The Dialects of Wales

A collection of audio examples of dialect speech in the Welsh language, together with distribution maps of some dialect features. The recordings come from the archives of St Fagans: National History Museum and the Department of Welsh, Cardiff University, two institutions which have been collecting and recording oral testimonies since the 1950s.

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Distribution of the 'narrow' a vowel in the Welsh dialects of mid and south-east Wales

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Map showing distribution of Welsh dialect words for a gate

• The Welsh dialect of Bryn-Crug, Merioneth 
• The Welsh dialect of Blaenpennal, Ceredigion 
• The Welsh dialect of Ffynnongroyw, East Clwyd 
• The Welsh dialect of Morriston, West Glamorgan 
• The Welsh dialect of Llanymawddwy, Montgomeryshire 
• The Welsh dialect of Llansannan, West Clwyd 
• The Welsh dialect of Llansawel, Dyfed 
• The Welsh dialect of Llangynwyd, Mid Glamorgan 
• The Welsh dialect of Glynogwr, Mid Glamorgan 

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Map showing the Welsh dialect areas which use a in the final syllables of words

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Map showing the distribution of Welsh dialect words for a cowshed
• The Welsh dialect of Pen-caer, Pembrokeshire 
• The Welsh dialect of Carno, Montgomeryshire 
• The Welsh dialect of Llannerch-y-medd, Anglesey 
• The Welsh dialect of Rhosllannerchrugog 
• The Welsh dialect of Caernarfon