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1. THE PHONETIC ALPHABET

A. Learning to Pronounce English
The fundamental method by which a student learns to pronounce English is by
imitating the pronunciation of English-speaking persons under conditions that
approach as nearly as possible those of normal communication. The strange sounds
and rhythms may seem a little funny at first, but you must try to forget that, and
imitate without reservations. Your success will depend largely on the sharpness of
your ear and your ability as an imitator.
Sometimes imitation does fail, however. The instructor may pronounce a word or
sentence many times for you, and you still may be unable to say it as exactly as he or
she does. This may be because you are hearing and reproducing well only a few of the
most important sounds that make up the word. It will be of benefit to you then if the
instructor can write out the word for you, sound by sound, using symbols that are
always pronounced in the same way. One of the most typical features of English is the
manner in which its unimportant, unstressed vowels are pronounced. Your attention
may not be called to these at all when you hear a word spoken, but you can see them as
clearly as the stressed vowels in a phonetic transcription. The eye is more analytical
than the ear. We can see separately all the symbols that make up a written word, but
we can hardly hear individually all the sounds that compose it as it is normally
spoken.
Most people learn things better through the eye than through the ear. Even in
learning to pronounce, when you must depend primarily on hearing, there is every
advantage in being able to have your eye aid for your ear. Something learned in two
different ways is probably four times as well learned. The ordinary spelling of an
English word sometimes has so little apparent relation to its sound that the spelling is
not useful as a guide to pronunciation.
There will be times when you may wish to write down the pronunciation of a
new word, so as to be able to recall it later. Unfortunately, we cannot remember a
mere sound clearly for very long; but a phonetic transcription will make recall easier.
When no English-speaking person is present to pronounce a word for you, your only
recourse may be to try to reconstruct the sound of the word from the symbols in a
dictionary. Practice in reading symbols will help you learn to make accurate
reconstructions.

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In other words, though you must rely chiefly on your ear and imitation to
acquire a good accent, a knowledge of the number and identity of English
sounds, the symbols used to represent them in phonetic writing, the way in
which they are produced, and a few of the laws that govern their behavior will
be a great advantage to you and will increase your chances of success. The
science of phonetics may be considered the grammar of pronunciation;
knowledge of phonetics can help you to pronounce no less, and no more, than
knowledge of grammar can help you to speak and write.

B. Why a Phonetic Alphabet?

The first step in your work with phonetics will be to familiarize yourself with a
set of symbols by means of which the important sounds of English-all those that serve
to distinguish one word from another word-may be represented. There will be a symbol
for every such sound. The table of symbols used here shows the Oxford Advanced
Learner's Dictionary phonetic alphabet.

Table of Symbols
Consonant English
Sounds
Example

Phonetic
Transcription

Consonant English
Sounds
Example

Phonetic
Transcription

pen

pen

so

sU

bad

bd

zoo

zu:

tea

ti:

shoe

u:

did

d I d

Asia

e I

cat

kt

hat

ht

got

gat

mud

md

chat

not

nat

just

st

thing

fall

f :l

leg

leg

voice

v I s

real

r I l

three

ri:

your

jUr

then

en

warm

w:rm

Vowel Sounds
& Diphthongs

English
Example

Phonetic
Transcription

Vowel Sounds English

& Diphthongs Example

Phonetic
Transcription

i:

see

si:

above

bv

pit

pIt

eI

same

se Im

check

ek

go

gU

land

lnd

aI

fight

fa I t

far

far

aU

crowd

kraUd

saw

s :

boy

bI

book

bUk

near

n I r

u:

too

tu:

air

er

sun

sn

poor

pUr

girl

gl

C. Vowels
The Eleven Vowels Sounds of English

i: u:
I

eI

e(

) U

The position of each of the English eleven vowels sounds is as follows:

i:high-front

low-front
mid-central

Ihigh-front

eImid-front alow-central

emid-front

Umid-back
u: high-back
Uhigh-back

low-back

Pronunciation Drills
a. Long sound i:; words frequently used:

three
week
cheese
see
keep
feed
seem
needle
seed
week
beetle
feet
need
queen
seek
sleep
deed
meet

green
sheep
free
meet
feel
knee
need
peak
eat
beach
leave
leak
mean
please
deal
read
least
disease

seat
heat
lease
weak
treat
clean
easy
neat
team
cheap
lead
dream
east
leave
lean
tea
dean
real

b. The short sound I; words frequently used:

reach
each
maybe
people
believe
ceiling
these
evening
scheme
complete
the (apple)
receive
we
me
he
be
she
B,C,D.E,G.

