Consonants
The consonant letters generally correspond to the consonant phonemes as shown in this table. See Irish phonology for an explanation of the symbols used and Irish initial mutations for an explanation of eclipsis. In most cases, consonants are "broad" (velarised) when the nearest vowel letter is one of a, o, u and "slender" (palatalised) when the nearest vowel letter is one of e, i.
| Letter(s) | Phoneme(s) | Examples | |
|---|---|---|---|
| b | broad | /bˠ/ | bain /bˠanʲ/ "take" (imper.), scuab /sˠkuəbˠ/ "broom" |
| slender | /bʲ/ | béal /bʲeːl̪ˠ/ "mouth", cnáib /kn̪ˠaːbʲ/ "hemp" | |
| bh | broad | /w/ | bhain /wanʲ/ "took", ábhar /ˈaːwəɾˠ/ "material", Bhairbre /ˈwaɾʲəbʲɾʲə/ "Barbara" (genitive), tábhachtach /ˈt̪ˠaːwəxtəx/ "important", dubhaigh /ˈd̪ˠʊwiː/ "blacken" (imper.), scríobh /ʃcrʲiːw/ "wrote", taobh /t̪ˠiːw/ "side", dubh /d̪ˠʊw/ "black", gabh /ɡaw/ "get" (imper.) |
| slender | /vʲ/ | bhéal /vʲeːl̪ˠ/ "mouth" (lenited), cuibhreann /ˈkɪvʲɾʲən̪ˠ/ "common table", aibhneacha /ˈavʲnʲəxə/ "rivers", sibh /ʃɪvʲ/ "you" (pl.) | |
| See vowel chart for abh, eabh, obh | |||
| bhf |
broad | /w/ | bhfuinneog /ˈwɪnʲoːɡ/ "window" (eclipsed) |
| slender | /vʲ/ | bhfíon /vʲiːn̪ˠ/ "wine" (eclipsed) | |
| bp |
broad | /bˠ/ | bpoll /bˠoːl̪ˠ/ "hole" (eclipsed) |
| slender | /bʲ/ | bpríosún /ˈbʲɾʲiːsˠuːn̪ˠ/ "prison" (eclipsed) | |
| c | broad | /k/ | cáis /kaːʃ/ "cheese", mac /mˠak/ "son" |
| slender | /c/ | ceist /cɛʃtʲ/ "question", mic /mʲɪc/ "sons" | |
| ch | broad |
/x/ | cháis /xaːʃ/ "cheese" (lenited), taoiseach /ˈt̪ˠiːʃəx/ "chieftain" (also the term for the Prime Minister of Ireland), boichte /bˠɔxtʲə/ "poorer" |
| slender | /ç/ /h/ between vowels |
cheist /çɛʃtʲ/ "question" (lenited), deich /dʲɛç/ "ten" oíche /ˈiːhə/ "night" |
|
| d | broad | /d̪ˠ/ | dorn /d̪ˠoːɾˠn̪ˠ/ "fist", nead /nʲad̪ˠ/ "nest" |
| slender | /dʲ/ | dearg /dʲaɾˠəɡ/ "red", cuid /kɪdʲ/ "part" | |
| dh | broad | /ɣ/ word-initially Silent after a long vowel |
dhorn /ɣoːɾˠn̪ˠ/ "fist" (lenited) ádh /aː/ "luck" |
| slender | /j/ | dhearg /ˈjaɾˠəɡ/ "red" (lenited), fáidh /fˠaːj/ "prophet" | |
| See vowel chart for adh, aidh, eadh, eidh, idh, oidh, odh. See Special pronunciations in verb forms for -dh at the end of verbs. | |||
| dt |
broad | /d̪ˠ/ | dtaisce /ˈd̪ˠaʃcə/ "treasure" (eclipsed) |
