HeyRuaHow to say “semivowel” in Irish
- Irish:
- leathghuta
- English:
- semivowel
- Word type:
- noun
- Gender:
- masculine
- Pronunciation:
- “LAH-ghoo-tuh” /ˈlʲahˌɣut̪ˠə/
Various forms
- Plural:
- leathghutaí (semivowels)
- Genitive singular:
- leathghuta, an leathghuta (e.g. fuaim an leathghuta, the sound of the semivowel)
- Genitive plural:
- leathghutaí, na leathghutaí (e.g. fuaimniú na leathghutaí, the pronunciation of the semivowels)
What does “leathghuta” mean?
- semivowel
- A speech sound such as w or y in English that is between a vowel and a consonant.Also: semi-vowel, glide.
“Leathghuta” with the article
The plural of semivowel in Irish is leathghutaí. Here is leathghuta after the article (an t-alt), in the singular and the plural.
an leathghuta
the semivowel
No change after an
na leathghutaí
the semivowels
Plural: no change after na
“Leathghuta” in a sentence: Irish examples
Common Irish sentences using leathghuta, the Irish word for semivowel.
Is leathghuta í an fhuaim sin.
That sound is a semivowel.
Mhínigh an múinteoir cad is leathghuta ann.
The teacher explained what a semivowel is.
Tá dhá leathghuta sa Bhéarla, w agus y.
English has two semivowels, w and y.
Ní fuaim ghlan í fuaim an leathghuta.
The sound of the semivowel is not a pure sound.
Déantar staidéar ar leathghutaí sa chúrsa foghraíochta.
Semivowels are studied in the phonetics course.
Tá leathghuta i dtús an fhocail sin.
There is a semivowel at the start of that word.
Scríobh mé nóta faoin leathghuta sa leabhar.
I wrote a note about the semivowel in the book.
Other nouns in Irish
More everyday Irish nouns to learn next.
Semivowel in Irish: frequently asked questions
What is the Irish for semivowel?
The Irish for semivowel is leathghuta (pronounced “LAH-ghoo-tuh”). It’s a masculine noun and the plural is leathghutaí.
How do you pronounce leathghuta in Irish?
Leathghuta is said like “LAH-ghoo-tuh” (IPA /ˈlʲahˌɣut̪ˠə/).
What is the plural of semivowel in Irish?
The plural of leathghuta is leathghutaí; with the article, na leathghutaí means “the semivowels”. The genitive plural is leathghutaí, as in fuaimniú na leathghutaí (the pronunciation of the semivowels).
How is 'leathghuta' formed?
It combines 'leath' (half) with 'guta' (vowel), so it literally means 'half-vowel', with lenition of g after leath.
