l n r

Except for a small group of exceptions, all sonorants have their strong value at the beginning of words.

l sounds

There are 3 different l sounds:

Sound	Position	Example	Gaelic	English
[L]	Initial broad l	[La.ə]	latha	day
		[Lɔx]	loch	loch (lake)
		[Luːb]	lùb	bend!
		[Laːdʲɪrʲ]	làidir	strong
	Broad l and ll elsewhere	[gLan]	glan	clean (adj.)
		[bLaː]	blàth	warm (adj.)
		[baLəx]	balach	boy
		[faLu]	falamh	empty (adj.)
		[kadəL]	cadal	sleep (n.)
		[baLə]	balla	wall (n.)
		[faLaNʲ]	fallain	healthy
		[pɔbəL]	poball	population
[Lʲ]	Initial slender l	[Lʲiən]	lìon	net
		[Lʲeh]	leth	half
		[LʲũːN]	lionn	liquid (n.)
		[Lʲis]	lios	garden
		[Lʲihdʲɪrʲ]	litir	letter (n.)
		[Lʲɛxg]	leac	flagstone
	Slender ll elsewhere	[buLʲə]	buille	hit (n.)
		[kaLʲəx]	cailleach	old woman
		[duLʲag]	duilleag	leaf
		[kaiLʲ]	caill	lose!
		[kɤiLʲ]	coill	forest
		[saiLʲ]	saill	salt!
[l]	Non-initial slender l	[balə]	baile	village
		[kalag]	caileag	girl
		[kulag]	cuileag	fly (n.)
		[ulə]	uile	all
		[elə]	eile	other
		[dulɪç]	duilich	sorry

Note: the preposition le and its prepositional pronouns (leam, leat, leis, leatha, leinn, leibh, leotha) are pronounced as [l], not [Lʲ].

n sounds

There are 3 different n sounds:

Sound	Position	Example	Gaelic	English
[N]	Initial broad n	[Naːbɪ]	nàbaidh	neighbour
		[Nahɪrʲ]	nathair	snake
		[Nɯːv]	naomh	holy
		[Nasg]	nasg	tie-band
		[Nɔxg]	nochd	appear
		[NɔLɪgʲ]	Nollaig	Christmas
	Broad nn	[aNə]	Anna	Ann(e)
		[kʲaNɪç]	ceannaich	buy!
		[bjaNəxg]	beannachd	blessing
		[auN]	ann	in him
		[tʲauN]	teann	tight
		[kʲauN]	ceann	head (n.)
[Nʲ]	Initial slender n	[NʲiəL]	Niall	Neil
		[Nʲi.ə]	nighe	washing
		[Nʲed]	nead	nest (n.)
		[Nʲi]	nigh	wash!
		[Nʲax]	neach	person
		[Nʲihan]	nighean	daughter
	Slender nn	[faːNʲə]	fàinne	ring (n.)
		[baNʲə]	bainne	milk (n.)
		[ʃeiNʲ]	seinn	sing!
		[tʲiNʲə]	tinne	sicker
		[biNʲə]	binne	sweeter
		[kaiNʲdʲ]	cainnt	speech
[n]	Non-initial slender & broad n	[dɔnə]	dona	bad
		[sɔnə]	sona	happy
		[anam]	anam	soul
		[banal]	banail	feminine
		[dʲiənəv]	dèanamh	doing
		[ʃin]	sin	that
		[miːn]	mìn	soft
		[ɛnɛm]	ainm	name (n.)
		[uən]	uain	lamb (n.)
		[kɔn]	coin	dogs

Note: some dialects pronounce non-initial slender n as [Nʲ] (i.e. like slender nn) rather than [n]:

[Nʲ]		[ʃiNʲ]	sin	that
		[miːn]	mìn	soft
		[ɛNʲɛm]	ainm	name (n.)
		[uəNʲ]	uain	lamb (n.)
		[kɔNʲ]	coin	dogs

r sounds

There are 3 different r sounds:

Sound	Position	Example	Gaelic	English
[R]	Initial broad & slender r	[Rɔh]	roth	wheel (n.)
		[Rɔːn]	ròn	seal
		[Rɔb]	Rob	Rob
		[Ruərɪ]	Ruaraidh	Rory
		[RuNag]	rionnag	star
		[Rixg]	riochd	appearance
	Broad & slender rr	[baːR]	barr	top
		[kɔːR]	corr	rest (n.)
		[kɔRəx]	corrach	uneven
		[kaRɛgʲ]	carraig	rock
		[kuRan]	curran	carrot
		[uRə]	urra	individual
[r]	Non-initial broad r	[aran]	aran	bread
		[ɔːran]	òran	song
		[dʲɛrɛg]	dearg	red
		[kur]	cur	putting
		[marav]	marbh	dead
		[kar]	car	twist (n.)
[rʲ]	Non-initial slender r	[arʲə]	aire	attention
		[arʲɪ]	airidh	deserving
		[furʲəx]	fuireach	living, staying
		[kurʲɪ]	cuiridh	will put
		[ɛrʲɛgʲəd]	airgead	money

Note: the preposition ri and its prepositional pronouns (rium, riut, ris, rithe, riutha etc.) are normally pronounced as [rʲ].