Crossword Clue: Swiss capital
Here's the answer to the Swiss capital crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: BERN
The answer to "Swiss capital" is BERN. Bern runs 4 letters — 1 vowel and 3 consonants — opening with B and closing on N. In a grid it fills a 4-square slot whose letters are each shared with a crossing word, so the intersections do a lot of the heavy lifting when the clue itself is tough.
Origin & meaning
Bern, not Zurich or Geneva, is Switzerland's capital. Its medieval old town sits in a loop of the Aare River and is a UNESCO site. Albert Einstein developed his theory of relativity while living here.
Common usage
You'll see BERN in grids regularly — its 4-letter, 1 vowel shape is exactly what setters need to bridge trickier entries. When one intersecting letter is already in place, especially the B or N, BERN tends to fall fast.
Crossword trivia
Short answers like BERN are the connective tissue of a crossword. You'll meet BERN again and again, and recognizing it instantly is one of the quiet skills that separates fast solvers from slow ones.
Stuck on this clue?
The fastest way past a stubborn clue like this one is the grid itself: pencil in the easy crossing answers first, and BERN will often be the only word that fits the letters you already have.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue BERN — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing BERN into the grid took no time at all."
- "Bern is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."
- "Seeing 'Swiss capital' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in BERN almost immediately."