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Irish Orthography Introduction The relationship between spelling and pronunciation in Irish is somewhat tenuous; the statements on this page must be interpreted as tendencies, not hard and fast rules. Among the vowels, there are exceptions to virtually every letter/sound correspondence listed below. Exceptions in the consonants are fewer, but there are still some. There are three dialects of spoken Irish: Ulster (now predominantly in County Donegal), Connacht (Counties Mayo and Galway), and Munster (Counties Kerry and Cork). None of these has the status of a standard pronunciation, and in schools pupils learn the pronunciation of whatever dialect is geographically closest, or else a mixture of all the dialects. In the media (e.g. the Irish language television channel TG4 and the Irish language radio station Raidi na Gaeltachta), the Connacht pronunciation is probably the most widely heard, and is therefore a good choice for a beginner, especially one outside Ireland and with no ties to one of the other dialects, to focus on. In addition, a committee from the Linguistics Institute of Ireland devised a standardized pronunciation called the Lrchanint ('central dialect') that was intended to become a standardized, spelling-based pronunciation. It is easy for a beginner to learn, but it is quite artificial and is almost never used by native speakers or teachers. The alphabet The native Irish alphabet consists of the following letters: - a b c d e f g h i l m n o p r s t u
In addition, foreign words may contain j k q v w x y z; of these, only v is at all common. Consonants The consonant letters generally correspond to the consonant phonemes as shown in this table. | Letter(s) | Phoneme(s) | Examples |
|---|
| b | b, b | bain ban 'take' (imper.), scuab skuəb 'broom', béal be:l 'mouth', cnáib kna:b 'hemp' | | bh (broad) | w at beginning of syllable | bhain wan 'took', ábhar a:wər 'material', Bhairbre warəbrə 'Barbara' (genitive), tábhachtach ta:wəxtəx 'important', dubhaigh duwi: 'blacken' (imper.) | | v at end of syllable | scríobh skri:v 'wrote', taobh ti:v 'side', dubh duv 'black', gabh gav 'get' (imper.) | | See vowel chart for abh, eabh, obh | | bh (slender) | v | bhéal ve:l 'mouth' (lenited), cuibhreann kivrən 'common table', aibhneacha avnəxə 'rivers', sibh siv 'you' (pl.) | | bhf | w, v (eclipsis of f-) | bhfuinneog wino:g 'window' (eclipsed), bhfíon vi:n 'wine' (eclipsed) | | bp | b, b (eclipsis of p-) | bpoll bo:l 'hole' (eclipsed), bpríosún bri:su:n 'prison' (eclipsed) | | c | k, k | cáis ka:s 'cheese', mac mak 'son', ceist kest 'question', mic mik 'sons' | | ch (broad) | x (always broad before t) | cháis xa:s 'cheese' (lenited), taoiseach ti:səx 'chieftain' (also the term for the Prime Minister of Ireland), boichte boxtə 'poorer' | | ch (slender) | x
h between vowels | cheist xest 'question' (lenited), deich dex 'ten'
oíche i:hə 'night' | | d | d, d | dorn do:rn 'fist', nead nad 'nest', dearg darəg 'red', cuid kid 'part' | | dh (broad) | ɣ word-initially
silent after a long vowel | dhorn ɣo:rn 'fist' (lenited), ádh a: 'luck' | See vowel chart for adh, eadh, odh.
See section on special pronunciations in verb forms for -dh at the end of verbs. | | dh (slender) | j | dhearg jarəg 'red' (lenited), fáidh fa:j 'prophet' | See vowel chart for aidh, eidh, idh, oidh.
See section on special pronunciations in verb forms for -(a)idh at the end of verbs. | | dt | d, d (eclipsis of t-) | dtaisce daskə 'treasure' (eclipsed), dtír di:r 'country' (eclipsed) | | f | f, f | fós fo:s 'still', graf graf 'graph', fíon fi:n 'wine', stuif stif 'stuff' | | See also special pronunciations in verb forms for -f- in future and conditional tenses | | fh | silent (lenition of f-) | fhuinneog ino:g 'window' (lenited), fhíon i:n 'wine' (lenited) | | g | g, g | gasúr gasu:r 'boy', bog bog 'soft', geata gatə 'gate', carraig karəg 'rock' | | gc | g, g (eclipsis of c-) | gcáis ga:s 'cheese' (eclipsed), gceist gest 'question' (eclipsed) | | gh (broad) | ɣ (word-initially)
silent after a long vowel | ghasúr ɣasu:r 'boy' (lenited), Eoghan o:ən 'Owen' | | See vowel chart for agh, ogh. | | gh (slender) | j | gheata jatə 'gate' (lenited), dóigh do:j 'way, manner' | See vowel chart for aigh, eigh, igh, oigh.
