Phonetics

It is a branch of linguistic that comprises the study of the sounds of human

speech (Studies the physical properties of sounds)
Phonology
It is a branch of linguistic concerned with the systematic organization of sounds
in languages (Studies the mental or abstract properties of sounds)
Phoneme
It is the smallest unit of sound in speech. For example – the word ‘hat’ has 3
phonemes – ‘h’ ‘a’ and ‘t’.

International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)

It is an alphabetic system of phonetic notation based primarily on the Latin
alphabet; it was constituted by the International Phonetic Association as a
representation of the sounds of spoken language.

Vowel: It is a single speech sound that is produced with vibration of the vocal
cords, without any breath obstruction.

(Short Vowels)

Symbol Examples

e (lower case e) Tent, better, pretend, West.

æ (diagraph) Rat, cat, tap, hat, flat.

ʌ (Mid back) Gun, dove, honey, London, Rome.

ʊ (upsilon) Took, book, scoop,put

ɒ (lower case o) Bob, squat, Rob,body, follow, social.

I (capital i) Kiss, hit, lip, big, bin, kill

ə (schwa) About, December, banana, mother, again.

(Long Vowels)

Symbol Example

i: or i (lower case i) Agree, feed, beach, machine, beat , niece.

ɜ: (reverse epsilon) Bird, word, car, worm, hard.

ɔ: (open o) Walk, north, force, sure. yawn, jaw.

u: (lower case u) Goose, moon, fruit, gloomy, do, blew, two

Vowel diagram (triangle): It is a graphic representation that describes the

different articulations of vowels through the relative position of tongue. (Even in
the vertical and horizontal axis).
ɑ: Sound: How to Pronounce the ɑ: ound (/ɑ:/
Phoneme)
This is the ɑ: sound. As in the words:
 after /’ɑːftə/
 last /lɑːst/
 ask /ɑːsk/

It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Open Back Unrounded Vowel’.

How to Pronounce the ɑ:

Sound
Remember that the key to pronunciation is physical and the name tells us about how the sound
is made physically. In this case your tongue is low and at the back of your mouth. Unrounded
refers to your lips because they are relaxed and not rounded.

All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.

It is similar to the /æ/ sound, but the two little dots mean that it is a longer sounds.
/ɑ:/ not /æ/.
To produce the sound put your tongue low and at the back of your mouth, then make a long
voiced sound with you mouth open.

How the ɑ: sound is Spelled

The ɑ: sound is normally spelled with the letters ‘a-r’ as in the words:

 start /stɑːrt/
 part /pɑːrt/
 large /lɑːrdʒ/
 party /ˈpɑːrI/
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling can be very inconsistent and you will always find
alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. It is one of the most difficult things in
English but you just have to learn it.

Examples of the ɑ: Sound

Here are some words that start with the ɑ: sound:

 art /ɑːrt/
 arm /ɑːrm/
 answer /ˈɑːnsər/
 argue /ˈɑːrgjuː/
Here are some words that have the sound in the middle:

 father /ˈfɑːðər/
 market /ˈmɑːrkɪt/
 class /klɑːs/
 hard /hɑːrd/
Here are some words with the /ɑ:/ at the end.

 far /fɑːr/
 car /kɑːr/
 star /stɑːr/
 bar /bɑːr/
So that is it for the ɑ: sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of
sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video
explaining the the phonetic chart.
ʌ Sound: How to pronounce the ʌ sound (/ʌ/
Phoneme)
This is the ʌ sound. As in the words:
 but /bʌt/
 up /ʌp/
 cup /kʌp/

It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Open Mid-Back Unrounded Vowel’.

How to pronounce the ʌ

sound
Remember that the key to pronunciation is physical and the name tells us about how the sound
is made physically. In this case your tongue is low and between the middle and the back of your
mouth.

All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.

To produce the sound put your tongue low and between the middle and the back of your mouth,
then make a short voiced sound with your mouth open.

How the ʌ sound is Spelled

The /ʌ/ sound is often spelled with the letter ‘o’ as in the words:
 some /sʌm/
 company /‘kʌmpəni/
But is is also often spelled with a ‘u’ or ‘o-u’. As in the words:

 much /mʌtʆ/
 country /‘kʌntri/
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling can be very inconsistent and you will always find
alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. It is one of the most difficult things in
English but you just have to learn it.