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it
is
if
wish
with
rid
hid
Jim
Nick
rich
bitter
sink
hit
visit

give
live
ink
minute
inch
sit
win
bliss
bring
river
itching
gift
silk
kiss

his
been
string
imminent
him
pin
pick
lid
ditch
fill
middle
widow
list
six

big
sing
million
did
thing
since
pig
pit
miss
fish
dizzy
link
kill
milk

imitate
think
listen
this
will
which
children
finish
ship
mirror
women
build
busy
business

c. The long eI sound; words frequently used:

wait
explain
rain
grain
raid
train
rain
wait
claim
main
paint
tail
plain
saint

straight
gain
tray
stay
pay
slay
may
day
bay
say
state
cake
upgrade
celebrate

shade
safe
acre
gate
lane
rate
lake
take
tale
sane
name
grape
make
plane

table
debate
tape
place
face
page
fate
fade
estimate
tolerate
cage
shade
date
mistake

vacation
station
nation
neighbor
eight
convey
stapler
later
April
baby
age
ate
ace
A,H,J,K.

next

any

d .The short esound; words frequently used:

let

ten

beg

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led
end
sell
tell
fell
met
men
step
send
gem
mess
when
smell

pet
net
egg
leg
get
best
lest
neck
well
went
help
fresh
press

bed
bet
set
left
red
den
yes
less
peck
then
sweat
fellow
length

blend
dress
rebel
letter
dead
said
very
merry
present
better
several
eminent
whether

edge
unless
head
weather
again
many
sense
twelve
settle
friend
receptionist
weapon
F,L,M,N,X.

e. The short sound; words frequently used:

at
as
ad
am
bag
sad
cab
sat
pass
math
pat
fast
class

f.

on
job
hot
not

lab
ask
last
has
act
ban
add
bag
Dad
sank
mass
than
band

ran
can
van
hat
bad
nap
pas
gas
man
bath
land
black
crack

that
map
half
catch
pack
vary
marry
exact
matter
after
rabbitt
gather
valley

laugh
aunt
banner
handle
perhaps
passion
advanced
Saturday
handicap
imagine
understand
satisfactory
flamboyant

The short a sound; words frequently used:

boss
shop
sock
got

comrade
borrow
cotton
doctor

God
art
far
cart

car
start
dark
artist

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pot
rob
part
lock
lot
cop
often
rock
odd
box

clock
stop
from
knock
stock
drop
pocket
watch
wash
October

dollar
Robert
honor
bottom
upon
father
party
guitar
chart
mark

arm
farm
are
harm
carve
harbor
barman
barber
sardine
arsenal

park
argot
hard
march
archery
garden
margin
garbage
harmony
sarcasm

g. The short sound (unstressed), and sound (stressed);

words frequently used:

us
up
of
just
dust
nut
but
doll
dull
mud
bus
cut
junk
hum
fun

bug
hunt
luck
such
much
rung
number
Sunday
butter
utter
upper
result
puppy
under
summon

young
touch
touch
trouble
double
enough
mother
month
color
other
Monday
suddenly
subject
Republican
hundred

brother
above
done
does
love
adult
won
sun
son
none
come
wonderful
tongue
money
some

awful
daughter
relative
collect
one
condition
America
company
competition
imperative
another
burglar
important
consider
relevant

The short sound (unstressed) is shown by italiced syllables.

