l n r
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Except for a small group of exceptions, all sonorants have their strong value at the beginning of words.
l sounds
There are 3 different l sounds:
Sound | Position | Example | Gaelic | English |
---|---|---|---|---|
[L] | Initial broad l | [La.ə] | latha | day |
[Lɔx] | loch | loch (lake) | ||
[Luːb] | lùb | bend! | ||
[Laːdʲɪrʲ] | làidir | strong | ||
Broad l and ll elsewhere | [gLan] | glan | clean (adj.) | |
[bLaː] | blàth | warm (adj.) | ||
[baLəx] | balach | boy | ||
[faLu] | falamh | empty (adj.) | ||
[kadəL] | cadal | sleep (n.) | ||
[baLə] | balla | wall (n.) | ||
[faLaNʲ] | fallain | healthy | ||
[pɔbəL] | poball | population | ||
[Lʲ] | Initial slender l | [Lʲiən] | lìon | net |
[Lʲeh] | leth | half | ||
[LʲũːN] | lionn | liquid (n.) | ||
[Lʲis] | lios | garden | ||
[Lʲihdʲɪrʲ] | litir | letter (n.) | ||
[Lʲɛxg] | leac | flagstone | ||
Slender ll elsewhere | [buLʲə] | buille | hit (n.) | |
[kaLʲəx] | cailleach | old woman | ||
[duLʲag] | duilleag | leaf | ||
[kaiLʲ] | caill | lose! | ||
[kɤiLʲ] | coill | forest | ||
[saiLʲ] | saill | salt! | ||
[l] | Non-initial slender l | [balə] | baile | village |
[kalag] | caileag | girl | ||
[kulag] | cuileag | fly (n.) | ||
[ulə] | uile | all | ||
[elə] | eile | other | ||
[dulɪç] | duilich | sorry |
Note: the preposition le and its prepositional pronouns (leam, leat, leis, leatha, leinn, leibh, leotha) are pronounced as [l], not [Lʲ].
n sounds
There are 3 different n sounds:
Sound | Position | Example | Gaelic | English |
---|---|---|---|---|
[N] | Initial broad n | [Naːbɪ] | nàbaidh | neighbour |
[Nahɪrʲ] | nathair | snake | ||
[Nɯːv] | naomh | holy | ||
[Nasg] | nasg | tie-band | ||
[Nɔxg] | nochd | appear | ||
[NɔLɪgʲ] | Nollaig | Christmas | ||
Broad nn | [aNə] | Anna | Ann(e) | |
[kʲaNɪç] | ceannaich | buy! | ||
[bjaNəxg] | beannachd | blessing | ||
[auN] | ann | in him | ||
[tʲauN] | teann | tight | ||
[kʲauN] | ceann | head (n.) | ||
[Nʲ] | Initial slender n | [NʲiəL] | Niall | Neil |
[Nʲi.ə] | nighe | washing | ||
[Nʲed] | nead | nest (n.) | ||
[Nʲi] | nigh | wash! | ||
[Nʲax] | neach | person | ||
[Nʲihan] | nighean | daughter | ||
Slender nn | [faːNʲə] | fàinne | ring (n.) | |
[baNʲə] | bainne | milk (n.) | ||
[ʃeiNʲ] | seinn | sing! | ||
[tʲiNʲə] | tinne | sicker | ||
[biNʲə] | binne | sweeter | ||
[kaiNʲdʲ] | cainnt | speech | ||
[n] | Non-initial slender & broad n | [dɔnə] | dona | bad |
[sɔnə] | sona | happy | ||
[anam] | anam | soul | ||
[banal] | banail | feminine | ||
[dʲiənəv] | dèanamh | doing | ||
[ʃin] | sin | that | ||
[miːn] | mìn | soft | ||
[ɛnɛm] | ainm | name (n.) | ||
[uən] | uain | lamb (n.) | ||
[kɔn] | coin | dogs |
Note: some dialects pronounce non-initial slender n as [Nʲ] (i.e. like slender nn) rather than [n]:
[Nʲ] | [ʃiNʲ] | sin | that | |
[miːn] | mìn | soft | ||
[ɛNʲɛm] | ainm | name (n.) | ||
[uəNʲ] | uain | lamb (n.) | ||
[kɔNʲ] | coin | dogs |
r sounds
There are 3 different r sounds:
Sound | Position | Example | Gaelic | English |
---|---|---|---|---|
[R] | Initial broad & slender r | [Rɔh] | roth | wheel (n.) |
[Rɔːn] | ròn | seal | ||
[Rɔb] | Rob | Rob | ||
[Ruərɪ] | Ruaraidh | Rory | ||
[RuNag] | rionnag | star | ||
[Rixg] | riochd | appearance | ||
Broad & slender rr | [baːR] | barr | top | |
[kɔːR] | corr | rest (n.) | ||
[kɔRəx] | corrach | uneven | ||
[kaRɛgʲ] | carraig | rock | ||
[kuRan] | curran | carrot | ||
[uRə] | urra | individual | ||
[r] | Non-initial broad r | [aran] | aran | bread |
[ɔːran] | òran | song | ||
[dʲɛrɛg] | dearg | red | ||
[kur] | cur | putting | ||
[marav] | marbh | dead | ||
[kar] | car | twist (n.) | ||
[rʲ] | Non-initial slender r | [arʲə] | aire | attention |
[arʲɪ] | airidh | deserving | ||
[furʲəx] | fuireach | living, staying | ||
[kurʲɪ] | cuiridh | will put | ||
[ɛrʲɛgʲəd] | airgead | money |
Note: the preposition ri and its prepositional pronouns (rium, riut, ris, rithe, riutha etc.) are normally pronounced as [rʲ].
Fuaimean na Gàidhlig | ||||||||||||
᚛ Vowels - Consonants - Fricatives - Slenderisation - Pre-aspiration - Lenition - Helping vowel - Diphthongs ᚜ ᚛ Hiatus - l n r - rt & rd - Vowels before rr ll nn - Unstressed vowels ᚜ |