- Adding the U. For some weird reason, those across the pond love to clutter up the clarity of lexicography by dropping in unnecessary u's all over the place. Most commonly, this vestigial vowel gets added after an "o" and before an "r." So the Irish, influenced too much by the Brits, use "our" instead of "or" in scads of words. For example, "behavior" translates to "behaviour."
- Changing the Z. Another good blanket rule for making your written English appear more Irish is to use an "s" rather than a "z" when using the "ize" construction. So, "realize" becomes "realise."
- The best way to learn these spelling variations is to pick up some of that great Irish literature and dig in. There's a boatload of it out there and it's great stuff. Just read anything by James Joyce, Frank McCourt, Roddy Doyle, Seamus Heaney, William Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett, George Bernard Shaw, or Pat McCabe.
SoYouWanna know more? Check out our full-length article SYW speak with an Irish accent?
