Note the pronunciation of this word carefully. Firstly the long vowel, /a:/. Secondly, the final consonant : before a word beginning with a vowel, a /t/ is pronounced as a /d/. So mat eo is pronounced /'ma:dê/, and mat a-walc'h becomes /ma:daw'ax/.

Notice that this softening occurs with other words you have learnt in this lesson :

Mont a ra

Gant an Aotrou

In Breton the consonant /t/ is softened when it liaises with a vowel. We call this a "soft liaison".

The consonant /z/ is never pronounced in ivez : /'ive/. It is also silent in trugarez (except in Léon).

Stress usually falls on the penultimate syllable :

salud

ivez

trugarez

aotrou

However, certain words are stressed on the last syllable:

a-walc'h

demat

Itron

ganin

ganit

ganeoc'h

kenavo