Help:IPA/Scottish Gaelic

The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Scottish Gaelic pronunciations in Wikipedia articles.

See Scottish Gaelic phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Scottish Gaelic, and Scottish Gaelic orthography for the exact correspondence between sounds and letters in Scottish Gaelic.

Consonants
Broad^[1]		Slender^[2]
IPA	Examples	IPA	Examples
f^[3]	fad, fead, pholl, pheann
ɣ	dhà, deireadh, ghaol, dragh	ʝ	dh'iarr, dh'innis, gheall, ghin
h^[3]	thonn, thig, shùil, sheòl
j	eala, beò, theàrn, iolaire, piuthar, shiùbhlainn, gràidh
k	gaol, beagan, caileag, amharc	kʲ	gille, fairrge, thig, chunnaic
kʰ^[4]	còta	kʲʰ^[4]	cìr
l̪ˠ	làmh, balla, geal	l	mo leaba, cliathaich, baile, fuil
l̪ˠ	làmh, balla, geal	ʎ	leaba, slige, gille
m^[3]	mac, mic, lampa, ìm
n̪ˠ	nàire, snàmh, clann	ɲ	nighean, sneachda, cinneadh, ròin
n̪ˠ	nàire, snàmh, clann	n	mo nàire, anail, bean
ŋ	long	ŋʲ	aingeal
p^[3]	ball, nàbuidh, abair, corp
pʰ^[3]^[4]	peann, poll
rˠ	rud, riochd, oirre, orra
ɾ	dà rud, mo riochd, crann, fear	ɾʲ	cridhe, fir
s̪	solas, speal, sgialachd	ʃ	seòl, stiùir, slighe, snìomh
t̪	dall, fada, ad, falt	tʲ	dìleas, maide, thèid, fuilt
t̪ʰ^[4]	tana	tʲʰ^[4]	tìr
v^[3]	bhean, sàibh, mhàthair, deimhinn, làmh
x	chòta, balach	ç	chì, balaich

Monophthongs
Short		Long
IPA	Examples	IPA	Examples
a	mac, glaine	aː	làmh, àite, gearr
e	teth, fead, cheil	eː	glè, chèile, beud
ɛ	fear, each	ɛː	cnàimh, sèimh
i	mise, fios	iː	ìseal, pìobaire, cinn
o	tobar, bodhar	oː	bò, còig
ɔ	cnoc, sgoil, deoch	ɔː	bròn, mòine, ceòl, corr
u	ugh, bun, sgioltachd, fliuch	uː	cùl, sùil, diombach, tiurr, cunntas
ɯ	duine, uisge	ɯː	craobh, aois
ɤ	dragh, coire	ɤː	fadhlach
ə	fada, baile
ɪ	uilig, capaill
Diphthongs
IPA	Examples
ai	claidheamh, chaill, cainnt
au	amharc, abhainn, ball, gann
ɛu	seall, theann, dream
ia	Niall, pian, feur, beul
iə	fiacail, iasg, ceud, deug, sìos, fìon
ɔu	toll, tonn, com
ua	uamhasach, suaineadh, uaine
uə	fuar, uair, buaidh
ɯi	chraoibh, ghaoith, tuill, tuinn
ɤi	maighdean, greim, coibhneil, oighre, coilltean, broinn

Other symbols used in transcription of Scottish Gaelic pronunciation
IPA	Explanation
ˈ	Primary stress (placed before the stressed syllable) for example uinneag [ˈɯɲak]

Varying IPA conventions

Materials published elsewhere use somewhat different conventions from those used at Wikipedia. Most systems vary from pure IPA, particularly the systems used in Celtic Studies. The following table lists some of the variations commonly encountered. If an IPA symbol is not in the table below, this indicates that the source uses the same symbol as above.