| slender | /dʲ/ | dtír /dʲiːɾʲ/ "country" (eclipsed) | |
| f | broad | /fˠ/ | fós /fˠoːsˠ/ "still", graf /ɡɾˠafˠ/ "graph" |
| slender | /fʲ/ | fíon /fʲiːn̪ˠ/ "wine", stuif /sˠt̪ˠɪfʲ/ "stuff" | |
| See Special pronunciations in verb forms for -f- in future and conditional tenses | |||
| fh | silent | fhuinneog /ˈɪnʲoːɡ/ "window" (lenited), fhíon /iːn̪ˠ/ "wine" (lenited) | |
| g | broad | /ɡ/ | gasúr /ˈɡasˠuːɾˠ/ "boy", bog /bˠɔɡ/ "soft" |
| slender | /ɟ/ | geata /ˈɟat̪ˠə/ "gate", carraig /ˈkaɾˠəɟ/ "rock" | |
| gc |
broad | /ɡ/ | gcáis /ɡaːʃ/ "cheese" (eclipsed) |
| slender | /ɟ/ | gceist /ɟɛʃtʲ/ "question" (eclipsed) | |
| gh | broad | /ɣ/ (word-initially) silent after a long vowel |
ghasúr /ˈɣasˠuːɾˠ/ "boy" (lenited) Eoghan /ˈoːən̪ˠ/ "Owen" |
| slender | /j/ | gheata /ˈjat̪ˠə/ "gate" (lenited), dóigh /d̪ˠoːj/ "way, manner" | |
| See vowel chart for agh, aigh, eigh, igh, ogh, oigh. See Special pronunciations in verb forms for -(a)igh at the end of verbs. | |||
| h | /h/ | hata /ˈhat̪ˠə/ "hat", na héisc /nə heːʃc/ "the fish" (plural) | |
| l, ll | broad | /l̪ˠ/ | luí /l̪ˠiː/ "lying (down)", poll /poːl̪ˠ/ "hole" |
| slender | /lʲ/ | leisciúil /ˈlʲɛʃcuːlʲ/ "lazy", coill /kəilʲ/ "woods" | |
| m | broad | /mˠ/ | mór /mˠoːɾˠ/ "big", am /aːmˠ/ "time" |
| slender | /mʲ/ | milis /ˈmʲilʲəʃ/ "sweet", im /iːmʲ/ "butter" | |
| mb |
broad | /mˠ/ | mbaineann /ˈmˠanʲən̪ˠ/ "takes" (eclipsed) |
| slender | /mʲ/ | mbéal /mʲeːl̪ˠ/ "mouth" (eclipsed) | |
| mh | (broad) | /w/ | mhór /woːɾˠ/ "big" (lenited), lámha /ˈl̪ˠaːwə/ "hands", léamh /lʲeːw/ "reading" |
| (slender) | /vʲ/ | mhilis /ˈvʲilʲəʃ/ "sweet" (lenited), uimhir /ˈɪvʲəɾʲ/ "number", nimh /nʲɪvʲ/ "poison" | |
| See vowel chart for amh, eamh, omh | |||
| n, nn | broad | /n̪ˠ/ | naoi /n̪ˠiː/ "nine", ceann /caːn̪ˠ/ "head" |
| slender | /nʲ/ | neart /nʲaɾˠt̪ˠ/ "strength", tinneas /ˈtʲɪnʲəsˠ/ "illness" | |
| nc | broad | /ŋk/ | ancaire /ˈaŋkəɾʲə/ "anchor" |
| slender | /ɲc/ | rinc /ɾˠɪɲc/ "dance" | |
| nd |
broad | /n̪ˠ/ | ndorn /n̪ˠoːɾˠn̪ˠ/ "fist" (eclipsed) |
| slender | /nʲ/ | ndearg /ˈnʲaɾˠəɡ/ "red" (eclipsed) | |
| ng | broad | /ŋ/ word-initially /ŋɡ/ word-internally and finally |
ngasúr /ˈŋasˠuːɾˠ/ "boy" (eclipsed) long /l̪ˠuːŋɡ/ "ship", teanga /ˈtʲaŋɡə/ "tongue" |
| slender | /ɲ/ word-initially /ɲɟ/ word-internally and finally |
