We will review some combinations of sounds this week to improve your knowledge of differences between broad and slender consonants.
Lesson 23 gave you the pronunciation of "c" and "g" in broad and slender form. The slender resembles the initial sound of "king" and "give", while the broad resembles the initial sound of "coat" and "go". Lessons 7 and 29 give you the pronunciation of "r". Review that, and then notice the difference between: crí(kree, which may sound a little like "kdee" to you), and croí, which may sound to you a little like "kuh-REE", with syllables run together.
"Crí" begins with the slender "c" sound, and "croí" with the broad. The slender and broad "r" follow naturally. The "ee" sound at the end is the same for both.
For "g", try: gé(also like "gyay"*), as opposed to gaol (which has a slight resemblance to (gway*l)). The broad "g" in "gaol" introduces a faint (oo) sound after the "g", which may put you in mind of the English "w" in a name like "Gwynn". The lips are not closed in after the "g", however, so that the English "w" sound is not fully developed in Irish words like "gaol". Try "gile" (GIL-e) in contrast to "goile" (with the faint (oo) sound after the "g").
Say "grian" (GREE-uhn), with a slender "g", and then "grá", with a broad "g". In "grá", the tongue tip is rolled for the broad "r".