The Irish Accent - Dublin | How to Understand it and do it!

Summary

In this video, Sabra explores the charming Dublin accent, often considered one of the sexiest accents in the world. She breaks down its key features, comparing it to Standard Southern British English, highlighting differences in oral posture, rhotic 'r' pronunciation, and variations in vowel sounds. Sabra also delves into the Dublin accent's distinctive use of 'th' sounds, the aspiration of 't' sounds, and the tendency to drop final 'g' sounds. The video is both informative for those wanting to understand the Dublin accent and practical for learners aiming to master it.

Takeaways

• 😀 The Dublin accent is a beautiful and sexy Southern Irish accent, often ranked as one of the sexiest ways English can be spoken.
• 😀 There is a wide variety of Dublin accents within the city, with differences depending on the specific suburb, though the video focuses on the key features that apply broadly.
• 😀 The Dublin accent is ‘rotic’, meaning every 'r' is pronounced, which is different from Southern British accents where 'r' sounds are often dropped.
• 😀 The 'th' sounds (/θ/ and /ð/) in words like 'think' and 'this' are often replaced by a 't' or 'd' sound in Dublin English.
• 😀 Tea aspiration is a notable feature, where 't' sounds are pronounced with more breath, making them softer and airier compared to standard Southern British English.
• 😀 Dublin speakers often pronounce vowels differently, with the Irish 'oi' sound moving closer to 'oy', as in 'toy', contrasting with the RP English pronunciation.
• 😀 The vowel in words like 'bath', 'palm', and 'start' shifts towards an 'ah' sound, a notable difference from the British 'æ' sound.
• 😀 The 'ow' diphthong in words like 'town' and 'round' is pronounced further back in the mouth in Dublin English, compared to the broader RP pronunciation.
• 😀 The 'o' sound is more compact and pronounced further back in the mouth in Dublin, with words like 'goose' and 'boat' showing a shorter and more centralized sound.
• 😀 The final 'g' in words ending in '-ing' is often dropped in Dublin speech, resulting in pronunciations like 'goin'' and 'singin'' rather than 'going' and 'singing'.

Q & A

What is the focus of this video?

The video focuses on teaching viewers how to understand and replicate the Southern Irish (specifically Dublin) accent. It also compares features of the Dublin accent with standard Southern British English.

Why is the Dublin accent considered attractive?

The Dublin accent is consistently voted as one of the sexiest accents in the world, making it an appealing accent for people to learn and emulate.

What is meant by the term 'oral posture' in relation to the Dublin accent?

Oral posture refers to how the mouth is physically positioned when speaking. In the Dublin accent, the mouth is held more tightly compared to the looser posture of standard Southern British English, and the tongue is positioned further back to allow for the rotic 'r'.

What is the rotic 'r' feature in the Dublin accent?

The rotic 'r' means that every 'r' sound is pronounced clearly in the Dublin accent, unlike in standard Southern British English where the 'r' is often dropped, particularly when near vowel sounds.

How is the 'th' sound different in the Dublin accent?

In the Dublin accent, the 'th' sound, typically pronounced as 'th' in British English, can be pronounced as a 't' or 'd' sound, as in 'I think' becoming 'I tink'. This change is becoming less common, especially among younger speakers.

What is 't aspiration' in the context of the Dublin accent?

T aspiration refers to the more breathy pronunciation of the 't' sound in words like 'but' and 'bite'. This is different from the 'stopped' or more abrupt 't' sound found in standard Southern British English.

How do the vowel sounds in the Dublin accent differ from standard Southern British?

One major difference is the shift from the standard RP 'I' sound to an 'oi' sound, as in 'life' becoming 'loif'. Another difference is the movement of certain long vowels like 'bath' and 'start' towards an 'ah' sound in Dublin English.

What change happens to the 'ow' sound in Dublin English?

In the Dublin accent, the 'ow' sound, as heard in words like 'town' or 'round', is produced further back in the mouth and sounds less rounded than in standard Southern British English.

How is the 'o' sound altered in the Dublin accent?

The 'o' sound in Dublin English is pronounced with a more closed, shortened sound, as in 'go' becoming 'goh' or 'boat' becoming 'boht'. This is a subtle difference, but it is noticeable.

What happens to the final 'g' sound in words like 'going' and 'talking'?

In the Dublin accent, the final 'g' in words ending with 'ing' is often dropped, so 'going' sounds like 'goin' and 'talking' sounds like 'talkin'.