Say Dydh da, count to ugens and find the Cornish name of your favourite town. Every word here is copied from Cornwall Council’s list of 20 Cornish words and phrases, the Akademi Kernewek dictionary or its place-name list, and linked so you can check it.
Cornish, or Kernewek, is a Celtic language. Britannica describes Cornish as a member of the Brythonic group of Celtic languages, most closely related to Breton, the Celtic language of Brittany in north-western France. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Cornish language ↗
On Census Day, 21 March 2021, 563 people aged 3 and over in England and Wales gave Cornish as their main language, and 471 of them lived in Cornwall (our total from the Office for National Statistics data file). Office for National Statistics: Census 2021, TS024 Main language (detailed), England and Wales ↗
Cornwall Council has estimated that there are 400 to 500 advanced Cornish speakers, and that 2,000 to 5,000 people have some basic knowledge (BBC News, 24 January 2026). BBC News: Cornish language granted greater protection ↗
Cornwall Council: the recognition “meant that Cornish (Kernewek) joined Welsh, Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots and Ulster Scots as protected and promoted languages under the Charter”. Cornwall Council: Learn how to speak Kernewek: 20 Cornish words and phrases to get you started (10 November 2022) ↗
Read the storyShort lessons with flip cards and a quick check of what you’ve learned. Each card links to the source it came from. We don’t write our own “sounds like” spellings: to hear Cornish, try the Go Cornish phrase books, which have audio.
Loading the lessons… If they do not appear, reload this page or open Cornwall Council’s list of 20 Cornish words and phrases.
Search the English or the Cornish, then tap a card to turn it over.
The Akademi Kernewek dictionary is in the Standard Written Form (SWF) of Cornish, “as agreed in 2008 and reviewed in 2014”. Some entries have Middle or Late variants, marked M and L. Akademi Kernewek: Cornish Dictionary, About ↗
Where the dictionary gives an M and an L form, we use the M form, everywhere on this site and in our printables.
The dictionary lists this form too. If your teacher uses it, follow your teacher.
Britannica says the language “showed signs of renewed vigour with the creation of a standard written form in 2008”. Encyclopaedia Britannica: Cornish language ↗
Kesva an Taves Kernewek, the Cornish Language Board: “Though most members use Common Cornish, the Board recognises the Standard Written Form for use in schools and public life.” Kesva an Taves Kernewek (Cornish Language Board): home page ↗
Akademi Kernewek is recognised by Cornwall Council as the definitive body responsible for corpus planning for the Cornish language. It sets standards for the language, develops the dictionary and place names, and carries out research. Akademi Kernewek: Cornish Dictionary, About ↗
Every pair above is copied from a single row of the Akademi Kernewek dictionary ↗.
Culture Vannin’s Learn Manx: “Other Brittonic Celtic languages still survive – Welsh, Breton and Cornish. They are similar to each other but are quite different to the Gaelic languages.” Learn Manx: Discover the story of Manx ↗
Learn Manx also says that Anglo-Saxons pushed Brythonic Celtic speakers to the most western regions of Britain, and that their descendants still speak Breton, Cornish and Welsh. Learn Manx: Discover the story of Manx ↗
The Council of Europe’s news item adds that the United Kingdom “similarly extended its undertakings in 2020 by applying Part III of the Charter to the Manx Gaelic language”.
Council of Europe: Protection of Cornish under the Charter extended ↗
BBC News: the move gives Kernewek “the same level of protection as all the other Celtic languages recognised across the British Isles, including Welsh, Manx, and Scots Gaelic”.
BBC News: Cornish language granted greater protection ↗
Culture Vannin’s Learn Manx: “Manx is a Goidelic (Gaelic) Celtic language descended from an old form of Irish. It is very similar to modern Irish and Scottish Gaelic.”
Learn Manx: Discover the story of Manx ↗
Manx is the Goidelic language of the Isle of Man, where this site is made. The quotes above are in the sources’ own words. Visit our other Celtic language sites:
16 towns and villages and 5 famous places, with their Cornish forms from the Akademi Kernewek place-name list. Pick one to see its Cornish name.
Every name comes from the list linked with it.
The Cornish place names published by Akademi Kernewek are researched by its Place Names Panel and are “in today’s Cornish, using the Standard Written Form, but based on research of historic evidence”. Akademi Kernewek: Place-names resources ↗
Explore Akademi Kernewek’s place namesWe don’t give place-name meanings here, only the names.
cornish.languages.im is an independent introduction, not a replacement for teachers or the organisations below. Go to them for real voices and for anything beyond first words.
The Go Cornish phrase books have “Simple phrases with audio to get you chatting in Cornish”.
Open the phrase books ↗ 02 · LEARNCornwall Council’s Learn Cornish page: “The Go Cornish website has everything you need to start learning Cornish.”
Start learning ↗ 03 · WORDSCornwall Council’s list of 20 Cornish words and phrases was shared by Will Coleman of Golden Tree Productions and Pol Hodge, the Grand Bard of Cornwall.
Read the list ↗ 04 · LOOK UPThe online dictionary of Cornish, in the Standard Written Form.
Open the dictionary ↗ 05 · PLACE NAMESCornish place names researched by the Akademi Kernewek Place Names Panel.
Explore the place names ↗ 06 · CLASSES & EXAMSThe Kesva organises teaching, conducts examinations and publishes educational materials such as course books, grammars and dictionaries.
Visit the Kesva ↗ 07 · CORNISH IN CORNWALLInformation about the Cornish language and how you can use it.
Read more ↗ 08 · FIGURESThe Office for National Statistics table of main languages in England and Wales.
See the data ↗Our promise: every Cornish word on this site is copied from a source linked beside it (checked 31 October 2026), and words we couldn’t source were left out. Spellings are in the Standard Written Form, using the dictionary’s M forms. For pronunciation, please listen to real voices, such as the Go Cornish phrase books. We don’t offer our own audio or invented sound-alike spellings. See all sources.
cornish.languages.im is free, with no adverts. Our Cornish printables (worksheets, puzzles and colouring in A4 and US Letter) help keep it going, and there’s a free sample to try first. Every Cornish word in them comes from the same sources as this site.