See section on special pronunciations in verb forms for -(a)igh at the end of verbs. | | h | h (no broad/slender distinction) | hata hatə 'hat', na héisc he:sk 'the fish' (plural) | | l, ll | l, l | luí li: 'lying (down)', poll po:l 'hole', leisciúil lesku:l 'lazy', coill kail 'woods' | | m | m, m | mór mo:r 'big', am a:m 'time', milis miləs 'sweet', im i:m 'butter' | | mb | m, m (eclipsis of b-) | mbaineann manən 'takes' (eclipsed), mbéal me:l 'mouth' (eclipsed) | | mh (broad) | w at beginning of syllable
v at end of syllable | mhór wo:r 'big' (lenited), lámha la:wə 'hands'
léamh le:v 'reading' | | See vowel chart for amh, eamh, omh | | mh (slender) | v | mhilis viləs 'sweet' (lenited), uimhir ivər 'number', nimh niv 'poison' | | n, nn | n, n | naoi ni: 'nine', ceann ka:n 'head', neart nart 'strength', tinneas tinəs 'illness' | | nd | n, n (eclipsis of d-) | ndorn no:rn 'fist' (eclipsed), ndearg narəg 'red' (eclipsed) | | ng | ŋ, ŋ initially(eclipsis of g-) | ngasúr ŋasu:r 'boy' (eclipsed), ngeata ŋatə 'gate' (eclipsed) | | ŋg, ŋg internally and finally | long lu:ŋg 'ship', teanga taŋgə 'tongue', cuing kiŋg 'yoke', ingear iŋgər 'vertical' | | -ən in final -ing | scilling skilən 'shilling' | | p | p, p | poll po:l 'hole', stop stop 'stop', príosún pri:su:n 'prison', truip trip 'trip' | | ph | f, f | pholl fo:l 'hole' (lenited), phríosún fri:su:n 'prison' (lenited) | | r, rr | r, r. Always broad word-initially. Always broad in rr, rt, rth, rd, rn, rl, sr. | rí ri: 'king', barr ba:r 'tip, point', cuairt kuərt 'visit', oirthear orhər 'east', airde a:rdə 'height', coirnéal ko:rne:l 'corner', duirling du:rlən 'stony beach', sreang sraŋg 'string'
tirim tirəm 'dry' | | s | s, s. Always broad word-initially before p, m. | Sasana sasənə 'England', tús tu:s 'beginning', sean san 'old', cáis ka:s 'cheese', speal spal 'scythe', sméar sme:r 'blackberry' | | sh | h (no broad/slender distinction) | Shasana hasənə 'England' (lenited), shean han 'old' (lenited) | | x when lenited from so:-, su(:)- | Sheáin xa:n 'John' (genitive), sheol xo:l 'sailed', shiúil xu:l 'walked', shiopa xupə 'shop' (lenited) | | t | t, t | taisce taskə 'treasure', ceart kart 'correct', tír ti:r 'country', beirt bert 'two (people)' | | See also special pronunciations in verb forms for -t- in verbal adjectives | | th | h (no broad/slender distinction) | thaisce haskə 'treasure' (lenited), athair ahər 'father' | | x when lenited from to:-, tu(:)- | theann xa:n 'tight' (lenited), theocht xo:xt 'heat' (lenited), thiúilip xu:ləp 'tulip' (lenited), thiocfadh xukəx 'would come', thiubh xuv 'thick' (lenited) | | Silent at the end of a syllable | bláth bla: 'blossom', cith ki 'shower', cothrom korəm 'equal' | | See also special pronunciations in verb forms for -th- in verbal adjectives | | ts | t, t (special lenition of s- after an 'the') | an tsolais toləs 'of the light', an tSín ti:n 'China' | | v | v, v | vóta vo:tə 'vote', veidhlín vaili:n 'violin' | Vowels The following chart indicates how written vowels are generally pronounced. Each dialect has certain divergences from this general scheme. In the Context column, C stands for a broad consonant and C for a slender consonant. | Letter(s) | Phoneme | Context | Examples | | a (stressed) | a | (C)_C | fan fan 'stay' (imper.)