	Borgstrøm (1937)^[5] (Barra)	Borgstrøm (1940)^[6] (Outer Hebrides)	Oftedal (1956)^[7] (Lewis)	Ó Murchú (1989)^[8] (East Perthshire)	Cox (2002)^[9] (Lewis)	Ó Maolalaigh (2008)^[10] (over-regional)	Black (2006)^[11] (over-regional)	Klevenhaus (2009)^[12] Bauer (2011)^[13] (both over-regional)
ç	ç	ç′	ç	x′	ç	ç	ç	ç
ʝ	j	j′	ǰ	ɣ′	ʝ	j	j	ʝ
k	g̊, k	g̬, k	g	ɡ	g	g	g^[14], k^[15]	g
kʲ	g̊′, k′	g̬′, k′	ǵ	ɡ′	g̭'	gʲ	gʲ, kʲ	gʲ
kʰ	kʽ	kʽ	k	k	k	k	k	k
kʲʰ	k′ʽ	k′ʽ	ḱ	k′	k′	kʲ	kʲ	kʲ
l̪ˠ	L	L	L	ɬ	L	ɫ̪	L	L
ʎ	L′	L′	L′	—	L′	ʎ	Lʲ	Lʲ
l	l′	l′	l	l	l	l	l	l
n̪ˠ	N	N	N	—	N	ᵰ̪	N	N
ɲ	N′	N′	N′	—	N′	ɲ	Nʲ	Nʲ
p	b̥, p	b̬, p	b	b	b	b	b, p	b
pʰ	pʽ	pʽ	p	p	p	p	p	p
rˠ	R	R, Ṛ	R	—	R	ᵲ	R	R
ɾ	r	r	r	r	r	r	r	r
ɾʲ	r′	r′, ð′	ð	—	ð	rʲ	rʲ	rʲ
s̪	s	s	s	s	s	s	s	s
ʃ	ʃ	ʃ	ʃ	š	ʃ	ʃ	ʃ	ʃ
t̪	d̥, t	d̬, t	d	d	d	d̪	d, t	d
tʲ	d̥′^ž, d̥′, t′	d̬′^ž, d̬′, t′	d′	ǰ	d′	dʲ	dʲ, tʲ	dʲ
t̪ʰ	tʽ	tʽ	t	t	t	t̪	t	t
tʲʰ	tʽ′^ʃ, tʽ′	tʽ′^ʃ, tʽ′	t′	č	t′	tʲ	tʲ	tʲ
ɯ	ʎ	ʎ	ɯ	ɯ	ɯ	ɯ	ʎ	ɯ
ɤ	ø	ø	ə	ɤ	ɤ	ɤ	ə	ɤ
ɛ	ɛ, æ	ɛ, æ	ɛ	ɛ	ɛ	ɛ	ɛ	ɛ
a	a	a	a	ɑ	a	a	a	a

Notes

↑ Scottish Gaelic makes contrasts between velarized ("broad") and palatalized ("slender") consonants. Velarized consonants, denoted in the IPA by a superscript ‹ˠ›, are pronounced with the back of the tongue raised toward the velum, which happens to the /l/ in English pill in some accents, like RP and General American, and in all positions in Scottish English. In Scottish Gaelic orthography, broad consonants are surrounded by the letters ‹a›, ‹o›, ‹u›.
↑ "Slender" (palatalized) consonants, denoted in the IPA by a superscript ‹ʲ›, are pronounced with the body of the tongue raised toward the hard palate, in a manner similar to the articulation of the ‹y› sound in yes. In Scottish Gaelic orthography, slender consonants are surrounded by the letters ‹e›, ‹i›.
↑ ^3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 Neither broad nor slender, slender positions instead having an on- or off-glide /j/.
↑ ^4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 In initial position, the aspirated stops /kʰ, kʲʰ, pʰ, t̪ʰ, tʲʰ/ are postaspirated [kʰ, kʲʰ, pʰ, t̪ʰ, tʲʰ]. In medial or final position after a stressed vowel, they are preaspirated [ʰk, ʰkʲ, ʰp, ʰt̪, ʰtʲ].
↑ Borgstrøm, Carl Hjalmar (1937). "The Dialect of Barra in the Outer Hebrides". Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap. 8: 71–242.
↑ Borgstrøm, Carl Hjalmar (1940). The Dialects of the Outer Hebrides. A Linguistic Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland, vol. 1 (Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap suppl. vol. 1). Oslo: Aschehoug.
↑ Oftedal, Magne (1956). The Gaelic of Leurbost. A Linguistic Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland, vol. 3 (Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap suppl. vol. 4). Oslo: Aschehoug.
↑ Ó Murchú, Máirtín (1989). East Perthshire Gaelic. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. ISBN 0-901282-93-6.
↑ Cox, Richard A. V. (2002). The Gaelic Place-names of Carloway, Isle of Lewis. School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. ISBN 1-85500-192-6.
↑ Ó Maolalaigh, Roibeard (2008). Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks. Edinburgh: Birlinn. ISBN 978-1-84158-643-4.
↑ Black, Ronald (2006). Cothrom Ionnsachaidh. Edinburgh. ISBN 0906981336.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
↑ Klevenhaus, Michael (2009). Lehrbuch der schottish-gälischen Sprache. Hamburg: Buske. ISBN 978-3-87548-520-2.
↑ Bauer, Michael (2011). Blas na Gàidhlig: The Practical Guide to Scottish Gaelic Pronunciation. Glasgow: Akerbeltz. ISBN 978-1907165009.
↑ Word-initially
↑ Medially or final

