Croeso i Gymraeg — Welcome to Welsh
Try Welsh on the Llŷn
The Llŷn Peninsula is one of Wales’ most Welsh-speaking communities. Even a few words will earn you a genuinely warm welcome. Explore the phrase packs, try the live translator, or get to grips with Welsh pronunciation.
Tip: Tap any card to reveal a local tip for using that phrase on the Llŷn. Locals genuinely appreciate any effort — even a simple “Bore da” goes a long way.
Tap a card for local tips
Free live translator — type any English phrase and get the Welsh translation instantly. Powered by MyMemory, completely free, no account needed.
Welsh pronunciation is more consistent than English — once you know the rules, it’s very regular. Master these six sounds and you’ll be understood anywhere on the Llŷn.
ll
The Welsh LL
Put your tongue behind your top teeth and breathe air out the sides — a hissing “hl” sound. Llŷn = “Hlin”. Llanbedrog = “Hlan-BED-rog”. The most distinctively Welsh sound there is.
ch
Like Scottish “loch”
A soft throaty sound — never “ch” as in “chair”. Pwllheli = “Pooth-HEH-lee”. Diolch (thank you) = “DEE-olkh”. Also in Criccieth = “KRIK-ee-eth”.
dd
Like “th” in “the”
A soft voiced sound — like “th” in “this”. Dydd da (good day) = “Theeth dah”. Hardd (beautiful) = “harth”. Very different to a single D.
f / ff
F sounds like V
Welsh f = English “v”. For English “f” sound, Welsh uses ff. Fawr (big/great) = “vowrr”. Coffi (coffee) = “KOF-ee”.
w / y
W and Y as vowels
Both can be vowels in Welsh. W = “oo” sound. Y = “uh” or “ee”. Cwm (valley) = “Koom”. The circumflex (^) on ŷ gives a long “ee” — Llŷn = “Hleen”.
stress
Second-to-last syllable
Welsh almost always stresses the second-to-last syllable. A-ber-SOCH. Pwll-HE-li. Nan-HORON. Gets you most of the way there with any Welsh word you encounter.
Llŷn Peninsula place names to practise
Pwllheli
Pwllheli
Pooth-HEH-lee
Abersoch
Abersoch
Ab-er-SOCH
Aberdaron
Aberdaron
Ab-er-DAR-on
Nefyn
Nefyn
NEH-vin
Llanbedrog
Llanbedrog
Hlan-BED-rog
Criccieth
Cricieth
KRIK-ee-eth
Morfa Nefyn
Morfa Nefyn
MOR-va NEH-vin
Bardsey Island
Ynys Enlli
UN-is EN-hlee
Porthdinllaen
Porthdinllaen
Porth-din-HLINE
Nanhoron
Nanhoron
Nan-HOR-on
Tudweiliog
Tudweiliog
Tid-WAY-lee-og
Llithfaen
Llithfaen
Hleeth-VINE