Three Hundred Words

In 1964 Ladybird launched their world renowned Key Words Reading Scheme series.

Commonly known as the Peter and Jane books, this series was to be used by parents and schools throughout the UK to teach the basic skills of reading.

Over 100 million copies have been sold round the world.

The author, William Murray, was an educational adviser for a borstal and, later, head of what was then called a "school for the educationally subnormal".

During the 1950s Murray did some research with an educational psychologist, a Professor McNally from Manchester University. They worked on written material and speech, using a Grundig tape recorder, and established that a dozen words make up a quarter of everything we speak, read and write.

Murray and McNally went on to find that one hundred words account for half and 300 words make up three-quarters of our verbal output.

Ladybird emphasises this message in the introduction to every Key Words book before Peter and Jane and Mummy and Daddy go on to repeat those words at every conceivable opportunity.

Just think about that for a moment.

If you can learn just three hundred words, you're most of the way to fluency in a language.

Just three hundred words.

With that in mind, these are the three hundred most common words in the Irish language, as determined by a study of Irish language literature by Corpas Náisiúnta na Gaeilge.

So if you think Gaelglish isn't going to get you anywhere near fluency in Irish, think how fluent you'd sound if 75% of what you said was true Irish, and you only have to bluff a quarter of it in English.

Learn the three hundred or so words that follow.
No, I'm not going to tell you what they mean. If you have to look them up, you're more likely to remember them. And if you remember them, then your Gaelglish lessons should give to the confidence to try an occasonal conversation in Irish.

a
an
ar
agus
na
go
i
ag
le
is
sé
bhi
sin
é
ach
sa
de
tá
seo
in
mar
ó
leis
ní
raibh
do
ina
atá
nó
bhfuil
nach
féin
ann
as
faoi
gur
eile
mé
chun
aon
ná
sí
dá
siad
ba
den
nuair
iad
air
bheith
amach
san
don
acu
duine
gan
mo
aige
chur
gach
tú
i
chomh
mór
á
anois
ón
chuid
maith
rud
isteach
dhéanamh
lá
daoine
Gaeilge
níos
idir
níl
amháin
dul
chéile
dti
bith
liom
chuir
mbeadh
bheadh
dó
duirt
cé
sna
orthu
níor
áit
faoin
lena
má
thug
agam
trí
dhá
tháinig
leo
beidh
mac
fáil
fear
mó
ansin
arsa
chéad
féidir
fad
cur
beag
nua
thabhairt
cuid
ceann
tar
deireadh
am
aris
cén
scéal
cad
teacht
síos
os
éis
bhíonn
aghaidh
nár
linn
deir
lucht
átha
cliath
uair
rá
rinne
obair
againn
réir
taobh
thar
anseo
fhios
leith
saol
leat
bhliain
leor
bíonn
uirthi
orm
agat
leabhar
dóibh
mbeidh
mhaith
baile
fada
céanna
blian
bhaile
riamh
mhór
oíche
ea
freisin
aici
dom
chuaigh
scríobh
fós
dar
léir
mise
fíor
iarraidh
bliana
éigin
héireann
láthair
suas
dé
fháil
ceart
maidir
cuireadh
gcuid
thart
léi
teanga
bheidh
di
roimh
anuas
fuair
cheann
tír
chuig
Ghaeilge
teach
déanamh
b'fhéidir
ár
roinnt
siúl
fiú
muid
measc
seán
bhain
uí
fearr
ort
ais
oiread
gcónaí
uisce
déanta
ndiaidh
gceist
minic
siar
dhiaidh
cinn
dhuine
úsa?íd
áirithe
súil
seisean
feadh
thaobh
dara
&Eachute;irinn
uile
méid
bharr
oibre
más
shin
mbíonn
mbaile
duit
leathanach
cinnte
bhfad
dúinn
lán
tharla
istigh
óg
ab
cúpla
nós
timpeall
díreach
scoil
gurb
baint
ainm
cheart
rith
caite
caint
rialtas
bhaint
amuigh
suúd
bean
leanas
lár
leithéid
bhean
chuige
uaidh
ait
ndóigh
cheana
roinn
inniu
ábhar
mórán
chaith
tí
lae
tíre
roimhe
Gaeltachta
eolas
sásta
céard
dhaoine
tríd
lámh

Good luck!

Gearóid Mac Cuinneagáin
Tá m'aerbhád lán d'eascanna