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 broad ll and l	[La.ə]	latha	day

Download gloraich01 ɫ̪ Initial broad l latha, loch, lùb, làidir, glan, blàth

 	Broad ll and l 	balach, falamh, cadal, balla, fallain, poball

ʎ Initial slender l lìon, leth, lionn, lios, litir, leac

 	Slender ll 	buille, cailleach, duilleag, caill, coill, saill

l (non-initial) slender l baile, caileag, cuileag, uile, eile, duilich

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

Download gloraich02 n̴̪ Initial broad n nàbaidh, nathair, naomh, nasg, nochd, Nollaig

 	Broad nn 	Anna, ceannaich, beannachd, ann, teann, ceann

ɲ Initial slender n Niall, nighe, nead, nigh, neach, nighean

 	Slender nn 	fàinne, bainne, seinn, tinne, binne, cainnt

n Slender and broad n dona, sona, anam, banail, déanamh

 	(non initial) 	sin, mìn, ainm, uain, coin

Note: some dialects pronounce non-initial slender n as /ɲ/ (i.e. as slender nn) rather than n, e.g.

  sin, mìn, ainm, uain, coin

Download gloraich03 r̴ Initial broad and slender r roth, ròn, Rob, Ruaraidh, rionnag, riochd

 	Broad (and slender) rr 	bàrr, còrr, corrach, carraig, curran, urra

ɾ (non-initial) broad r aran, òran, dearg, cur, marbh, car ɾʲ (non-initial) slender r aire, airidh, fuireach, cuiridh, airgead

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