litriú
/lʲətʲəˈɾʲuː/masculine
The Irish word for spelling is litriú.
litriú refers to the practice, ability or subject of forming words with letters or of reading the letters of words. Orthography.
Meaning: the practice, ability, or subject of forming words with letters, or of reading the letters of words, orthography (noun)
How does it change in a sentence?
litriú is a masculine noun.
How do you pronounce it?
/lʲətʲəˈɾʲuː/
Did you know?
- The Irish alphabet historically used an Ogham system of notches and lines on stone pillars long before the Latin-based litriú was adopted.
- The word litriú is derived from litir, which means 'letter'. This is a loanword from the Latin 'littera', showing how early Christian scholars integrated Latin alphabet terms into Irish.
- In Irish, spelling is often an exercise in patience because the language uses a system where certain consonants are 'broad' or 'slender', often signaled by the vowels surrounding them rather than a different letter.
Examples in context
- cathaoirChair
- madraDog
- Tá litriú an-chosúil leis.The spelling is very similar to it.
Example conversation
Two students are reviewing a test in class.
- SaoirseCathal, an bhfuil an litriú seo ceart?Cathal, is this spelling correct?
- CathalNí creidim sin, Saoirse.I don't believe so, Saoirse.
- SaoirseConas a dhéantar an litriú cheart?How is the correct spelling done?
- CathalCuir 'á' eile ann.Put another 'á' in there.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “spelling” translations and entries litriú, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