ngeata /ˈɲat̪ˠə/ "gate" (eclipsed) cuing /kɪɲɟ/ "yoke", ingear /ˈɪɲɟəɾˠ/ "vertical" |
|
| /nʲ/ in final unstressed -ing | scilling /ˈʃcilʲənʲ/ "shilling" | ||
| p | broad | /pˠ/ | poll /pˠoːl̪ˠ/ "hole", stop /sˠt̪ˠɔpˠ/ "stop" |
| slender | /pʲ/ | príosún /ˈpʲɾʲiːsˠuːn̪ˠ/ "prison", truip /t̪ˠɾˠɪpʲ/ "trip" | |
| ph | broad | /fˠ/ | pholl /fˠoːl̪ˠ/ "hole" (lenited) |
| slender | /fʲ/ | phríosún /ˈfʲɾʲiːsˠuːn̪ˠ/ "prison" (lenited) | |
| r | broad |
/ɾˠ/ | rí /ɾˠiː/ "king", cuairt /kuəɾˠtʲ/ "visit", oirthear /ˈɔɾˠhəɾˠ/ "east", airde /aːɾˠdʲə/ "height", coirnéal /ˈkoːɾˠnʲeːl̪ˠ/ "corner", duirling /ˈd̪ˠuːɾˠlʲənʲ/ "stony beach", sreang /sˠɾˠaŋɡ/ "string" |
| slender | /ɾʲ/ | tirim /ˈtʲɪɾʲəmʲ/ "dry" | |
| rr | /ɾˠ/ | barr /baːɾˠ/ "tip, point", cairr /kaːɾˠ/ "car" (genitive) | |
| s | broad | /sˠ/ |
Sasana /ˈsˠasˠən̪ˠə/ "England", tús /t̪ˠuːsˠ/ "beginning", speal /sˠpʲal̪ˠ/ "scythe", sméar /sˠmʲeːɾˠ/ "blackberry", sreang /sˠɾˠaŋɡ/ "string" |
| slender | /ʃ/ | sean /ʃan̪ˠ/ "old", cáis /kaːʃ/ "cheese" | |
| sh | broad | /h/ | Shasana /ˈhasˠən̪ˠə/ "England" (lenited) |
| slender | /h/ /ç/ before /aː, oː, u(ː)/ |
shean /han̪ˠ/ "old" (lenited) Sheáin /çaːnʲ/ "John" (genitive), sheol /çoːl̪ˠ/ "sailed", shiúil /çuːlʲ/ "walked", shiopa /ˈçʊpˠə/ "shop" (lenited) |
|
| t | broad | /t̪ˠ/ | taisce /ˈt̪ˠaʃcə/ "treasure", ceart /caɾˠt̪ˠ/ "correct" |
| slender | /tʲ/ | tír /tʲiːɾʲ/ "country", beirt /bʲɛɾˠtʲ/ "two (people)" | |
| See Special pronunciations in verb forms for -t- in verbal adjectives | |||
| th | broad | /h/ | thaisce /ˈhaʃcə/ "treasure" (lenited), athair /ˈahəɾʲ/ "father" |
| slender | /h/ /ç/ when lenited from /tʲaː-, tʲoː-, tʲu(ː)-/ |
theanga /ˈhaŋɡə/ "tongue" (lenited) theann /çaːn̪ˠ/ "tight" (lenited), theocht /çoːxt̪ˠ/ "heat" (lenited), thiúilip /ˈçuːlʲəpʲ/ "tulip" (lenited), thiocfadh /ˈçʊkəx/ "would come", thiubh /çʊw/ "thick" (lenited) |
|
| Silent at the end of a syllable | bláth /bˠl̪ˠaː/ "blossom", cith /cɪ/ "shower", cothrom /ˈkɔɾˠəmˠ/ "equal" | ||
| See Special pronunciations in verb forms for -th- in verbal adjectives | |||
| ts |
broad | /t̪ˠ/ | an tsolais /ən̪ˠ ˈt̪ˠɔl̪ˠəʃ/ "of the light" |
| slender | /tʲ/ | an tSín /ənʲ tʲiːnʲ/ "China" | |
| v | broad | /w/ | vóta /ˈwoːt̪ˠə/ "vote" |
| slender | /vʲ/ | veidhlín /ˈvʲəilʲiːnʲ/ "violin" | |
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