Geiriadur i Dysgwyr

Geiriadur i Ddysgwyr: Ar-lein / Dictionary for Learners: Online

This reference guide contains over 1600 common words. To support those new to the language, the most common words also have a pronunciation guide. Under the English word is the Welsh word on the left, with the approximate pronunciation using English sounds to the right. The stressed sound is underlined. For a fuller explanation, click the ‘How to Use This Guide’ button below. Full credit for the content goes to Mark Stonelake.

How to Use This Guide

All | A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y
There are currently 60 names in this directory beginning with the letter W.
wage increase/pay rise
codiad cyflog, kod-yad kuvlog

wage war (to)
rhyfela

wagtail
sigl-di-gwt

wake up (to)
dihuno, deeheenoh / deenoh

walk (a walk)
taith gerdded, t-ey-th geh-r-dded

walking stick
ffon gerdded (b)

wander (to)
crwydro

want to (I want to...)
am (Dw i am/Dw i'n moyn) (t.m, am)

war
rhyfel

washing machine
peiriant golchi, pie-r-yant

wasps
cacwn

waste (to)
bradu/afradu, bradee

waster/lazy rotter
pwdryn, poodrin

watch (to)
gwylio/edrych ar, gwil-yoh

we'll see
cawn weld / gawn ni weld, kah-wn weld

weak
gwan, gwan

weakness
gwendid

wealth
cyfoeth

weather forecast
rhagolygon y tywydd, rhagolugon uh towidd

web (the web)
gwe (b) (y we), gweh (uh weh)

website
gwefan (b), gweh-van

weed the garden (to)
chwynnu'r ardd, (ch)wuneer ahrdd

week
wythnos (b), ooth-noss

weep (to)
wylo

well known
adnabyddus

well off
cefnog, kevnog

Welsh hymn singing festival
Cymanfa Ganu (b)

Welsh speakers
Cymry Cymraeg

Wendy house/playhouse
tw bach twt, tee bach twt

wet (wetter - wettest)
gwlyb (gwlypach - gwlypa'), (gw)leeb - lupach

What sort of place?
Sut le?, Should leh?

wheel
olwyn (b)

whenever
ta pryd, tah preed

whereever
ta le/ble bynnag, tah leh

Which one?
Pa un?, P'een..?

whist drive
gyrfa chwist (b)

whistle (to)
chwibanu

white dove
colomen wen (b)

whiteboard
bwrdd gwyn, boordd gwin

Who would have thought?
Pwy fyddai'n meddwl?, Poo-ee vuddeh'n meddwl?

whoever
ta pwy/pwy bynnag, tah poo-ee

whole thing (the)
holl beth (yr)

whole week
wythnos gron (b)

wild
gwyllt, gwillt

willing
bodlon

wind farm
fferm wynt (b), fferm wint

winding
troellog

wing(s)
adain (adenydd) (b)

winter
gaea(f), guy-ah

without
heb, hêb

witness(es)
tyst(ion), tisst (tusstyon)

witty
ffraeth

wonder
rhyfeddod

wood/forest
coedwig (b), koy-dwig

woolly
gwlanog, gwlah-nog

worker(s)
gweithiwr (gweithwyr), gweethoor

workshop(s)
gweithdy (gweithdai)

worry
pryder

worth
gwerth

writer
llenor


Pronunciation Guide

In Welsh words the stress usually falls on the last but one syllable (a syllable is a unit of sound). Putting stress on a syllable means lengthening the sound with more emphasis in the voice.

For example, people with a Welsh accent would pronounce the surname Meredith as Mer-ed-ith, with the last sound but one ‘ed’ stressed. People with an English accent would tend to put equal weight on all three syllables – Mer-ed-ith.

If the stress falls on the last syllable of a Welsh word it is usually marked by an accent e.g. carafán. There are very few words like this in Welsh.

Try saying these words: – canol – canolfan. The stress moves on each time a unit of sound or syllable is added.

Abbreviations used

(adj) adjective- a describing word
(b) benywaidd – feminine (noun)
(col) colloquial– a word used in one area of Wales
(au) ….(s) plurals e.g. shop(s) – siop(au)
adre(f) (f) not pronounced
{rhed} root/stem of the verb e.g. rhedeg {rhed-}
(t.ll.) treiglad llaes – the word causes an aspirate mutation
(t.t.) treiglad trwynol – the word causes a nasal mutation
(t.m.) treiglad meddal – the word causes a soft mutation
(adj.) adjective
….(to) verb e.g. talk (to) – to talk
(tag) tags are short questions that we put on the end of sentences such as ‘…isn’t it?’
N.W. a word used in North Wales
S.W. a word used in South Wales

Further resources

For a complete learner’s dictionary I recommend Heini Gruffudd’s Welsh Learner’s Dictionary, and for a comprehensive online dictionary go to Geiriadur Prifysgol Cymru.

Y diweddaraf oddi wrth Adnoddau