Look at these two Irish words: sean and Seán. They look almost the same. One tiny mark sits above the a in the second word.
That mark changes everything. Sean (shan) means old. Seán (shawn) is a boy's name. Same letters, one mark, two different words.
By the end of this lesson, you will be able to:
- Spot marks above letters in colour words across languages
- Notice that a small mark can change how a word sounds
- Talk about how languages use special characters in their own words
Watch each colour row open. When you see a mark that is not a plain letter (a stroke or two dots above a letter), point at the board. We will listen, then say that marked word together.
Some of these sounds go with the little marks we just spotted. Close your eyes for a moment and just listen. A few short clips will play.
1 Irish · 2 French · 3 German · 4 Spanish · 5 English
After each clip: thumbs on chin to think, then hold up fingers 1 to 5 when we count to show which language you guess. Listen for any sound that feels new, especially long vowels or changed vowels that might come from a mark.
Open your copy. Copy three words that carry a mark above a letter, getting every mark exactly right.
- buí (yellow)
- grün (green)
- oráiste (orange)
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