Consonants: Broad and Slender
The pronunciation of Irish varies widely throughout
Stress
For the most part, Irish words are stressed on the first syllable. There are a few dozen words — mostly old compounds that merged into one word–that are accented on the second syllable.
Consonants
Irish consonants can be either broad or slender. This quality is determine
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.
Generally, broad consonants sound more or less like they do in English, although they sound like they come from further back in the mouth than in English, and there is often a off-glide similar to a light “w” sound after them. The only way to grasp this is to listen to Irish speakers, but the key below should help you on your way.
Slender consonants can often sound different from English. They are generally produced further forward in the mouth, and often have a palatal “y” sound gliding off from it. This seriously affects the dental consonants — d, t, and s
| Consonant | Example | Translation |
| b | bád (bawd) | boat |
| beoir (byohr) | beer | |
| bh | mo bhád (muh WAWD) | my boat |
| an bheoir (un VYOHR) | 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) | cat |
| ceann (kyawn) | one, head | |
| ch | mo chat (muh KHOT) | my cat |
| mo cheann (muh HYAWN) | 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) | door |
| deoch (jukh) | drink | |
| Broad “d” sounds more or less just like English. Slender “d” can sound like an English “j” | ||
| dh | mo dhoras (muh GHOR-us) | my door |
| mo dheoch (muh YUKH) | 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) | long |
| fear (fyar) | man | |
| fh | an-fhada (un-AH-duh) | very long |
| don fhear (dun AR) | for the man | |
| “fh” is silent everywhere. |
||
| g | gairdín (GAR-jeen) | garden |
| geata (GYAH-tuh) | gate | |
| gh | sa ghairdín (suh GHAR-jeen) | in the garden |
| mo gheata (muh YAH-tuh) | my gate | |
| “gh”– both broad and slender — behaves just like “dh”. |
||
| h | hata (HAH-tuh) | hat |
| l | lón (loan) | lunch |
| leabhar (lyowr) | book | |
| ll | balla (BALL-luh) | wall |
| billeog (BILL-yogue) | leaf, leaflet | |
| m | máthair (MAW-hur) | mother |
| méar (myair) | finger | |
| mh | mo mháthair (muh WAW-hur) | my mother |
| mo mhéar (muh VAIR) | my finger | |
| “mh” — both broad and slender — behaves exactly like “bh” |
||
| n | naomh (neev) | saint |
| neamh (nyav) | heaven | |
| nn | donn (down) | brown |
| binne (BIN-yuh) | ||
| ng | rang (rangue) | class |
| daingean (DANG-gyun) | fort | |
| p | Pádraig (PAW-drig) | Patrick |
| Peadar (PYAH-dur) | Peter | |
| ph | a Phádraig (uh FAW-drig) | addressing Patrick (calling him) |
| a Pheadar (uh FYAH-dur) | addressing Peter | |
| r | rothar (ROH-hur) | bicylcle |
| rince (RING-kuh) | 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) | dirty |
| sean (shan) | old | |
| Slender “s” is pronounced “sh” |
||
| sh | ró-shalach (roh HAH-lukh) | too dirty |
| ró-shean (roh-HAN) | too old | |
| “sh” is always pronounced like “h” |
||
| t | Tomás (TUM-awss) | Thomas |
| teach (chakh) | house | |
| Slender “t” is pronounced very close to English “ch.” It is the unvoiced counterpart to “d.” |
||
| th | a Thomáis (uh HUM-awsh) | addressing Thomas |
| mo theach (muh HAKH) | my house | |
| “th” is always pronounced like “h” | ||
Build on what you’ve learned in this lesson, by trying Bitesize Irish Gaelic online language course.
Paul said,
November 12, 2010 @ 10:40 pm
Thanks for the great examples and explainations to the pronunciation.