How to avoid becoming the ‘ignorant American’ stereotype while travelling in Scotland 😉
Basic Pronunciation Guide:
First off – there are many, many different Scottish accents. If your only frame of reference is Shrek or Groundskeeper Willie…maybe keep that to yourself. 😅 This pronunciation guide is a rough outline of how to say certain Scottish words or places. Or at least a guide on how not to completely butcher them.
*A word of advice – please do not try to do a ‘Scottish accent’ for actual Scottish people unless asked to do so – and even then proceed at your own risk.*
Scotland = SKOt-luhnd (this may seem obvious, but as an American from the midwest, I used to say Scotland closer to (SCAHt-lin) which did hit peoples’ ears funny). The t is more of a glottal stop – an implied t rather than a fully pronounced one.
Edinburgh = EH-din-burr-ah (for the love of God, don’t say EdinBURG or Edinborro). If you get the chance to travel here (and you should!), remember these: Princes Street (NOT Princess), Calton Hill (NOT Carlton).
Glasgow = GLAHZ-go (long o in go – NOT glass-gow as in cow).
Islay = AYE-luh
Slàinte Mhath = SLANJ-a-VAH (means ‘cheers’ or ‘good health.’ It’s typically said when toasting with a drink and can be shortened to SLANJ).
loch = LOHk (the k is a voiceless gutteral ‘ch’ sound – it is not pronounced like the word ‘lock.’ There is not really an American phonemic equivalent – any travel videos made by a Scottish person about Loch Ness should help with learning how to say this properly).
Typical words/phrases you’ll hear in Scotland:
*Again, accent/usage is dependent largely on the area you are visiting.*
aye = yes
nae bother = no bother, no worries (often used to respond to thank you, like ‘you’re welcome’).
alright? (pronounced ‘aw-rite?’ or ‘you aw-rite?’) = how are you? (just respond back with ‘aw-rite, you?’ or ‘yeah, you?’ Or try hard mode: ‘aye, no bad, yersel?’ Not me thinking for my first few weeks in Glasgow that everyone thought I looked near a mental break down and needed to be checked on. 👀 Nope. Just your standard greeting 😂).
wee = small (as in, ‘I’ll have a wee dram (measure of whisky) at the pub’).
ken = know (as in, ‘I dinnae ken’ meaning ‘I don’t know’).
cheers = often used as a ‘thank you.’
gonnae no dae that = could you not do that (if you are doing something and someone says this to you, maybe stop).
bonnie = beautiful (i.e. a bonnie lass, bonnie wee boy).
braw = something good or beautiful (i.e. a braw day).
dreich = a day that is wet, grey, gloomy would often be described as dreich (drEEk – the k is a voiceless gutteral ‘ch’ noise, as in ‘loch’).
that’s you = often said at the end of a transaction – as in, you’ll finish paying for something and the cashier/bartender/whoever might say this to mean ‘that’s you finished,’ i.e. you are done paying and can leave now.
eejit, numpty, dafty = fool/stupid person (often said affectionately or self-deprecatingly, though certainly not always. Tone matters! ‘Glaikit’ is another good one meaning foolish/stupid).
peely-wally = feeling/looking unwell, a bit sick, pale or tired.
wrecked, steamin’, blootered, sloshed, hammered, smashed, oot yer tree, oot the game, mad wae it = all variations on ‘drunk.’ Beautiful stuff.
You’ll likely hear a fair bit of swearing in Scotland, especially in the bigger cities, with the ‘c-word’ being much more common than I was used to in the States. The c-word is often used between friends as a more affectionate term. As a tourist, enjoy the swearing without joining in overly (especially if that’s not normal usage for you).
In my 7 years in Scotland, I’ve NEVER heard someone say: ‘Lang may yer lum reek’ or ‘och aye the noo.’ Avoid saying these. Also, no one wants to hear your Braveheart impression – I’m just looking out for you. 🙏
Last, some important distinctions many Americans get wrong:
– a Scottish person is referred to as ‘a Scottish person,’ or perhaps a ‘Scot.’ NOT a Scotch person.
– the unparalleled, warming pale brown liquid from Scotland is called ‘whisky.’ NOT Scotch.
– The word ‘whisky’ comes from the Scottish gaelic phrase ‘uisge beatha’ meaning ‘water of life.’ True words. If you don’t want to embarrass yourself in Scotland: 1) generally speaking, drink it neat (no ice, no water). 2) Do NOT mix single malt whisky with Coke etc. – this is sacrilege. 3) do ask questions and learn about the distilling process/whisky regions. 4) try whisky from more than one region. Typically, Americans are only familiar with the peated, smoky whiskies from the Islay region, which people either tend to love or hate. If you don’t like those smoky whiskies, try other regions – lowland whisky in particular tends to be more understated.
– Scots is a rich language with extensive connections to Scottish history, art, culture, and literature. Try and learn some words while you are visiting!
– ‘Scotch’ is really only used when referring to a ‘Scotch pie’ or a ‘Scotch egg,’ – not a person/group of people, and not whisky. Whiskey (with the e) refers to the Irish made drink. In Scotland, it’s whisky.
