the lovely Swedes felt the need to add in three extra letters to the alphabet (ö,ä,å) that I still have not quite figured out their sound, or the sounds for any of the other vowels for that matter. Anyway we (my wife, sister in law, daughter and myself) went downtown one day to participate in my sister in laws favorite sport (shopping). As the time was creeping up to around mid morning it was approaching coffee time. The Swedes are very passionate about their coffee breaks, which works well for me because I LOVE coffee. As we settled at a nice cafe in the heart of downtown Stockholm with our kaffe (coffee) and chokladboll (extremely wonderful chocolate balls) I decided to take to Facebook to inform the world what I was doing. Now before I get get carried away the "world" is actually only a couple hundred people of which maybe 10 can actually understand Swedish. I logged onto Facebook, checked in at the cafe and then with the confidence that all of my Swedes have instilled in me I typed "Ficka", and proceeded to enjoy my coffee and chocolate ball.

When we went shopping in the next store I saw a set of coffee cups that spelled out "FIKA" (the Swedish term for coffee break) and the panic and embarrassment hit me like sledge hammer to my stomach. 

"What in the hell had I just put on Facebook?"

I found my wife and asked. 

"Hey babe what does f-i-c-k-a mean"? I nervously waited for her reply.

"Pocket" she said without hesitation.

"Dang" I exclaimed.

My wife gave me a questioning look and I explained to her what had just happened. Her and her sister both tell me not to worry about it, but for the rest of the day I felt like everyone in Stockholm was staring at me whispering "pocket" under their breath.

I am sure that I am going to encounter many more language slip ups along the way. My Swedes all keep encouraging me to try no matter how bad I murder their language and for that I am thankful.