The Fada

Level 1

The acute accent marks a long vowel and can distinguish words: fear means man, while féar means grass. Preserve it in spelling and search.

How It Works

The acute accent marks a long vowel and can distinguish words: fear means man, while féar means grass. Preserve it in spelling and search.

The fada belongs to the word, including when a letter is capitalized. It changes vowel length; its exact sound depends on the vowel and dialect. Compare the two nouns below without treating the accented spelling as decoration.

Examples (3)

  1. Is fear é.

    He is a man.

  2. Tá féar sa ghairdín.

    There is grass in the garden.

  3. Ólaim tae.

    I drink tea.