Spanish for Irish Speakers
Your personalised pronunciation map based on the Irish English accent. 19% of coached Spanish sounds transfer directly from your accent.
3
Direct Transfer
Sounds you already make
12
Small Adjustment
Close — needs a tweak
1
New Sounds
Focus practice here
Your accent gives you a 19% head start — 3 sounds you already make
Sounds That Transfer Directly (3)
You already make these Spanish sounds in your Irish accent. Recognition, not learning.
Trilled rr
Major advantage. Many Irish English speakers already tap or lightly trill their r — your tongue tip makes contact with t...
Tapped r (single)
Direct transfer. Irish English commonly uses a tap for r in many positions. Your natural r in connected speech is likely...
Spanish z/ce/ci (Castilian)
If you use the 'th' fricative in 'think', it's a direct transfer. Some Irish dialects use a dental stop instead — make s...
Sounds That Need Adjustment (12)
Close to sounds in your accent — small modifications will get you there.
Spanish ñ
Spanish ñ /ɲ/ is like 'ny' in 'canyon' — tongue flat against hard palate, nasal. One sound, not two. Irish English may h...
5 pure vowels
Irish English may already use purer vowels in some positions — 'say' as a monophthong is common in some dialects. If so,...
b/v merger
Merge b and v. No v in Spanish. Some Irish dialects already blur this distinction somewhat....
Intervocalic d /ð/
Your 'th' from 'this' is the target. Some Irish dialects use dental stops where others use 'th' — make sure you use the ...
Spanish ll/y
Firm up the y. Irish palatalisation patterns may help — you're comfortable with palatal consonants....
No vowel reduction
Irish English may reduce less than RP in some positions. Still, consciously maintain full vowel quality on every Spanish...
Dental t and d
Some Irish English dialects already use dental t and d — if yours does, this may be a direct transfer. If not, move tong...
Syllable-timed rhythm
Irish English rhythm is sometimes described as more syllable-timed than RP — if so, lean into that for Spanish. Even, st...
Spanish clear l
Irish English tends toward clear L, giving you an advantage. Spanish L should be bright and forward in all positions — t...
Intervocalic g /ɣ/
Some Irish dialects naturally soften g between vowels, which is a direct head start. Irish Gaelic has the fricative /ɣ/ ...
Rising diphthongs (ie, ue)
The glide from y/w into the main vowel should be smooth and fast — all in one syllable. Some Irish English dialects hand...
Silent h
Some Irish dialects drop h naturally in speech, which gives you a head start. In Spanish, h is always silent — extend th...
Genuinely New Sounds (1)
No equivalent in Irish English. These deserve your focused practice time.
Your Irish Advantages
TRILLED RR may already exist — MASSIVE advantage
Tapped r is native
Palatal consonant comfort
Some dental t/d tendencies
Less stress-timed rhythm
Frequently Asked Questions
How hard is Spanish for Irish English speakers?▾
What Spanish sounds do Irish speakers already make?▾
What are the hardest Spanish sounds for Irish speakers?▾
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