Why French Speakers also Slip Sounds Between Vowels in Gaelic

It’s the natural interference between systems.

…and why other languages create their own versions of the same problem

If you’ve ever caught yourself saying something like “tha h-athair” when the text clearly says “tha athair,” don’t panic — you’ve just experienced one of the most universal struggles in Gaelic learning: the instinct to “protect” two vowel sounds by slipping in a linking consonant. Like the 'R' squeezed in by English speakers, this is common among French speakers, and for good reason.

1. Why French Speakers Insert an ‘H’ Between Vowels

French h is famously silent, of course, but your French phonological system is used to:

• smoothing transitions between vowel sounds

• avoiding long open vowel–vowel sequences

• inserting a tiny “glide” sound for comfort
  

Because French doesn’t like two vowels meeting each other head-on, the mouth instinctively reaches for a buffer. And since the French “h” is conceptually there — but not pronounced — your system sometimes interprets it as the perfect little separator.

So in Gaelic, where vowel–vowel contact is completely normal and not separated by a consonant, the French-speaking brain says:“Ehhh… no thank you, let’s put something in there.”

And out pops an intrusive h.

Example of what Gaelic learners often produce:

tha e ann → tha h-e h-ann

None of these contain an actual Gaelic h, but your pronunciation habits try to rescue the vowels anyway.

2. The Truth: This Isn’t a Mistake — It’s a Sound Survival Mechanism

Humans hate chaos between vowels. Languages solve this problem differently:

• French uses glides or silent letters that imply separation

• English creates intrusive r, y, w

• German clips or hardens vowels

• Spanish runs vowels together smoothly but relies heavily on rhythm

• Gaelic… doesn’t protect the vowels at all, and simply lets them collide

So when you add an h in Gaelic, you’re not doing something “wrong.” You're doing something very human.

3. Different Languages = Different Linking “Mistakes” in Gaelic

This is where it gets fascinating — the same issue appears worldwide, but the shape of the mistake changes depending on the learner’s mother tongue.

English Speakers: The Intrusive R Monster

English routinely inserts an /r/ between vowels, especially among non-rhotic accents:

• “the idea(r) of…”

• “I saw(r) a film”

So English learners often say things like:

• Cuiridh athair → cuiridh r-athair

• tha e ann → tha r-e r-ann
  

Their mouth is just following English linking habits.

French Speakers: The Phantom H

We’ve covered this one — the French system hates vowel clusters and sometimes reaches for an h, even though French “h” is silent.

German Speakers: Vowel Hardening

German speakers typically:

• over-pronounce both vowels

• separate them too strongly

• or add a slight glottal stop (a mini throat-click)
  

So tha e ann can become:

• tha [ʔ]e ann (with a glottal stop)

• or tha eh ann (an overly articulated “eh”)
  

Spanish Speakers: Rhythm Overload

Spanish learners can:

• speed up vowel transitions

• flatten distinctions

• or make Gaelic diphthongs too smooth

So vowels get blended in the wrong way rather than separated.

4. Gaelic’s Rule: Let the Vowels Touch — Don’t Rescue Them

Gaelic doesn’t mind vowel collisions. In fact, vowel-to-vowel contact happens constantly. There is no linking consonant, no hidden separator, no buffer.

It’s just vowel → vowel. Gaelic is completely comfortable with it — but you might not be (yet).

5. How to Break the Habit: A Simple Training Trick

Step 1 — Slow it right down. Say:tha… e… ann…with full vowel contact.

Step 2 — Shorten the gap.Bring the vowels closer until they touch.

Step 3 — Keep your mouth relaxed.The intrusive consonant only appears when tension sneaks in.

Step 4 — Repeat short phrases daily until the vowel-to-vowel link feels natural.

Consistency is the cure.

6. The Bigger Picture: This Is Not About Gaelic — It’s About Communication Behaviour

This vowel-linking problem shows us something deeper: Every learner brings an entire communication system into the new language. The “h” or “r” or glottal stop is not a pronunciation error. It is your first language trying to help. Gaelic simply has different rules. Once you understand that, there’s no guilt — only awareness, adjustment, and growth.

Final Thought

Whether you're French slipping in an h, English adding an r, or German bringing the glottal stop, the issue isn’t you — it’s the natural interference between systems.

Gaelic requires:

• relaxed vowels

• collision without panic

• trust in the new rhythm
  

And once you get there… your speech will feel smoother, clearer, and surprisingly easier.