Pronunciation Notes for Irish Consonants

Broad and Slender Consonants

Every consonant in Irish has two forms, called "broad" and "slender".

Broad consonants occur next to back vowels (A O U) and slender consonants occur next to front vowels (E I). (Think about where you pronounce these vowels inside your mouth and you will understand why they are called "front" and "back" vowels.)

We have something similar in English for C and G. Notice how the Cs in "circumference" are pronounced differently depending on whether they are followed by an I or an E or by an A, an O or a U. Similarly, consider the Gs in "gigantic". Irish does something similar with nearly every consonant.

In general, broad consonants are pronounced at the back of the mouth or deep in the throat with the tongue spread wide to touch the back teeth (hence "broad") and a cavity formed above or behind the tongue.

Slender consonants, by contrast, are pronounced at the front of the mouth (right up behind the front teeth) or the top of the throat with the tongue narrow so as not to touch any back teeth (hence "slender") and no cavity formed above the tongue.

Remember:

Broad consonants come next to back vowels (A O U).

Slender consonants come next to front vowels (E I).


B:

Broad B /b/ is like the B in English "box".

Slender B /b´/ is like the B in English "big".

Broad BH (lenited broad B) /w/ or /v/ is like an English W, except when followed by R or L in which case it is pronounced like a V.

Slender BH (lenited slender B) /w´/ or /v´/ is like an English V.

Broad bhF (eclipsed broad F) /w/ or /v/ is like an English W, except when followed by R or L in which case it is pronounced like a V.

Slender bhF (eclipsed slender F) /w´/ or /v´/ is like an English V.

Broad bP (eclipsed broad P) /b/ is like the B in English "box".

Slender bP (eclipsed slender P) /b´/ is like the B in English "big".

C:

Broad C /k/ is like the C in English "cot", never an S sound.

Slender C /k´/ is like the K in English "kit", never an S sound.

Broad CH (lenited broad C) /x/ is a strong, raspy H sound like the CH in German "Bach" or Spanish J, NOT a K sound. The sound of clearing a hair from the back of your throat.

Slender CH (lenited slender C) /x´/ is like a CH in German "ich" or English H in "human", "Hugh", or "huge".


D:

Broad D /d/ is somewhere between the D in English "dog" and the soft TH in "the".

Slender D /d´/ is between a DY and a J, between "d'you wanna" and "jiwanna".

Broad DH (lenited broad D) /ɣ/ is like the French or German R (voiced CH), make an English R sound then drop your tongue deeper into your throat.

Slender DH (lenited slender D) /ɣ´/ is like an English Y.

Broad dT (eclipsed broad T) /d/ is somewhere between the D in English "dog" and the soft TH in "the".

Slender dT (eclipsed slender T) /d´/ is between a DY and a J, between "d'you wanna" and "jiwanna".


F:

Broad F /f/ is like the F in English "fog" but lighter: you don't bite your bottom lip, somewhere between "fog" and "hog".

Slender F /f´/ is like the F in English "fig" but lighter: you don't bite your bottom lip, somewhere between "fit" and "hit".

FH (lenited F) // is silent. Preceding consonants may be affected by the vowels that follow FH.


G:
Broad G /g/ is like the G in English "got".

Slender G /g´/ is like the G in English "gift".

Broad gC (eclipsed broad C) /g/ is like the G in English "got".

Slender gC (eclipsed slender C) /g´/ is like the G in English "gift".

Broad GH (lenited broad G) /ɣ/ is like the French or German R (voiced CH), make an English R sound then drop your tongue deeper into your throat.

Slender GH (lenited slender G) /ɣ´/ is like an English Y.


H:

Irish H /h/ is the same as English H, generally with no broad/slender distinction.


L:

Broad L /L/ sounds like the L in English "pull" or "full". Make a big cavity behind your tongue by dropping the middle of the tongue while contacting all of your back teeth.

Slender L /l´/ sounds like the L in English "lit", no cavity and do not touch your back teeth, just the alveolar ridge behind your teeth, and NO Y glide coming off it.

Broad Double LL /L/ sounds like the L in English "pull" or "full". Make a big cavity behind your tongue by dropping the middle of the tongue while contacting all of your back teeth.

