How to Tell the Difference Between an Irish Accent and a British Accent

Last Updated: November 27, 2022 References

British and Irish accents are very different, but it might take a little practice to recognise the differences for the uninitiated. Once you have spent some time listening to the different accents, learning to tell them apart shouldn't be very hard. You should remember, however, that there are many regional variations within British and Irish accents. For example, people from County Cork will sound different to people from County Armagh, and people from Cornwall will sound different to people from Newcastle, Glasgow or Cardiff.

Part 1

Part 1 of 2:

Learning Basic Differences

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Know basic differences in pronunciation. Although it is easy to over emphasise the consistency of British and Irish accents, there are certain basic differences in word sounds and pronunciation which you can look out for. When you hear someone speaking, listen carefully and try to identify the following characteristics:
- In Irish English, the "r" after vowels is pronounced. In British English it is often dropped.
- The sound for "e" in Irish accents is more like "e" in "bet," instead of like "ei" in "bait."
- The sound for "o" in Irish accents is more like vowel sound in the "paw" instead of like the "ou" sound in "coat."
- The sound for "th" in Irish accents usually sound more like "t" or "d" sounds."Thin" sounds like "tin" and "this" sounds like "dis."^{[1]
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2
Know differences in word use. Irish English often has different word use and sentence structure than British English. As well as the word sounds, with exposure to different accents you will learn to identify key features which indicate which country the speaker is from. The differences in syntax and diction gives accents there unique qualities and meter.
- Irish people say "be" or "do" instead of "usually." I do work...= I usually work.
- Irish speakers use "after" for things that just happened. Instead of "I had just drank the beer," "I was after drinking the beer."
- Irish people use "don't be" as an imperative, as in "Don't be worrying about that."
- Irish speakers leave out "if," "that," and "whether," as in the sentence, "Tell me did you see the show."
- Irish speakers begin sentences with "it is" or "it was," as in "It was Sam had the best wife."
- Irish speakers will often use the definite article where British speakers wouldn't. For example, "I'm going to the Malone Road."^{[2]
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3
Recognise common Irish phrases. Just as there is a wide variety of accents across the regions of Britain and Ireland, so are there numerous distinctive phrases and sayings that can indicate where someone is from. It can be helpful to recognise some of these if the speaker has only a soft accent, or one that has faded over time living somewhere else. There are countless examples, but here are few of the most well-known ones for Irish English speakers:
- You will hear Irish people say "what's the craic?", or explain that they are doing something "for the craic." "Craic" basically means "fun," but "what's the craic?" is another way of saying "how are things?" or "what's going on?"
- Irish people may also ask you "where's the yoke?" This is nothing to do with eggs, "yoke" is a general word for "thing," but you are very unlikely to hear a British person using it in that way.
- An Irish person might ask you not to "give out." This basically means "complain," so if someone is always "giving out," they are always complaining.^{[3]
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Identify common British phrases. As well as recognising key phrases that can indicate an Irish person, there are plenty of phrases used in Britain that are not used in Ireland. The only way to really learn these is by exposing yourself to plenty of film, TV, books, music and other things written by Brits. Phrases will often give away the regional identity of the speaker too.
- You might hear somebody ask "how's tricks?" meaning "how are things?"
- If you hear somebody say "owt" or "nowt," it probably indicates that they are from Yorkshire.
- If you hear somebody say "you're 'aving a bubble!" they are probably from London. "Having a bubble" is rhyming slang for "having a laugh," bubble bath = laugh.
- If someone says "ye cannae be serious," as in "you can't be serious," they are probably Scottish.^{[4]
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Part 2

Part 2 of 2:

Listening and Speaking to Practice

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Listen to examples. It shouldn't take too much exposure to be able to identify the difference between an Irish accent and a different accent, but as there is no such thing as a singular British or Irish accent the best way to get accustomed to the variety is by exposing yourself to it. Listen to lots of accents in online videos, movies, and music.
- Choose your favorite celebrities from Britain and Ireland and listen to them speak in their normal accents.
- Just search online for a particular accent and listen to what you find, but always try to listen to a native speaker for the most authentic accent.
- There are useful online audio databases you can use to listen to recordings of regional Irish accents and regional British accents.^{[5]
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Listen for more specific differences. To really hone in on the differences, listen to the way British and Irish people pronounce the same words differently. There are samples of people with Irish and British accents reading the same words on the dialect studies websites.
- Listen to English accents at this page from the Dialects Archive.
- Listen to Irish accents at this page from the Dialects Archive.
- This page has sample voices from all over the British Isles.
- Sometimes listening to how numbers are pronounced is a good way to highlight differences in accents.
- Numbers like three, seven, and eleven are pronounced differently in Ireland and Britain.
3
Try mimicking the accents. Once you have a good idea of the differences in the accents, a good way to attune your ear some more is to practice trying to mimic the specific tone and sounds. Do this in private to start with, and don't risk giving the impression that you are mocking somebody's accent.
- Practising reproducing the distinctive sounds of certain accents can help you understand how the sounds are formed in the mouth and recognise them more easily in the future.
- Lyrical uses of language and accents in songs and poetry is perhaps the best way to be exposed the distinctiveness and beauty of a particular accent.