Scottish Gaelic Consonants

Question 1

B

Answer 1

Aba (aba/apa)
Ibi (ibi/ipi) -pronounced like Spin without the “s” (unvoiced and unaspirated)
Abha (somewhere between a v and a w)
Ibhi (ivi)

Question 2

C

Answer 2

Aca (preaspirated ahh-ka)
Ici (preaspirated ihh-ki)
Acha (akha like اخا)
Ichi (ihhhhi- palatalized h like a hissing cat)

Question 3

D

Answer 3

Ada (not same as English d, unvoiced and unaspirated)
Idi (d with middle of mouth and tongue -sounds like hard j, but not quite -eed-yee)
Adha (agha -like اغا)
Idhi (like iyi but with tongue slightly closer to your palate )

Question 4

F

Answer 4

Afa (afa)
Ifi (ifi)
Afha (h/like a puff of air, aha)
Ifhi (sometimes silent, mostly like h ihi/i i)

Question 5

G

Answer 5

Aga (aga- like most “default” consonants, voiceless and unaspirated but otherwise comparable to English
Igi (like voiceless unaspirated c -igi)
Agha (اغا -pretty much like adha)
Ighi (iyi- pretty much like a y)

Question 6

L

Answer 6

Ala ( ala- tip of tongue behind teeth with breathing -sometimes like awa)
Ili ( ilyi -ilyumenate l pronounced with the middle of the tongue)
Ala (lenited is pretty much like English L)
Ili (same as ala)

Question 7

M

Answer 7

Ama (just like an English m since tongue is not involved in pronunciation)
Imi (just like an English m since tongue is not involved in pronunciation)
Amha (ava -like Abha but more nasalized)
Imhi

Question 8

N

Answer 8

Ana (basically like English N whether lenited or not)
Ini (inyi- like an ñ in Spanish or ny in English ;tip of tongue behind the back of your bottom teeth with your middle tongue, like all slender sounds)
Anha (basically like English N whether lenited or not)
Inhi (inyi- like an ñ in Spanish or ny in English ;tip of tongue behind the back of your bottom teeth with your middle tongue, like all slender sounds)

Question 9

P

Answer 9

Apa ( ahhh-pa- preaspirated
Ipi (ihhh-pi -similar cats hiss sound)
Apha ( like ph in English except pronounced with same mouth shape as p with more air, instead of labio-dentally)
Iphi (like ph in English except pronounced with same mouth shape as p with more air, instead of labio-dentally)

Question 10

R

Answer 10

Ara (- pronounced like are or arrrr”English R”
Iri ( debated -slender r or th like in the- almost same tongue placement as th)
Arra- rolled r

Question 11

S

Answer 11

Asa (asa -hiss like snake sound)
Isi (ishi- like sh)
Asha (just like h)
Ishi (just like h)

Question 12

T

Answer 12

Ata (preaspirated and a little further forward in mouth than English t)
Iti (ityi- pronounced with middle of tongue with tip behijd bottom teeth like other slender sounds; close to English ch but not same)
Atha (pronounced like h)
Ithi (pronounced like h)

Question 13

Achd

Answer 13

Like إخک-

Question 14

A
À

Answer 14

Father
Accent =Longer version, longer than you think you should be

Question 15

E
É

Answer 15

Egg

Question 16

I
Í

Answer 16

Fee,knee, tee

Question 17

O
Ó

Answer 17

Nog, frog (with it slightly farther back in the mouth)

Question 18

U
Ù

Answer 18

Not dislike ü similar to food but less pursed lips
Longer of above

Question 19

See Sharp vowel dialect distinction in Raghnaid Anna NicGaraidh’s vowel videos

Answer 19

Indicated by right facing accent ex, á

Question 20

Diphthongs

Answer 20

Basically, go with what the first vowel says unless the second one has an accent

Key exceptions
Eu- ee-uh, or ehhh like “men” pronoun in Hindi
Eò- yoo, or ay-o

Question 21

Ao (long)
Or agh/adh (short)

Answer 21

Pronounced like poo but smiling/voicing it in the back of the mouth

Question 22

Aoi

Answer 22

Like “foil” but using the aforementioned ao sound