Graphemics & Phonetics

Which sounds correspond to which letters?

VOCALIC SOUNDS & VOWEL
LETTERS
VOCALIC SOUND [i:]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[i:]
e be, evening, been [ɪ]
ee meet, sleep, bread, dead [e]
ea meal, read, team, great [eɪ]
ie field, believe, friend [e]
ei receive
VOCALIC SOUND [ɪ]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[ɪ]
i It, kiss, dinner machine, ski
y system, pity [i:]
VOCALIC SOUND [e]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[e]
e pen, tel, end, send meter [i:]
ea bread, deaf, sea, mean
weatherl [i:]
VOCALIC SOUND [eɪ]

SOUND LETERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[eɪ]
a late, race, stable
ai, ay wait, play, day said, says [e]
ei, ey eight, they eye [aɪ]
ea break, steak
VOCALIC SOUND [æ]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[æ]
a cat, apple, land only the letter “a”
corresponds to
this sound
VOCALIC SOUND [ɑ:]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[ɑ:]
ar army, garden, park war, warm [ɔ:]
a father, calm castle
VOCALIC SOUND [aɪ]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[aɪ]
i, ie ice, smile, lie, die This sound
y, uy My, apply, buy, guy can only be
produced by
this
combination of
letters
VOCALIC SOUND [aʊ]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[aʊ]
ou out, house, mouse group, soup
ow now, cow, powder [u:]
know, own [əʊ]
VOCALIC SOUND [ɒ]

SOUND LETTER EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[ɒ]
o not, model, Only this letter
copy produces this
sound
VOCALIC SOUND [ɔ:]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[ɔ:]
or more, cord work, word [ɜː]
o long, gone
au, aw law, saw,
“-ought,” “-aught” bought, caught
“al” all, always
“wa-” wall, war
VOCALIC SOUND [ɔɪ]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[ɔɪ]
oi, oy oil, noise, boy Only this
combination of
letters can
produce this
sound
VOCALIC SOUND [əʊ]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[əʊ]
o go, note, open do, move [u:]
oa road, how, owl [aʊ]
ow low, bowl
VOCALIC SOUND [ju:]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[ju:]
u use, music, huge No exceptions
ew, eu few, new
eu feud, neutral
ue cue, due
VOCALIC SOUND [u:]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[u:]
u rude, June guide, quite [aɪ]
o do, move build [ɪ]
oo room, tool
ew chew, flew, jewel
ue blue, true
ui fruit, suit, juice
ou group, route
VOCALIC SOUND [ʊ]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[ʊ]
oo look, foot, good “u” and “ou” can
u put, full, sugar also produce [ʌ]
ou would, could, should
VOCALIC SOUND [ʌ]

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[ʌ]
u gun, cut, sun “u” and “ou” can
o son, money, love also produce
ou tough, enough [ʊ]
VOCALIC SOUND [ə] (SCHWA)

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES

[ə]
a brutal, about
e taken
i family
o memory, reason
u support
ou neighbour, famous
(Almost all unstressed
vowel)
VOCALIC SOUND [ɜː] (long schwa)

SOUND LETTERS EXAMPLES EXCEPTIONS

[ɜː]
ar part
er serve, herb
ir girl
or work
ur turn, burn
ear heard, earth heart [ɑ:]