Examples of the ʌ sound

Here are some words that start with the /ʌ/ sound:

 other /’ʌðə r/
 under /ˈʌndər/
 until /ʌnˈtɪl/
 understand /ˌʌndərstænd/
Here are some words that have the sound in the middle:

 another /ə’nʌðər/
 come /kʌm/
 such /sʌtʆ/
 become /bɪ’kʌm/
There are no words that end with this sound, but many words end with the similar sound, /ə/.

So that is it for the /ʌ/ sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of
sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video
explaining the the phonetic chart.
æ Sound: How to Pronounce the æ Sound
(/æ/ Phoneme)
This is the æ sound. As in the words:
 have /hæv/
 that /ðæt/
 and /ænd/

It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Near-Open Front Unrounded Vowel’.

How to pronounce the æ

sound
Remember that the key to pronunciation s physical and the name tells us about how the sound is
made physically. In this case your tongue is low and at the front of your mouth. Unrounded
refers to your lips because they are stretched out as if you are smiling and not rounded.

All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.

It is similar to the /ɑ:/ sound, but it is shorter; /æ/ not /ɑ:/.

To produce the sound put your tongue low and at the front of your mouth and stretch out your
lips, then make a short voiced sound with you mouth open.

How the æ sound is spelled

The æ sound is normally spelled with the letter ‘a’ as in the words:
 at /æt/
 as /æz/
 can /kæn/
 man /mæn/
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling can be very inconsistent and you will always find
alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. It is one of the most difficult things in
English but you just have to learn it.

Examples of the æ Sound

Here are some words that start with the æ sound:

 add /æd/
 actually /ˈæktʆuəli/
 action /ˈækʆən/
 activity /ækˈtɪvəti/
Here are some words that have the sound in the middle

 back /bæk/
 family /’fæməli/
 hand /hænd/
 fact /fækt/
There are no words that end with this sound, but many words end with the similar sound,
/ə/.

So that is it for the æ sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of
sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video
explaining the the phonetic chart.

This is the ə sound. As in the words:

 a /ə/
 the /ðə/
 about /əbaʊt/
  How to
pronounce the ə sound
It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Mid-Central Vowel’. It is
often called the schwa sound but that refers to the symbol that is used it is
nothing to do with the phonetics of the sound.
Remember that the key to pronunciation is physical and the name tells us
about how the sound is made physically. In this case your tongue is in the
middle and the center of your mouth.
All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your
vocal chords to make the sound.
It is similar to the /i:/ sound, but it is shorter /ə/ not /ɜ:/.
To produce the ə sound put your tongue in the middle and in the center of
your mouth and make a short voiced sound.

How the ə sound is Spelled

The /ə/ sound is spelled in lots of different ways. Sometimes with the letter
‘u’ as in the word:

 just /dʒəst/
It is also very often spelled with the letters ‘e-r’. As in the word:

 other /‘ʌðər/
But it can also be spelled with the letters ‘o-u’ as in the word:

 could /kəd/
And there are lots of other ways that this sound is spelled, and it is a very
common sound. Even the letter ‘l’ can make this sound, As in the word:

 people /’piːpəl/
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling can be very inconsistent and you
will always find alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. This
is especially true with the /ə/ sound.
It is one of the most difficult things in English but you just have to learn it.

Examples of the ə sound

Here are some words that start with the ə sound:

 us /əs/
 again /ə’gen/
 American /ə’merəkən/
 another/ə’nʌðər/
Here are some words that have the ə sound in the middle:

 even /’iːvən/
 woman /’wʊmən/
 family /’fæməli/
 student /’stjuːdənt/
Lots of words end with this sound. Here are just a few.

 never /’nevər/
 after /’ɑːftər/
 under /ˈʌndər/
So that is it for the /ə/ sound but we have made additional videos on each of
the groups of sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant
Pairs as well as a video explaining the the phonetic chart.

The e Sound (/e/ Phoneme)

This is the e sound. As in the words:
 get /get/
 when /wen/
 then /ðen/

It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Close-Mid Front Unrounded Vowel’.

