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| Dictionaries and
grammars |
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Brezhoneg
Introduction to the Breton
Language Course
A bep seurt
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As well as the preceding rules, you need to know how
written Breton is pronounced.
Vowels
| Breton spelling |
Pronunciation |
| añ (and añv in final position) |
is pronounced /ã/ |
| oñ (and oñv in final position) |
is pronounced /õ/ |
| eñ (and eñv in final position) |
is pronounced as en in
French chien |
| iñ (and iñv in final position) |
/i/ nasalised |
| uñ (and uñv in final position) |
/ü/ nasalised, as
in French brun with slightly
pursed lips |
| u |
is pronounced /y/ |
| e |
is pronounced /e/ |
| ê |
is pronounced /ê/ |
| eu |
is pronounced /ö/
or /Ö/ |
| ou |
is pronounced /u/ |
| où |
is pronounced /u/,
/o/ or /öw/ similar to ow in English
low |
| an |
is pronounced with the consonant i.e. an+n :
/ãn/ |
| on |
is pronounced with the consonant i.e. on+n :
/õn/ |
| eo |
is either pronounced as a dipthong (two vowels
following each other) /eo/ or as /ê/ |
| ao |
is either pronounced as a dipthong /ao/ or as /o/ |
| ae |
is either pronounced as a dipthong /ae/ or as /ê/ |
Other vowels are pronounced as they are written.
Consonants
| Breton Spelling |
Pronunciation |
| ilh |
is pronounced ee + y /ij/ |
| zh |
is pronounced /z/
except in the region around Vannes where it is
pronounced /h/ or
/x/ |
| gn |
is pronounced n + y /nj/ |
| ch |
is pronounced as in machine |
| j |
is pronounced like s in treasure |
| c'h |
is pronounced /x/ |
| y |
is pronounced as in English at the beginning of a
word. |
| v |
is pronounced /v/
within a word, /o/ and
/f/ at the end of a
noun after a consonant, /w/ at the end of a verb root, and
elsewhere as a consonant. |
Other consonants are pronounced as they are written
within words.
For final consonants and words linked in the sentence,
see the notes above.
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| Introduction to the Breton Language
Course |
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