Difference between revisions of "Sounds of English"
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</ul> | </ul> | ||
− | <span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">e</b>/</span> | + | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">e</b>/</span></h3> |
<p>The precise realisation of this form varies. In South Africa the sound is closer to /e/, while in the US it is closer to /ɛ/. (<i>f<u>ê</u>te, b<u>ê</u>te, l<u>ait</u>, <u>ai</u>me pouv<u>aient</u></i>). Since the distinction is not considered phonemic (since the long "A" sound is realized as the diphthong /eɪ/), the standard transcription is /e/ though the sound is closer to /ɛ/ than /e/ (<i>f<u>ée</u>, pourr<u>ai</u>, pouv<u>ez</u>, aim<u>er</u></i>.) </p> | <p>The precise realisation of this form varies. In South Africa the sound is closer to /e/, while in the US it is closer to /ɛ/. (<i>f<u>ê</u>te, b<u>ê</u>te, l<u>ait</u>, <u>ai</u>me pouv<u>aient</u></i>). Since the distinction is not considered phonemic (since the long "A" sound is realized as the diphthong /eɪ/), the standard transcription is /e/ though the sound is closer to /ɛ/ than /e/ (<i>f<u>ée</u>, pourr<u>ai</u>, pouv<u>ez</u>, aim<u>er</u></i>.) </p> | ||
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− | <span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">ə</b>/</span> | + | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">ə</b>/</span></h3> |
*<b style="color:maroon;">The most common vowel sound in English</b> (also the most central vowel) (quite lax) uh... (French "euh" is very similar, but with rounded lips) | *<b style="color:maroon;">The most common vowel sound in English</b> (also the most central vowel) (quite lax) uh... (French "euh" is very similar, but with rounded lips) | ||
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<sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup> Most commonly the first schwa is dropped entirely. <span style="color:darkgreen;">ˈkʌmf təbl</span> / <span style="color:darkgreen;">'kʌm fə təbl</span> | <sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup> Most commonly the first schwa is dropped entirely. <span style="color:darkgreen;">ˈkʌmf təbl</span> / <span style="color:darkgreen;">'kʌm fə təbl</span> | ||
− | <span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">æ</b>/</span> | + | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">æ</b>/</span></h3> |
− | <ul> | + | |
− | <li>b<u>a</u>d, f<u>a</u>ster, f<u>a</u>stest, th<u>a</u>t <sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup></li> | + | <ul> |
− | <li>l<u>au</u>ghter <sup style="color:darkblue;font-size:9px;">US + parts of UK</sup>, | + | <li>b<u>a</u>d, f<u>a</u>ster, f<u>a</u>stest, th<u>a</u>t <sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup></li> |
− | </ul> | + | <li>l<u>au</u>ghter <sup style="color:darkblue;font-size:9px;">US + parts of UK</sup>, |
+ | </ul> | ||
− | <sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup> As a demonstrative pronoun / determiner <i>that</i> is pronounced /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ðæt</span>/, as a relative pronoun, <i>that</i> is usually pronounced /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ðət</span>/, though it may be dropped entirely. | + | <p><sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup> As a demonstrative pronoun / determiner <i>that</i> is pronounced /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ðæt</span>/, as a relative pronoun, <i>that</i> is usually pronounced /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ðət</span>/, though it may be dropped entirely.</p> |
<h2>Diphthongs</h2> | <h2>Diphthongs</h2> | ||
− | <span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">eɪ</b>/</span> | + | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">eɪ</b>/</span></h3> |
− | <ul> | + | |
− | + | <ul> | |
− | + | <li>A, H, J, K, 8</li> | |
− | + | <li>th<u>ey</u>, gr<u>ey</u></li> | |
− | + | <li>t<u>a</u>ke, pl<u>a</u>ne, f<u>a</u>te</li> | |
− | + | <li>m<u>ai</u>n, r<u>ai</u>n, p<u>ai</u>d, <strike>said</strike> (/<span style="color:darkgreen;">səd</span>/)</li> | |
