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Gaeilge Pronunciation
Vowels
Simple Vowels
| Long vowel |
Pronounced |
Short vowel |
Pronounced |
| � |
Eng. "Pa" |
a |
Eng. "ago" |
| � |
Eng. "Hey" |
e |
Eng. "peck" |
| � |
Eng. "Knee" |
i |
Eng. "pick" |
| � |
Eng. "Woe" |
o |
Eng. "mock" |
| � |
Eng. "Shoe" |
u |
Eng. "muck" |
Consonants
Irish does the same thing in a very systematic way. "i" and "e" are called slender vowels, "a", "o" and "u" are broad vowels.
Simple consonants
| Broad consonant |
Pronounced |
Slender consonant |
Pronounced |
| b |
Eng. "b" |
b |
Eng. "b" |
| c |
Eng. "k" |
c |
Eng. "k" |
| d |
Eng. "d" |
d |
Eng. "j" |
| f |
Eng. "f" |
f |
Eng. "f" |
| g |
Eng. "g" |
g |
Eng. "g" |
| l |
Eng. "l" |
l |
Eng. "l" |
| m |
Eng. "m" |
m |
Eng. "m" |
| n |
Eng. "n" |
n |
Eng. "n" |
| p |
Eng. "p" |
p |
Eng. "p" |
| r |
rolled "r" |
r |
Eng. "r" |
| s |
Eng. "s" |
s |
Eng. "sh" |
| t |
Eng. "t" |
t |
Eng. "ch" |
Aspirated consonants
| Broad consonant |
Pronounced |
Slender consonant |
Pronounced |
| bh |
Eng. "w" |
bh |
Eng. "v" |
| ch |
As in "loch" or
"chutzpah" |
ch |
Like the broad version |
| dh |
Like "ch" but based on a
"g" sound |
dh |
Eng. "y" |
| fh |
Silent |
fh |
Silent |
| gh |
Like "ch" but based on a
"g" sound |
gh |
Eng. "y" |
| mh |
Eng. "w" |
mh |
Eng. "v" |
| ph |
Eng. "f" |
ph |
Eng. "f" |
| sh |
Eng. "h" |
sh |
Eng. "h" |
| th |
Eng. "h" |
th |
Eng. "h" |
There are a few exceptions to these rules. Broad dh or gh in the middle of a word is usually pronounced "y", such as fadhb "fibe"
("problem"). Sometimes broad bh or mh
("w") can result in a combination which is hard to say, like mo bhr�ga ("my shoes").
In that case, a "v" sound is used instead. Also, sometimes a "v" sound
occurs when bh or mh is at the end of a word, such as creidimh "krej-iv"
("belief").
Long diphthongs
| Written |
Pronounced |
| ae |
Eng. "tray" |
| ao |
Eng. "tree" |
| eo |
Eng. "Joe" |
| ia |
Eng. "see a" |
| ua |
Eng. "truant" |
Note this can be followed by an "i", which just makes a slender glide vowel afterwards.
Short diphthongs
| Written |
Pronounced |
Glide vowel |
| ea |
Eng. "mass" |
Slender before |
| io |
Eng. "miss" |
Broad after |
| ui |
Eng. "miss" |
Broad before |
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