1. Front vowels

• Made by raising the front part of the tongue towards the top of your mouth

see (i) sit end cat

2. Back vowels

• Made by raising the back of the tongue towards the top of the mouth, usually with some lip rounding

fool (u) full fall () follow part

3. Central vowels

• Made by raising the central part of the tongue

( ) earth about (only in unstressed syllable) sun

7. Consonants with their usual sound

• p• b• t• d• k• g (as in got)• f• v• w

• s• z• h• m• n• l• r

8. Special Consonant Symbols

ship vision cheap jeep

thin this sing yes

/i:/

• sti:m

/i:/

• sti:m• li:v

• steam

/i:/

• sti:m• li:v • ri:d

• steam• leave

/i:/

• sti:m• li:v • ri:d • scri:m

• steam• leave• read

/i:/

• sti:m• li:v • ri:d • scri:m

• steam• leave• read• scream

//

• wmn

//

• ` wmn • gv

• women

//

• wmn • gv • stl

• women• give

//

• wmn • gv • stl • trk

• women• give• still

//

• wmn • gv • stl • trk • lt

• women• give• still• trick

//

• wmn • gv • stl • trk • lt

• women• give• still• trick• lit

/e/

• red

/e/

• red • hed

• read (pres. tense)/red

/e/

• red • hed ed

• read (pres. tense)/red• head

/e/

• red • hed ed • bred

• read (pres. tense)/red• head• shed

/e/

• red • hed ed • bred • nek

• read (pres. tense)/red• head• shed• bread

/e/

• red • hed • bred • nek

• read (pres. tense)/red• head• shed• bread• neck

• kæt

• kæt• læmp

• cat

• kæt • læmp• bæk

• cat• lamp

• kæt • læmp• bæk • bænd

• cat• lamp• back

• kæt • læmp• bæk • bænd • sæd

• cat• lamp• back• band

• kæt • læmp• bæk • bænd • sæd

• cat• lamp• back• band• sad

/u:/

• tu:l

/u:/

• tu:l• spu:n

• tool

/u:/

• tu:l• spu:n• ru:d

• tool• spoon

/u:/

• tu:l• spu:n• ru:d • nju:

• tool• spoon• rude

/u:/

• tu:l• spu:n• ru:d • nju: • flu:

• tool• spoon• rude• new

/u:/

• tu:l• spu:n• ru:d • nju: • flu:

• tool• spoon• rude• new• flew

//

d

//

d std

• should

//

d std kd

• should• stood

//

d std kd ft

• should• stood• could

//

d std kd ft tk

• should• stood• could• foot

//

d std kd ft tk

• should• stood• could• foot• took

/:/

:(r)

/:/

:(r) l:

• shore

/:/

:(r) l: f:t

• shore• law

/:/

:(r) l: f:t t:t

• shore• law• fought

/:/

:(r) l: f:t t:t

• shore• law• fought• taught

/:/

:(r) l: f:t t:t b:t

• shore• law• fought• taught

/:/

:(r) l: f:t t:t b:t

• shore• law• fought• taught• bought

//

• gt

//

• gt • rt

• got

//

• gt • rt • str

• got• rot

//

• gt • rt • str• blk

• got• rot• strong

//

• gt • rt • str• blk d

• got• rot• strong• block

//

• gt • rt • str• blk d

• got• rot• strong• block• odd

/:/

• st:(r)

/:/

• st:(r) • p:st

• star

/:/

• st:(r) • p:st:sk

• star• past

/:/

• st:(r) • p:st:sk

st:f

• star• past• ask

/:/

• st:(r) • p:st:sk

st:f p:k

• star• past• ask• staff

/:/

• st:(r) • p:st:sk

st:f p:k

• star• past• ask• staff• park

/:/

• θ:d

/:/

• θ:d :n

• third

/:/

• θ:d :n • l:n

• third• earn

/:/

• θ:d :n • l:n • h:d

• third• earn• learn

/:/

• θ:d :n • l:n • h:d :t

• third• earn• learn• heard

/:/

• θ:d :n • l:n • h:d :t

• third• earn• learn• heard• shirt

//

t

//

t n

• shut

//

t fnst

• shut• fun

//

t fnst

v

• shut• fun• stung

//

t fnst

v`lndn

• shut• fun• stung• shove

//

t fnst

vlndn

• shut• fun• stung• shove• London

//

bet (r )

//

bet (r ) tæk

• better

//

bet (r ) tæk tempt

• better• attack

//

bet (r ) tæk tempt r:(r)

