Irish Language/Commonly Confused Words

Below is a list of words commonly confused by Irish language students.

=Similar Words=

Tips on dealing with commonly confused words:


 * Focus on pronunciation
 * Often these words look similar on the page but sound very different.


 * Respect your fadas
 * Don't ignore fadas, even though tools like Duolingo might let you get away with it.


 * Drill sentences, not just words
 * Include sample sentences in your flash card "answers" to get you used to seeing a word in its proper context.


 * Concentrate on the most common word
 * If you can quickly recognize and produce the most common word in the group, it will be easier to recognize the others

áirithe
áirigh means to count áirithe means "certain, particular"

aithin
aithin means to know or identify aithne means acquaintance or recognition aithris means to recite or imitate

áit
air is the masculine singular compound prepositional form of "ar" ("on him") áit means "place" ait means "likeable" or "funny, queer"

beagnach
beagnach means "almost" bealach means "trip", "route", or "way"

buíocan
buíocán means "yolk" buíochas means "gratitude"

cathair
cathaoir means "chair". cathair means "city". ceathair means "four".

cathain means "when". cabhair means "help". comhair menas "count".

ceann
ceann means "head", "roof", "end" or "one". céanna means "same". cheana means "already" or "previously".

ceannaigh
ceannaigh means "buy" coinnigh means "keep"

cíor
cíor means comb cíos means rent

comh-
The prefix comh- means mutual, joint, or common, and words with this prefix can be hard for English speakers to distinguish:

comhairle means advice or a (town, city) council comhaltas (comh + altas, foster-sibling) means a body of persons, a brotherhood (usually an organization), or a membership comhartha means a sign or symbol comhlacht (comh + lucht, cargo or crowd) means a company

cos
caol means slender cos means foot or leg col means sin, incest, or something prohibited

clog
clog means bell or clock cloch means stone

deis
deas means "(to the) south" or "nice" deir is the present tense of abair ("say") deis means "right (side)" déag is used in numbers between 10 and 20 ("-teen")

fear/fuar
fear means "man". féar means "grass". fearr means "better".

fuar means "cold". fuair means "got".

feil
fuil is the dependent form of "bí", usually seen eclipsed as "bhfuil"; it also means "blood" feil means "suit, be suitable for"

ge
ga means spear, dart, or ray gá means need gé means goose

imir
imir means to play (a game) imigh means to leave

labhair
labhair means "speak" leabhar means "book" leaba means "bed" leanbh means "baby"

lámh means "hand" léamh means "reading" leannán means "lover" léirigh means "explain"

leathuair
leathuair means half an hour leathreas means toilet (literally derived from "leithleachas," separateness)

muintir
muinteoir means "teacher". muintir means "people".

nó
nó means "or". ná means "nor", "neither". na is the article in the plural and feminine singular genitive.

post
post means "job" or "post". pós means to marry. pósta means "married".

siúl
sáil means "heel" saol means "life" seol means "send" or "sail" saor means "free" or "cheap"

siúl means "walk". súil means "eye".

seo
seo means "this" seó means "show" só means "joy"

timpeall
timpeall means "circuit" timpeallacht means "environment" timpeallán means "roundabout" or "carousel"

trá
trá means "beach" tráth means hour or occasion trácht means beach, base, or journey

=Words with Multiple Meanings=

Another source of confusion is words with multiple meanings. A word like "a" can be hard to distill into a simple flash card, and if your flash cards only have one meaning of a word like "ann" on them, it can be hard to recognize when context calls for a different meaning.

a
a is used before a noun (e.g., a name) to address someone or something.

A Sheáin...       Seán,... A chara...        (Dear) Friend,... Féach, a Mhamaí!  Look, Ma! a is also used before a noun to indicate possession.

a chara  his friend a cara   her friend a gcara  their friend

a is also used before a number when counting.

a haon, a dó, a trí...  one, two, three...

a is also used before a verbal noun when the direct object precedes it.

Tá mé sásta míle a shiúl.  I am willing to walk a mile.

a is also used before a verb in a relative clause.

Feicim an fear a bhí sásta.                I see the man who was satisfied. Feicim an bord a bhfuil an leabhar air.  I see the table which the book is on.

an
an can mean "the".

Feicim an sagart.  I see the priest.

an is also used to form a question.

An bhfuil sí anseo?  Is she here?

an- is a prefix meaning "very", "excellent", or "great".

Tá Máirtin an-mhór.      Máirtin is very big. Tá an-charr ag Máirtin.  Máirtin has an excellent car.

ann
ann can mean "there" or "in it", or simply to complete a sentence with the verb tá.

Tá teach ann.      There is a house (there). Tá sé seomra ann.  There are six rooms in it.

ann can also mean "able".

Tá an crann in ann fás.  The tree is able to grow.

aon
aon can mean "one" or "any".

Tá aon charr amháin ag Cáit.    Cáit has one car. Níl aon charr ag Cáit.  Cáit hasn't any car.

dá
dá (dhá) is used in the conditional mood to mean "if".

Dá mbeadh Máirtín anseo...  If Máirtín were here...

dá (dhá) can also mean "to/for his/her/its/their".

Thug sé dá cháirde iad.  He gave them to his friends. Thug sé dá cáirde iad.   He gave them to her friends. Thug sé dá gcáirde iad.  He gave them to their friends.

dhá can also mean "two", when followed by a noun.

dhá chapall  two horses

do
do can mean "your".

do chóta  your coat

do is also used to "to" or "for".

Tá mé ag scríobh litir do Cháit.  I am writing a letter for Cáit.

dó can also mean "to/for him/it".

Tabhair an leitir seo dó.  Give this letter to him.

dó can also mean "two" (without a noun, e.g., when counting).

a haon, a dó, a trí...  one, two, three...

dó also means "burning".

is
is means "is", "am", "are".

Is mé an dochtúr.  I am the doctor.

is can also be a contraction for agus("and").

sé
sé can mean he, it, or six.

Tá sé láidir.          He is strong. Tá sé chapall anseo.  There are six horses here.