Learn the Irish: Northern Accent

(66.1MB, 66 minutes) 2011 Edition

Northern (do you need Dublin?  West - Galway?  South - Cork?)

This download includes a written examination for learning the northern Irish accent, and the following sound files featuring Accent Help coach Jim Johnson:

Play Audio Sample:

1. Introduction to Sound Placement, Intonation and Helpful Hints for speaking with a northern Irish accent (4:58)
2. Consonant sound changes for an Irish: North accent (6:24)
3. Vowel sound changes for learning this Irish accent (7:28)
4. changes to Diphthongs for northern Irish (5:46)
5. Alternate Pronunciations for words when speaking with a northern Irish accent (3:07)
6. Wrap up of learning an Irish: North accent (1:35)
7. Donegal Republic of Ireland Couple reading (2:25)
8. + their conversation (6:15)
9. Fermanagh Northern Ireland Female reading (1:42)
10. + her conversation (3:51)
11. Belfast Northern Ireland Male reading (1:04)
12. + his conversation (1:05)
13. Belfast Northern Ireland Female reading (1:10)
14. + her conversation (3:50)
15. County Down Northern Ireland Male reading (1:07)
16. + his conversation (wind noise) (1:20)
17. County Down Northern Ireland Couple reading (2:28)
18. + their conversation (wind noise) (1:35)
19. County Down Northern Ireland Male reading (1:10)
20. + his conversation (1:58)
21. Belfast Northern Ireland Female reading (:57)
22. + her conversation (with a woman from SW Ireland) (5:13)

Irish: North materials focus on the accents of Northern Ireland (Ulster) and on the accents of Donegal in the Republic of Ireland.  Though Donegal is politically a part of the Republic, it is actually north of Northern Ireland.  This accent has a lot in common with the Dublin accent with their distinct intonation.  AccentHelp covers other Irish accents as well: West and South (both due in early 2011).

Whatever accent you're working on, it's a good idea to get our FREE guide to learning accents and dialects - it will help you to get started with some basic terms and ideas for learning accents.  We've also included it with this download.

Though these sound files have been remastered to reduce background noise, most of these recordings are made "in the field" so you will hear such things as birds, cars or other people in the background.  A transcription of the conversations is included in this edition to help you follow along.  This download also contains four versions of the written materials:  A printer-friendly pdf, a pdf that is in a larger format for use on a portable reading device, and both mobi and epub editions for other portable readers.