I have other pronunciation guides to Welsh elsewhere (here and Welsh Idioms here), but I made up a cheat sheet for some common names and places and thought I’d share. I welcome any and all corrections if you know differently! Remember, the /ll/ sound is not known in English and is something of a breathy ‘shl’ sound where you kind of blow out your cheeks while your tongue is on the roof of your mouth.
| Abergavenny –Ah-bare-gahv-ENN-ee | |
| Aberystwyth –Ah-bare-IH-stwith | |
| Afon Arthog – AH-von AAR-thahg | |
| Angharad –Angh-AR-ahd | |
| Anglesey – (this is a Viking name, so not a Welsh pronunciation) | |
| Berwyn – BARE-win | |
| Bleddfa –Blehth-va | |
| Bryn Glas –Brinn Glahs | |
| Builth – (in Welsh, this is really Buellt, prounced BEE-e/sh/t): http://www.forvo.com/word/buellt/ | |
| Cadair Idris – CAH-dare EE-drees | |
| Cadwaladr –Cad-wall-A-der | |
| Caerleon –Cayr-LEH-on | |
| Caernarfon – Cayr -NAR-von | |
| Caerphilly –Cayr-FILL-ee | |
| cariad – car-EE-ahd | |
| Conwy – CON-wee | |
| Cwm Llanerch – Coom /SH/AN-er /ch/ | |
| Cymru – CUM-ree | |
| Cymry – CUM-ree | |
| Dafydd – DAH-vith | |
| Darogan – Dar-AW-gan | |
| Deheubarth – deh-HAY-barth | |
| Dewi – DEH-wee | |
| Dinas Bran – DEE-nahs Brahn | |
| Dolbadarn – Dol-BAHD-arn | |
| Dolgellau – Doll-GESH-eye | |
| Enid – EH-need | |
| Gethin – GEHTH-een | |
| Glyndwr – GLIN-door | |
| Glyndyfrdwy – Glin-dif-ERD-wee | |
| Gruffydd Fychan – GRIFF-ith FICK-ahn | |
| Gwenllian –Gwen-/sh/EE-ahn | |
| Gwladys – GooLAD-iss | |
| Gwylim ap Tudur – GWILL-eem ap TIH-dir | |
| Gwynedd – GWIN-eth | |
| Hyddgen – HUTH-ghen | |
| Ieuan –YAY-an | |
| Iolo Goch – i-OH-loh gawk (with the ‘k’ barely heard and aspirated) | |
| Laugharne – Lawn | |
| Lechrydd – LECK-rith | |
| Llandovery –/sh/an-dovery (this isn’t really a Welsh word, except for the beginning /sh/an) | |
| Llyn Peris – /sh/in PER-eess | |
| Llys Bradwen – /sh/is BRAHD-when | |
| Llywelyn – /sh/ew-EL-in | |
| Lowarch – I’m thinking something like law-OO-ark but I don’t know for sure | |
| Mab – Mahb | |
| Machynlleth – http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Machynlleth.ogg | |
| Madoc – MAA-doc | |
| Maelgwn – MILE-goon | |
| Maelienydd – Mile-ee-EN-ith | |
| Maredydd – maar-ED-ith | |
| Marged – MAR-ged (hard ‘g’) | |
| Myfanwy –Muhv-AN-wee | |
| Mynachdy –Minn-ACK-dee | |
| Myrddin Emrys –MUR-theen EHM-ris | |
| Owain – OH-wine | |
| Penmaenrhos – Pen-MINE-ross | |
| Plynlimon – Plin-LEE-mon | |
| Powys Fadog – PAW-wis VAH-dog | |
| Pwll Melyn –Poo/sh/ MEL-in | |
| Rhiannon – Ree-AH-non | |
| Rhys Ddu – reese thee | |
| Ruthin – RITH- een | |
| Shrewsbury –as spelled in English | |
| Sion – Shawn | |
| Sycharth – SIH-carth | |
| Tomos – TOM-oss | |
| Treffgarne – TREFF-garn | |
| Tywi –TUH-wee | |
| uchelwyr – ick-EL-where | |
| Usk – Isk | |
While reading about what these words sound like is useful, hearing it is even more so. Below are some places where you can actually hear how this all is supposed to sound:
Basics: http://www.heart-of-wales.co.uk/welsh.htm
http://www.forvo.com/languages/cy/
Video: http://mylanguages.org/welsh_alphabet.php
Gwd lwc. Ai hop ddat yw can ryd ddys and ddat yt meiks sens tw yw. Iff yw can ryd ddys, dden yw ar dwing ffaen and wil haf no problems at ol yn lyrnyng awr ffaen Welsh alffabet.
Very helpful, thanks. I’m going to print this out along with the map of Wales. The map is very hard to view on a Kindle reader.