The Alphabet in Gaeilge

the alphabet

An Aibítir, ann AB-bee-chir

vowels

gutaí, gootie

vowel

guta, goota

broad vowels

a, o, u, with or without fada

slender vowels

i, e, w/wout fada

a

ah

á

aw

o

uh, o in goat w/out rounding lips

ó

o

u

uh

ú

ooo

i

ih

í

eee

e

eh

é

ae

when are short vowels given full emphasis

typically only in the first sylable, like the english name benjamin, second syllables reduced to “uh-mun”

irish ´accent´

síneah fada, or just fada, she-neh fa-da, ¨broad stroke¨, gives vowels emphasis and subtly changes pronunciation

short vowels

no fada

long vowels

yes fada

consonants

consain, cough-sain

lenition

adding h to consonant, softens pronunciation, séimhiú, shay-voo

irish golden rule

caol le caol, leathan le leathan (caowl leh caowl, la-hun le la-hun), slender follows slender, broad follows broad, in terms of vowels w/ consonants between the vowels

diphthong

2 vowels making one sound, déthogair, day-hoe-gar

au

ow

ai

auh/aw

ei

eh or ee

ua

oo-a

ia

ee-a

ae

ae

eo

o

ao

ah-oo or ee-ah

aoi

ee or ahee

b, leathan agus caol

boh, byeh

c, leathan agus caol

cuh, ceh

d, leathan agus caol

duh, puhsing on teeth, deh

f, leathan agus caol

fuh, fyeh

g, leathan agus caol

guh, gyeh

h, leathan agus caol

huh, hyeh

l, leathan agus caol

luh, lyeh

m, leathan agus caol

muh, myeh

n, leathan agus caol

nuh, nyeh

p, leathan agus caol

puh, pyeh

r, leathan agus caol

ruh, like english r

ryeh (at the beginning of a word)

middle of a word, r is tipped, flicking palate with tongue, starting to say “d” and changing to “r”

end of a word depends on dialect, some areas may not differ from broad r

s, leathan agus caol

suh, syeh

t, leathan agus caol

tuh, pushing teeth, tyeh

list the alphabet and pronounce each letter and sound it makes, caol agus leathan

check the sheet or online that’s a lot of typing <3

bh séimhiú

w (leathan), v (caol)

ch séimhiú

leathan: loch, like closing hard k, but letting some air get through, somewhat gurgly

caol: same, at the end of sound raise tongue and push more air out, harsher sound

dh séimhiú

leathan: say duh while pushing teeth, leaving a little air to escape, gurgling sound

caol: slender: y sound in yes, same shape

fh séimhiú

silent

gh séimhiú

broad: say guh while pushing teeth, leaving a little air to escape, gurgling sound

slender: same shape, but with y sound in yes

mh séimhiú

leathan: w

caol: v

ph séimhiú

f

sh séimhiú

h, s is silent

th séimhiú

h, t is silent

eclipsis

urú, eroo, adding a letter to the beginning of a word because of the pronoun before it, making pronunciation and language flow easier

b urú

mb, m

c urú

gc, g

d urú

nd, n

f urú

bhf, leathan w, caol v

g urú

ng, n

p urú

bp, b

t urú

dt, d