Gaelic

Mar a bhios a' tachairt anns a h‑uile cànan, bidh blas (blas‑cainnte) ag atharrachadh ann an diofar sgìrean.

Ach cia mheud dualchainnt a th' anns a' Ghàidhlig?

Uill, bidh sealladh pearsanta aig gu leòr air a' cheist sin, ach ma tha dualchainnt a' ciallachadh gu bheil briathrachas, gràmar agus fuaimneachadh eadar‑dhealaichte, dh'fhaodadh tu a ràdh gur iad Gàidhlig Leòdhais, Gàidhlig Innse Gall, agus Gàidhlig Earra‑Ghàidheal na prìomh dhualchainntean a tha air fhàgail.

Ged a tha diofar eadar an dòigh‑labhairt anns gach eilean, sgìre, agus aig amannan gach baile, chan eil diofar ro mhòr eadar briathrachas agus gràmar anns a' mhòr‑chuid de na h‑eileanan.

Ach cluinnidh tu gu bheil diofar blais aig luchd‑labhairt às cha mhòr gach eilean far a bheil Gàidhlig fhathast ga bruidhinn.

'S e fuaimneachadh agus ruitheam na cainnte as motha a bhios ag atharrachadh agus tha e cudromach nuair a bhios sinn ag ionnsachadh gu bheil sinn mothachail air ruitheam a' chànain—cha rachadh tu ro fhada a' bruidhinn Eadailtis le blas Beurla Ghlaschu!

Cha leig luchd‑ionnsachaidh leas a bhith ag amas air dualchainnt shònraichte, ach ma tha sinn airson a bhith fileanta, bu chòir dhuinn a bhith ag amas air fuaimneachadh, ruitheam, agus cuideam nàdarra.

English

As happens in all languages, accents vary in different regions.

But how many dialects are there in Gaelic?

Well, many will have a personal view on that question, but if dialect means that vocabulary, grammar and pronunciation are different, you could say that Lewis Gaelic, Hebridean Gaelic and Argyll Gaelic are the primary remaining dialects.

Although there is a difference between the way of speaking in each island, region, and sometimes in each town, there is not too much difference between vocabulary and grammar in most of the islands.

But you will hear that speakers from almost every island where Gaelic is still spoken have different accents.

It is the pronunciation and rhythm of the speech that changes the most and it is important when we are learning that we are aware of the rhythm of the language—you would not go far speaking Italian with a Glasgow English accent!

Learners do not need to focus on a specific dialect, but if we want to be fluent, we should focus on pronunciation, rhythm, and natural stress/emphasis.