How to Pronounce the

e Sound
Remember that the key to pronunciation s physical and the name tells us about how the sound is
made physically. In this case your tongue is high, but not at the top of your mouth, and at the
front. Unrounded refers to your lips because they are stretched out as if you are smiling and not
rounded.
All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.
To produce the sound put your tongue in the middle and at the front of your mouth and stretch
out your lips, then make a short voiced sound with your mouth slightly open.

How the e Sound is Spelled

The e sound is normally spelled with the letter ‘e’ as in the words:

 well /wel/
 tell /tel/
But it can also be spelled with the letter ‘a’ as in the words:

 many /’meni/
 again /ə’gen/
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling can be very inconsistent and you will always find
alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. It is one of the most difficult things in
English but you just have to learn it.

Examples of the e Sound

Here are some words that start with the e sound:

 every /’evri/
 any /’eni/
 ever /ˈevər/
 end /end/
Here are some words that have the sound in the middle:

 let /let/
 never /‘nevər/
 very /’veri/
 help /help/
Words don’t often end with this sound.
So that is it for the e sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of
sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video
explaining the over all phonetic chart.

The ɜ: Sound (/ɜ:/ Phoneme)

This is the ɜ: sound. As in the words:
 her /hɜːr/
 work /wɜːrk/
 learn /lɜːrn/
It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Open-Mid Central Unrounded Vowel’.
Remember that the key to pronunciation s physical and the name tells us about how the sound is
made physically.

How to pronounce the ɜ:

Sound
In this case your tongue is low and in the center of your mouth. Unrounded refers to your lips
because they are stretched out as if you are smiling and not rounded.

All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.

It is similar to the ə sound, but the two little dots mean that it is a longer sounds.
/ɜ:/ not /ə/.

To produce the sound put your tongue in the middle and in the center of your mouth and stretch
out your lips, then make a long voiced sound with your mouth relaxed.

Spelling of the ɜ: sound

The ɜ: sound sound is normally spelled with the letters ‘e-r’ as in the words:

 person /ˈpɜːrsən/
but it can also be spelled with the letters ‘o-r’ as in the word:

 word /wɜːrd/
or the letters ‘u-r’ as in the word:

 turn /tɜːrn/
or ‘i-r’ as in:

 first /fɜːrst/
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling of the ɜ: sound can be very inconsistent, as you can
see, and you will always find alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. It is one of
the most difficult things in English but you just have to learn it.

Examples of the ɜ: sound

Not many words end with this sound, but one important one for you to know is.
 early /ˈɜːrli/
Here are some words that have the ɜ: sound in the middle:

 service /ˈsɜːrvɪs/
 world /wɜːrld/
 girl /gɜːrl/
 research /rɪˈsɜːrtʆ/
In British English, not many words end with this sound either. But here is one you should know.

 occur /əˈkɜːr/
So that is it for the ɜ: sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of
sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video
explaining the the phonetic chart.

The i: Sound (/i:/ Phoneme)

This is the i: sound. As in the words:
 be /biː/
 me /miː/
 need /niːd/
It is a Vowel sound and its technical name is the ‘Close Front Unrounded Vowel’.

How to Pronounce the i:

Sound
Remember that the key to pronunciation s physical and the name tells us about how the sound is
made physically. In this case your tongue is high and at the front of your mouth. The word
‘Unrounded’ refers to your lips because they are stretched out as if you are smiling and not
rounded.
All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.
It is similar to the /ɪ/ sound, but the two little dots mean that it is a longer sounds.
/i:/ not /ɪ/.

To produce the sound put your tongue high and at the front of your mouth and stretch out your
lips, then make a long voiced sound.

How the i: Sound is Spelled

The i: sound is normally spelled with the letter ‘e’ or e-e’ as in the words:
 three /θriː/
 see /siː/
 these /ðiːz/
But it can also be spelled with the letters ‘e-a’. As in the words:

 leave /liːv/

Examples of the i: Sound

Here are some words that start with the /i:/ sound:

 each /iːtʆ/
 easy /ˈiːzi/
 eat /iːt/
 east /iːst/
Here are some words that have the sound in the middle:

 feel /fiːl/
 keep /kiːp/
 seem /siːm/
 between /bɪ’twiːn/
Here are some words with the /i:/ at the end:

 he /hiː/
 she /ʆiː/
 we /wiː/
 free /friː/
So that is it for the i: sound, but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of
sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video
explaining the phonetic chart.