− | + | <li>d<u>ay</u>, w<u>ay</u>, s<u>ay</u>, <strike>says</strike> (/<span style="color:darkgreen;">səz</span>/)</li> | |
− | + | <li>w<u>eigh</u>, n<u>eigh</u>bour, fr<u>eigh</u>t</li> | |
− | + | <li>v<u>ei</u>n</li> | |
− | </ul> | + | <li><u>a</u>viation, (un)<u>a</u>ble, <u>A</u>sia (/<span style="color:darkgreen;">'eɪ ʒə</span>/) </li> |
+ | </ul> | ||
+ | |||
+ | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">ɑɪ</b>/</span></h3> | ||
− | |||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li>I, Y, 5, 9</li> | <li>I, Y, 5, 9</li> | ||
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</ul> | </ul> | ||
− | <span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">əʊ</b> / <b style="color:darkgreen;">oʊ</b>/</span> | + | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">əʊ</b> / <b style="color:darkgreen;">oʊ</b>/</span></h3> |
+ | |||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li>O, 0, (zero) | <li>O, 0, (zero) | ||
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− | <span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">ɑʊ</b>/</span> | + | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">ɑʊ</b>/</span></h3> |
+ | |||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li>1000</li> | <li>1000</li> | ||
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− | <span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">eə</b>/</span> | + | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">eə</b>/</span></h3> |
+ | |||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li>Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /<span style="color:darkgreen;">er</span>/</li> | <li>Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /<span style="color:darkgreen;">er</span>/</li> | ||
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− | <span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">ʊə</b>/</span> | + | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">ʊə</b>/</span></h3> |
+ | |||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li>Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ʊr</span>/</li> | <li>Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ʊr</span>/</li> | ||
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<p><sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup> both "poor" and "sure" can be pronounced with <span style="color:darkgreen;">ɔː</span> i.e. <span style="color:darkgreen;">ʃɔː</span>, <span style="color:darkgreen;">pɔː</span></p> | <p><sup style="font-size:9px;">1</sup> both "poor" and "sure" can be pronounced with <span style="color:darkgreen;">ɔː</span> i.e. <span style="color:darkgreen;">ʃɔː</span>, <span style="color:darkgreen;">pɔː</span></p> | ||
− | <span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">ɪə</b>r/</span> | + | <h3><span style="font-size:14px;">/<b style="color:darkgreen;">ɪə</b>r/</span></h3> |
+ | |||
<ul> | <ul> | ||
<li>Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ɪr</span>/</li> | <li>Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /<span style="color:darkgreen;">ɪr</span>/</li> | ||
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</ul> | </ul> | ||
− | < | + | <h1>Consonants</h1> |
<p>Most consonants are paired: at each position one can make two sounds (one voiced, one unvoiced). For example:</p> | <p>Most consonants are paired: at each position one can make two sounds (one voiced, one unvoiced). For example:</p> |
Revision as of 01:27, 20 September 2017
Contents
Vowels
Vowels are always voiced (which means the vocal cords vibrate when the sound is made).
ˈvaʊəlz ər 'ɔːlwəz 'vɔɪst
Long "pure" vowels
/ɑ:/
- R, star, car, far
- father, bother, bottle
- clerk UK
/i:/
- B, C, D, E, G, P, T, V, Z, US
- he, she, me, we
- sea, tea, seem, feet, key
- apostrophe, Socrates, catastrophe /kə ˈtæ strə fi/
/u:/
- 2, Q, U, W, you
- choose, use
- new, flew, grew, knew, true, blue
- to strong form only, through
/ɔː/
- 4, 40
- door, floor, shore, store
- daughter, caught, thought, fought
- law, saw, lawyer /ˈlɔː jər/
- fluorine, chlorine
/ɜːr/
- first, third, 30, 30th
- shirt, clerk, certification, learn
- Some people sometimes pronounce words like sure & pure with this sound rather than /ʃʊr/, /pjʊr/, (myself included).
