Gaeilge · Read any word aloud

The Whole
Sound System.

Irish spelling is regular — the letters honestly tell you the sound. The entire language turns on one switch: every consonant is either broad or slender. Learn that, plus four short rules, and you can pronounce words you've never seen.

Broad — dark, heavy Slender — soft, y-tinged Fada — long vowel
The Switch · which vowel touches the consonant?
Broad / Leathan
a o u

Consonant goes dark & heavy — pulled to the back of the mouth. The "default" sound.

Slender / Caol
e i

Consonant goes soft, with a hidden y-glide — tongue pushed to the front.

1 The Fada a stroke = long + a different word
á
aw
tá · law
é
ay
mé · say
í
ee
tí · see
ó
oh
bó · go
ú
oo
tú · moon
Memory hookChant the long vowels in order: "aw — ay — ee — oh — oo." And never skip the stroke: sean = old, but Seán = John.
2 The 3 Shapeshifters next to e or i, these flip
s
↓
sh
sí → shee
d
↓
j
Dia → jee-a
t
↓
ch
tí → chee
Memory hookThe three slender examples rhyme: shee · jee · chee. So when S, D, T sit beside e/i, they soften to SH, J, CH. (Munster keeps d/t closer to "dy/ty".)
3 Add an "h" → Lenition softens or silences the letter
fh
completely silent — it vanishes · fhios → "iss"
sh · th
both become a plain "h" · thú → "hoo", shin → "hin"
bh · mh
"w" when broad, "v" when slender · bhád → "wawd", mhír → "veer"
ph
becomes "f" · pháiste → "fawsh-cheh"
ch
throaty "kh" — as in loch · chonaic → "khun-ik"
dh · gh
"y" when slender; soft gargle or silent when broad · often just lengthens the vowel
Memory hookFH dies. SH/TH turn to breath ("h"). BH/MH are the v/w twins. PH=f, CH=loch. That's the lot.
4 Eclipsis a new letter barges in front
mb
m
gc
g
nd
n
bhf
w/v
ng
ng
bp
b
dt
d
Memory hookSay the first letter, mute the second. The newcomer "eclipses" the original — i mBaile → "im WAL-yeh", i gContae → "ig UN-tay".

Now read these cold.

You already have every rule you need. Build each word from the pieces.

Gaeilge
ae = "ay" · slender lg = "ly-g" · final e = "uh"
GAYL-geh
the Irish language
Sláinte
sl + á("aw") · slender t → "ch" · e = "uh"
SLAWN-cheh
cheers / health
Samhradh
amh = "ow" · dh = silent · adh = "uh"
SOW-ruh
summer
01
The Switch
a/o/u = dark · e/i = soft (y-tinge)
02
The Fada
stroke = long vowel, new meaning
03
Shapeshifters
slender s·d·t → sh·j·ch
04
Add h
fh gone · sh/th=h · bh/mh=v/w
05
Eclipsis
say the first, mute the second