Pronunciation review

The letter "r" is pronounced with two principal sounds in Irish, and both sounds differ from the American pronunciation. If the "r" begins a word and is followed by an "a, o, u", roll the sound by placing the tongue tip near enough to the hard ridge behind the upper front teeth to make the tongue vibrate as you say the "r". Examples: rás, ramhar (ROU-wuhr), raca (RAHK-uh), ród, roc (rohk), rún (roon), rud (ruhd).

Give "r" the same sound when it begins a word and is followed by "e, i", as in: réim (ray*m), reilig (REL-ig), rí(ree), riamh (reev), rith (ri).

The broad "r" sound inside a word or at the end, and near "a, o, u", is not as likely to be rolled. It often resembles the American pronunciation. A double "r" near "a, o, u", is rolled, however, as in: barr (bahr), cearr (kyahr), carraig (KAHR-rig), bearraim (BYAHR-rim), borradh (BOHR-ruh).

Next to an "e, i" inside or at the end of a word, the "r" gets its slender sound. This is perhaps the most difficult Irish sound for Americans. Place the tongue tip near the top of your upper front teeth and form a shallow pocket in the tongue front. Then pronounce "r". The air should blow downwards toward the lower lip as you drop the tongue. Try: fir (fir), beirim (BER-im), litir, féir (fay*r), Máire (MAW*-re), creid (kred), Bríd (breed). Compare "féar" with "féir". The former word has an "r" like the American "r" at its end.

The slender "r" faintly resembles a "d" or "zh" sound in English. In parts of Ireland, a word like "Máire" may sound like (MAW*-zhe).

Slender "r" after a consonant sometimes seems to add a syllable, as in: breá(bir-RAW*).

In Irish, "r" is pronounced in the front of the mouth, never in the back with a guttural rolling as in some other European languages.

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