English pronunciation: Consonants and Vowels
What are consonant sounds?
Consonant sounds are sounds that are produced with obstruction of air from the vocal cords.
There are 24 consonant sounds in English Language.
1. /p/ pet /pet/ paper /ˈpeɪ.pə/ top /tɒp/
2. /b/ bet /bet/ trouble /ˈtrʌ.bəl/ rub /rʌb/
3. /t/ Tim /tɪm/ better /ˈbe.tə/ hot /hɒt/
4. /d/ dim /dɪm/ order /ˈɔː.də/ bad /bæd/
5. /k/ came /keɪm/ talking /ˈtɔː.kɪŋ/ back /bæk/
6. /g/ game /geɪm/ bigger /ˈbɪ.gə/ bag /bæg/
7. /f/ fine /faɪn/ offer /ˈɒf.ə/ off /ɒf/
8. /v/ vine /vaɪn/ saving /ˈseɪ.vɪŋ/ of /ɒv/
9. /s/ seal /si:l/ missing /ˈmɪ.sɪŋ/ face /feɪs/
10. /z/ zeal /zi:l/ crazy /ˈkreɪ.zi/ phase /feɪz/
11. /ʃ/ show /ʃəʊ/ pushing /ˈpʊ.ʃɪŋ/ rush /rʌʃ/
12. /ʒ/ measure /ˈme.ʒə/ vision /ˈvɪ.ʒən/ asia /ˈeɪ.ʒə/
13. /ʧ/ choke /ʧoʊk/ watching /wɒ.tʃɪŋ/ catch /kætʃ/
14. /ʤ/ joke /ʤoʊk/ damage /ˈdæ.mɪdʒ/ large /lɑːdʒ/
15. /θ/ thin /θɪn/ method /ˈme.θəd/ both /boʊθ/
16. /ð / then /ðen/ other /ˈʌ.ðə/ with /wɪð/
17. /l/ love /lʌv/ follow /ˈfɒː.loʊ/ well /wel/
18. /m/ mail /meɪl/ humour /ˈhjuː.mə/ some /sʌm/
19. /n/ nail /neɪl/ funny /ˈfʌ.ni/ fine /faɪn/
20. /ŋ/ sing /sɪŋ/ singer /ˈsɪ.ŋə/
21. /h/ heal /hi:l/ perhaps /pəˈhæps/
22. /r/ real /ri:l/ correct /kəˈrekt/
23. /j/ you /ju:/ beyond /biˈjɒnd/
24. /w/ we /wi/ showing /ˈʃəʊwɪŋ/
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, What are vowel sounds?
Vowel sounds are sounds that are produced without the obstruction of air from the vocal cords.
There are 20 vowel sounds divided into 12 monophthongs and 8 diphthongs. The 12
monophthongs/pure vowels are divided into 7 short vowels and 5 long vowels.
Short vowels (7)
/i/ – fit /fiːt/, pick /piːk/, difficult /ˈdɪ.fɪ.kəlt/
/e/ – pet /pet/, sent /sent/, attention /əˈten.ʃən/
/æ/ – pat /pæt/, flat /flæt/, family /ˈfæ.mə.li/
/ʌ/ – cut /kʌt/ jump /dʒʌmp/, cover /ˈkʌ.vər/
/ʊ/ – put /pʊt/, book /bʊk/, cushion /ˈkʊ.ʃən/
/ɒ/ – pot /pɒt/, dog /dɒg/, hospital /ˈhɒs.pɪ.təl/
/ə/ – about /əˈbaʊt/, system /ˈsɪs.təm/, complete /kəmˈpliːt/.
Long vowels (5)
/i:/ week /wi:k/, feet /fi:t/, media /ˈmiː.di.jə/
/ɑ:/ hard /ha:/, park /pa:k/, article /ɑː.tɪ.kəl/
/ɔ:/ fork /fɔ:k/, walk /wɔ:k/, August /ɔːˈɡʌst/
/ɜ:/ heard /hɜ:d/, word /wɜ:d/, surface /ˈsɜː.fɪs/
/u:/ boot /bu:t/, group /gru:p/, beautiful /ˈbjuː.tɪ.fəl/
Diphthong vowels (8)
/eɪ/ place /pleɪs/, late /leɪt/, dangerous /ˈdeɪn.dʒə.rəs/
/əʊ/ home /həʊm/, phone /fəʊn/, global /ˈɡləʊbəl/
/aʊ/ mouse /maʊs/, brown /braʊn/, accountant /əˈkaʊn.t̬ənt/
/ɪə/ clear /klɪə/, fear /fɪə/, career /kəˈrɪə/
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What are consonant sounds?
