Irish has three main dialects, Connacht, Munster, and Ulster; each of these has its own pronunciation quirks. Schools teach a standardized form of Irish that combines features of these three dialects.

Vowels

Irish marks long vowels with an accent; short vowels have no accent. Here are the main vowel sounds:

• a as in “bat”

• á as “aw”

• e as in “pet”

• é as in “grey”

• i as in “hit”

• í as in “fee”

• o as in “son”

• ó as in “glow”

• u as in “took”

• ú as in “rule”

Diphthongs and Triphthongs

Diphthongs are two vowels stuck together, and triphthongs are three vowels put together. You use them all the time in English without even thinking about it. Here are some common Irish diphthongs and triphthongs:

• ia as “ee-a”

• ua as “oo-a”

• eu as “ai” as in “air”

• ae as in “cat”

• ao as “oo”

• éo as “yo”

• iu as “yew”

• ái as “awee” or “oy”

• éi as “ayee”

• ói as “oh-ee”

• úi as “oo-ee”

• eá as “ah”

• ío as “ee”

• ai and ea as “ah”

• ei as “eh”

• oi as “uh-ee”

• io and ui as “ih,” as in “ill”

• eo as “uh”

• aí as “ee”

• aoi as “ee”

• eoi as “oh-ih”

• eái as “ah-ih”

• iai as “ee-ah-ee”

• uai as “oo-ih”

• iui as “ew-ih”

Consonants

Irish has many clusters of consonants that have their own idiosyncratic pronunciations:

• bh as “v”

• bhf as “w”

• c as “k”

• ch as a guttural sound, like the “ch” in “Loch Ness”

• d as “d” when followed by a broad vowel, and as “j” when followed by a slender vowel

• dh as “g” when followed by a broad vowel, as “y” when followed by a slender vowel

• mh as “w”

• s as “s” before a broad vowel, as “sh” before a slender vowel or at the end of the word

• t as “t” before a broad vowel, as “ch” before a slender vowel

• th as the “h” in “house”; at the end of a word, either silent or pronounced as the “t” in “hat”