HeyRuaHow to say “phoneme” in Irish
- Irish:
- fóinéim
- English:
- phoneme
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- feminine
- Pronunciation:
- “FOH-nyaym” /ˈfoːnʲeːmʲ/
- Plural:
- fóinéimí (phonemes)
- Genitive singular:
- fóinéime, na fóinéime (e.g. fuaimniú na fóinéime, the pronunciation of the phoneme)
- Genitive plural:
- fóinéimí, na bhfóinéimí (e.g. fardal na bhfóinéimí, the phoneme inventory)
What does “fóinéim” mean?
- phoneme
- The smallest unit of sound in a language that can distinguish one word from another.Also: speech sound, sound unit.
“Fóinéim” with the article
The plural of phoneme in Irish is fóinéimí. Here is fóinéim after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
“Fóinéim” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using fóinéim, the Irish word for phoneme.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Phoneme in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for phoneme?
The Irish for phoneme is fóinéim (pronounced “FOH-nyaym”). It’s a feminine noun and the plural is fóinéimí.
How do you pronounce fóinéim in Irish?
Fóinéim is said like “FOH-nyaym” (IPA /ˈfoːnʲeːmʲ/).
What is the plural of phoneme in Irish?
The plural of fóinéim is fóinéimí; with the article, na fóinéimí means “the phonemes”. The genitive plural is fóinéimí, as in fardal na bhfóinéimí (the phoneme inventory).
Why does fóinéim change to fhóinéim or bhfóinéim?
Irish changes the start of some words after certain words. After mo (my) fóinéim becomes m'fhóinéim (lenition), and after ár (our) or i (in) it becomes ár bhfóinéim (eclipsis).
What is the difference between 'fóinéim' and 'fuaim'?
'Fuaim' is any sound, while 'fóinéim' is a technical linguistic term for a sound unit that distinguishes meaning in a language.
