There are a number of variations on the spelling of the word Claddagh. You'll be glad to know at Claddagh Design we spell it correctly! So I decided to look at the ways people spell Claddagh and why? In my research I came across a number of variations on the spelling, from Clauda to Clauddagh. Here are just a few of the many different ways people spell it.
- Clada
- Clatter
- Colada
- Claddaugh
- Claudaugh
- and Claddah.
What is the reason for so many spelling variations? It's probably down to two factors. Firstly the worldwide popularity of the Claddagh ring. As the Claddagh ring was introduced to other countries often by Irish emigrants, the spelling was altered for easier pronunciation. Which brings us on to the second factor, pronunciation. Irish isn't the easiest language to speak if you're not familiar with the different pronunciations. Claddagh is a perfect example of this. While the 'Cladd' part is pronounced the same as the English language the 'agh' part is where it changes. In certain cases this 'agh' is softened and pronounced 'ahh'. This can be seen in other Irish words like the surname Kavanagh which is pronounced 'ka-van-ah' So there you have the correct spelling of the word Claddagh!