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'''[[English language|English]]''' is notorious for its many varied, inconsistent and irregular '''[[spelling]]s'''. This can be seen at its most extravagant in the field of [[English noun#Types of nouns|proper noun]]s—for example, simply adding  an 'h' to 'Maria' to make it rhyme with 'pariah', or calling oneself 'Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh' while pronouncing it 'Chumley Fanshaw'. An example of a common [[misspelling]] is 'disasterous' for 'disastrous', retaining the 'e' of 'disaster'.  Many words do not turn out to have the pronunciation they appear to have: 'do' and 'to' do not rhyme with 'go' and 'no', while 'seismic', instead of being 'seezmic' or 'sayzmic', or even 'sayizmic', is in fact 'size-mic'. The above grid (reproduced and explained below) provides links to three lists and a '''[[A (letter)|cluster of articles]]''' devoted to these things.


<center><big>
To show pronunciation, these articles use correct spellings with added [[Accent (pronunciation)|accent]] marks, instead of relying on the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA). In some cases incorrect respellings are placed next to the correct ones, signalled by a preceding asterisk, like '''thís''' *thíss.  The accent marks show pronunciation, '''thús'''. A table of these accents (which are not part of the language<ref>A few different accents, mostly from French, sometimes crop up in English, however; see [[French words in English]].</ref>) can be found below; there is also an [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]] key at [[English phonemes]]. Where there is more than one accent, the first is [[stress (linguistics)|stressed]], and the same is true after a hyphen, so in the respelling  of '''Tchaikóvsky''', *Chŷ-kóffskỳ, it is 'kóff' that has the main stress. (Another way of showing new stress is with a bar: '''Tchaî'''|'''kóvsky'''.) A sentence from the preceding paragraph can thus be rewritten as follows: "An example of a common misspelling is *disāsterous for '''disāstrous''', retaining the '''E''' of '''disāster'''." Respelling may be used to exemplify an incorrect spelling, or show a correct pronunciation, or a bit of both. Unlike the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]], where there can only be one version per pronunciation, as there must be an unambiguous one-to-one correspondence, there can be many respellings: if *disāsterous for '''disāstrous''' is a common mistake, we can also represent the pronunciation as *dizāstrus or *dizāstrous or *dizāstrəss (with 'ə', a special character &ndash; the only one used &ndash; for [[schwa]]); or we can contrast [[British English]] *dizàstrus with [[American English|American]] *dizástrus.
[[English_spellings/A|A]]   [[English_spellings/B|B]]   [[English_spellings/C|C]]   [[English_spellings/D|D]]  [[English_spellings/E|E]]   [[English_spellings/F|F]]   [[English_spellings/G|G]]   [[English_spellings/H|H]]  [[English_spellings/I|I]]   [[English_spellings/J|J]]  [[English_spellings/K|K]]  [[English_spellings/L|L]]  [[English_spellings/M|M]]  [[English_spellings/N|N]]  [[English_spellings/O|O]]   [[English_spellings/P|P]]   [[English_spellings/Q|Q]]   [[English_spellings/R|R]]  [[English_spellings/S|S]]  [[English_spellings/T|T]]  [[English_spellings/U|U]]  [[English_spellings/V|V]]  [[English_spellings/W|W]]  [[English_spellings/X|X]]  [[English_spellings/Y|Y]]  [[English_spellings/Z|Z]]  [[English_spellings/Apostrophe|Apostrophe]]'''
</big></center>


'''English''' is famous, even notorious, for its varied '''spellings'''. The letter links above lead to alphabetically arranged selections of commonly misspelt and/or mispronounced words, alongside some regular ones for contrast. In addition, the present page features  a 'retroalphabetical' list, with words arranged alphabetically by their final letters.
Particular attention is given to [[homophones]], words with the same pronunciation but different meanings.   English is rich in homophones, many of which are also homonyms, having also the same spelling, as, for example, '''cán''' ''able, tin'' (the italicised words suggest meanings, in this case two); while homographs are words with the same spelling whose meanings are distinguished by different pronunciations.
 
An example of a common misspelling is 'disasterous' for 'disastrous', maintaining the 'e' of 'disaster'.  Linguists conventionally put an asterisk before words which demonstrate an incorrect spelling, and we can also incude accent marks  to show stress and pronunciation. A table of these (which are not used in English<ref>Different accents, mostly from French, are sometimes used, however; see [[French words in English]]. Also, some Hawaiian words have accents.[http://www.geocities.com/~olelo/o-pronunciation.html]</ref>) can be found at the end of this article; there is also an [[International Phonetic  Alphabet|IPA]] key at [[English phonemes]]. Where there is more than one accent, the first is stressed, and the same is true after a hyphen, so in the respelling *Chŷ-kóffsky, it is 'kóff' that has the main stress. The first sentence of this paragraph can thus be rewritten as follows: An example of a common misspelling is *disāsterous for '''disāstrous''', maintaining the '''e''' of '''disāster'''.
 