abair abər 'say' (imper.) | | a: | - before rl, rn, rd
- before syllable-final ll, nn, rr
- before word-final m
| tarl ta:rlu: 'happening'
carnn ka:rna:n '(small) heap'
garda ga:rdə 'policeman'
mall ma:l 'slow, late'
ann a:n 'there'
barr ba:r 'tip, point'
am a:m 'time' | | a (unstressed) | ə | C_(C) | lann o:lən 'drink' (present)
mla ma:lə 'bag' | | | a: | (C)_C | bn ba:n 'white'
bhar a:wər 'material'
amadn aməda:n 'idiot' | | abh(a(i)) (stressed) | au | (C)_ | abhainn aun 'river'
cabhrach kaurəx 'helpful' | | adh(a(i)) (stressed) | ai | (C)_ | adhairt airt 'pillow'
Tadhg taig (man's name) | | adh (unstressed) | ə | word-final position in nouns | margadh marəgə 'market' | | See also "Special pronunciations in verb forms" | | ae | e: | (C)_C | Gaelach ge:ləx 'Gaelic'
aerach e:rəx 'gay' | | aei | e: | (C)_C | Gaeilge ge:lgə 'Irish (language)'
aeistitic e:ste:tək 'aesthetics' | | agh(a(i)) | ai | (C)_ | aghaidh aij 'face'
saghsanna saisənə 'sorts, kinds' | | ai (stressed) | a | (C)_C | baile balə 'home'
aib abi: 'ripe' | | a: | - before rl, rn, rd
- before syllable-final ll, nn, rr
| airne a:rnə 'sloe'
caillte ka:ltə 'lost, ruined'
crainn kra:n 'trees' | | ai (unstressed) | ə
i (before th) | C_C | eolais o:ləs 'knowledge' (genitive)
beannaithe banihə 'blessed' | | i | a: | (C)_C | dil da:l 'assembly'
ireamh a:rəv 'counting'
gabhil gava:l 'taking' | | a | i: | C_C | magh mi:j 'claim' (imper.)
guta guti: 'vowels' | | aidh, aigh (stressed) | ai | (C)_C | aidhm aim 'aim'
saighdiir saidu:r 'soldier' | | aidh, aigh (unstressed) | i: | C_ | cleachtaidh klaxti: 'practice' (genitive)
bacaigh baki: 'beggar' (genitive) | | See also Special pronunciations in verb forms" | | ao | i: | (C)_C | naonn ni:na:n 'infant'
aonna i:nə 'guests'
beannaonn bani:n 'blesses' | | iə | (C)_xt | aocht iəxt 'hospitality'
ocaocht i:kiəxt 'paying' | | amh(a(i)) | au | (C)_ | Samhain saun 'November'
amhantar auntər 'venture'
ramhraigh rauri: 'fattened' | | ao | i: | (C)_C | saol si:l 'life, world'
aosta i:stə 'aged' | | e: | In the word aon 'one' and its derivatives | aon e:n 'one'
aontacht e:ntəxt 'union'
na Stit Aontaithe sta:t e:ntihə 'the United States' | | aoi | i: | (C)_C | gaois gi:s 'shrewdness'
Aoife i:fə (woman's name) | | e (stressed) | e | C_ | te te 'hot' | | e (unstressed) | ə | C_ | mle mi:lə 'thousand'
le lə 'with' | | | e: | (C)_ | s se: 'he'
e: 'him' | | ea (stressed) | a | (C)_C | bean ban 'woman'
eagar agər 'arrangement, order'
gearradh garə 'cutting' | | a: | - before rl, rn, rd
- before syllable-final ll, nn, rr
| bearna ba:rnə 'gap'
feall fa:l 'treachery'
feanntach fa:ntəx 'severe' | | ea (unstressed) | ə | C_C | seisean sesən 'he' (emph.) | | a | e: | (C)_C | danamh de:nəv 'doing'
an e:n 'bird'
buidal bide:l 'bottle' | | e | a: | C_C | Sen sa:n 'John'
caislen kasla:n 'castle' | | eabh(a(i)) | au | (C)_ | leabhair laur 'books'
Feabhra faurə 'February'
eabhar aur 'ivory' | | eadh(a(i) (stressed) | ai | C_ | meadhg maig 'whey' | | -eadh (unstressed) | ə | word-final position in nouns | briseadh brisə 'breaking' | | See also "Special pronunciations in verb forms" | | eai | a | C_C | veain van 'van' | | ei | a: | C_C | mein ma:n 'middles'
caislein kasla:n 'castles' | | eamh(a(i)) | au | C_ | sleamhain slaun 'smooth'
leamhnacht launəxt 'new milk' | | ei | e | (C)_C | ceist kest 'question'
eile elə 'other' | | i | before m, mh, n | creimeadh krimə 'corrosion, erosion'
geimhreadh givrə 'winter'
seinm sinəm 'playing' | | e: | before rl, rn, rd | eirleach e:rləx 'destruction'
ceirnn ke:rni:n 'record album'
ceird ke:rd 'trade, craft' | | ai | before syllable-final ll | feill- fail 'exceedingly' | | i: | before syllable-final nn and word-final m | greim gri:m 'grip' | | i | e: | (C)_C | scimh ske:v 'beauty'
ire e:rə 'Ireland'
pipir pa:pe:r 'papers' | | eidh(i/ea), eigh(i/ea) | ai | C_ | feidhm faim 'function'
leigheas lais 'healing' | | eo | o: | (C)_C | ceol ko:l 'music'
eola o:li: 'scientist'
baileofar balo:fər 'one will gather' | | eoi | o: | C_C | dreoiln dro:li:n 'wren'
baileoimid balo:məd 'we will gather' | | i (stressed) | i | (C)_C | pic pik 'pitch'
ifreann ifrən 'hell' | | i: | - before syllable-final ll, nn
- before word-final m
| cill ki:l 'church'
cinnte ki:ntə 'sure'
im i:m 'butter' | | i (unstressed) | ə (so transcribed for the sake of consistency with other unstressed vowels; phonetically it's the same as i)
i (before th) | C_C | faoistin fi:stən 'confession'
bailitheacht balihəxt 'boredom' | | | i: | (C)_C | gnmh gni:v 'act, deed' (gen.)
