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    You are at:Home » News » Craic » Top 10 hardest-to-understand Irish accents
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    Top 10 hardest-to-understand Irish accents

    Jade PoleonBy Jade PoleonSeptember 15, 2023No Comments6 Mins Read
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    The Irish accent just got more complicated with these ten dialects to decipher, so let’s take a look.

    If you are an Irish person who occasionally notices people nodding and smiling without engaging in conversation, then perhaps you have one of the accents we have listed below, which are hard to understand.

    As a whole, the Irish accent is known to be charming, but for a small country, we have to hand it to ourselves – we have more dialects than you would imagine.

    That said, if you were wondering which areas of the country have the most incomprehensible accents, take a look at this. Here are the top ten hardest-to-understand Irish accents.

    Table of Contents−
    • The Irish accent just got more complicated with these ten dialects to decipher, so let’s take a look.
    • Meanwhile in Ireland’s top tips for better understanding difficult Irish accents
      • 10. Cavan – a pick and mix of dialects
      • 9. Offaly – the accent is filled with bad grammar
      • 8. Antrim – an accent even Siri cannot interpret
      • 7. Meath – the accent that takes time
      • 6. Derry – the accent that needs subtitles
      • 5. Louth – one of the worst Irish accents
      • 4. Monaghan – the accent we almost forgot
      • 3. Inner city Dublin – in a league of its own
      • 2. Cork – a real hard accent to decipher, boy
      • 1. Kerry – one of the top hardest-to-understand Irish accents
    • Your questions answered about the most difficult to understand Irish accents
      • What are the hardest accents to understand in Ireland?
      • Why are Irish accents so hard to understand?
      • Which Irish accent is the easiest to understand?
      • Which accent is the hardest to understand in English?

    Meanwhile in Ireland’s top tips for better understanding difficult Irish accents

    It can be very hard understanding some of these Irish accents, so here are some tips to help:

    • To help decipher a difficult to understand Irish accent, listen attentively and very closely to that person and focus on each word.
    • Another good way would be to watch lots of Irish movies or videos online to get used to the accent and start to pick it up.
    • Don’t be afraid to ask the person to slow down or repeat themselves if you are really struggling to understand the accent!
    • Learn some common and well-used Irish phrases that you can learn and easily pick up on even if you are speaking to someone with a difficult to understand Irish accent.
    • Another tip if you are seeing the Irish accent on TV – turn on the subtitles!

    10. Cavan – a pick and mix of dialects

    The Cavan accent is one of the hardest-to-understand Irish accents.
    Credit: geographe.ie

    As one of the thickest and most mixed accents, the Cavan dialect can be recognised by any Irish person, but to visitors, it can be one of the hardest to grasp.

    Of course, the fact that they call their own county ‘Cyavaan’ goes without saying, so if you find yourself confused when chatting to a Cavan native, you’re not alone.

    Read: The Cavan accent features on our top choice of the top 10 funniest Irish videos on YouTube from the past 10 years

    9. Offaly – the accent is filled with bad grammar

    Offaly are known for bad grammar.

    Think bad grammar paired with a phobia of the letter ‘T’, and you’ve got yourself the Offaly accent – one of the most incomprehensible accents on the island.

    If you are learning English, this is certainly not the place to get tips, considering they make up words half the time.

    8. Antrim – an accent even Siri cannot interpret

    There are easy-to-understand Antrim accents, and then there are the harsh ones, and we are talking about the latter.

    Their pronunciation may sound like a song, which cannot be picked up quickly by Siri, but it is one of the least comprehensible Irish accents we have come to know.

    7. Meath – the accent that takes time

    You need a lot of time to have a chat with a Meath man, and that’s because they love elongating their words. The accent might not be the number one on the list of hardest-to-understand Irish accents, but it certainly isn’t the easiest. 

