# 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 is also used before a noun to indicate possession.
a is also used before a number when counting.
a is also used before a verbal noun when the direct object precedes it.
a is also used before a verb in a relative clause.

## an

an can mean "the".
an is also used to form a question.
an- is a prefix meaning "very", "excellent", or "great".

## ann

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

## aon

aon can mean "one" or "any".

## dá

dá (dhá) is used in the conditional mood to mean "if".
dá (dhá) can also mean "to/for his/her/its/their".
dhá can also mean "two", when followed by a noun.

## do

do can mean "your".
do is also used to "to" or "for".
dó can also mean "to/for him/it".
dó can also mean "two" (without a noun, e.g., when counting).
dó also means "burning".

## is

is means "is", "am", "are".
is can also be a contraction for agus("and").

## sé

sé can mean he, it, or six.