H is never used as an independent radical letter. When prefixed to a word beginning with a vowel, it is pronounced like h in _how_; as, na h-òighean _the virgins_, na h-oidhche _of the night_.
The following scheme exhibits a succinct view of the letters, both singly and in their several combinations. The first column contains the letters whose sound is to be exhibited; the prefixed figures marking the number of different sounds denoted by the same letter. The second column explains the sounds by examples or by references. The third column contains Gaelic words, with their translation, in which the several sounds are exemplified.
1 a { long far star àr _slaughter_, àth _a ford_. { short that ar _to plow_, abuîch _ripe_.
2 a { long adhradh _worship_, adhbhar _reason_. { short adharc _a horn_, adhart _a bolster_.
3 a short similar ma _if_, an _the_, a _his, her_.
1 e { long there è sè _he_, gnè _sort, kind_. { short met le _with_, leth _half_.
2 e long an dé _yesterday_, cé _the earth_.
3 e short mother duine _a man_, briste _broken_.
1 i see { mìn _smooth_, righ _a king_. { min _meal_, crith _a shaking_.
1 o { long more mòr _great_, lòn _food_. { short hot mo _my_, do _thy_, lon _the ouzle_.
2 o { long } old lom _bare_, toll _a hole_. { short} lomadh _making bare_.
3 o { long } (2) a roghnuich _to choose_. { short} roghuinn _choice_. { 20}
1 u { long } fool { ùr _fresh_, sùgh _juice_. { short} { ubh _an egg_, tur _quite_.
1 ae (1) a (2) e laeth _days_. 1 ai (1) a (1) i fàidh _a prophet_, claidheamh _a sword_. 2 ai (2) a (1) i saidhbhir, _rich_. 3 ai (1) a fàisg _squeeze_, tais _soft_. 4 ai (2) a airm _arms_, gairm _to call_. 1 ao (2) a faobhar _edge_ of an instrument. 1 ea (2) e (1) a beann _a pinnacle_, meal _enjoy_. 2 ea (1) e dean _to do, make_, bean _a woman_. 3 ea (2) e easlan _sick_, fead _whistle_. 4 ea (1) a ceard _an artificer_, geal _white_. 5 ea (3) a coireach _faulty_. 1 ei (1) e (1) i sgèimh _beauty_, meidh _a balance_. 2 ei (2) e (1) i feidh _deer_, greigh _a herd_. 3 ei (1) e mèise _of a plate_. 4 ei (2) e éigin _necessity_, eich _horses_. 1 eo (2) e (1) o beo _alive_, beothail _lively_. 2 eo (1) o leomhann _a lion_, deoch _a drink_. 1 eu (2) e teum _to bite_, gleus _trim_. 1 ia (1) i (1) a fial _liberal_, fiar _oblique_. 2 ia (1) i (2) a fiadh _a deer_, biadh _food_. 1 io (1) i (3) o diol _to pay_, iolach _a spout_. 2 io (1) i iodhol _an idol_, crios _a girdle_. 3 io fun cionta _guilt_. 1 iu (1) i u fiù _worth_, iuchair _a key_. 2 iu u diù _refuse_, tiugh _thick_. 1 oi (1) o (1) i òigh _a virgin_, troidh _a foot_. 2 oi (3) o (1) i oidhche _night_. 3 oi (1) o mòid _more_, toic _wealth_. 4 oi (2) o fòid _a turf_, fois _rest_. 5 oi (3) o coileach _a cock_, goirid _short_. 1 ua u (1) a cuan _the sea_, fuath _hatred_. 2 ua u (2) a tuadh _a hatchet_, sluagh _people_. { 21} 1 ui u (1) i sùigheah _a raspberry_, buidheann _a company_. 2 ui u dùil _expectation_, fuil _blood_.