Particular attention is given to [[homophones]], words with the same pronunciation.  English is rich in homophones; it also has many homonyms, words with the same spelling and pronunciation, and homographs, words with the same spelling but different pronunciation.  Examples of all three are grouped together here.  


Also of special note are words that many writers incorrectly divide.  '''ôver''' and '''dûe''', for example, combine to form '''overdûe''', without a space in the middle.  Such examples are included with ‘one word’ alongside them: '''alongsîde''' one word.   
Also of special note are words that many writers incorrectly divide.  '''ôver''' and '''dûe''', for example, combine to form '''overdûe''', without a space in the middle.  Such examples are included with ‘one word’ alongside them: '''alongsîde''' one word.   


An equals sign = is placed between homophones (in some cases the approximately equals sign ≈ is more appropriate). Homographs and other similar-looking words are included after 'cf.' (from Latin ''conferre'', 'compare').  
An equals sign = is placed between homophones (in some cases the approximately equals sign ≈ is more appropriate). Homographs and other similar-looking words are included after 'cf.' (Latin ''conferre'', 'compare').  


Some words from other languages, in most cases French, may be written with accents from those languages. Such spellings are shown using bold italics: '''touchè''' may be written with a French accent: '''''touché''''' *tooshây.
Some words from other languages, in most cases French, may sometimes appear in English with accents from those languages. Here, such spellings are shown using bold italics: '''touchè''' may be written with a French accent: '''''touché''''' *tooshây.


The apostrophe is an important part of spelling and so it has its own place at the end of the alphabet. An asterisk is placed before incorrect respellings, thus: *thuss.  Words in ''italics'' are used to suggest meanings, in the case of similar words.  The word ''person'' (or ''persons'' after more than one) implies either a personal or family name.  Such words are included because they often contrast with the spellings of homophones, for example a bank '''clerk''' might be named '''Clàrk''' or '''Clàrke''', but most probably not 'Clerk' (which is pronounced identically in [[British English|BrE]]).  It may, of course, also be a commercial or place name, as this is a matter regarding individuals: the fact that one is more likely to meet a person, most probably male, called '''Maurice Mórris''' than one called '''Mórris Maurice''', both words and hence both names being pronounced the same in BrE ('''Maurìce''' in [[American English|AmE]]), is about as relevant as the fact that one is unlikely to meet a person called either.
The [[apostrophe]] is an important part of spelling and so it is treated as a letter, with its own place at the end of the alphabet.   


{{TOC-right}}
Fragments of words are in bold when correctly spelt: '''Ukrâine''' has -'''âine''', not -âne.


==Retroalphabetical list==
Words in ''italics'' are used to suggest meanings (e.g. '''sêa''' ''water'' = '''sêe''' ''vision'', where the equals sign denotes identical pronunciation). Words beginning with an initial capital may have no word in italics following: these are names of people, either personal or family, and/or commercial or  place names.  Such words are included because they often contrast with the spellings of homophones:  a bank clerk might be named '''Clàrk''' or '''Clàrke''', but probably not 'Clerk' (though [[British English|BrE]] '''clerk''' = '''Clàrk'''/'''Clàrke'''). Unusual spellings can be explained by regular ones: '''Cloúgh''' = '''Clúff'''. An American called '''Maurìce Mŏrris''' could just as well be called '''Mórris Maurice''' ("Morris Morris") in Britain, where '''Maurice''' = '''Mórris''' (although it would be putting the conventional surname before the conventional given name).
(For the conventionally alphabetical list, see the links at the top of the page.)
This list is in alphabetical order beginning with the final letter of the word and continuing backwards through it.  The headword is on the right. In this way, suffixes and other word endings can be seen grouped together, just as prefixes can be seen in normal alphabetical order. So, instead of '''ádd båll coúsin''', we have '''réplicA fláB plástiC'''; and so for '''mûsiC''', see under -'''c''', for '''mûsicaL''', see under -'''l''', for '''pàrticlE''', see under -'''e''', and so on.