di i:du: 'consuption'
cailn kali:n 'girl' | | ia | iə | (C)_C | Diarmaid diərməd (man's name)
iasc iəsk 'fish' | | iai | iə | (C)_C | bliain bliən 'year'
iaidn iədi:n 'iodine' | | idh, igh (unstressed) | i: | C_ | brisidh brisi: 'breaking' (gen.)
coiligh keli: 'rooster' (gen.) | | See also "Special pronunciations in verb forms" | | io | i | before coronals and th | fios fis 'knowledge'
bior bir 'spit, spike'
cion kin 'affection'
giota gitə 'bit, piece'
giodam gidəm 'restlessness'
friothil friha:l 'attention' | | u | before noncoronals | siopa supə 'shop'
liom lum 'with me'
tiocfaidh tuki: 'will come'
Siobhn suwa:n 'Joan'
briogid bruga:d 'brigade'
tiomin tuma:n 'drive' (imper.)
ionga uŋgə '(finger)nail' | | i: | before syllable-final nn | fionn fi:n 'light-haired' | | o | i: | (C)_C | sol si:l 'seed'
oc i:k 'pay' (imper.) | | iə | C_ xt | filocht filiəxt 'poetry' | | iu | u | C_C | fliuch flux 'wet' | | i | u: | (C)_C | sil su:l 'walk'
il u:l 'knowledge'
baili balu: 'gathering' | | ii | u: | (C)_C | ciin ku:n 'quiet'
Iil u:l 'July'
inniil inu:l 'able, fit' | | o (stressed) | o | C_C | post post 'post' | | u | before n, m | Donncha dunəxə (man's name)
cromg krumo:g 'hooked nose' | | o: | - before rl, rn, rd
- before syllable-final ll, rr
| bord bo:rd 'table'
orlach o:rləx 'inch'
poll po:l 'hole'
corr ko:r 'odd' | | u: | - before syllable-final nn
- before word-final m, ng
| fonn fu:n 'desire, inclination'
trom tru:m 'heavy'
long lu:ŋg 'ship' | | o (unstressed) | ə | C_(C) | mo mə 'my'
cothrom korəm 'equal' | | | o: | (C)_C | pg po:g 'kiss'
r o:r 'gold'
armnach arəmo:nəx 'harmonic' | | obh(a(i)), odh(a(i)), ogh(a(i)) | au | C_ | lobhar laur 'leper'
bodhar baur 'deaf'
rogha rau 'choice' | | oi (stressed) | e | (C)_C | scoil skel 'school'
troid tred 'fight' (imper.)
coileach keləx 'rooster'
toitn teti:n 'cigarette'
soilse selsə 'lights'
oibre ebrə 'work' (gen.)
thoir her 'in the east'
coics keki:s 'fortnight'
cloiche klehə 'stone' (gen.) | | o | before s, cht, rs, rt, rth | cois kos 'foot' (dat.)
cloisfidh klosi: 'will hear'
boicht boxt 'poor' (gen. sg. masc.)
doirse dorsə 'doors'
goirt gort 'salty'
oirthear orhər 'east' | | i | next to n, m, mh | anois ə|nis 'now'
gloine glinə 'glass'
cnoic knik 'hills'
roimh riv 'before'
coimed kima:d 'keep' (imper.)
