Many children grow up in an environment in which the language spoken in everyday communication is not the standard language but a regional variety. The implications of linguistic situations with co-existing varieties for teachers and speech therapists are illustrated by the example of the acquisition of the written language in Ger-man-speaking Switzerland. In the Canton of Fribourg 1641 first through sixth graders were tested using the Hamburger Schreib-Probe. A comparison to the scores of children from Germany shows that for certain graphemes the Swiss children have an ad-vantage when using the alphabetic strategy. This is due to the fact that the pronunciation of these sounds in the Swiss variety of Standard German corresponds more closely to the written language than the pronunciation variants in Germany.