ɪ Sound: How to Pronounce the /ɪ/ Phoneme

This is the ɪ sound. As in the words:
 in /ɪn/
 it /ɪt/
 if /ɪf/
How to Pronounce the ɪ
sound
The ɪ sound is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Near-Close Near-Front Unrounded
Vowel’. Remember that the key to pronunciation s physical and the name tells us about how the
sound is made physically. In this case your tongue is close to the top and the front of your
mouth. Unrounded refers to your lips because they are stretched out as if you are smiling and
not rounded.
All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.
It is similar to the /i:/ sound, but it is shorter.
/ɪ/ not /i:/.

How to Pronounce the ɪ

sound
To produce the sound put your tongue close to the top and the front of your mouth, and stretch
out your lips, then make a short voiced sound with your mouth closed.
The /ɪ/ sound is normally spelled with the letter ‘i’ as in the words:

 this /ðɪs/
 give /gIv/
But it can also be spelled with the letter ‘e’. As in the words:

 become /bɪ’kʌm/
 because /bɪ’kɒz/
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling can be very inconsistent and you will always find
alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. It is one of the most difficult things in
English but you just have to learn it.

Here are some words that start with the ɪ sound

 into /’ɪntʊ/
 include /ɪnˈkluːd/
 enough /ɪˈnʌf/
Here are some words that have the ɪ sound in the middle:

 which /wɪtʆ/
 his /hɪz/
 think /θɪŋk/
 will /wɪl/
This symbol is not often used at the end of words because when words end with this sound it is
normally part of the Diphthong /ɔɪ/, or it is the extended vowel sound /i:/
So that is it for the /ɪ/ sound, but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of
sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video
explaining the phonetic chart.

ɒ Sound: How to pronounce the ɒ sound (/ɒ/

Phoneme)
This is the ɒ sound. As in the words:
 of /ɒv/
 on /ɒn/
 from /frɒm/
It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Open back rounded vowel’.

How to pronounce the ɒ

Sound
Remember that the key to pronunciation is physical and the name tells us about how the sound
is made physically. In this case your tongue is low and at the back of your mouth. Rounded here
means your lips make a round shape but the mouth is open a little.

All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.

It is similar to the /ɔ:/ sound, but it is shorter. /ɒ/ not /ɔ:/.

To produce the sound put your tongue low and at the back of your mouth and lightly push your
lips together while making a short voiced sound.

How the ɒ Sound is Spelled

The /ɒ/ sound is normally spelled with the letter ‘o’, as in the words:

 not /nɒt/
 problem /’prɒbləm/
But it can also be spelled with the letters ‘a’ or ‘a-u’. As in the words:

 what /wɒt/
 because /bɪ’kɒz
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling can be very inconsistent and you will always find
alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. It is one of the most difficult things in
English but you just have to learn it.
Examples of the ɒ Sound
Here are some more examples of words with the /ɒ/ sound:

 want /wɒnt/
 off /ɒf/
 lot /lɒt/
 job /dʒɒb/
The /ɒ/ sound is a little unusual, it is not so common so there are not many examples and it is
not used at all in American English. In the American accent they use a sound more similar to /æ/
or /ɑ:/ where in British pronunciation we use theɒ sound. So it is only really Important if you
specifically want to sound British.

So that is it for the ɒ sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of sounds
Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video explaining the
the phonetic chart.

ɔ: Sound: How to pronounce the /ɔ:/ Phoneme

This is the ɔ: sound. As in the words:
 or /ɔːr/
 all /ɔːl/
 your /jɔːr/
It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Open-Mid Back Rounded Vowel’.

How to pronounce the ɔ:

sound
Remember that the key to pronunciation s physical and the name tells us about how the sound is
made physically. In this case your tongue is low and at the back of your mouth. Rounded refers
to your lips because they are pushed together like you are going to kiss someone.

All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.

It is similar to the /ɒ/ sound, but the two little dots mean that it is a longer sounds.
/ɔ:/ not /ɒ/.

To produce the sound put your tongue in the middle and at the back of your mouth and lightly
push your lips together while making a long voiced sound.

