An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Elementary course of Gaelic

3
*P, is like p in English.
Ph, is like / in English.
*C, is always hard ; before a, o, u, it has the sound of c
in can ; after a, o, u, it has the same sound in a few districts ;
as, cnoc, like cfi in lock ; but more generally the sound of
chk ; before e, i, like c in came.
Ch, preceded or followed by a, o, u, has a guttural sound
like ch in loch ; in contact with e, i, it has a more slender
sound, like ch in German word ich.
Chd, has the sound of chk ; as, luchd, pronounced luchk.
G, has a flatter sound than c, before and after a, o, u,
it is like g in got; in contact with e, i, it sounds nearly like
g in get. In all these positions, firmer than English g.
Gh, is flatter than ch ; before and after e, i, it has the
sound of y in English ; in contact with a, o, u, it has a
broader sound. In the middle and end of certain words
it is silent.
*T, has a flatter sound than t in English ; when preceded
or followed by a, o, u, the position of the tongue is like th
in than, and is produced by putting the tongue flatly against
the upper teeth; in contact with e, i, it has the sound of
ch in chin.
Th, beginning a word has the sound of h ; silent in the
pronoun thu, and in certain tenses of irregular verbs when
preceded by d\ In the middle of some words it has a slight
aspiration, in others it is silent.
D, is the flat sound of t; in the same position it has
almost the same sound as t, but softer.
* After short a, o, u, i, the letters p, c, t, take an explosive breathing
before them :—as mac = maAc : soc = soAc: muc=mu/tc : lic = liAc
= licAk, with ch as in German ich.