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Irish spelling

Irish spelling

6.4
A style of English spelling used in Ireland, like favour and centre
  • noun
  • Irish
translation icon : ortografía irlandesa
  • You can spot Irish spelling in words like 'favour' and 'centre' on official documents.

Examples

  • Writers often choose between Irish spelling and American spelling depending on their audience.

  • Many words in Irish spelling are similar to British English.

  • In schools across Dublin, Irish spelling is the standard taught to students.

  • Do you know the rules of Irish spelling?

  • In schools across Dublin, Irish spelling is the standard taught to students.

  • You can spot Irish spelling in words like 'favour' and 'centre' on official documents.

  • Writers often choose between Irish spelling and American spelling depending on their audience.

Synonyms

Irish English spelling
vsIrish spelling
  • Irish
6.7

A way people write English words in Ireland using British forms like colour

is the broader term for that same style without listing examples
Irish English orthography
vsIrish spelling
  • Irish
8.4

A way of spelling English used in Ireland that is similar to British spelling but with some Irish differences

is the common style similar to British English rather than a technical label

Surface Forms

Morphology

Irish + spelling

The meaning 'the style of spelling used in Ireland' is directly and compositionally derived from 'Irish' (pertaining to Ireland) + 'spelling' (arrangement of letters). This simple adjective+noun pattern is cross-linguistically common and therefore easily inferable by a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Irish spelling comes from Ireland keeping many of the spellings used in 'British spelling'; you often see colour, favour, and centre on signs and official papers. That's why Irish spelling looks different from 'American spelling'.