• better• attack• attempt

//

bet (r ) tæk tempt r:(r) sm(r)

• better• attack• attempt• rather

//

bet (r ) tæk tempt r:(r) sm(r)

• better• attack• attempt• rather• summer

/z/

• ni:z

/z/

• ni:z• hz

• knees

/z/

• ni:z• hz zi:br

• knees• has

/z/

• ni:z• hz zi:br• bri:z

• knees• has• zebra

/z/

• ni:z• hz zi:br• bri:z • v:z

• knees• has• zebra• breeze

/z/

• ni:z• hz • zi:br• bri:z • v:z

• knees• has• zebra• breeze• vase

/s/

• ms

/s/

• ms s:kl

• miss

/s/

• ms • s:kl• s:

• miss• circle

/s/

• ms • s:kl• s: • sti:l

• miss• circle• saw

/s/

• ms • s:kl• s: • sti:l • ls

• miss• circle• saw /sore• steal/steel

/s/

• ms • s:kl• s: • sti:l • ls

• miss• circle• saw /sore• steal/steel• loss

/θ/

• θ:t

/θ/

• θ:t • b:θ

• thought

/θ/

• θ:t • b:θ• θk

• thought• bath

/θ/

• θ:t • b:θ• θk • θ:st

• thought• bath• thick

/θ/

• θ:t • b:θ• θk • θ:st • θ

• thought• bath• thick• thirst

/θ/

• θ:t • b:θ• θk • θ:st • θ

• thought• bath• thick• thirst• thing

//

en

//

en w

• then

//

en w em

• then• with

//

en w em s

• then• with• them

//

en w em s æt

• then• with• then• thus

//

en w em s æt

• then• with• then• thus• that

/j/

• jes

/j/

• jes• ju:

• yes

/j/

• jes• ju: • ju:θ

• yes• you

/j/

• jes• ju: • ju:θ • jt

• yes• you• youth

/j/

• jes• ju: • ju:θ • jt • j:d

• yes• you• youth• yacht

/j/

• jes• ju: • ju:θ • jt • j:d

• yes• you• youth• yacht• yard

//

• θ

//

• θ f

• thing

//

• θ f• br

• thing• finger

//

• θ f• br• r

• thing• finger• bring

//

• θ f• br• r• ræ

• thing• finger• bring• wrong

//

• θ f• br• r• ræ

• thing• finger• bring• wrong• rang

//

:t

//

:t g(r)

• shirt

//

:t g(r) r

• shirt• sugar

//

:t g(r) r f

• shirt• sugar• rush

//

:t g(r) r f k

• shirt• sugar• rush• fish

//

:t g(r) r f k

• shirt• sugar• rush• fish• shock

//

• rvn

//

• rvn me(r)

• revision

//

• rvn me(r) tre(r)

• revision• measure

//

• rvn me(r) tre(r) ple(r)

• revision• measure• treasure

//

• rvn me(r) tre(r) ple(r)

• revision• measure• treasure• pleasure

/t/

• ti:z

/t/

• ti:z• wt

• cheese

/t/

• ti:z• wt • stt

• cheese• watch

/t/

• ti:z• wt • stt• tu:z

• cheese• watch• stitch

/t/

• ti:z• wt • stt• tu:z• t:k

• cheese• watch• stitch• choose

/t/

• ti:z• wt • stt• tu:z• t:k

• cheese• watch• stitch• choose• chalk

/d/

• dæm

/d/

• dæm• d:d

• jam

/d/

• dæm• d:d • dd

• Jam• George

/d/

• dæm• d:d • dd• rd

• jam• George• judge

/d/

• dæm• d:d • dd• rd d

• jam• George• judge• ridge

/d/

• dæm• d:d • dd• rd d

• jam• George• judge• ridge• jelly

DIPHTHONGS

A diphthong is a sound produced when the mouth moves from the position for one vowel into the

position for another vowel

/e

The tongue moves from the position for /e/ to the position for /

/a

The tongue moves from the position for /æ/ to the position for /

/

The tongue moves from the position for /:/ to the position for /

Which sounds do these words contain?

oyster plain sign reign avoid strange coin coy try stay joy why

boil annoy main sky neighbour mine

/e/plain reign

strange stay main

neighbour

/a/signtry

whyskynine

//avoidoystercoincoyjoyboil

annoy

I’d die for a nice slice of pie

The rain in Spain stays mainly on the plain

A noisy noise annoys an oyster