Vowel Sounds

Short Vowels

  Long Vowels
  Gàidhlig
Samples
Nearest English Imitation     Gàidhlig
Samples
Nearest English Imitation
a fad
ball, bann §
lagh
adhbhar
sabhal
balla †
bat
cow
burn
burn
saw
father
  a bàn
far

e dheth
teth
baile †
set
rate
father
  e dè
fèath
fame
shed
i sir
tinn, till §
feet
king
  i n me
o bog
orra
tonn, toll, tom§
bowl
modest
cow
  o òr
bò
fawn
bold
u guth full   u ùr poor

these are indistinct obscure vowels as found in English
§ short vowels are nasalised before terminal nn, ll & m
‡   bh, gh and dh alter preceding short vowel sound

Diphthongs

Based on Short Vowels Based on Long Vowels
  Gàidhlig
Samples
Nearest English Imitation   Gàidhlig
Samples
Nearest English Imitation
ai tais
tairbh
-aidh (terminal)
bat
hit
see
ai fàilte
dàimh
far
eye
      ao daor burn but longer, like French fleur
ea * lean, beatha
** dealt, eala
§ ceann, geall
set
yak
yowl (ok so its not a real word)
ea crr yard
ei deich rate ei cèile fame
eo deoch yonder eo las yawl
eu feur
ceum
seer
fame
     
ia ciall seer      
io ciont
io
mlan
yucca
sit
io fìor seer
iu diugh yule iu l you
oi cois
cloimh
modest
boy
oi tòisich
clòimh
fawn
cloister
ua fuar fluent      
ui sluig
tuinn, tuill
full
suing
ui dùil poor
diphthong ài has this value only immediately before consonant groups dh, mh & gh
predominant pronunciation
** this sound (yak) is dominant or becoming so in nearly all other cases including where it precedes the consonant l
*
this sound (set) is only found preceding a single consonant (or its lenited equivalent)
§ short vowels are nasalised before terminal nn & ll


Consonants

Broad Consonants
A
, O, & U have similar influences on consonants.


Further Gàidhlig Samples indicate where the non-initial consonant is different
 

 

Slender Consonants
Two Gàidhlig Samples are given where E & I have distinct influences on preceding consonants.
Further Gàidhlig Samples indicate where the non-initial consonant is different

  Gàidhlig
Samples
Nearest English Imitation     Gàidhlig
Samples
Nearest English Imitation
b bàn
obair
bar
top
  b b
bith
beauty
bee
bh bhàn
§ sabhal
van
saw
  bh bh
bhith
view
via
c cat
bac
cot
loch+k sound
  c c
cìr
taic
kew
key
like German
Ich+k
ch chat loch as spoken by a Scot   ch ch
chìr
like German Ich
chd bochd loch+k        
d dà
sad
door
softer
d but no real equivalent
  d deàrrs
dìth
jew
jig
dh dhà

§ adh
bhar
guttural g but no real equivalent
silent but affects preceding vowel
  dh † dheth yes
f fàn fan   f feàrr
fìon
few
feel
fh fhàn silent   fh fhìon silent except in fhèin, fhathast and fhuair
g gon
sgar, rag
got
scar, rack
  g geàrr
g
in
sgeul, gèig
ague
g
ive
scale, tick
gh ghon guttural g but no equivalent   gh † ghin yes
l ‡ là close to ball   l ‡ lìon lure
ll toll weak l preceded by a nasal ow but no real equivalent   ll till million
m mòr mop   m meall
mìn
mew
meal
mh mhòr
§ samhradh
vole
how
  mh mheall
mhìn
view
veal
n ‡ na close to nap   n ‡ nigh new
nn tonn weak n preceded by a nasal ow but no real equivalent   nn tinn pinion
ng trang longitude        
p pos pan   p peann pew
ph phos fan   ph pheann few
r ‡ rag trilled r but no
real equivalent
  r ‡ ris soft r but no real equivalent
s son so   s sìn she
sh shon hoe   sh sheall hew
t tum toe   t tìr chew
th thum hoe  

th

thìr hew

medial and terminal dh and gh preceded by a slender vowel can be regarded as silent
‡ l, n & r are not lenited in writing although they are subtle changes in their pronunciation in lenited positions in spoken Gàidhlig
§ bh, dh, gh & mh very often lose their consonant qualities when preceded
by an unaccented a or o

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