gaeilge101:

^{last edited 5th/aug/2018}

_{WORD STRESS}

_{All words are strongly accented on the first syllable, except for a few common words with an unstressed prefix.}

_VOWELS

_{LONG (vowels with a fada – an accent)}

• _{á pronounced “aw” — as in “awesome”}
  
• _{é pronounced “ey” — as in “hey”}
  
• _{í pronounced “ee” — as in “bee”}
  
• _{ó pronounced “oh” — as in “banjo”}
  
• _{ú pronounced “oo” — as in “kangaroo”}

_{vowel combinations (long sounding)}

• _{ae pronounced “ey” (similar to é)}
  
• _{eo pronounced “oh” (similar to ó)}
  
• _{ao pronounced “ey” or “ee” depending on dialect (similar to é / í)}
  

_SHORT

• _{a pronounced “ah” — as in “cat”}
  
• _{e pronounced “eh” — as in “went”}
  
• _{i pronounced “ih” — as in “in”}
  
• _{o pronounced “ow” — as in “goat”}
  
• _{u pronounced “uh” — as in “put”}
  
• _{ea pronounced “ah” — as in “cat”}
  

_{Short vowels are given their full pronunciation ONLY in the first syllable of a word.
In all other syllables, they are all reduced to the neutral “uh” sound — as in “but”.}

_{VOWELS + CONSONANTS}

_{The “ow” sound (as in clown)}

• _{abha pronounced “ow”}
  
• _{amh pronounced “ow”}
  

_{The “eye” sound}

• _{agha pronounced “eye”}
  
• _{adh pronounced “eye”}
  

_CONSONANTS

• _{Except for “h”, all Irish consonants are either “broad” or “slender”.}
  
• _{Broad consonants are always written with the letters a, o, or u next to them.}
  
• _{Slender consonants are always written with the letters i or e next to them.}
  
• _{Broad consonants are pronounced with a “-w” off-glide.}
  
• _{Slender consonants are pronounced with a “-y” off-glide.}

_Examples:

_{Slender “b”}

• _{Beo (byoh) – b is slender so a b+y sound, eo has a “oh” sound, therefore byoh}
  
• _{bí (bee) – b is slender so has a b+y sound, í has a “ee” sound, therefore bee}
  

_{Broad “b”}

• _{bó (boh) b is broad so a b+w sound, ó is a “oh” sound, therefore boh}
  
• _{buí (bwee) b is broad so a b+w sound, u is a “uh” sound, í is a ee sound, therefore bwee}
  

_{The difference between “beo” and “bó” is only the y-glide heard in “beo”.
Likewise, the difference between “bí” and “buí” is only the w-glide heard in “buí”.}

_{Here is a list of combinations, which can be either broad of slender, depending on the adjacent vowels:}

• _{bh (broad) = w}
  
• _{bh (slender) = v}
  
• _{ch (broad) = ch as in “loch” (k sound)}
  
• _{ch (slender) = ch as in “h”}
  
• _{dh (broad) = gh as in “girl” (usually silent except at beginning of words.)}
  
• _{dh (slender) = y}
  
• _{fh (broad) = silent}
  
• _{fh (slender) = silent}
  
• _{gh (broad) = same as broad dh}
  
• _{gh (slender) = y}
  
• _{mh (broad) = w}
  
• _{mh (slender) = v}
  
• _{ph (broad) = fw}
  
• _{ph (slender) = fy}
  
• _{sh (broad) = h}
  
• _{sh (slender) = h}
  
• _{th (broad) = h}
  
• _{th (slender) = h}

_{URÚ (ECLIPSES)}

_{Eclipses are letters added to the beginning of a word depending on the context.
In every case of eclipses pronounce the first consonant and ignore the second, except for “ng”.} 

• _{mb = “m” sound}
  
• _{gc = “g” sound}
  
• _{nd = “n” sound}
  
• _{bhf = “w” (or sometimes v)}
  
• _{ng = “ng” as in “king”}
  
• _{bp = “b”}
  
• _{dt = “d”}

_{TRY IT YOURSELF!}

• _{File (poet) – FIH-leh (emphasis on the first syllable)}
  
• _{Draoi (druid)}
  
• _{Filíocht (poety)}
  
• _{Draíocht (magic)}
• _{Bean sí (fairy woman)}
  
• _{Samhain (November)}
  
• _{Oíche Shamhna (Samhain eve – Halloween)}
  
• _{Bealtaine (May)}
  
• _{Lúnasa (August)}
  
• _{Cara (friend)}
  
• _{Dia (god)}
  
• _{Slán (goodbye)}
  

_{For answers see here!}

_{Sources: [X] [X] [X] [X]
Listening: [X] [X]
Complete pronunciation guide on wikipedia}

(via withthingsunreal)