loinge liŋgə 'ship' (gen.) | | ai | before syllable-final ll | coill kail 'forest, woods'
coillte kailtə 'forests' | | i: | before syllable-final nn and word-final m | foinn fi:n 'wish' (gen.)
droim dri:m 'back' | | o: | before rl, rn, rd | coirnal ko:rne:l 'corner'
oird o:rd 'sledgehammers' | | oi (unstressed) | ə | C_C | adroime e:drəmə 'lightness' | | i | o: | (C)_C | min mo:n 'sod, turf'
ige o:gə 'youth'
bdir ba:do:r 'boatman' | | o | i: | (C)_C | croleacn kri:ləka:n 'core'
oche i:hə 'night' | | oidh(i/ea), oigh(i/ea) | ai | (C)_ | oidhre airə 'heir'
loighic laik 'logic' | | oo | i: | C_C | croonna kri:nə 'hearts' | | omh(a(i)) | o: | C_ | tomhail to:l 'consume' (imper.)
Domhnach do:nəx 'Sunday' | | u (stressed) | u | (C)_C | dubh duv 'black'
ullamh uləv 'ready' | | o | In English loanwords, corresponds to ʌ | bus bos
club klob | | u: | before rl, rn, rd | burla bu:rlə 'bundle'
murnn mu:rna:n 'ankle'
urlr u:rla:r 'floor' | | u (unstressed) | ə | C_C | agus agəs 'and' | | | u: | (C)_C | ts tu:s 'beginning'
r u:r 'fresh, new' | | ua | uə | (C)_C | fuar fuər 'cold'
uan uən 'lamb' | | uai | uə | (C)_C | fuair fuər 'got'
uaine uənə 'green' | | ui (stressed) | i | (C)_C | duine dinə 'person'
uisce iskə 'water' | | u | before cht, rs, rt | tuirseach tursəx 'tired'
cluichte kluxtə 'harassment' (gen.) | | i: | - before syllable-final ll, nn
- before word-final m
| tuillteanach ti:ltənəx 'deserving'
puinn pi:n 'much'
suim si:m 'interest' | | u: | before rl, rn, rd | duirling du:rlən 'stoney beach'
tuirne tu:rnə 'spinning wheel' | | ui (unstressed) | ə
i (before th) | C_C | aguisn agəsi:n 'addition'
scrduithe skru:dihə 'examinations' | | i | u: | (C)_C | sil su:l 'eye'
im u:m 'harness, gear'
cosil kosu:l 'like, resembling' | | u | i: | C_C | bugh bi:j 'turn yellow' (imper.) | | uo | i: | C_C | buon bi:n 'band, troop' | The epenthetic vowel In a sequence of short vowel + l/r/n + labial or velar consonant an unwritten ə gets pronounced between the l/r/n and the following consonant. - Examples: gorm gorəm 'blue'; dearg darəg 'red'; dorcha dorəxə 'dark'; ainm anəm 'name'; seancha sanəxi: 'storyteller'; leanbh lanəv 'child'; colm koləm 'dove'
There is no epenthesis before voiceless stops or after long vowels and diphthongs: corp korp 'body'; olc olk 'bad'; tarma te:rmə 'term'; dualgas duəlgəs 'duty' Special pronunciations in verb forms Some letters and letter combinations are pronounced differently in verb forms than elsewhere. - In the imperfect, conditional, and imperative, -dh is pronounced t before a pronoun beginning with s-
mholadh s> | se: | 'he used to praise' | | bheanndh sibh | siv | 'you (pl.) would bless' | | osclaodh s | si: | 'let her open' | - Otherwise it is pronounced x
mholadh an buachaill> | ə buəxəl | 'the boy used to praise' | | bheanndh na cailn | nə kali:ni: | 'the girls would bless' | | osclaodh Siobhn | suwa:n | 'let Siobhn open' | - In the preterite impersonal, -dh is pronounced v
moladh > | e: | 'he was praised' | | beannaodh na cailn | nə kali:ni: | 'the girls were blessed' | - -(a)idh and -(a)igh are pronounced ə before a pronoun, otherwise i:
molfaidh m> | me: | 'I will praise' | | molfaidh Sen | sa:n | 'Sen will praise' | | bheannaigh m | me: | 'I blessed' | | bheannaigh Sen | sa:n | 'Sen blessed' | - In the future and conditional, f (broad or slender) has the following effects:
-
- After vowels and sonorants (m n r) it is pronounced h:
-
- It makes a voiced obstruent (v d g) voiceless:
-
- It is silent after a voicless obstruent (x p s t)
-
- But in the future and conditional impersonal f is always f()
- In the verbal adjective th (also t after d) is silent but makes a voiced obstruent voiceless
See also Orthography
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