# Irish: máthair



## Whodunit

Hello, 

I'd like to know how one would pronounce the Irish word _máthair_. I can read IPA, so this will be fine. 

I got some problems with the vowels, so I'm not quite sure about the diphthong (if it is one) _ai_. Is there just one pronunciation or are there several possibilities?

Thanks in advance.


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## Jocaste

Hi Whodunit ^^
I am quite sure there is no diphthong so I would pronounce _máthair_ [*mɑ**:r'*].
Hope it helps


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## Brioche

Whodunit said:


> Hello,
> 
> I'd like to know how one would pronounce the Irish word _máthair_. I can read IPA, so this will be fine.
> 
> I got some problems with the vowels, so I'm not quite sure about the diphthong (if it is one) _ai_. Is there just one pronunciation or are there several possibilities?
> 
> Thanks in advance.



My dictionary says /ma:hir'/ = mother.
The á is the same as in tá,

There is no diphthong.  The a in ai is just to balance the other a, following the principle of "broad with broad".


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## Outsider

There is no diphthong, as others have said. The letter "i" just indicates the palatalization of the consonant which follows it. The digraph "th" is pronounced as an "h", and "á" is a long vowel. So, something like "mahar".


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## Whodunit

All right, your responses have been very helpful. 

I will use [ma:həɾʲ] for the transcription in the IPA.


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## bb3ca201

The pronounciation given is the most widespread.  However, there are some dialects where the "th" is ignored completely, giving "maar"


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