Learning an Irish accent is a challenge that can be achieved through proper training. The process requires a certain amount of time which varies with the individual, but if the training is consistent, the result will naturally be successful. The key is to be actively involved during the transition to perfect pronunciation of the Irish accent.
Here are some valuable tips to sound Irish.
Simple Actions
At first, to acquire the Irish accent you will need to perform some simple actions to familiarize yourself with that accent. Keep in mind that acquiring a foreign accent is not something that is achieved overnight, but you have to go step by step to achieve the desired goal.
Learning an Irish accent requires a conscious effort from the beginning to fix the appropriate phonemes, use a typical Irish vocabulary and incorporate any grammatical features that may exist.
Start by doing vocal exercises that develop a free and strong voice. Breathe through your diaphragm, inhale and exhale through your nose. Before starting your Irish accent training, take a deep breath and exhale slowly to relax.
Focus on placing your tongue in the correct position when making Irish accent sounds. Relax, allow the tongue to descend to speak normally and then place the tongue in the proper position to emit the desired intonation.
Pay attention to the tone and tempo of the Irish accent. Imagine how those expressions would sound in your voice over. Then pronounce out loud the phrases you heard and try to sound convincing.
Train your ear by listening to television programs, radio or podcasts where you can listen to the English spoken in Ireland so you can familiarize yourself with the pronunciation. This way your mind will find it easier to incorporate the Irish accent and then you will be able to outwardly project that accent in your speech.
Listen carefully and speak slowly. Take the trouble to listen carefully to the different sounds that exist in the Irish accent and then you will be able to reproduce in your speech an accent that is faithful to the original. Don’t make the mistake of speaking too fast through the Irish accent because you will surely get it wrong.
Acquire the Irish accent by pronouncing the intonation of single words first and then pronouncing whole sentences. In this way, you will acquire an Irish accent through a firm foundation which will then be projected into a natural and believable speech.
Talk to Irish citizens so that your ear naturally picks up that accent so that you will find it easier to speak in that intonation. You can talk to them directly through various social or cultural encounters. This simple strategy will cause you to experience a phonetic convergence, i.e. some phonic features are mimicked. You will see that you will be able to project an Irish accent naturally.
Find someone to imitate their Irish accent. Take inspiration from a singer, actor or any other famous celebrity you admire and try to imitate their accent. This strategy is very effective, as you are acquiring the Irish accent in a fun way, through someone you admire. This process is really entertaining and you will see improvements in your Irish accent pronunciation in a short time.
Train your speaking apparatus every day so that you will gradually find it easier to reproduce the Irish accent. Pronunciation is a physical skill that can be controlled to achieve certain goals. To sound Irish you will have to move your mouth in a new way, using different muscles. By repeating these new movements, you will naturally project an Irish-sounding utterance.
Record your voice to perfect the Irish accent you are acquiring. This way you will be fully aware of the mistakes you are making in your intonation and correct the sounds you need to perfect. This simple strategy also helps you master the Irish accent because you are in control of what you are learning.
Look up words and phrases specific to Ireland. Buy a book in which you can read typical Irish expressions so that you can incorporate them into your Irish speech. Getting used to Irish phrases will give you more confidence in projecting an Irish accent, intonation and pronunciation.
Keep your ears healthy so that you can hear the peculiar sounds of the Irish accent clearly. Your voice over will sound through a natural and believable accent.
Listen to sentences in an Irish accent as you read them carefully. This is the best tip for pronouncing correctly through that intonation. This simple trick will lead you to master the Irish accent, projecting a convincing voice over.
Practice the Irish accent out loud as much as you can. Learning a new accent requires a lot of practice every day. Read books expressing yourself through an Irish accent, if you have no one to talk to, use the mirror as a “partner” to speak out loud, the exercise will be just as effective.
It will also help you enormously to practice your Irish accent by watching movies that have had an impact on you or singing your favourite songs out loud. Repeat it over and over again until you perceive the Irish accent as something familiar.
Basically, you can acquire the Irish accent in two ways: by imitation or through formal phonology. If you have always been fascinated by different languages, perhaps the best option for you is to simply imitate the Irish accent until you can reproduce it naturally.
If you choose the formal phonology method you will study sound patterns through the throat, tongue, lips and nose of an Irish speaker so that you focus on the different physical movements of the above-mentioned organs. You then incorporate what you learn and apply them to your speaking.
Keys to understanding and projecting an Irish accent
The first thing you should know is that in Ireland there are more than 30 different accents that are expressed throughout the country. The two most pronounced accents belong to the north and south of Ireland. However, there are some general ideas that you can apply to sound Irish in your speech.
Consonants are pronounced more strongly, this is the first lesson you should learn when acquiring the Irish accent. They also tend to enunciate the whole sentence, as opposed to the American pronunciation which tends to shorten sentences.
Vowels are pronounced more softly, as opposed to American pronunciation which tends to lengthen vowels.
The Irish tend to omit the pronunciation of the letter “G” at the end of a word. Remember to acquire this language habit to sound Irish.
Focus your efforts on acquiring the rhythm and tone of the Irish accent. If you listen carefully to Irish people speak you will notice that their intonation tends to be musical. It is also noted that the Irish have a “lyrical accent”, which is true. This aspect of Irish pronunciation is what you will need to practice the most to project a believable accent.
Get used to pronouncing the consonant “R” firmly. To achieve this it will help to place your tongue higher and further forward while pronouncing the “R” at the end or in the middle of a sentence.