Slender Double LL /L´/ sounds like the LL in English "million", no cavity and do not touch your back teeth, just the alveolar ridge behind your teeth and a Y glide coming off it.

NOTE: Double LL causes vowel changes: ignored in Ulster, lengthens the vowel in Connaught, and causes a diphthong in Munster.


M:

Broad M /m/ is like the M in English "mop" or "Tom".

Slender M /m´/ is like the M in English "mix" or "Tim".

Broad mB (eclipsed broad B) /m/ is like the M in English "mop" or "Tom".

Slender mB (eclipsed slender B) /m´/ is like the M in English "mix" or "Tim".

Broad MH (lenited broad M) /w/ or /v/ is like an English W.

Slender MH (lenited slender M) /w´/ or /v´/ is like an English V.


N:

Broad N /N/ is like the N in English "not" or "null". Make a big cavity behind your tongue by dropping the middle of the tongue while contacting all of your back teeth.

Slender N /n´/ sounds like the N in English "nit", no cavity and do not touch your back teeth, just the alveolar ridge behind your teeth, and NO Y glide coming off it.

Broad nD (eclipsed broad D) /N/ is like the N in English "not" or "null". Make a big cavity behind your tongue by dropping the middle of the tongue while contacting all of your back teeth.

Slender nD (eclipsed slender D) /n´/ sounds like the N in English "nit", no cavity and do not touch your back teeth, just the alveolar ridge behind your teeth, and NO Y glide coming off it.

Broad nG (eclipsed broad G) /ŋ/ sounds like the NG in English "donger" or "conga". The G sound is optional.

Slender nG (eclipsed slender G) /ŋ´/ sounds like the NG in English "sing y'all" with a Y glide coming off.

Broad Double NN /N/ sounds like the N in English "pun" or "fun". Make a big cavity behind your tongue by dropping the middle of the tongue while contacting all of your back teeth.

Slender Double NN /N´/ sounds like the ñ in Spanish "señor", no cavity and do not touch your back teeth, just the alveolar ridge behind your teeth and Y glide coming off it.

NOTE: Double NN causes vowel changes: ignored in Ulster, lengthens the vowel in Connaught, and causes a diphthong in Munster.


P:

Broad P /p/ is like the P in English "pop".

Slender P /p´/ is like the P in English "pip".

Broad PH (lenited broad P) /f/ is like Broad F.

Slender PH (lenited slender P) /f´/ is like Slender F.


R:

Broad R /r/ is flapped like a Japanese R, a Spanish single R, or a Scottish English R. Only one flap, it is not rolled.

Slender R /r´/ is flapped but buzzy like the S in English "pleasure". Similar to the R in Dvorak or a French Z. All initial slender Rs are pronounced like broad R.


S:

Broad S /s/ is like an English S.

Slender S /s´/ is like an English SH.

Broad SH (lenited broad S) /h/ is generally like an Irish H, with no broad or slender distinction.

Slender SH (lenited slender S) /h/ is generally like an Irish H, but in some words it sounds like Slender CH, that is like the H in English "human", "Hugh", or "huge".


T:

Broad T /t/ is like English T.

Slender T /t´/ is like English CH, between a TY ("Tuesday") and a CH ("chew").

Broad tS (special case, not eclipsis) /t/ is like English T.

Slender tS (special case, not eclipsis) /t´/ is like English CH, between a TY ("Tuesday") and a CH ("chew").

Broad TH (lenited broad T) /h/ is generally like an Irish H, with no broad or slender distinction.

Slender TH (lenited slender T) /h/ is generally like an Irish H, with no broad or slender distinction.

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WARNING: Intermediate speaker - await further opinions, corrections and adjustments before acting on my advice.
My "specialty" is Connemara Irish, particularly Cois Fhairrge dialect.
Is fearr Gaeilge ḃriste ná Béarla cliste, cinnte, aċ i ḃfad níos fearr aríst í Gaeilge ḃinn ḃeo na nGaeltaċtaí.
Gaeilge Chonnacht (GC), go háraid Gaeilge Chois Fhairrge (GCF), agus Gaeilge an Chaighdeáin Oifigiúil (CO).