Consonant sounds are sounds that are produced with obstruction of air from the vocal cords.
There are 24 consonant sounds in English Language.
1. /p/ pet /pet/ paper /ˈpeɪ.pə/ top /tɒp/
2. /b/ bet /bet/ trouble /ˈtrʌ.bəl/ rub /rʌb/
3. /t/ Tim /tɪm/ better /ˈbe.tə/ hot /hɒt/
4. /d/ dim /dɪm/ order /ˈɔː.də/ bad /bæd/
5. /k/ came /keɪm/ talking /ˈtɔː.kɪŋ/ back /bæk/
6. /g/ game /geɪm/ bigger /ˈbɪ.gə/ bag /bæg/
7. /f/ fine /faɪn/ offer /ˈɒf.ə/ off /ɒf/
8. /v/ vine /vaɪn/ saving /ˈseɪ.vɪŋ/ of /ɒv/
9. /s/ seal /si:l/ missing /ˈmɪ.sɪŋ/ face /feɪs/
10. /z/ zeal /zi:l/ crazy /ˈkreɪ.zi/ phase /feɪz/
11. /ʃ/ show /ʃəʊ/ pushing /ˈpʊ.ʃɪŋ/ rush /rʌʃ/
12. /ʒ/ measure /ˈme.ʒə/ vision /ˈvɪ.ʒən/ asia /ˈeɪ.ʒə/
13. /ʧ/ choke /ʧoʊk/ watching /wɒ.tʃɪŋ/ catch /kætʃ/
14. /ʤ/ joke /ʤoʊk/ damage /ˈdæ.mɪdʒ/ large /lɑːdʒ/
15. /θ/ thin /θɪn/ method /ˈme.θəd/ both /boʊθ/
16. /ð / then /ðen/ other /ˈʌ.ðə/ with /wɪð/
17. /l/ love /lʌv/ follow /ˈfɒː.loʊ/ well /wel/
18. /m/ mail /meɪl/ humour /ˈhjuː.mə/ some /sʌm/
19. /n/ nail /neɪl/ funny /ˈfʌ.ni/ fine /faɪn/
20. /ŋ/ sing /sɪŋ/ singer /ˈsɪ.ŋə/
21. /h/ heal /hi:l/ perhaps /pəˈhæps/
22. /r/ real /ri:l/ correct /kəˈrekt/
23. /j/ you /ju:/ beyond /biˈjɒnd/
24. /w/ we /wi/ showing /ˈʃəʊwɪŋ/
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, What are vowel sounds?
Vowel sounds are sounds that are produced without the obstruction of air from the vocal cords.
There are 20 vowel sounds divided into 12 monophthongs and 8 diphthongs. The 12
monophthongs/pure vowels are divided into 7 short vowels and 5 long vowels.
Short vowels (7)
/i/ – fit /fiːt/, pick /piːk/, difficult /ˈdɪ.fɪ.kəlt/
/e/ – pet /pet/, sent /sent/, attention /əˈten.ʃən/
/æ/ – pat /pæt/, flat /flæt/, family /ˈfæ.mə.li/
/ʌ/ – cut /kʌt/ jump /dʒʌmp/, cover /ˈkʌ.vər/
/ʊ/ – put /pʊt/, book /bʊk/, cushion /ˈkʊ.ʃən/
/ɒ/ – pot /pɒt/, dog /dɒg/, hospital /ˈhɒs.pɪ.təl/
/ə/ – about /əˈbaʊt/, system /ˈsɪs.təm/, complete /kəmˈpliːt/.
Long vowels (5)
/i:/ week /wi:k/, feet /fi:t/, media /ˈmiː.di.jə/
/ɑ:/ hard /ha:/, park /pa:k/, article /ɑː.tɪ.kəl/
/ɔ:/ fork /fɔ:k/, walk /wɔ:k/, August /ɔːˈɡʌst/
/ɜ:/ heard /hɜ:d/, word /wɜ:d/, surface /ˈsɜː.fɪs/
/u:/ boot /bu:t/, group /gru:p/, beautiful /ˈbjuː.tɪ.fəl/
Diphthong vowels (8)
/eɪ/ place /pleɪs/, late /leɪt/, dangerous /ˈdeɪn.dʒə.rəs/
/əʊ/ home /həʊm/, phone /fəʊn/, global /ˈɡləʊbəl/
/aʊ/ mouse /maʊs/, brown /braʊn/, accountant /əˈkaʊn.t̬ənt/
/ɪə/ clear /klɪə/, fear /fɪə/, career /kəˈrɪə/
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