The Welsh language national emergency alert test sent out on phones on Sunday contained a spelling error, the Government has confirmed.
The loud alarm, which rang at 3pm on all devices that were using 4G and 5G networks in the UK, lasted 10 seconds and displayed a message notifying phone users that no action was needed in response to the test.
However in Wales, for the translation of the English phrase “others safe”, the message reportedly read “eraill yn Vogel” when it should have said “eraill yn ddiogel”.
People took to social media to point out and criticise the mistake.
Welsh speakers and learners know, the word "Vogel" has no meaning in Welsh and more specifically the letter "v" is no longer included in the modern day Welsh alphabet - so the mistake was easy to spot.
A Government spokesperson said: “A technical error caused one word in the Welsh language version of the emergency test alert to be misspelt.
“The fact that this occurred in a test alert will mean we can rectify it in future.”
One person said on Twitter: “What is “yn Vogel” meant to mean @UKGovWales?
“This has been in the headlines for weeks and weeks and weeks and you couldn’t find a single person to proofread the Cymraeg translation?”
What is "yn Vogel" meant to mean @UKGovWales? This has been in the headlines for weeks and weeks and weeks and you couldn't find a single person to proofread the Cymraeg translation? pic.twitter.com/sULmaU5EoD
— Joshua Declan McCarthy 🏴🏳️🌈 (@CymroDeclan) April 23, 2023
Once established, the emergency alert system is designed to warn the public if there is a danger to life nearby.
In future, a similarly loud notification and message will be sent to those the UK Government is seeking to reach.
The system is intended to be used in life-threatening situations including flooding and wildfires.
