CONSONANT FLASHCARDS Cumann Carad Na Gaeilge / The Philo-Celtic Society
Print out using LANDSCAPE setting for best result.
Facts you need to know:
A.  adding an h after a consonant is called séimhiú or buailte ('struck') in Irish.  It's called aspiration or lenition in English.  But
I'll call it buailte here.  You'll see why below.
B.  If the closest vowel to a consonant inside the same word is a broad vowel (a, o, u), then that's a broad consonant.
C.  If the closest vowel to a consonant inside the same word is a slender vowel (e, i), then that's a slender consonant.
D.  Broad consonants and slender consonants can be pronounced differently, as you'll see below.
E.  These same flashcards are also covered with video files, sound files, & a digitized video host at
http://nagaeilmagazine.com/pronunciation/introduction.htm
Now for the pronunciation.  Learn these group by group.  There are 6 small groups.
1.  The Letter C
       
Irish letter(s) c c ch ch
aou ei aou ei aou means the closest vowel to the consonant is broad, so the consonant is broad.
        ei means the closest vowel to the consonant is slender, so the consonant is slender.
   
pronunciation K K KH KH Blow air across the top of your mouth to get the KH sound.
  y y You can pronounce a y-glide after every slender consonant.
       
2.  The Letters B and M
               
Irish letter(s) b b bh bh m m mh mh
aou ei aou ei aou ei aou ei
               
                Notice that broad bh and broad mh are both pronounced as W.
pronunciation B B W V M M W V Notice that slender bh and slender mh are both pronounced as V.
  y y   y y You can pronounce a y-glide after every slender consonant.
               
3.  The Letters D and G
               
Irish letter(s) d d dh dh g g gh gh
aou ei aou ei aou ei aou ei
               
                Broad dh and broad gh are both pronounced as a gargled GH.
pronunciation D,TH D GH Y G G GH Y Slender dh and slender gh are both pronounced as a y-glide.
  y     y   You can pronounce a y-glide after every slender consonant.
                A slender dh and a slender gh are their own built-in y-glides.
4.  The Letters P and F
               
Irish letter(s) p p ph ph f f fh fh
aou ei aou ei aou ei aou ei
               
                If you buailte (literally 'strike') a p, you turn it into an F sound.  If
pronunciation P P F F F F - - you buailte it again, you kill it.  So fh can't be heard - it's silent.
  y y   y y You can pronounce a y-glide after every slender consonant.
               
5.  The Letters S and T
               
Irish letter(s) s s sh sh t t th th
aou ei aou ei aou ei aou ei
               
               
pronunciation S SH H H T,TH T H H th and sh are both pronounced as H.
  y y   y y You can pronounce a y-glide after every slender consonant.
               
6.  The Letters L, N, and R
                       
Irish letter(s) l l - - n n - - r r - - l, n, and r never get a buailte in modern
aou ei aou ei aou ei aou ei aou ei aou ei Irish.
                       
                       
pronunciation L L - - N N - - R R - -
  y     y     y   You can pronounce a y-glide after every
                        slender consonant.
Print out using LANDSCAPE setting for best result.