- Long Vowels
á = Pa
é = May
í = See
ó = Bow
ú = Boo
- Short Vowels
a = Ago
e = Peck
i = Pick
o = Lock
u = Luck
"i" and "e" are slender vowels
"a", "o", and "u" are broad vowels
Consonants
- Broad Consonants:
c = cat
d = dog
f = fog
g = goal
l = lemon
m = money
n = nine
p = pot
r = perro [rolled]
s = sit
t = tank
- Slender Consonants
c*
d = j, as in jam
f*
g*
l*
m*
n*
p*
r = ram
s = sham
t = ch, as in chicken
(* denotes the broad consonant is same as slender)
Aspirated Consonants
- Broad Consonant
bh = w, as in win
mh = w, as in win
ch = loch
dh = ch, based on 'g' sound
gh = ch, based on 'g' sound
fh = silent consonant
ph = f, as in fan
sh = h, as in ham
th = h, as in ham
- Slender Consonant
bh = v, as in vanish
mh = v, as in vanish
ch*
dh = y, as in yuck
gh = y, as in yuck
ph*
sh*
th*
(Exceptions:
dh/gh in the middle of a word is usually slender
broad bh/mh sometimes changes to 'v' when word is hard to say
at the end of a word)
Eclipsed Consonants
In Irish, when the first letter of a word changes, the spelling gives the first letter as pronounced, followed by the original letter before it was changed.
mb = m
gc = g
nd = n
bhf = bh
ng = n
bp = b
ts = t
dt = d
Dipthongs
Glide vowel = a vowel that is not favored in pronunciation, but just changes the quality from broad to slender. When two vowels are together, and one of them is long, the long vowel predominates.
There are a few cases that have two long vowels together, in which you would pronounce the one after the other.
LONG DIPTHONGS
ae = tray
ao = tree
eo = low
ia = see a
ua = truant
These can be followed by 'i', making a slender glide vowel
SHORT DIPTHONGS
ea = mass (slender before)
io = miss (broad before)
ui = miss (broad after)
ACCENT
The accent almost always occurs on the first syllable.
DOUBLE CONSONANTS
You can add an indistinct vowel if double consonant combinations are hard to say.
gn, lm, lg, bl, nm, rb, rbh, rch, rg, rm, rn, thn
Don't confuse these with eclipsed consonants. Double consonants can appear anywhere within a word.
EXCEPTIONS
is = iss
f in verb ending = h (verb usually comes first)
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