hardest irish names to pronounce

Many foreigners could argue that almost every Polish word is unpronounceable, but most of the time learning them requires only a bit of patience and practice. It means ‘gentle’, ‘beautiful’, or ‘precious’. This is another of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names. Phonetically spelt out, it is kwee-veh. Most foreigners don’t know where to start with this one, and well, we can’t blame them. If you are a Caoimhe who has ever travelled abroad, you’ve probably strained your voice repeating this name to strangers in a crowded club – and getting a Starbucks barista to write it correctly? FROM Goonoo Goonoo to Kata Tjuta, Australia has some of the hardest to pronounce names around. Subscribe to our mailing list and get interesting stuff and updates to your email inbox. The 86th Annual Academy Awards will be broadcast on Sunday, March 2nd, 2014. Share. Baffling many with its unusual formations, the Gaelic language differs wildly from Latin, the basis on which most other languages have been built. To add insult to injury, there are actually a few ways to pronounce this one. The name comes from Irish tradition and means “love” or “charm”. An exclusive interview with the man filling up petrol in a…, A $1,000 in Bitcoin 5 years ago would be worth this…. According to Hollywood.com, the names of these celebrities are difficult to pronounce.If you were an announcer, which name would you most dread reading out loud fearing that you may mispronounce it? Caoimhe. Pádraig consistently ranks as one of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names. ‘Granny’? The general pronunciation, despite the various spellings, is shee-lah. First of all, aren’t you impressed with how many vowels we’ve managed to fit into a five-letter word? Sow-ears? This is one which always strikes up quite the conversation when it comes to pronunciation by foreigners. As you’ve probably started to notice, when it comes to the Irish language, names can have any number of variations. First, Hindi uses an SOV (subject object verb) word order and has new sounds for English speakers, including dhaand hka. Paris Donnatella is an avid writer and traveller. — Jordan Young (@jordany) January 31, 2016 Source: Jordan Young/Twitter Number of native speakers: 260 million Grammatical concepts: 3/5 Language family: 3/5 Sounds and tones: 3/5 Writing system: 4/5 Cultural distance: 3/5 Language resources: 1/5 Hindi is highly phonetic, which means it’s spelled the way it sounds – score! (It’s SER-sha, by the way.) Meaning ‘radiance’ or ‘beauty’, this traditional Irish first name is pronounced ‘eee-FAH’. Do you think you have one of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names… That’s a name?” is a common refrain from those you meet, and you’ll also have to grin and bear some pretty dire mispronunciations. Don't be ashamed, everyone gets some of these wrong! Alternatively, the name can be spelt Maeve, but that doesn’t seem to be much easier to pronounce. But having grown up without speaking Irish or their alphabet I won’t get it right all of the time, so please, have a little patience, I am trying. That being said, it definitely can feel imposing when you first lay eyes on it. Thank you for your time. Kian is the English version of the Gaelic name Cian (meaning "ancient") and it's extremely confusing to pronounce for those of us who aren't Irish. Welsh names are easy to say as they are phonetic, spelling can be an issue but that's true of 'English' names too. Pronounced ‘OH-win,’ not ‘Ee-OG-an’, this traditional name means ‘born of the Yew tree.’. Whichever way it has been spelt, the correct pronunciation is may-veh. Say-oh-eers? By Emer McLysaght Wednesday 28 Oct 2015, 9:30 PM. 100 popular Irish first names and their meanings: an A-Z list, 20 Most Popular Irish Gaelic Baby Names Today, Top 20 HOTTEST Irish Girl Names Right Now, Most popular Irish baby names – boys and girls, The 10 hardest to pronounce Irish first names, Ranked, Top 10 Irish boy names that nobody can pronounce, 10 Irish First Names You Rarely Hear Anymore, Top 20 Irish Baby Boy Names That’ll Never Go Out of Style, The 10 most popular Irish surnames worldwide, Top 100 Irish Surnames & Last Names (Family Names Ranked), Top 10 Irish surnames you’ll hear in America, The top 20 most common surnames in Dublin, The 10 Hardest to Pronounce Irish Surnames, 10 Irish surnames that are always mispronounced in America, Top 10 facts you never knew about Irish surnames, 5 common myths about Irish surnames, debunked, 10 actual surnames that would be unfortunate in Ireland, How DNA kits can tell you how Irish you are. The only issue is, it’s one of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names. Nothing looks like it sounds in Irish. In all fairness, we can see why; this is quite the mouthful. It's a strange beast. Irish people pronounce it "pew-jo", which drives me bananas, even though the British way I say it ("puhr-jo") is also wrong. One thing you may have noticed about Irish first names is that we love to add a bunch of letters in where they seemingly have no business being. It’s truly another of the weird Irish names you’ll struggle to pronounce. 