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]

↑ 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].