blas.Blog
Guides and resources for learning Irish and Welsh.
How We Built a Language App for Irish and Welsh
And the open-source framework we extracted from it. The architecture behind blas., why Irish and Welsh need their own approach, and introducing Toberwine.
Read on Substack →Breton vs Welsh: How Two Brythonic Cousins Compare
Welsh and Breton both descend from Common Brittonic. Speaker numbers, mutation systems, vocabulary loans, and how mutually intelligible they really are.
May 7, 2026
Goidelic vs Brythonic: How the Celtic Languages Split
The Celtic family broke into two branches. Goidelic kept the original kw sound, Brythonic shifted to p. Why the split happened, where each branch lives today, and how they differ.
May 7, 2026
How Many Celtic Languages Are There? All 6 Living Languages, Explained
Six living Celtic languages, two branches, one shared ancestor. Speaker numbers, geographic spread, and the status of each Celtic language today.
May 7, 2026
Best Duolingo Welsh Alternatives (2026) — What to Use Now
Duolingo dropped Welsh in 2023. Here are the 6 best alternatives that actually work — SSiW, blas., Dysgu Cymraeg, Glossika, Clozemaster, and more.
April 1, 2026
blas. vs Anki for Irish — Pre-Built App vs DIY Flashcards
Anki is the gold standard for spaced repetition. blas. uses the same algorithm (FSRS) but builds everything for you. When to use which — and when to use both.
April 1, 2026
blas. vs Drops for Irish — Which Vocabulary App Is Better?
Drops teaches Irish vocabulary with swipe games. blas. teaches vocabulary in grammatical context with mutations and spaced repetition. Here's how they compare.
April 1, 2026
blas. vs Pimsleur for Irish — Grammar App vs Audio Course
Pimsleur teaches you to speak Irish by ear. blas. teaches you why Irish works the way it does. Side-by-side comparison of method, coverage, pricing, and who each is for.
April 1, 2026
Learning Welsh from Abroad — A Guide for the Diaspora
You don't need to live in Wales to learn Welsh. Tools, communities, and a practical plan for diaspora learners in England, Patagonia, and worldwide.
March 8, 2026
Welsh Verb Conjugation — All Tenses, Full Tables, Clear Patterns
Complete conjugation tables for every Welsh tense — present, imperfect, preterite, future, conditional. Spoken vs literary forms, irregular verbs, and the bod system.
March 8, 2026
Learning Irish from Abroad — A Guide for the Diaspora
You don't need to live in Ireland to learn Irish. Tools, communities, and a practical plan for Irish Americans, Australians, Canadians, and diaspora learners.
March 6, 2026
The Welsh Verb Bod (To Be) — Every Form, Every Tense, With Tables
Bod appears in almost every Welsh sentence. Present, past, future, conditional — full tables for statements, questions, and negatives. mae vs ydy explained.
March 6, 2026
Irish Verb Conjugation: All Tenses and Tables
Complete Irish conjugation tables for every tense: present, past, future, conditional, and habitual past. All 11 irregular verbs, with verbal nouns.
March 6, 2026
The 6 Celtic Languages and How They Compare
Irish, Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Breton, Cornish, and Manx: speaker numbers, the Goidelic and Brythonic split, mutual intelligibility, and what sets each apart.
March 6, 2026
Welsh Pronunciation Guide: Every Letter, Sound, and Stress Rule
Welsh spelling is almost perfectly phonetic. Learn the 28-letter alphabet, ll and dd sounds, digraphs, and the penultimate stress rule.
March 6, 2026
Irish Pronunciation: The System Behind the Spelling
Irish spelling isn't random. Broad vs slender consonants, the caol le caol rule, lenited sounds, and vowel pronunciation. Once you see the system, it clicks.
March 6, 2026
How to Learn Welsh as an Adult: A Step-by-Step Roadmap
Where to start, what to learn first, the best tools, and realistic timelines. A practical roadmap for adult learners, from zero to confident speaker.
February 26, 2026
How to Learn Irish as an Adult: A Step-by-Step Roadmap
Where to start, what to learn first, the best tools, and realistic timelines. A practical roadmap for adult learners, from zero to confident speaker.
