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Folk Dance Federation of California, South, Inc.
Irish |
A a, B b, C c, D d, E e, F f, G g,
H h, I i, L l, M m, N n, O o, P p,
R r, S s, T t, U u
Irish is a Celtic language with nearly 1.5 million people who have some knowledge of the language.
There is also the addition of an acute diacritic mark, the "fada."
Accent is almost always on the first syllable.
When the first letter of a word changes in what is called urú or "eclipsis," the spelling gives first the letter as pronounced, followed by the original letter before it was changed as in mb, gc, nd, bhf, ng, bp, ts, and dt.
Letters not listed below are pronounced approximately as in English.
| A, a | - a as in about |
| Á, á | - a as in father |
| E, e | - e as in let |
| É, é | - e as in hey |
| I, i | - i as in pin |
| Í, í | - i as in machine |
| O, o | - o as in mock |
| Ó, ó | - o as in note |
| U, u | - u as in muck |
| Ú, ú | - u as in duke |
| BROAD CONSONANTS: | |
| D, D | - d as in duck |
| R, r | - slightly rolled |
| S, s | - s as in saw |
| T, t | - t as in turnip |
| SLENDER CONSONANTS: | |
| D, D | - j as in jaw |
| R, r | - r as in raw |
| S, s | - s as in sugar |
| T, t | - ch as in church |
| ASPIRATED BROAD CONSONANTS: | |
| Bh, bh | - w as in war |
| Ch, ch | - ch as in loch |
| Dh, dh | - ch as in loch but with a g sound |
| Fh, fh | - silent |
| Gh, gh | - ch as in loch but with a g sound |
| Mh, mh | - w as in war |
| Ph, ph | - f as in far |
| Sh, sh | - h as in how |
| Th, th | - h as in how |
| ASPIRATED SLENDER CONSONANTS: | |
| Bh, bh | - v as in victor |
| Ch, ch | - ch as in church |
| Dh, dh | - y as in yes |
| Fh, fh | - silent |
| Gh, gh | - y as in yes |
| Mh, mh | - v as in victor |
| Ph, ph | - f as in far |
| Sh, sh | - h as in how |
| Th, th | - h as in how |
| LONG DIPTHONGS: | |
| Ae, ae | - a as in bray |
| Ao, ao | - ee as in tree |
| Eo, eo | - o as in throw |
| Ia, ia | - a as in bray |
| Ua, ua | - ua as in truant |
| SHORT DIPTHONGS: | |
| Ea, ea | - a as in travel |
| Io, io | - i as in pin |
| Ui, ui | - i as in pin |