The aim of this leaflet

This leaflet introduces you to the IPA phonetic symbols commonly used in dictionaries. It also
gives suggestions on how you can learn to recognise the symbols so that you are able to pronounce
unfamiliar words by consulting the dictionary on your own.

IPA phonetic symbols
The table below summarises the 19 vowel sounds and 24 consonant sounds in the English
language.

Vowel sounds Consonant sounds
No. Symbol Examples No. Symbol Examples
1
/i:/ feet /Ii:t/ leap /Ii:p/
1
/p/ pen /pcn/ peep /pi:p/
2
/i/ fit /Iit/ lip /Iip/
2
/b/ big /big/ babe /bcib/
3
/c/ men /mcn/ bed /bcd/
3
/t/ ten /tcn/ let /Ict/
4
// man /mn/ bad /bd/
4
/d/ den /dcn/ red /rcd/
5
/\/ mud /m\d/ nut /n\t/
5
/k/ key /ki:/ cake /kcik/
6
/o:/ fast /Io:st/ pass /po:s/
6
/g/ get /gct/ leg /Icg/
7
/o/ top /top/ rock /rok/
7
/s/ see /si:/ guess /gcs/
8
/5:/ fall /I5:I/ lord /I5:d/
8
/z/ zoo /zu:/ buzz /b\z/
9
/o/ book /bok/ foot /Iot/
9
/j/ shoe /ju:/ wish /wij/
10
/u:/ boot /bu:t/ food /Iu:d/
10
// measure /'mcc/ treasure /'trcc/
11
/a:/ girl /ga:I/ bird /ba:d/
11
/tj/ check /tjck/ watch /wotj/
12
/c/ a lot /c'Iot/
apart /c'po:t/
12
/d/ jet /dct/ judge /d\d/
13
/ci/ mail /mciI/ May /mci/
13
/I/ fan /In/ laugh /Io:I/
14
/ai/ fly /IIai/ buy /bai/
14
/v/ van /vn/ wave /wciv/
15
/5i/ boy /b5i/ boil /b5iI/
15
/w/ wet /wct/ wait /wcit/
16
/ao/ cow /kao/ house /haos/
16
/j/ yes /jcs/ you /ju:/
17
/co/ sold /scoId/ low /Ico/
17
/h/ hen /hcn/ hat /ht/
18
/ic/ beer /bic/ dear /dic/
18
/O/ thin /Oin/ thought /O5:t/
19
/cc/ hair /hcc/ rare /rcc/
19
// then /cn/ that /t/
20
/m/ men /mcn/ name /ncim/
21
/n/ no /nco/ phone /Icon/
22
/p/ ring /rip/ sang /sp/
23
/I/ let /Ict/ tell /tcI/
24
/r/ rat /rt/ read /ri:d/