f / ff / dd / th
F, FF, DD and TH
Watch these four letters: f = v (afal), ff = f (ffordd), dd = th in "this" (ddoe), th = th in "thin" (cath).
How It Works
F sounds like v: afal (apple), fi (me), fawr in Diolch yn fawr (Thank you very much).
Ff sounds like f: ffordd (road), ffrind (friend), coffi (coffee), hoffi (to like).
Dd sounds like the th in "this": ddoe (yesterday), dydd (day), Caerdydd (Cardiff). Your voice is on, and the tongue touches the top teeth.
Th sounds like the th in "thin": cath (cat), wyth (eight), wythnos (week). No voice, just air.
A handy clue: an f or dd at the start of a word is often a changed letter. Bara (bread) becomes fara and mam (mum) becomes fam after some words, and desg becomes ddesg. See soft mutation. You will also meet ph, which sounds like f. It almost always comes from a changed p, as in halen a phupur (salt and pepper); see aspirate mutation.
Examples (6)
- Dw i eisiau afal.
I want an apple.
F in afal sounds like v.
- Mae'r ffordd yn brysur.
The road is busy.
Ff in ffordd sounds like f; the dd at the end sounds like the th in "this".
- Mae'r gath yn yfed llaeth.
The cat is drinking milk.
Th at the end of gath and of llaeth sounds like the th in "thin".
- Diolch yn fawr!
Thank you very much!
F in fawr sounds like v.
- Mae'r dydd yn hir yn yr haf.
The day is long in the summer.
Dd in dydd sounds like the th in "this"; the f in haf sounds like v.
- Dw i'n dysgu Cymraeg bob wythnos.
I learn Welsh every week.
Th in wythnos sounds like the th in "thin".
How It Connects
Learn This First
The f/ff and dd/th contrasts are alphabet letters with their own sounds.
Related Patterns
Practice f / ff / dd / th in Bubblegum
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