Learn Swedish: För övrigt har jag redan svarat på frågan. - Incidentally, I have already answered the question.

Both translate to "incidentally" or "by the way", but they have different uses. Förresten is used when you suddenly remember something or want to change the subject entirely. För övrigt is a bit more formal and is often used to add a final, supporting point to an ongoing argument, similar to "for that matter" or "besides".

Why do we need the preposition på? Can't I just say svarat frågan?

In Swedish, the verb svara (to answer) is intransitive, meaning it needs a preposition to connect to an object. You must always use svarar på something. To drop the preposition, you have to use the transitive verb besvara instead, which would make the sentence: ...har jag redan besvarat frågan.

How does starting the sentence with för övrigt affect the placement of redan?

Starting with the phrase för övrigt triggers the V2 rule, pushing the finite verb har to the second position and the subject jag to the third. In an inverted main clause like this, sentence adverbs like redan must be placed immediately after the subject.

What does the word övrigt mean when it isn't part of this set phrase?