h. The long :sound ; words frequently used:
saw
law
awful
draw

cough
bought
brought
sought

all
call
fall
stall

or
nor
born
order

portable
cord
torn
torch

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lawn
dawn
hawk
raw
taught
Paul
laundry
caught
naughty
August

court
dog
off
wrong
along
song
strong
cost
salt
talk

small
hall
walk
boring
form
corner
port
sort
corn
for

organize
organ
gorgeous
lord
corporate
force
original
pork
floor
door

before
sore
tore
store
more
horse
hoarse
roar
war
warm

i. The long Usound; words frequently used:

close
nose
code
rose
those
hole
tone
role
woke
note
wrote
stole
whole
smoke

pole
coke
noble
hope
chose
phone
choke
home
owe
show
throw
snow
know
clothes

so
go
post
vocal
own
old
soul
total
open
motor
motive
cold
though
coconut

no
both
don't
moment
program
soldier
polar
most
only
told
won't
hold
coincidence
November

over
loan
load
roast
toad
loaf
boat
coat
coal
oath
road
coast
cocoa
coach

woof
hooky
goody
shook
poor
took

goodwill
woodpecker
oomph
good
curious
cure

j. The short sound Uwords frequently used:

put
pull
push
full
lure
push

bull
tour
tourist
your
yours
should

wood
wooden
foot
look
hook
took

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bullet
butch
butcher
pudding
sugar

would
could
gourmet
cook
wool

rookie
goodness
hooker
poorly
woodworm

woolen
brook
hood
nook
book

curiosity
pure
secure
wolf
woman

prove
two
do
to
womb
whom
who
shoe
juice
fruit
suit
truth
Luke
July
rule

June
argue
fuel
view
beauty
student
usually
excuse
review
human
music
use
pupil
cute
Q,U.

k. The long u:sound; words frequently used:

too
fool
cool
spoon
pool
boot
goose
noon
tooth
food
moon
mood
poodle
choose
school

proof
room
roof
soon
zoo
loot
root
loose
crook
knew
chew
flew
shrew
news
few

you
group
through
wound
route
soup
you
glue
true
due
sue
Tuesday
lose
whose
move

Pronunciation Drills

A. Sentences with i::

Keep this three for me, please.
He sees me three evenings a week.
These people seem to believe me.

B. Sentences with I:

She'll read the lease.

Leave the sheet in the seat.
We'll need these keys.

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This is it.
Miss Mills thinks it's big.
I think Sid filled this ditch.

Which fish did Bill pick?

Is this lid his, Miss Hill?
Tim did this.

C. Sentences with eI:

They say they'll take a vacation.
Ray ate the grapes.
Eight days in April, and eighteen in May.
Take the same train.
The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plain. They'll make the cake.

D. Sentences with e:
Greg said ten men fell dead.
Then Fred sent Ed the pen.
The weather's better in September.

Many men begged for help.

Mel smelled the eggs.
Let's get my friend Ted a pet.

E. Sentences with :
Jack cant understand that.
That man ran after his hat.
Perhaps he laughed at the fat cat.

Has Dad had a nap?

Aunt Pat had a black cat.
Half the class has had it.

F. Sentences with a :
The clock stopped.
Tom got the job in October.
The cop robbed the arsenal.

It's not a lot.

Bob parked his car in the park.
Archery is not a art or an job.

G. Sentences with (unstressed); and (stressed):

The sun comes up at seven.
Does Sunday come before Monday?
Just consider another subject.

Mother loves the summer months.

Hasn't Gus won enough money?
They have won the soccer world cup.

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H. Sentences with ::
Is the original song short or long?
Paul called the store in August.
My daughter bought a dog and a horse.

He walked across the small door.

Lo saw the torch on the floor.
Saul ordered an organ for Paula.

I. Sentences with U:
Rose and Joseph don't know yet.
Both those boats were old.
No, he'll probably go home.

Oh, did Joe go yet?

Jodie sold her coat.
He won't phone his coach

J. Sentences with U:
Would this be a good book?
He shouldn't have stood on that foot.
She put away the book she took.

Look at this woman cook.

She could be a good cook.
The butcher was good but poor.

K. Sentences with u::

Do you have a loose tooth, too?
I'm moving to another room at noon.
Whose group do you belong to?

He'd lose his boots in the zoo.

Who did you sue?
You and Luke are fool.