/ɒ/
- primarily UK. US substitutes /ɑ:/
- what UK 1
- bottle /ˈbɒ tl/ , throttle
- shot, spot, lots, of UK 1, pots
US 1 = ʌ in what and of
Short vowels
/ʌ/
- 1, 100
- sun, but, mud, uncle
- son, won, brother, other, another, above
- flood, blood
- tough, rough, enough /ɪ ˈnʌf/
/ʊ/
- Look!, a good cookbook
- put, push, pull
- woman /'wʊ mən/
/ɪ/
- 6, him, this, finish, minute (n.)
- been, again
- below, behind, between, beneath, bemoan, belabor, besmirch, etc.
- women /'wi min/, electric, elegance /'el ɪ ɡəns/, enough /ɪ ˈnʌf/
/e/
The precise realisation of this form varies. In South Africa the sound is closer to /e/, while in the US it is closer to /ɛ/. (fête, bête, lait, aime pouvaient). Since the distinction is not considered phonemic (since the long "A" sound is realized as the diphthong /eɪ/), the standard transcription is /e/ though the sound is closer to /ɛ/ than /e/ (fée, pourrai, pouvez, aimer.)
- 7, 10, 12, F, L, M, N, S, X, Zed
- health, wedding, nephew, elementary /ˌel ɪ ˈmen tri/
- says, said
/ə/
- The most common vowel sound in English (also the most central vowel) (quite lax) uh... (French "euh" is very similar, but with rounded lips)
- around, about, above, ago, asleep, etc.
- perpetual, residual, science, electric, elegant, woman, sermon
- -ous (famous, gelatinous, disastrous)
- -er (safer, cheaper, etc.)
- -able, -ible (understandable, comfortable 1, legible, incredible)
- Some transcribe the sound of the suffix -ion as /ən/, though most dictionaries simply use "syllabic" /n/. More terminology wars... :) e.g. nation, ration, consideration, fashion /ˈfæʃ n/, etc.
1 Most commonly the first schwa is dropped entirely. ˈkʌmf təbl / 'kʌm fə təbl
/æ/
- bad, faster, fastest, that 1
- laughter US + parts of UK,
1 As a demonstrative pronoun / determiner that is pronounced /ðæt/, as a relative pronoun, that is usually pronounced /ðət/, though it may be dropped entirely.
Diphthongs
/eɪ/
- A, H, J, K, 8
- they, grey
- take, plane, fate
- main, rain, paid,
said(/səd/) - day, way, say,
says(/səz/) - weigh, neighbour, freight
- vein
- aviation, (un)able, Asia (/'eɪ ʒə/)
/ɑɪ/
- I, Y, 5, 9
- rice, mice
- guide, quite quiet /'kwɑɪt 'kwɑɪ ət/
- light, sight, sigh, height
- align, benign, sign
/əʊ / oʊ/
- O, 0, (zero)
- close, clothes /kləʊðz/, chose, chosen
- though, although, thorough /ˈθɜː roʊ/ US /'θʌ rə/ UK, borough /ˈbɜː roʊ/ US /'bʌ rə/ UK
- own, grow, known, flown
- soap, foam
/ɑʊ/
- 1000
- out, about, around, announce, pounce
- how, now, power, tower, town
/eə/
- Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /er/
- there, where
- hair, pair
- share, care
- heir
/ʊə/
- Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /ʊr/
- poor 1, tour (guide)
- sure 1, (al)lure
1 both "poor" and "sure" can be pronounced with ɔː i.e. ʃɔː, pɔː
/ɪər/
- Mostly UK. North American English (NAME) is usually /ɪr/
- dear, near
- here
- tier
Consonants
Most consonants are paired: at each position one can make two sounds (one voiced, one unvoiced). For example:
Voiced | Unvoiced |
---|---|
b big | p pig |
v even Stephen | f enough phonetics |
d stewed | t cooked |
z reads | s writes |
ʒ pleasure | ʃ sure |
dʒ badge, joke | tʃ batch, choke |
g agree | k second, chemistry |
- Nasal consonants — m, n, ŋ — liquids —r, l — and glides — w, j (why, yellow) — are all voiced.
- There are forms of n and l which are syllabic, that is to say, roughly equivalent to /ən/, /əl/. (fashion, bottle)