Phonetics

BALLB Semester 2023

In English there are 26 letters but these 26 letters produce 44 sounds. These sounds consist of 20
vowel and 24 consonant sounds. The relationship between both sounds and letters is arbitrary.
See the examples given below.

Alphabet (letters-26) Sounds (44)

Vowels (5) Consonants (21) Vowel (20) Consonant (24)

(a, e,i,o,u) (b,c,d,f,g,h,j,k,l,m,n,p
q,r,s,t,v,w,x,y,z)
Monophthong Diphthong
(Single vowel sounds) (glide vowel /Combined vowel sounds)

International Phonetic Alphabet

Monophthongs As in
1. i: feel /fi:l/ treat /tri:t/
2. IF fill /fIl/ hill /hIl/
3. e set/set/ let/let/
4. A sad /sAd/ mad /mAd/
5. å: car /kå: / psalm /så:m/
6. ó pot /pót/ lot /lót/
7. Ø: caught /kØ:t/ bought /bØ:t/
8. U cook /kUk/ pul /pUl/
9. u: cool /ku:l/ rule /ru:l/
10. ú but /bút/ up /úp/
11. ¨: bird /b¨:d/ girl /g¨:l/
12. E ago /EgEu / above /Ebúv /

.
Dr. Harish Kumar Khanna, Associate Professor of English
PDM University, Bahadurgarh, Delhi NCR, Haryana 124507
• This study material is supplementary to classroom teaching and meant for the students of PDMU only.

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 Diphthongs
13. ØI boil /bØIl/ boy /bØI/
14. Eu go /gEu/ home /hEum/
15. aI cry /kraI / height /haIt/
16. eI gate /geIt/ may /meI/
17. au cow / kau / about / abaut /
18. uE poor /puE / tour /tuE /
19. eE air /eE/ fair /feE/
20. IE hear /hIEr/ near /nIE/

Consonants As in
1. p pin /pIn / pick /pIk /
2. b bin /bIn / bird /b¨:d/
3. t tin / tIn/ tea / ti:/
4. d din / dIn/ dog / dóg/
5. k kin / kIn/ cat/ kAt/
6. g gun / gún/ got / gót/
7. tS chin /tSI n/ church /tS¨:tS/
8. dZ Jug / dZúg/ Judge / dZúdZ/
9. m man /mAn/ my /maI/
10. n no /nEu/ hint /hInt/
11. N sing, sIN/sink /sINk/ English/INglIS/
12. f fine /faIn/ five /faIv/
13. v van /vAn/ live /lIv/
14. † thin /†In/ sixth /sIks†/
15. T then /Ten/ bathe /beIT/
16. s sip /sIp/ miss /mIs/
17. z zip /zIp/ his /hIz/
18. S ship /SIp/ wish /wIS/
19. Z pleasure /pleZE / vision /vIZEn/
20. h hat /hAt / behind /bIhaInd/

.
Dr. Harish Kumar Khanna, Associate Professor of English
PDM University, Bahadurgarh, Delhi NCR, Haryana 124507
• This study material is supplementary to classroom teaching and meant for the students of PDMU only.

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 21. l leave / l i:v/ mill/ mIl/
22. r red/ red/ try/traI/
23. j yet /jet/ beauty /bju:tI/
24. w wet /wet/ sweet /swi:t/

English Sounds

IF i: ULL u: IE eI
bit beat pull pool near pay
e E ¨: Ø: uE ØI Eu
bet the bird call dual boil low
A ú å: ó eE aI au
bat but car pot fair guy now
p b t d tS dZ k g
pit bit tea dog chin jug cat gun
f v † T s z S Z
fan van thin this sip his she vision
m n N h l r w j
man pin king hen lap rat we yes

Exercise

1. Which written English words are usually pronounced as they are described below? The first
two examples are done for you.
S.N. Words S.N. Words S.N. Words
1. baIk bike 2. bØ:t 3. IndZØI

4. feIs 5. haʊl 6. hEʊpIN

7. hu: 8. klEʊk 9. meIn

10. Kju: 11. tSIp 12. TE

.
Dr. Harish Kumar Khanna, Associate Professor of English
PDM University, Bahadurgarh, Delhi NCR, Haryana 124507
• This study material is supplementary to classroom teaching and meant for the students of PDMU only.

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13. fil 14. kØ:t 15. Ebúv
16. haIt 17. gEʊ 18. d óg
19. dZúg 20. INglIS 21. sIks†
22. hIz 23. vIZEn 24. hAt
25. Swi:t 26. bju:tI 27. l i:v

2. Match the underlined part in COLUMN A with the sounds in COLUMn B. Write the correct
letter of the answer beside each word.

S.N. A Letter B
1. c catch a. aI
2. measure b. N
3. shy c. tS
4. rough d. Z

5. blow e. dZ
6. nick f. T
7. finger g. m
8. judge h. Eu
9. mom i. I
10. then j. f

.
Dr. Harish Kumar Khanna, Associate Professor of English
PDM University, Bahadurgarh, Delhi NCR, Haryana 124507
• This study material is supplementary to classroom teaching and meant for the students of PDMU only.

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