Appendix:Scottish Gaelic pronunciation
Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary
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[edit] Scottish Gaelic
[edit] The Scottish Gaelic language
The Scottish Gaelic language (called Gàidhlig in Gaelic) has 18 letters. The Latin/English letter set is used, but Gàidhlig assigns its own sounds and usages to the letters. It is this difference that confuses English speakers when they see "impossible" combinations like raon, dealbh, and cridhe. Fortunately, the pronunciation of Gaelic words is regular and phonetic. Only two sounds, ao and dh/gh, will be difficult to master.
The letters J, K, Q, V, W, X, Y, and Z are not included in the Gaelic alphabet, but are sometimes found in borrowed words. When present, these letters have their English sounds.
There are regional differences in Scottish Gaelic pronunciation, but standard Scottish Gaelic is understood by Scottish Gaelic speakers everywhere. The pronunciation guide below approximates the Gaelic letter sounds by using standard English examples.
[edit] The Scottish Gaelic alphabet
[edit] Vowels
Gaelic vowels have a grave accent, with the letters à, è, ì, ò, ù. Traditional spelling also uses the acute accent on the letters á, é and ó, but texts which follow the spelling reform only use the grave.
| Spelling | Pronunciation | English equivalent | As in |
|---|---|---|---|
| a, á | IPA: [a], IPA: [a] | cat | bata, lochán |
| à | IPA: [aː] | father | bàta |
| e | IPA: [ɛ], IPA: [e] | get, late | le, teth |
| è, é | IPA: [ɛː], IPA: [eː] | marry, lady | sèimh, fhéin |
| i | IPA: [i], IPA: [iː] | tin, sweet | sin, ith |
| ì | IPA: [iː] | evil | mìn |
| o | IPA: [ɔ], IPA: [o] | top, boat | poca, bog |
| ò, ó | IPA: [ɔː], IPA: [oː] | jaw, door | pòcaid, mór |
| u | IPA: [u] | brood | tur |
| ù | IPA: [uː] | brewed | tùr |
[edit] Diphthongs
| Spelling | Pronunciation | As in | English equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| ai | IPA: [a], IPA: [ə], IPA: [ɛ], IPA: [i] | caileag, iuchair, geamair, dùthaich | wall, answer, air, pick |
| ài | IPA: [aː], IPA: [ai] | àite, bara-làimhe | father, kite |
| ao(i) | IPA: [ɯː], IPA: [ᵚi] | caol, gaoil, laoidh | no true equivalent; try saying "cool" without rounding the lips, wheel |
| ea | IPA: [ʲa], IPA: [e], IPA: [ɛ] | geal, deas, bean | y'all, great, hen |
| eà | IPA: [ʲaː] | ceàrr | y'all |
| èa | IPA: [ɛː] | nèamh | ever |
| ei | IPA: [e], IPA: [ɛ] | eile, ainmeil | jail, gel |
| èi | IPA: [ɛː] | cèilidh | ever |
| éi | IPA: [eː] | fhéin | rain |
| eo | IPA: [ʲɔ] | deoch | jock |
| eò(i) | IPA: [ʲɔː] | ceòl, feòil | lock |
| eu | IPA: [eː], IPA: [ia] | ceum, feur | became, Maria |
| ia | IPA: [iə], IPA: [ia] | biadh, dian | Maria |
| io | IPA: [i], IPA: [ᴊũ] | fios, fionn | fit, young |
| ìo | IPA: [iː], IPA: [iə] | sgrìobh, mìos | sheet, Camille |
| iu | IPA: [ᴊu] | piuthar | you |
| iù(i) | IPA: [ᴊuː] | diùlt, diùid | few |
| oi | IPA: [ɔ], IPA: [ɤ] | boireannach, goirid | top, ugly |
| òi | IPA: [ɔː] | fòill | lost |
| ói | IPA: [oː] | cóig | alone |
| ua(i) | IPA: [uə], IPA: [ua] | ruadh, uabhasach, duais | wash, squash |
| ui | IPA: [u], IPA: [ɯ], IPA: [ui] | muir, uighean, tuinn | to, we |
| ùi | IPA: [uː] | dùin | two |
[edit] Consonants
[edit] Lenition and spelling
The lenited consonants have special pronunciations: bh and mh are IPA: [v]; ch is IPA: [x] or IPA: [ç]; dh, gh is IPA: [ʝ] or IPA: [ɣ]; th is IPA: [h], IPA: [ʔ], or silent; ph is IPA: [f]. Lenition of l n r is not shown in writing. The digraph fh is almost always silent, with only the following three exceptions: fhèin, fhathast, and fhuair, where it is pronounced as IPA: [h].
| Radical | Lenited | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Orthography | Broad | Slender | English equivalent | Orthography | Broad | Slender | English equivalent |
| b (initial) | IPA: [p] | IPA: [pʲ] | ban | bh | IPA: [v] | IPA: [vʲ] | veil |
| b (final) | IPA: [p] | IPA: [jp] | lap | bh | IPA: [v] | IPA: [jv] | give |
| c (initial) | IPA: [kʰ] | IPA: [kʰʲ] or IPA: [cʰ] | cold, king | ch | IPA: [x] | IPA: [ç] | loch, ich |
| c (final) | IPA: [xk] | IPA: [kʰʲ] or IPA: [çkʲ] | rack, pick | ch | IPA: [x] | IPA: [ç] | loch, ich |
| d | IPA: [t] | IPA: [tʃ] | dare, jet | dh | IPA: [ɣ] | IPA: [j] | lago, yes |
| f (initial) | IPA: [f] | IPA: [fʲ] | fall, fear | fh | silent | silent | |
| f (final) | IPA: [f] | IPA: [jf] | laugh, grief | fh | silent | silent | |
| g | IPA: [k] | IPA: [kʲ] or IPA: [c] | good, give | gh | IPA: [ɣ] | IPA: [j] | rojo, yes |
| l | IPA: [ɫ] (velarized) | IPA: [ʎ] | full, million | l | IPA: [l] | IPA: [ʎ] or IPA: [l] | |
| m | IPA: [m] | IPA: [mʲ] | mad, mean | mh | IPA: [v] | IPA: [vʲ] | vain |
| n | IPA: [nˠ] | IPA: [ɲ] | name, annual | n | IPA: [n] | IPA: [ɲ] or IPA: [n] | annual, name |
| p (initial) | IPA: [pʰ] | IPA: [pʲʰ] | passion, pew | ph | IPA: [f] | IPA: [fʲ] | fashion, few |
| p (final) | IPA: [hp] | IPA: [jhp] | wrap, cape | ph | IPA: [f] | IPA: [jf] | roof, reef |
| r' | IPA: [rˠ] | IPA: [rˠ] (no difference) | perro | r | IPA: [ɾ] | IPA: [ɾ] | pero |
| s | IPA: [s] | IPA: [ʃ] | sing, shine | sh | IPA: [h] | IPA: [hʲ] | hang, Hugh |
| t (initial) | IPA: [tʰ] | IPA: [tʃʰ] | tread, check | th | IPA: [h] | IPA: [hʲ] | hang, Hugh |
| t (final) | IPA: [ht] | IPA: [htʃ] | hat, hatch | th | IPA: [h] or silent | IPA: [jh] or IPA: [j] | raw |
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