How to Speak With an Irish Accent

Learning an accent can come in handy for many different occasions. Master the Irish accent, bewilder your coworkers and friends with your emerald flair, and put some of those Hollywood stars to shame. This should sound like a typical Dublin accent if you are doing it right.

'Ih' Sound
A little wider, upper lip corners go up

TEST ON THESE: Kit, Still, Women.

Short 'Uh' Sound
Light neutralise, sound darkens

TEST ON THESE: But, Shut, Money.

Long 'Ah' Sound
Elongates, widens

TEST ON THESE: Father, Bath, Palm.

'Oh' Sound
Heads towards 'ah', widens and opens

TEST ON THESE: Lot, Cloth, Stop.

'I' Sounds
Pinches inwards, much smaller overall

TEST ON THESE: Fine, Time, Align.

'R' Sounds
Say every 'R' you see!

TEST ON THESE: Car, Sparse, Aware.

'Ih' Sound
If Nick fixes his six sisters...

'Uh' Sound
Shut up, you son of a truck's mother!

Long 'Ah' Sound
Your father's calm, the class is in the past.

'Oh' Sound
Stop the robot hotpot!

'I' Sound
Simon's hind leg's fine.

'R' Sound
Uber: Where shared fares aren't fair.

'Th' Sound
That's a thing Theo thinks.

'Ng' Sounds
I'm thinking about doing some singing.

Doing Your Research
Listen to Irish accents. Look on YouTube and watch movies and interviews for good examples of what you're trying to emulate. However, beware of impersonators out there -- and there are plenty.

Visit Ireland. In the same respect you never truly master a foreign language if you don't live in the country, you will never master an accent if you don't live among the people.
 * Brad Pitt, Richard Gere, and Tom Cruise are not good examples. Stick to true native speakers; RTÉ is a safe place to start. It is important to note that the northern counties have a quite different accent [look up the Ulster dialect].

Buy a book. Just as there are American and British English dictionaries, there are Irish dictionaries, too. What's more, resources abound when it comes to sources on colloquialisms and idiosyncrasies of the accent. Invest your time and money into this endeavor if you truly want your accent to shine.
 * If you go for vacation, do your best to feel out the local flavor. Go to small restaurants and listen to those around you. Make small talk with the vendors on the streets. Hire a native tour guide to show you around. Make your exposure as 24/7 as possible.


 * If a dictionary seems a bit much and would just rest on your shelf gathering dust, buy a phrase book. The idioms and figures of speech will help you get into the emerald zone.

Q: Who are some YouTubers I can watch often to pick up an Irish accent?
A: Jacksepticeye is by far the best; after only months of binge-watching his videos, I could imitate his accent. He is rather flamboyant and loud, and rather exaggerated at times (especially his intro; he says, "Top o' the mornin' to ya, laddies" as an exaggeration to make sure people notice he's Irish right off the bat), but true Irish quality. Daithi de Nogla is another good Irish YouTuber, but his accent varies greatly and may not be identified as Irish by some.

Q: Is It supposed to sound like a New York accent when you try it?
A: Not really. An Irish accent is not like any other accent in the world, that's why it is one of the hardest ones to learn.

Q: I am Irish but I don't sound like it at all. Any tips?
A: If you live among Americans or people of other accents, yours might fade out. Try hanging around more Irish people, and the accent is bound to come out.

Tips

 * There are different accents for different parts of Ireland. For example, a Cork accent is completely different from a Midlands accent.
 * Listen to interviews with the Celtic Thunder lads and Niall Horan.
 * Try to stay away from Hollywood stars faking Irish accents. You want to do a true Irish accent, not an impression of Leonardo DiCaprio.