[1] Scottish Gaelic makes contrasts between velarized ("broad") and palatalized ("slender") consonants. Velarized consonants, denoted in the IPA by a superscript ‹ˠ›, are pronounced with the back of the tongue raised toward the velum, which happens to the /l/ in English pill in some accents, like RP and General American, and in all positions in Scottish English. In Scottish Gaelic orthography, broad consonants are surrounded by the letters ‹a›, ‹o›, ‹u›.

[2] "Slender" (palatalized) consonants, denoted in the IPA by a superscript ‹ʲ›, are pronounced with the body of the tongue raised toward the hard palate, in a manner similar to the articulation of the ‹y› sound in yes. In Scottish Gaelic orthography, slender consonants are surrounded by the letters ‹e›, ‹i›.

[j-3] 3.0 ^3.1 ^3.2 ^3.3 ^3.4 ^3.5 Neither broad nor slender, slender positions instead having an on- or off-glide /j/.

[h-4] 4.0 ^4.1 ^4.2 ^4.3 ^4.4 In initial position, the aspirated stops /kʰ, kʲʰ, pʰ, t̪ʰ, tʲʰ/ are postaspirated [kʰ, kʲʰ, pʰ, t̪ʰ, tʲʰ]. In medial or final position after a stressed vowel, they are preaspirated [ʰk, ʰkʲ, ʰp, ʰt̪, ʰtʲ].

[Borgstrom1937-5] Borgstrøm, Carl Hjalmar (1937). "The Dialect of Barra in the Outer Hebrides". Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap. 8: 71–242.

[Borgstrom1940-6] Borgstrøm, Carl Hjalmar (1940). The Dialects of the Outer Hebrides. A Linguistic Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland, vol. 1 (Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap suppl. vol. 1). Oslo: Aschehoug.

[Oftedal-7] Oftedal, Magne (1956). The Gaelic of Leurbost. A Linguistic Survey of the Gaelic Dialects of Scotland, vol. 3 (Norsk Tidsskrift for Sprogvidenskap suppl. vol. 4). Oslo: Aschehoug.

[OMurchu-8] Ó Murchú, Máirtín (1989). East Perthshire Gaelic. Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. ISBN 0-901282-93-6.

[Cox-9] Cox, Richard A. V. (2002). The Gaelic Place-names of Carloway, Isle of Lewis. School of Celtic Studies, Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies. ISBN 1-85500-192-6.

[Maolalaigh-10] Ó Maolalaigh, Roibeard (2008). Scottish Gaelic in Twelve Weeks. Edinburgh: Birlinn. ISBN 978-1-84158-643-4.

[Black-11] Black, Ronald (2006). Cothrom Ionnsachaidh. Edinburgh. ISBN 0906981336.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)

[Klevenhaus-12] Klevenhaus, Michael (2009). Lehrbuch der schottish-gälischen Sprache. Hamburg: Buske. ISBN 978-3-87548-520-2.

[Bauer-13] Bauer, Michael (2011). Blas na Gàidhlig: The Practical Guide to Scottish Gaelic Pronunciation. Glasgow: Akerbeltz. ISBN 978-1907165009.

[14] Word-initially

[15] Medially or final

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

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