    6. Derry – the accent that needs subtitles

    Derry is one of the hardest-to-understand Irish accents.
    Credit: Imdb.com

    The show Derry Girls has showcased the Derry accent more since it has aired than any show before, but it has left many searching for the subtitles button on their remote.

    Once you grasp the pronunciation, it is not all that bad, but it is still one of the hardest Irish accents to understand.

    Read more: Read Meanwhile in Ireland’s article on how Jamie-Lee O’Donnell was told her Derry accent would restrict her opportunities

    5. Louth – one of the worst Irish accents

    Just ask a person from County Louth to say the word ‘Drogheda’, and you will know what we mean. Unfortunately, the Louth accent seems to drag, making it one of the country’s most ear-bleeding and hardest to-understand Irish accents.

    4. Monaghan – the accent we almost forgot

    We are sorry to say, but some people forget this county exists until they meet someone speaking with this seriously unique dialect and are quickly reminded that Monaghan is a real place. Still, their accent is one of the most perplexing out there.

    3. Inner city Dublin – in a league of its own

    Inner city Dublin is a tough one.
    Credit: commonswikimedia.org

    Dublin, as a small enough city, has several different accents, from the south Dublin accent to the north accent, and then there is the incomprehensible inner-city accent.

    If you want to know what this sounds like, just watch a couple of episodes of Love Hate, and you will know what we mean.

    2. Cork – a real hard accent to decipher, boy

    Another region which is high on our list for having one of the hardest-to-understand Irish accents is Cork. Chatting with Corkonians will confuse you, as they speak with a high-pitched melody and seem to love using the word ‘boy’ in every sentence.

    1. Kerry – one of the top hardest-to-understand Irish accents

    The kingdom of Kerry might be one of the most popular counties in Ireland to visit, but it is no wonder that tourists have confused looks on their faces when trying to converse with the locals.

    The Kerry accent is not just hard to understand for visitors to the island, but some of us Irish folk cannot understand a word either. Just watch the video above and you’ll see what we mean.

    So, there it is, our list of the top ten hardest-to-understand Irish accents. So, if you find yourself bewildered next time you converse with an Irishman, it may be because the person in question is speaking one of these tricky dialects.

    WATCH: Check out this video and see if this Kerryman can rivial this farmer for the hardest to understand Irish accent of all time

    Your questions answered about the most difficult to understand Irish accents

    After reading this article, you may still have a few questions you would like answered about the topic! Well, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we have put together some of the most frequently asked questions about the most difficult to understand Irish accents.

    What are the hardest accents to understand in Ireland?

    The hardest accents to understand in Ireland include the Kerry and Cork accent, both located in Munster in the very south of Ireland. Others include the Cavan, Meath and Louth accent.

    Why are Irish accents so hard to understand?

    Irish accents can be hard to understand as they often spoken so fast, there are many unique dialects for such a small island, as well some unique pronunciation of words.

    Which Irish accent is the easiest to understand?

    According to a study done around 5 years ago, the Laois accent was the best Irish accent to understand. This was followed by Roscommon, Carlow and Limerick.

    Which accent is the hardest to understand in English?

    Some of the most difficult accents to understand in the English language would be Boston (USA), Newcastle (UK), and the Australian accent.

    NEXT: Read our article on the top 5 all-time STRONGEST Irish accents ever on film

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    Jade Poleon

    Jade is a seasoned traveller, yoga enthusiast, adventure seeker and travel writer passionate about seeing the world and sharing hidden gems with others. As well as having travelled to 91 countries thus far, she has written for several websites, including The World Bucket List, Meanwhile in Ireland and Ireland Before You Die. In 2022 Jade’s first book ‘ The Ultimate Irish Road Trip Guide’ was published and is currently available on Amazon. She is a keen writer of satirical articles, as well as ‘The best things to do’ and ‘The best dishes to try’ around the globe. Jade is currently on a campervan adventure around Europe, where she continues to get her travel and food inspiration. She is excited to share what she discovers with her readers.

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