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Table of contents
Irish alphabet
The traditional Irish alphabet consists of 18 letters a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, i, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u. It doesn’t include the letters: j, k, q, v, w, x, y, z although these can be used for loanwords.
Vowels can be accented with a fada like so á, é, í, ó, ú to indicate a long vowel.
Consonnants can be accented with a dot bh, ch, dh, fh, gh, mh, ph, sh, th which means their sound is softened, the equivalent of following the letter with an h in the roman type.
letter | name | tree name | ogham |
Aa | á | ailm (pine) | ᚐ |
Bb | bé | beith (birch) | ᚁ |
Cc | cé | coll (hazel) | ᚉ |
Dd | dé | dair (oak) | ᚇ |
Ee | é | eadhadh (poplar) | ᚓ |
Ff | eif | fearn (alder) | ᚃ |
Gg | gé | gort (ivy) | ᚌ |
Hh | héis | uath (hawthorn) | ᚆ |
Ii | í | iodhadh (yew) | ᚔ |
Jj | jé | ᚔ | |
Kk | cá | ᚔ | |
Ll | eil | luis (rowan) | ᚂ |
Mm | eim | muin (vine) | ᚋ |
Nn | ein | nion (ash) | ᚅ |
Oo | ó | onn (gorse) | ᚑ |
Pp | pé | ifín (gooseberry or thorn) peith (dwarf alder) |
ᚘ ᚚ |
cú | ᚊ | ||
Rr | ear | ruis (elder) | ᚏ |
Ss | eas | sail (willow) | ᚄ |
Tt | té | tinne (holly) | ᚈ |
Uu | ú | úr (heather) | ᚒ |
Vv | vé | ||
Ww | wae | ||
Xx | eacs | ||
Yy | yé | ||
Zz | zae | ᚎ |