Irish Language Lessons - Pronounciation

Except for a few common words with an unstressed prefix, all words are strongly accented on the first syllable.

Vowels

Vowels

Irish has both short vowels and long vowels. The long vowels are generally indicated in writing by an acute accent.

The long vowels are:

•  á like aw in dawn
•  é like a in May
•  í like ee in seen
•  ó like oe in toe
•  ú like u in rude

There are three combinations of letters that are always pronounced as long vowels, even though they do not have the acute accent:

•  ae pronounced "lay"
•  eo pronounced "ohl" (to rhyme with "hole")
•  ao pronounced either "lay" or "lee", depending on dialect

The short vowels are:

•  e like the e in bet
•  i like the i in din
•  o like the o in pot
•  u like the u put

Consonants

Irish consonants can be either broad or slender. This quality is determined by the vowels that follow or precede it.

Except in the case of compound words, a slender consonant or consonant group will always have either an "e" or an "i" on both sides of it--after it if it's the first consonant in a word, before it if it's the last in the word.

Likewise, a broad consonant will always have an "a", "o", or "u" before and after it.

A consonant can also change sound completely when followed by an "h":

•  bh or mh like v
•  ch like the Scottish word loch
•  dh or gh like y or guttural g (depending upon broad or slender)
•  fh like h or silent
•  ph like f
•  th like h

When the above combinations are found in the middle of a word, they are usually silent.
Words beginning with bp, dt, mb, nd, ng or gc - the second letter is silent except for nd and ng which are nasal. "S" before or after "e" or "i" is pronounced sh.

 

Consonant	Example	Broad/Slender	Translation
b	bád (bawd)	Broad	boat
	beoir (byohr)	Slender	beer
bh	mo bhád (muh WAWD)	Broad	my boat
	an bheoir (un VYOHR)	Slender	the beer
	Broad "bh" is almost always "w", Before "l" and "r" is is often "v" and can also be "v" at the end of words. This varies according to dialect. Slender "bh" is always "v",
c	cat (kot)	Broad	cat
	ceann (kyawn)	Slender	one, head
ch	mo chat (muh KHOT)	Broad	my cat
	mo cheann (muh HYAWN)	Slender	mine (or my head)
	Broad "ch" is a rough sound not found in English, but common in German, Russian, Hebrew, Greek. If you pronounce the sound for "k", you will feel a closure in the back of your throat as you articulate the consonant. To pronounce the broad "ch", don’t close of the sound, but let the air continue to pass through. Think of Scottish "loch", German composer Bach, the Jewish holiday Chanukkah.
	Slender "ch" is pronounced further forward in the mouth, and is similar to the English sound in "hew", "Hugh", and "human", only breathier. If you are familiar with German, it’s the same sound as in "Ich",
d	doras (DOR-uss)	Broad	door
	deoch (jukh)	Slender	drink
	Broad "d" sounds more or less just like English. Slender "d" can sound like an English "j"
dh	mo dhoras (muh GHOR-us)	Broad	my door
	mo dheoch (muh YUKH)	Slender	my drink
	Slender "dh" sounds exactly like English "y", Broad "dh" is a sound not found in English, but common in Dutch and Greek. It is the voiced counterpart to the broad "ch", and is a very deep, guttural, throat-clearing sound.
f	fada (FAH-duh)	Broad	long
	fear (fyar)	Slender	man
fh	an-fhada (un-AH-duh)	Broad	very long
	don fhear (dun AR)	Slender	for the man
	"fh" is silent everywhere.
g	gairdín (GAR-jeen)	Broad	garden
	geata (GYAH-tuh)	Slender	gate
gh	sa ghairdín (suh GHAR-jeen)	Broad	in the garden
	mo gheata (muh YAH-tuh)	Slender	my gate
	"gh"-- both broad and slender -- behaves just like "dh".
h	hata (HAH-tuh)	Broad	hat
l	lón (loan)	Broad	lunch
	leabhar (lyowr)	Slender	book
ll	balla (BALL-luh)	Broad	wall
	billeog (BILL-yogue)	Slender	leaf, leaflet
m	máthair (MAW-hur)	Broad	mother
	méar (myair)	Slender	finger
mh	mo mháthair (muh WAW-hur)	Broad	my mother
	mo mhéar (muh VAIR)	Slender	my finger
	"mh" -- both broad and slender -- behaves exactly like "bh"
n	naomh (neev)	Broad	saint
	neamh (nyav)	Slender	heaven
nn	donn (down)	Broad	brown
	binne (BIN-yuh)	Slender
ng	rang (rangue)	Broad	class
	daingean (DANG-gyun)	Slender	fort
p	Pádraig (PAW-drig)	Broad	Patrick
	Peadar (PYAH-dur)	Slender	Peter
ph	a Phádraig (uh FAW-drig)	Broad	addressing Patrick (calling him)
	a Pheadar (uh FYAH-dur)	Slender	addressing Peter
r	rothar (ROH-hur)	Broad	bicylcle
	rince (RING-kuh)	Slender	dance
	Slender "r"-- when it does not come at the start of a word -- has a strange "rzh" quality to it that can’t be easily described. The best way to pick it up is to listen to native speakers.
s	salach (SAH-lukh)	Broad	dirty
	sean (shan)	Slender	old
	Slender "s" is pronounced "sh"
sh	ró-shalach (roh HAH-lukh)	Broad	too dirty
	ró-shean (roh-HAN)	Slender	too old
	"sh" is always pronounced like "h"
t	Tomás (TUM-awss)	Broad	Thomas
	teach (chakh)	Slender	house
	Slender "t" is pronounced very close to English "ch", It is the unvoiced counterpart to "d",
th	a Thomáis (uh HUM-awsh)	Broad	addressing Thomas
	mo theach (muh HAKH)	Slender	my house
	"th" is always pronounced like "h"