Hur trött jag än är på kvällen brukar jag skriva några ord i mitt block och öva stavningen.

It means something like however tired I am or no matter how tired I am.

This pattern:

• hur + adjective/adverb + subject + än + verb

is a common way to express concession in Swedish.

Examples:

• Hur svårt det än är = No matter how difficult it is
• Hur sent det än blir = However late it gets

So in your sentence:

• Hur trött jag än är på kvällen = No matter how tired I am in the evening

Yes, än often means than in comparisons:

• större än = bigger than

But in this kind of structure, än has a different function. It helps create the meaning even if / no matter how / however.

So here:

• Hur trött jag än är does not mean how tired I than am
• it means however tired I am

This is a fixed grammatical pattern, so it is best learned as a whole.

Because this is a subordinate-clause-like structure, and Swedish normally keeps the verb after the subject in subordinate clauses.

So:

• jag är trött = I am tired
• hur trött jag än är = however tired I am

You do not invert the verb and subject here.

Compare:

• Main clause question: Är jag trött? = Am I tired?
• Subordinate structure: ... jag är ...

So hur trött jag än är follows subordinate word order.

Because the sentence begins with another element:

• Hur trött jag än är på kvällen

In Swedish main clauses, the finite verb usually comes in the second position. This is the V2 rule.

So after the opening clause, the main clause must start with the verb:

• Hur trött jag än är på kvällen brukar jag skriva ...

Not:

• Hur trött jag än är på kvällen jag brukar skriva ...

This is very typical Swedish word order.

Brukar means usually, tend to, or be in the habit of.

So:

• jag brukar skriva = I usually write
• hon brukar läsa på kvällen = she usually reads in the evening

It describes a habit or something that happens regularly.

In this sentence, it tells us that writing a few words and practicing spelling is something the speaker typically does.

Because after brukar, Swedish uses the infinitive without att.

So:

• jag brukar skriva
• jag brukar öva

not:

• jag brukar att skriva

This is similar to some English verbs that take a bare infinitive, though the systems are not exactly the same.

In the sentence:

• brukar jag skriva några ord i mitt block och öva stavningen

both skriva and öva depend on brukar.

På kvällen means in the evening.

This is a very common Swedish time expression:

• på morgonen = in the morning
• på dagen = during the day / in the daytime
• på kvällen = in the evening
• på natten = at night / during the night

Even though English often uses in, Swedish often uses på in these expressions.

So it is best to learn på kvällen as a set phrase.

Några means some or a few.

So:

• några ord = a few words / some words

It is the plural of an indefinite quantity:

• en bok = a book
• några böcker = some books

Here:

• skriva några ord = write a few words

This sounds natural and idiomatic.

Here block means something like notepad, notebook, or writing pad.

In Swedish, ett block is usually a pad of paper or notebook for writing.

So:

• i mitt block = in my notebook / in my notepad

The exact English word depends on context, but notebook or notepad is usually a good choice.

Because in Swedish, when you write in a notebook or pad, i is very natural.

• skriva i ett block
• skriva i en bok

This is similar to English, where we also often say write in a notebook.

You may also see på with some surfaces, for example:

• skriva på papper = write on paper
• skriva på tavlan = write on the board

But with block, i mitt block is the normal choice.

It means practice spelling.

• öva = practice
• stavning = spelling
• stavningen = the spelling

So literally it looks like practice the spelling, but in natural English we usually just say practice spelling.

In this sentence, it probably means the speaker writes a few words down in order to practice spelling them correctly.

The definite form stavningen can sound more specific and concrete here, as if referring to spelling as a skill or to the spelling of the words being written.

Swedish often uses the definite form in places where English would use a more general noun.

So:

• öva stavningen = practice spelling

You may also come across other ways to express this idea, such as:

• öva stavning
• öva på stavning

Those can also occur, but öva stavningen is perfectly natural in this sentence.

Grammatically, both skriva and öva are part of what the speaker usually does, so both depend on brukar.

Structure:

• brukar jag skriva några ord i mitt block och öva stavningen

This means:

• I usually write a few words in my notebook and practice spelling

So the speaker usually does two things:

1. skriva några ord i mitt block
2. öva stavningen

Yes, that is a very helpful way to understand it.

Part 1: a concessive opening

• Hur trött jag än är på kvällen
• However tired I am in the evening / No matter how tired I am in the evening

Part 2: the main clause

• brukar jag skriva några ord i mitt block och öva stavningen
• I usually write a few words in my notebook and practice spelling

That makes the full sentence easier to process:

• No matter how tired I am in the evening, I usually write a few words in my notebook and practice spelling.

It sounds natural and fairly neutral. The pattern hur ... än ... is a bit more structured than very casual everyday speech, but it is absolutely normal Swedish.

A more conversational alternative might be something like:

• Även om jag är trött på kvällen brukar jag skriva några ord i mitt block och öva stavningen.
• Even if I’m tired in the evening, I usually write a few words in my notebook and practice spelling.

But the original sentence is correct, natural, and slightly elegant in style.

Sometimes yes, but the meaning is slightly different.

• Hur trött jag än är = however tired I am / no matter how tired I am
• Även om jag är trött = even if I am tired

The original version is stronger. It suggests that the habit continues regardless of the degree of tiredness.

So:

• Hur trött jag än är = even if I’m very, very tired, it still happens
• Även om jag är trött = even if I’m tired

Both can work, but they are not exactly identical.