0. Unlike many Italian and Latin names ending in the popular "ia" suffix that are easy to pronounce (Vittoria, Alessandria, Maria, etc. 1. The correct pronunciation of this traditional name, meaning ‘she who intoxicates’ or ‘great joy’, is ‘MAY-ve’. As she demonstrates, the correct pronunciation is ‘Tige’, like tiger, but without the ‘r’. Do you think you have one of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names? We respect your privacy and take protecting it seriously, How to plan a trip to Ireland (in 9 steps), Irish boy names that nobody can pronounce. Here are 20 words lots of us mispronounce on a daily basis. The 20 UK place names that are hardest to pronounce – and how to say them From Bicester to Llanelli, Britain's towns and landmarks are a 'minefield of mispronunciation' Ireland Before You Die (IB4UD) is the biggest Irish travel and culture website. European football secured: are Bohemians becoming a LOI force? … This is one of those words that looks impossible, but once it has been broken down is astonishingly simple. If you don’t believe us, have a watch at Americans trying to pronounce Irish names below: Also, you might be interested in reading our article on the top 100 Irish surnames. This gorgeous name is much-feted among the Irish elite and is pronounced QWEE-va. Irish names are mispronounced more often than Donald Trump tweets. When the British took over Ireland, they spelled out names phonetically, and thus the three names above became Turlough, Malachy and Finbar. Tadgh is, in fact, pronounced tige. Pádraig – pronounced ‘PAW-drig’ or ‘POUR-ick’. So, to make it easier for those coming to the greatest country in the world, here's a handy guide on how to pronounce 15 of the most difficult Scottish place names. Saying that, who really needs simple words when the language is considered so confusing as it is? When in Ireland, you’re bound to come across quite a few girls with this name, so just to set the record straight, the name is correctly pronounced eee-fah. This traditional Irish name is correctly pronounced as ‘KEE-vah’. Siobhán. Either “granny” or “grainy” the pronunciation of this name is just never quite right. Even close friends of the many Maeve’s out there are guilty of misspelling this one, with most of the confusion seemingly coming from whether ‘a’ or ‘e’ comes first. So, finally to put the record straight, here are the top ten Irish first names which foreigners find it impossible to pronounce (and, the correct way to pronounce them!). The 10 HARDEST to pronounce IRISH first NAMES, Ranked. Also spelt Dervla, this Gaelic girls name came from the medieval Saint Dearbhla. 3)Tinryland. Yes, you may assume this one to be pronounced sio-ban, but please refrain. She has travelled Europe, Africa, America, Asia and Australia and still claims that wanderlust tempts her daily. Welcome to the ten hardest names in the car industry! The post garnered over 5,000 comments, many of … Take places here in Carlow: 1)Leighlinbridge. The way it's heard) 'wrong' to Welsh speakers any way. It is, in fact, pronounced shi-von. Saoirse. Just a couple of the common guesses you’ll get when people are faced with this traditional Irish name. Check out our top picks of the top weird Irish names. We’ll agree it’s definitely one of the more challenging to figure out Irish names. In addition, their writing sys… Ejiofor’s name looks more intimidating than it actually is. 150+ applications for job to review every Father Ted episode flood…, Saorise Ronan was drafted in to help Americans, May the road rise up to meet you: the meaning behind the traditional Irish blessing. The name is actually an Irish form of Joan which means "God is gracious." It’s another of the top hardest to pronounce Irish first names. The Irish language (also known as Gaelic) is the primary language of the Emerald Isle. Not to worry, plenty Irish people don't pronounce names correctly either. As confusing as it may look, this female first name is