February 26, 2026
50 Welsh Phrases You'll Actually Use: With Pronunciation
The phrases real learners use most: greetings, thanks, opinions, and social situations in Welsh. Every phrase has a pronunciation guide so you can say it right.
February 26, 2026
50 Basic Irish Phrases with Pronunciation: Greetings, Thanks, Daily Use
The Irish phrases real learners use most. Greetings, thanks, opinions, and daily social situations. Each phrase comes with a pronunciation guide.
February 26, 2026
Irish vs Scottish Gaelic: How Different Are They Really?
Same roots, different languages. Side-by-side spelling, pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary comparison. Plus: can speakers understand each other?
February 26, 2026
Is Welsh Hard to Learn? A Realistic Look for English Speakers
Welsh looks intimidating but it's more regular than English. What's actually hard, what's surprisingly easy, and realistic timelines for learners.
February 26, 2026
How Long Does It Take to Learn Irish?
The FSI says 1,100 hours, but how long to actually hold a conversation? Realistic A1 to B2 timelines, what slows you down, and how to cut months off.
February 26, 2026
blas. App Review 2026: What It Does and Doesn't Do
An honest review of blas., the language app for Irish and Welsh. What it covers, what it doesn't, who it's built for, and whether it's worth your time.
February 26, 2026
blas. vs SaySomethingInWelsh: Which Is Right for You?
Comparing blas. and SaySomethingInWelsh (SSiW) for learning Welsh. Grammar vs speaking focus, methods, pricing, and which to choose, or why you might want both.
February 26, 2026
blas. vs Duolingo for Irish: What's Actually Different
Side-by-side comparison of blas. and Duolingo for learning Irish. Grammar, mutations, reading, conversation, pricing, and who each app is best for.
February 26, 2026
Dydd Gŵyl Dewi: Welsh Phrases You Can Actually Use on St David's Day
Practical Welsh phrases for St David's Day (1 March): greetings, social media captions, phrases for events, and what to say when your Welsh runs out.
February 25, 2026
Seachtain na Gaeilge 2026: Phrases You Can Actually Use This March
Practical Irish phrases for Seachtain na Gaeilge (Irish Language Week, 1-17 March): greetings, ordering, opinions, survival phrases, and social media captions.
February 25, 2026
Welsh Grammar for Beginners: Bod, Mutations, and Word Order First
A practical roadmap for Welsh grammar. Bod (to be), soft mutation, word order, gender, and plurals in the order that actually matters.
February 25, 2026
Best Apps to Learn Welsh in 2026
Every major Welsh app tested: SSiW, blas., Dysgu Cymraeg, Glossika, and the mothballed Duolingo course. Honest reviews, pricing, and which suits you.
February 25, 2026
Irish Grammar for Beginners: What to Learn First
A practical roadmap for Irish grammar: VSO word order, tá vs is, séimhiú, urú, and prepositional pronouns, in the order that actually matters.
February 20, 2026
Best Apps to Learn Irish in 2026
Every major Irish app tested: Duolingo, Pimsleur, Drops, Anki, blas., and more. Honest pros, cons, pricing, and which one actually teaches grammar.
February 19, 2026
Learning Irish on Duolingo? Here's What It Doesn't Teach You.
Duolingo won't teach you grammar rules, mutation patterns, or how to read Irish. Here's where most learners plateau and what to use next.
February 18, 2026
Duolingo Dropped Welsh. Here Are the Best Alternatives (2026)
Duolingo mothballed Welsh in 2023, stranding 675,000 learners. The course is frozen and full of errors. Here's what actually works now.
February 15, 2026
Welsh Mutations: Soft, Nasal and Aspirate
The three Welsh mutations explained: treiglad meddal (soft), trwynol (nasal), and llaes (aspirate). Every trigger rule, full tables, and clear examples.
February 13, 2026
Irish Mutations Explained: Séimhiú and Urú
How Irish initial mutations work: when to use séimhiú (lenition) vs urú (eclipsis), which numbers and words trigger each, and how to pronounce them.
February 13, 2026