Ireland's top ten most mispronounced places

Places in Ireland can be extremely difficult to pronounce for people not familiar with the Irish language.

To help tourists, Preply, the online platform connecting tutors with language learners in 180 countries, conducted research on the top ten most challenging place names and landmarks in Ireland and how to pronounce them.

To find the most challenging, Preply selected the largest six cities in Ireland then used ChatGPT to come up with a list of the most difficult–to–pronounce towns, villages, or landmarks in each city/county. This was then compared to a year's worth of global search data to create the rankings. 

The study found that Dungarvan, a town in Co Waterford, was the most searched in Ireland by people wondering how to pronounce it. 

“The complexity in pronouncing Irish place names often arises from the fact that they originated in the Irish language, often referred to as Irish Gaelic," said language expert Sylvia Johnson, according to WaterfordLive.ie.

“Since Irish Gaelic has its own unique phonetic rules, which differs significantly from English, it can be quite tricky for non-native speakers to pronounce them correctly. 

“For example, silent letters. Just like in English, Irish has silent letters and letter combinations. For instance, the combination 'bh' might be silent or sound like a 'v' or 'w' depending on context.”

She added: “Many Irish place names are descriptive, so knowing some common elements can be beneficial. Few examples are 'bally' or 'baile' (place), 'dun' (fort), 'cill' (church), etc. If unsure of the pronunciation, use online audio tools to listen to the phonetics or ask a native speaker to help you out mastering the pronunciation.”

So which are the toughest places in Ireland to pronounce? Check out this handy guide!

The top 10 most mispronounced places in Ireland

1. Dungarvan, County Waterford

This pretty Irish harbor town in the heart of Waterford made the top of the list! The secret to pronouncing it correctly is where to put the emphasis – it's in the second syllable.

Correct pronunciation: Dun–GAR–ven

Dungarvan Harbour, Co Waterford. (Ireland's Content Pool)

2. Youghal, County Cork

One of Ireland’s hidden gems, Youghal boasts a stunning coastline and a rich history.  Despite the confusing spelling, it's simply pronounced like an American southern "Y'all."

Correct pronunciation: Yawl

Youghal, Co Cork. (Getty Images)

3. Castletownbere, County Cork

Castletownbere, also known as Castletown–Bearhaven, is Ireland's largest fishing port and the second–safest natural harbor in the world.  When it comes to the pronunciation in Irish, don’t put the emphasis on any particular syllable.

Correct pronunciation: Castle–town–bear

Castletownbere, Co Cork. (Getty Images)

4. Foynes, Country Limerick

Foynes is a major port on the edge of the Shannon Estuary.  According to Preply, the word is pronounced "a bit like the Fonz but with a South London accent."

Correct pronunciation: Foy–ns

Foynes, Co Limerick. (Ireland's Content Pool)

5. Clogherhead, County Louth

Clogherhead comes from the Irish Ceann Chlochair, meaning ‘rocky headland.' The key to its pronunciation is keeping the g silent for a soft overall sound. The first syllable is like the beginning of the word "clock."

Correct pronunciation: CLO–her–hed

Thatched cottages, Clogherhead, Co Louth. (Ireland's Content Pool)

6. Caherconlish, County Limerick

The pronunciation of Caherconlish, a quaint village just outside the city of Limerick, varies between regions. Try the one Preply offers below and do your best!

Correct pronunciation: CATH–air–CHINN–lis

7. Termonfeckin, County Louth

Termonkeckin gets its name from Féchín, a 7th–century saint. The castle in the small village is often cited as one of the best–preserved landmarks in Ireland.

Correct pronunciation: Ter–mon–FEK–in

8. Spiddal, County Galway

Spiddal, also known as Spiddle, isn’t too tricky – it’s pronounced just as it looks so don't overthink it. The name comes from the Irish An Spidéal, meaning 'the hospital.'

Correct pronunciation: SPI–dl

Spiddal Village, Co Galway. (Ireland's Content Pool)

9. Grangebellew, County Louth

The small village of Grangebellew is located a 15-minute drive from Drogheda. To pronounce, don’t make the  ‘bellew’ sound like ‘bellYOU.' According to Preply, it’s more like the bear Balloo in the 'Jungle Book.'

Correct pronunciation: GRANGE–be–LOO

10. Tuam, County Galway

Tuam is the second–largest settlement in Galway and one of the most mispronounced names in Ireland.  To correctly pronounce it, Preply advises "Just do your best steamtrain impression."

Correct pronunciation: Choom

Tuam, Co Galway. (Ireland's Content Pool)

* Originally published in June 2024, updated in Oct 2024.