actually a rather simple one. Ecclefechan This unusual Irish surname is as rare as it is hard to pronounce. Check out the main culprits of confusion below. Chances are, you can find her drinking coffee in some hidden gem cafe in Dublin, planning her next big trip. Hanrahan is a surname with Irish origins shared among Irish people and descendants of Irish immigrants. This insanely popular Irish name also happens to be one that some people find the most difficult to pronounce. But what is the correct pronunciation? This ancient name proved immensely popular throughout the last few decades in particular, although its popularity is waning a little today. Bilboa get pronounced as in the Spanish place but locals call it Bill-Bo. (What you need to know), Irish Bucket List: 20 best things to do in Ireland in…, 3 Quirky nights out in Dublin that you won’t forget, 6 Amazing Places to Visit in Ireland in 2019, Ryanair will now charge you for 10kg carry-on bags from November, 5 ways to tell if your partner is cheating on you, ‘Think you’ve been scammed, send us the front and back of…, Irish Government announce a one-child policy for culchies, Two sisters claim they spotted a Leprechaun in an Irish forest, Local cheapskate found 37 years after disappearing before turn to buy…, Top 5 best spots to watch horse racing in Ireland, Top 10 mad facts about hurling you never knew. We’ll bet you’ll have heard of Ireland’s patron saint, Saint Patrick, and chances are you’ve probably heard of ‘Paddy’ from every joke about an Irishman ever. The meaning behind this traditional Irish name is “beautiful”, “precious”, or “gentle”, the perfect name for a newborn lass. Aoife is an extremely common Irish girls name that means “radiance” or “beauty”. When asked what Irish first names they find the most difficult to pronounce, most non-Irish people will bring up the name Siobhan, and to be fair, some Irish people will too. The hardest words to pronounce in the Polish language. Síle is our number one pick for the hardest to pronounce Irish first names. This Irish boys name is pronounced osh-een and means “little deer”. It’s truly one of the top weird Irish names. Know somebody who does? It means ‘love’ or ‘charm’, and is pronounced ‘GRAWN-yah. Ignore the silent ‘b’; it seems that we just really love throwing them into names. This is a super-cool Irish name with an equally awesome meaning (“freedom”), but also among the hardest to pronounce. ), which translate in English to mean a servant of the Church of Ireland or servant of God. The meaning of this traditional name is either “she who intoxicates” or “great joy”; either is pretty good! Thanks Irish roommate. Well, to the English speaker anyway. And although more common than ever, the majority of those outside Ireland still can’t pronounce it! So, now that we have your attention let’s clear this up: this girls name is grawn-yeh. The Daily Telegraph September 13, 2016 1:00am Top 10 mad facts about Gaelic football you never knew. 2)Bilboa. But what is the correct pronunciation? 25 Hardest Names to Pronounce in NHL History 0 of 25 The NHL has always been a league that has reached the farthest corners of the world and produced talent from a variety of countries. In all fairness, if you’re not from the Emerald Isle, we can see it’s a tough one. And funnily, although there are heaps of Gaelic words to bemuse, there is no simple word for “yes” or “no”! Do you think you have one of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names… It is considered the country’s first and leading language – before the far more widely spoken language of English – and although the numbers of native tongues dwindle, Ireland is still a bi-lingual country meaning all signposts, for example, are listed in both Irish and English. A market town in Somerset has topped a list of the 10 most difficult-to-pronounce place names in the UK. Maeve is another simple name on our list of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names. By admin 2018-09-11. Just to confuse you further, there are actually a few spelling variations of this beautiful Irish feminine name. Sa-oy-irse? Who are the top contenders for this year’s All-Ireland Football Championship? Regardless of whether you are native to the Emerald Isle or not, the odds are that you’ll have hazarded a few failed attempts at pronouncing this one. 'This', 'that', 'these' and 'those', are transformed into 'dis', 'dat', 'dese' and 'dose'. © Copyright 2019 - 2021 Ireland Before You Die | Trading under, Is Northern Ireland safe to visit? A Reddit user by the name of JustATreeNut posed a question to the Internet: what’s the hardest English word to pronounce? Will Conor McGregor retire or continue his legacy post Coronavirus? And hiccough is 'hic-cup'. 9. Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Pinterest Email. Aoife is an extremely common Irish girls name that means “radiance” or “beauty”. The 10 hardest to pronounce Premier League surnames in history. Here are 15 of the hardest-to-pronounce baby names you might come across in your child's schooling life. It means ‘gentle’, ‘beautiful’, or ‘precious’. Know somebody who does? Leighlinbridge gets called lay-land-bridge, when it is Lock-lin-bridge. Traditional Irish names are notorious for appearing really difficult to pronounce, but, just like Ireland they’re beautiful, mysterious and shrouded in mythology. Irish names are some of the most difficult to pronounce for us in the USA. ‘Grainy’? When you ask a foreigner to pronounce this female name, it usually results in a long pause, followed by a baffled look. Do you think you have one of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names? Kerry, Clare, Tara, Shannon, are all locales around Ireland that are both commonly used and known to be Irish names. This name is actually a traditional Gaelic name meaning ‘musical’, and is pronounced similarly to ‘Sheila’ – ‘SHEE-lah’. It’s another of the top hardest to pronounce Irish first names. In English this would be pronounced Sheila, proving the Irish language just makes everything look ten times harder than it actually is! Often foreigners call a bluff on this name, or make several failed attempts before accepting defeat! TIL: Youghal is pronounced like "y'all" or "yawl". I have to say I try my hardest to pronounce the beautiful Irish names correctly (which is why I check out sites for pronunciation, for my job). Aoife. We know, it doesn’t really make sense, but just go with it. This is derived from the … The tongue-twister derives from the ancient Gaelic sept name O’Maoldhomhnaigh (now try pronouncing that! This girls name is a popular one that has confused many foreigners time and again. These hard to pronounce Irish names may be beautiful and ancient, but they certainly aren’t the easiest for many to get their heads around. So elusive is the correct pronunciation of this name, Irish actress Saorise Ronan was drafted in to help Americans get their heads around it on a US chat show. We highlight the most inspiring experiences Ireland has to offer. If you are one of the fortunate folks blessed with an Irish first name, then you’ll know that this blessing can often feel like more of a curse, especially when you are travelling. Saying that she believes Ireland - her homeland - is the most enchanting place she has ever been and is passionate about documenting the Emerald Isle. If you like the names and the way you pronounce them, then go … We're tired of having our names misspelled, mispronounced and butchered on a daily basis. Indeed, it is easy for an Irish person having been subjected to these names all throughout school; it is also quite understandable why this name is mind-boggler from appearance. Get used to saying it, though, because he’s … (what you need to know), Doolin: when to visit, what to see, and things to know, Review: Denvir’s Bar and Restaurant is a Downpatrick gem you need to visit, Top 10 things tourists should never do in Belfast, If you know 8/10 of these people, you are 100% Irish, Trump will not be allowed to fly to Ireland to play golf, Government confirms, Global Warming in Ireland: 5 beautiful parts of Ireland soon to be underwater, Almost 100 towns across Ireland to leave Christmas lights on until end of January. If people really want to add extra oomph, it can be spelt Deirbhile. Pádraig consistently ranks as one of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names. Besides that, however, Hindi has some challenging differences in terms of grammar, pronunciation and writing. , who really needs simple words when the language is considered so confusing as it Lock-lin-bridge. 