PhoneticSymbols

Phonetic Symbols - Pronounciation

These phonetic symbols are used in almost every dictionary and most English language books, so knowing how to use them is very helpful!

These symbols are used in almost every dictionary and most English language books. The phonetic symbols in the list below (for example tʃ ) relate to the letters or sounds highlighted in red (for example tʃ = cheap) So, tʃ is used to show the 'ch..' sound. These will take time to learn, so practice by writing lists of words which use the symbols.

Phonetic Symbols : Consonants

p put, pull, stop, apple

b bit, big, about, beer

t top, tree, stop, ten

m men, make, money, my, mine

v very, vote, observer, five

ɡ green, girl, get, go

dʒ German, jeep, joke, joy, lounge,

tʃ cheap, teacher, chair, choice

k cut, walk, dark, cup, coffee

n nine, green, night, Sunday

ŋ sing, english, ring, thanks

f fat, five, find, four, food, fish

θ thin, earth, thigh, throw, think

ð then, there, they, these, this

d door, the foo tha I like, dog, said

s seven, six, see, stay, stand

z zoo, noise, president, prize

ʃ she, shoe, fish, sure, shave

ʒ measure, pleasure, casual, treasure

h heaven, help, have, hand

w we, wine, wednesday, woman, women

r run, right, tree, remember

j yes, year, yellow

l left, long, like, pull, love

Phonetic Symbols : Vowels

ɪ bit, sit, fish

iː beat, feed, seed, need, please, sheet

ʊ good, wood, could, should

uː food, shoe, two, you

e dress, bed, head, many

ə about, common, standard

ɜː bird, third, word (sometimes transcribed əː )

ʌ cup, money, love, blood

æ bat, had, lamb, apple (sometimes transcribed a)

ɒ hot, top, stop, want

ɔː bought, board, door, four

ɑː father, card, hard, dark, heart

eɪ say, way, stay

ɔɪ boy, toy, joy, noise

əʊ toe, show, know, grow

aɪ buy, try, my, eye (sometimes transcribed ʌɪ )

ɪə year, beer, ear

ɛə bear, air, share (sometimes transcribed ɛː )

aʊ cow, vow, out