How the ɔ: sound is Spelled

The /ɔ:/ sound is often spelled with the letters ‘o-r’ as in the words:

 for /fɔːr/
 more /mɔːr/
But it can also be spelled with the letter ‘a’ as in the words:

 also /’ɔːlsəʊ/
 talk /tɔːk/

Examples of the ɔ: sound

Here are some words that start with the ɔ: sound:
 almost /ˈɔːlməʊst/
 although /ɔːlˈðəʊ/
 already /ɔːlˈredi/
 organization /ˌɔːrgənaɪˈzeɪʆən/
Here are some words that have the sound in the middle:

 call /kɔːl/
 water /ˈwɔːtə/
 important /ɪmˈpɔːrtənt/
 small /smɔːl/
Here are some words with the ɔ: sound at the end.

 door /dɔːr/
 sure /ʆɔːr/
 war /wɔːr/
 four /fɔːr/
So that is it for the ɔ: sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of
sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video
explaining the the phonetic chart.

The ʊ Sound (/ʊ/ Phoneme)

This is the ʊ sound. As in the words:
 would /wʊd/
 look /lʊk/
 good /gʊd/
It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Near-Close Near-Back Vowel’.

How to Pronounce the ʊ sound

Remember that the key to pronunciation s physical and the name tells us about how the sound is
made physically. In this case your tongue is close to the top and near the back of your mouth.

All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.
It is similar to the /u:/ sound, but it is shorter.
/ʊ/ not /u:/.

To produce the ʊ sound put your tongue close to the top and near the back of your mouth and
make a short voiced sound with your mouth closed.

How the ʊ sound is spelled

The ʊ sound is normally spelled with the letter ‘u’ as in the words:
 education /ˌedjʊˈkeɪʆən/
 put /pʊt/
But it can also be spelled with the letter ‘o’ or ‘o-o’ as in the words:

 woman /’wʊmən/
 book /bʊk/
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling can be very inconsistent and you will always find
alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. It is one of the most difficult things in
English but you just have to learn it.

Examples of the ʊ sound

Words don’t normally start with this sound but, here are some words that have the sound in the
middle:

 foot /fʊt/
 full /fʊl/
 pull /pʊl/
 push /pʊʆ/
Not many words end with this symbol either, there are a couple of examples but when we say
them by themselves we normally use the longer /u:/.

 into /’ɪntʊ/
 onto /ˈɒntʊ/
But when they are in a sentence that they can be pronounced /ʊ/.

 ‘Put your violin into the case.’ and

 ‘ My coat fell onto the floor.’
So that is it for the ʊ sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of sounds
Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video explaining the
the phonetic chart.

u: Sound: How to Pronounce the /u:/ Phoneme

This is the u: sound. As in the words:
 to /tuː/
 you /juː/
 new /njuː/
It is a Vowel sound and it’s technical name is the ‘Close Back Rounded Vowel’.

How to Pronounce the u:

Sound
Remember that the key to pronunciation s physical and the name tells us about how the sound is
made physically. In this case your tongue is high and back of your mouth. Rounded refers to
your lips because they are pushed together like you are going to kiss someone.
All vowels are made through the mouth and are voiced so you vibrate your vocal chords to
make the sound.
It is similar to the /ʊ/ sound, but the two little dots mean that it is a longer sounds.
/u:/ not /ʊ/.
To produce the u: sound put your tongue high and at the back of your mouth and lightly push
your lips together while making a long voiced sound with your mouth closed.

How the u: sound is spelled

The u: sound is spelled in lots of different ways. Sometimes with the letter ‘o’ or ‘o-o’ as in the
words:

 who /huː/
 too /tuː/
Or sometimes it is spelled with the letter ‘u’. As in the word:

 use /juːz/
But it can also be spelled with the letters ‘ugh’ as in the word:

 through /θruː/
Or with the letter ‘e-w’

 few /fjuː/
Like with all vowels in English, the spelling can be very inconsistent and you will always find
alternative and unusual spellings of the vowels sounds. It is one of the most difficult things in
English but you just have to learn it.

Examples of the u: sound

Words don’t normally start with this sound but, here are some words that have the sound in the
middle:

 student /’stjuːdənt/
 group /gruːp/
 school /skuːl/
 move /muːv/
Here are some words with the /u:/ at the end.

 do /duː/
 two /tuː/
 view /vjuː/
 value /ˈvæljuː/
So that is it for the u: sound but we have made additional videos on each of the groups of
sounds Vowels, Diphthongs, Single Consonants, or Consonant Pairs as well as a video
explaining the the phonetic chart.