Table of Contents
Is it hard to understand an Irish accent?
It all helps to make the Irish accent often more difficult to be understood. In addition, there are some variations of the language throughout the country; the English spoken in Dublin is a bit different from the English spoken in Cork, for example. Some expressions are local and they don’t apply to other places.
Why are Irish words pronounced so differently?
Over time the differences got larger, and eventually the differences between these two types of consonant pronunciations became part of the grammar and started being perceived as different consonants altogether. The vowels “a”, “o” and “u” caused the consonants to be pronounced further back in the mouth.
How do Irish pronounce words?
The same thing happens in English, where “Benjamin” is pronounced “BEN-juh-muhn”. Thus the Irish word for Irish, “éireannach”, is pronounced “AY-ruh-nuhkh”….The Pronunciation and Spelling of Modern Irish.
| WORD | PRONOUNCED | MEANING |
|---|---|---|
| beannachtaí | BYAN-uhkh-tee | blessings |
| dia | DYEE-UH, JEE-uh | god |
| bandia | BAHN-JEE-uh | goddess |
| Dia duit! | JEE-uh ditch | God to you! = Greetings! |
What letters are silent in Irish?
The traditional standard Irish alphabet consists of 18 letters: a b c d e f g h i l m n o p r s t u. Thus, it does not contain the following letters used in English: j, k, q, v, w, x, y, z. The vowels may be accented as follows: á é í ó ú.
How is Irish English different from British English?
The most important distinction between these accents is simply the pronunciation of the letter “R”. In Ireland the intervocalic “R” is pronounced before the consonant and at the end of words. In England, it is the opposite.
How do you say T in Irish?
- The Irish pronounce the th in thinker like the t in tinker.
- The slit t of Irish English, as in kit, is (i) the same as English s, (ii) a type of affricate, (iii) a flap.
- Irish English is noted for having an alveolar /l/ in all syllable positions.
- Irish English is noted for open realisations of back vowels.
Why should I listen to Irish audio pronunciations?
The slower audio pronunciations allow you to study each word, and make connections between written Irish with how it’s pronounced by native speakers. You’re getting familiar with the Irish phrases for conversation. The faster audio shows you how words do blend into each other when spoken in conversation.
How to speak Irish with Irish people?
You don’t want to simple speak at Irish people. You want to converse in Irish with with them. Your first step is to hear how conversations may go, practice the words, to begin to follow along. In the next section, you can hear the audio of spoken Irish (Gaelic).
How do I listen to the pronunciation of a word?
The words are articulated by native speakers from the relevant dialects. To listen to the pronunciation of a word, simply type that word into the search box, then click on the required dialect to listen to that dialect’s sound file.
Is it worth learning Irish?
It’s a noble effort for you to consider learning Irish. It’s a noble effort to consider wanting to visit Ireland next time and strike up a simple conversation in Irish when you’re visiting a Gaeltacht area (where lots of the community speak Irish).