If you want to discover the peculiarities of the Irish accent you should listen to poems and songs, through these creations you will be able to identify the different sounds they use when speaking. Then it will be easier for you to project them in your voice over.
To acquire the Irish accent you must not only pay attention to the intonation and pronunciation of the words, but you must also adopt a new body posture. When you listen to an Irish speaker pay attention to their body language, you must also imitate that particularity to emit a believable Irish accent.
Get used to speaking fluently, with some speed, but above all, speak clearly. The best way to achieve this is to know exactly what you are going to say and then simply project it outwardly in your voice over. Don’t hesitate in your pronunciation, practice this advice daily and you will see that you will speak naturally that way.
Remove your original accent to acquire the Irish accent
If you are determined to acquire the Irish accent because you are an actor, speaker, singer, etc. and for work reasons, you must acquire that proficiency, it is highly advisable that you remove your original accent, at least temporarily. If you are an American, New Zealander, Canadian, etc., you should listen to the Irish accent until you acquire it as your own.
As a first step, you should listen as much as possible to the Irish accent so that your brain picks up the typical idioms of that pronunciation and you then project it outwardly. The more you listen to the native speakers and imitate the Irish intonation and pronunciation, the easier it will be for you to sound Irish.
To acquire the Irish accent you must not pronounce the sounds of your original accent, be it American, Australian, British, etc. You have to pronounce only the palette of melodies and phonemes of the Irish dialect. During this transition, you should work on your breathing, vocalization and outward projection of the Irish accent. It is also advisable that you prevent certain ailments related to the areas of your body that you are working on: ears and throat. Your voice must be completely healthy in order to emit the desired accent.
Work on the Irish intonation by listening to the whole word first and then to the whole sentence. At first, don’t focus on the way vowels and consonants are pronounced, but keep the pronunciation of a whole sentence in perspective so that you can then reproduce what you hear. For example, pay attention to whether the voice sounds higher or lower at the beginning or end of the sentence. As for words, notice if they have a higher pitch at the beginning or at the end of their pronunciation.
When practising the Irish accent, work on the movement of your teeth, palate, lips and tongue to naturally get used to certain movements that will make you acquire that accent in less time.
Encourage yourself to pronounce the most difficult sounds of the Irish accent out loud so that you can master it. Pay attention to the position of your tongue and the way you move your mouth. The main idea is to expose yourself to the Irish accent as much as possible, only then will you acquire the correct intonation.
Ideas for meeting the challenge of acquiring an Irish accent
When you start working on acquiring the Irish accent you will face a challenge that you must overcome. You have to be aware that some internal insecurities will arise and at some point you will doubt whether you can acquire the Irish accent correctly. The most advisable thing to do is to psych yourself up in acquiring the Irish accent so that you don’t block yourself during the process.
Be understanding of yourself and understand your inner insecurities. You probably think you will have a hard time acquiring the Irish accent. The reality is that you will eventually get there if you practice a lot. Eliminate that anxiety so that your brain can pick up the Irish accent calmly, so you can project it into your voice over.
When you are just starting to learn the Irish accent you have to let go of perfectionism because that will lead to frustration from the beginning. Sounding Irish takes time and you should not block yourself if it doesn’t come out perfectly at first. Rest assured that you will sound Irish through constant practice of that accent. Under no circumstances should you get discouraged, learning from mistakes will lead you to perfection in Irish accent pronunciation.
Focus first on the clarity of your Irish speech and as time goes on you can focus on acquiring fluency in that accent. Speak slowly and clearly, this is the basis for speaking with greater speed.
It is popularly said that the Irish accent is difficult to acquire, which is relative, as it depends on the individual. However, you can acquire this accent in an entertaining way: listen to Irish series and movies so that you can capture the peculiarities of this accent and then you can project it in your voice over. Acquiring this accent does not have to be a boring task, use the many resources that exist to get to know the Irish accent well.
If you are determined to learn and project the Irish accent you need to encourage yourself to carry out a simple comparison exercise. Listen to how the Irish pronounce certain words or sentences. Then compare that pronunciation with your original accent. Comparing the two accents directly will make you aware of the changes you need to make in your intonation in order to project a believable Irish accent.
Face the challenge of acquiring the Irish accent with a lot of patience because this transition takes time. However, you should also know that if you practice this accent every day, eventually your speech will sound believable. You must persist in acquiring the right rhythm, intonation and pronunciation so that your Irish accent comes out naturally.
During your first practice of the Irish accent, try to converse with only one person. If you are training that accent with a coach, focus on the indications and corrections of this instructor. When you feel ready you can incorporate more people into your conversation so that you can achieve the Irish accent as naturally as possible.
If you want to feel confident in projecting an Irish accent, pay attention to the context in which you are speaking. Depending on the circumstance you are in, you should deliver an accent that is consistent with what is happening. For example, if you are in a dramatic context you cannot deliver a funny speech. That is, the context itself will guide your pronunciation so that your accent sounds believable. This simple strategy will help you feel confident in projecting the Irish accent.
With the above tips in mind what you should know from the beginning is that in order to learn an Irish accent you will need to make a conscious effort to acquire a new rhythm, intonation and pronunciation. Sounding Irish takes time and is only achieved through daily practice and good listening skills. Your big goal should be to get a believable Irish accent so that your work is well done. If you are well focused from the beginning, you will certainly achieve your goal.