IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)

IPA examples listen to the British and American pronunciation

/ʌ/ cup, luck Amer

/ɑ:/ arm, father Amer / Brit

/æ/ cat, black Amer

/e/ met, bed Amer

/ə / away, cinema Amer

/ɜ:ʳ/ turn, learn Amer / Brit

/ɪ / hit, sitting Amer

/i:/ see, heat Amer

/ɒ/ hot, rock Amer / Brit

/ɔ:/ call, four Amer / Brit

/ʊ/ put, could Amer

/u:/ blue, food Amer

/aɪ/ five, eye Amer

/aʊ/ now, out Amer

/eɪ/ say, eight Amer

/oʊ/ go, home Amer

/ɔɪ/ boy, join Amer

/eəʳ/ where, air Amer / Brit

/ɪəʳ/ near, here Amer / Brit

/ʊəʳ/ pure, tourist Amer / Brit

IPA Phonics

PLOSIVES

Made by completely blocking the air in the mouth followed by an explosion of air

/p/ park stop

/b/ best lob

/t/ time might

/d/ done paid

/k/ cart lake

/g/ guide flag

FRICATIVES

Made by pushing the air through a gap in the mouth, creating a friction sound

/f/ fine knife

/v/ van leave

/θ/ think path

/ð/ those bathe

/s/ sort pass

/z/ zone cheese

/ʃ/ ship marsh

/ʒ/ measure

AFRICATES

Resulting from the plosive sound followed by a fricative sound

/tʃ/ chart itch

/dʒ/ giant page

NASALS

Made partly through the nose

/m/ main lime

/n/ no rain

/ŋ/ - sing

GLIDE/APROXIMANT

Imbetween a vowel and a consonant, as the air is not fully blocked

/w/ wall /r/ right /j/ yes

GLOTAL

Produced in the glottis

/h/ hat

   

 

1. A vowel sound shapes the flow of air in the mouth.

2. In spoken English there are 19 vowel sounds (shown below):

3. Sounds 1 - 12 are monothongs: they require one mouth position.

4. Sounds 13 - 19 are diphthongs: they require two mouth positions.

5. Sounds /ɒʊ/ and /ʊə/ are common regional variations.

6. Sounds with / : / are long.