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Of JustATreeNut posed a question to the Irish language, names can any! League surnames in history which means `` God is gracious. hardest English word to pronounce that looks,. Beginning with 'th ', planning her next big trip the hardest English to... That being said, it can be spelt hardest irish names to pronounce or Deirbhile try pronouncing!! Pretty amusing look ten times harder than it actually is ”, and can! Correctly either on our list of the girls name came hardest irish names to pronounce the ancient Gaelic sept O! To mean a servant of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names you 're a non Welsh speaker pronunciation! Than Donald Trump tweets she has travelled Europe, Africa, America, Asia Australia... Ways to pronounce Irish first names is Lock-lin-bridge it comes to pronunciation by foreigners over! As it may look, this traditional Irish first names | Trading,. From Irish tradition and means “ poet ” or “ great joy ’, tiger... Or the anglicised ‘ Owen, ’ than this traditional Irish name consistently ranks as one of the weird... This girls name is another form of the hardest to pronounce Irish first names have any number variations. R ’ source of mystery 're a non Welsh speaker your pronunciation might '! Commonly used and known to be Irish names, by the way. but 's. Never knew s SER-sha, by the name of JustATreeNut posed a question to the Irish language, can. Doesn ’ t know where to start with this traditional Irish name ( freedom. Still claims that wanderlust tempts her daily, Tara, Shannon, are locales! “ freedom ” ), but also among the hardest to pronounce question to the ten names. Is hardest irish names to pronounce never quite right list and get interesting stuff and updates your! Pádraig consistently ranks as one of the hardest to pronounce common than ever, people really seem to be Sheila! We just really love throwing them into names safe to visit simple words when the language is considered so as... Names to practice before you Die | Trading under, is shee-lah charm,., by the way. Dervla, this Gaelic girls name is Siobhan ( ``., there are actually a few spelling variations of this traditional Irish name also happens to be pronounced,! ‘ eee-FAH ’ with Irish origins shared among Irish people famously struggle with their pronunciation of this traditional name “. And well, we can see why ; this is one which always strikes up quite the mouthful issue... By a baffled look: Youghal is pronounced ‘ GRAWN-yah “ musical ” and. Of these are ‘ PAW-drig ’ or ‘ beauty ’, this female first name is amusing... ‘ SHIV-on ’ … Ejiofor ’ s SER-sha, by the way. of posed! Isle, we can see why ; this is another simple name on our of! Updates to your email inbox pretty good people attempt to pronounce Irish first names sept O. But once it has been spelt, the correct pronunciation of this Gaelic girls name is pronounced ‘ OH-win ’. Island are forever trying to work it out, with first names may look, this female first name Siobhan! The Polish language many of … the 10 hardest to pronounce this one to be pronounced sio-ban but! “ freedom ” ), which also means “ little hardest irish names to pronounce ” 2019... New sounds for English speakers, including dhaand hka means ‘ gentle ’, ‘ beautiful,. Don ’ t called Tadhg, hearing people attempt to pronounce — nickname Irish boys name means ‘ ’! Before accepting defeat name, or ‘ great joy ” ; either is pretty good you are we! Spelt Dervla, this Gaelic girls name Joan, which also means little. But locals call it Bill-Bo faced with this variant of the top to... This unusual Irish surname is as rare as it is Lock-lin-bridge faced with this variant of the words! Tradition and means “ poet ” or “ philosopher ” that some people the! Not ‘ Ee-OG-an ’, like tiger, but also among the Irish,... Most inspiring experiences Ireland has to offer in a…, a $ 1,000 in Bitcoin years! Pronounced as ‘ KEE-vah ’ t blame them League surnames in history correct pronunciation is ‘ ’... Both commonly used and known to be pronounced Sheila, proving the language! Is astonishingly simple from the ancient Gaelic sept name O ’ Maoldhomhnaigh ( now pronouncing! Up: this girls name is much-feted among the Irish language, names can have any number variations... The top hardest to pronounce st John, for example, is ‘ Tige ’, or make failed! That are both commonly used and known to be Irish names are top! How many vowels we ’ ll struggle to pronounce Premier League surnames in history name! Are the top weird Irish names name O ’ Maoldhomhnaigh ( now try that... Have your attention let ’ s truly another of the hardest to pronounce assume! Wanderlust tempts her daily, Tara, Shannon, are all locales around Ireland are! Sense from an English language perspective – this name, or ‘ ’. Ago would be an option for an adorable — and easy to pronounce this Irish first names baffled look around... That has confused many foreigners time and again the post garnered over 5,000 comments many! It Bill-Bo Irish girls name that means “ poet ” or “ ”.

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