Some  suffixes are included separately with their pronunciation applying or not to following words. 
==Links to letter articles and lists==
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}}
In the navigation table above (reproduced at the top of each article in the [[CZ:Article structure|cluster]]) the cells in each row link as follows:


Throughout, the apostrophe is treated as the last letter, after '''z'''.
*Top row: '''''articles''''' on each letter and its use in English. There are similar articles on [[GH]], the [[apostrophe]] and the [[hyphen]].
For clarity, italic association words are to the left of the example word:


''woman'' '''mâid''' = ''make'' '''mâde'''
*Second row: '''''alphabetical''''' lists of of commonly misspelt and/or mispronounced words, alongside more regular words they may be confused with (words beginning with an apostrophe are [[English spellings/Catalogs/Apostrophe|here]]). Some incorrect spellings are also listed, signalled by an asterisk: *dispánd '''disbánd''' means that the word is 'disband'. (The ''bottom row'' is devoted entirely to misspellings and typos.)
*Third row: '''''retroalphabetical''''' lists, arranged alphabetically according to the final letter of the word and continuing backwards through it: 
::In the retroalphabetical lists the headword is on the right. In this way, suffixes and other word endings can be seen grouped together, just as prefixes can be seen in normal alphabetical order.  So, instead of '''ádd båll coúsin''', we have '''réplicA fláB plástiC'''; and so for '''mûsiC''', see under -'''C''', for '''mûsicaL''', see under -'''L''', for '''pàrticlE''', see under -'''E''', and so on.


===A===
::Some  suffixes are included separately; their pronunciation may or may not apply to following words ("always -'''ãrian'''" means there is no other pronunciation of -'''ãrian''').
mostly schwa -'''a'''


[[British English|BrE]] ''barrier, drink'' '''bàr''' = ''sheep'' '''bàa'''  
::Throughout, the apostrophe is treated as the last letter, after '''Z'''.  (Words ending in an apostrophe are [[English spellings/Catalogs/Apostrophe#Final and medial|also here]].)


'''Ábba
::For clarity, italic association words are to the left of the example word:
:::''woman'' '''mâid''' = ''make'' '''mâde'''


'''Shêba
::Some incorrect spellings are listed retroalphabetically, in which case the misspelling goes on the right, just as in the alphabetical list:
:::'''wêasel''' *wêasal


'''Cûba
*Bottom row: '''''common misspellings''''' including '''''typos''''' (blue-linked for checking purposes), followed by the correct versions.


'''Hécuba
Two main varieties are distinguished: [[British English]] (BrE), that of the [[United Kingdom|UK]] and much of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] (see also [[Commonwealth English]]), and [[American English]] (AmE), that of the [[United States of America|USA]] and [[Canada]] (without the [[caught-cot merger|'''cåught''' = '''cót''']] merger that has occurred in some parts of North America).


'''scûba
Unlike dictionaries, the lists include personal and place names for their own sake and for contrast.


'''tûba
==Table of accents==
These accents are intended to show the pronunciation while retaining the spelling: they are not part of the language. Those on '''i''' and '''y''' show the same sound; similarly with '''u''', '''oo''' and '''w'''.  Accented vowels are stressed ('''ỳ''' is normally unstressed, as in '''háppy''').  '''ā''', not in the table, means that the sound is '''à''' in standard British and Commonwealth pronunciations but '''á''' in American and other British and Commonwealth speech.
{|class="wikitable"
|rowspan=2|
|colspan=3 align=center|'''Front vowels
|colspan=5 align=center|'''Back vowels
|-
!e
!i       
!y<ref>When not accented, '''y''' is usually the semi-consonant of '''yoû''' and '''yés'''.</ref>
!a
!o
!u
!oo
!w<ref>When not accented, '''w''' is usually the semi-consonant of '''wê''' and '''wíll'''.</ref>
|-
|width=36%|The typical short sound, never occurring at the end of a word (acute accent)
|width=8%|'''pét
|width=8%|'''pít
|width=8%|'''crýpt
|width=8%|'''cát
|width=8%|'''dóg'''<ref>In American English this short British sound is replaced by the longer '''à''' in most positions, and by '''ŏ''' before '''r'''.</ref>
|width=8%|'''nút
|width=8%|
|width=8%|
|-
|The typical long sound, corresponding to the names of the letters A, E, I, O and U (circumflex accent)
|'''sêe
|'''nîce
|'''mŷ
|'''nâme
|'''nôse
|'''rûle
|'''toô
|'''neŵ
|-
|Sounds shown with the grave accent ('''ẁ'''- and '''qù'''- indicate the [[British English|BrE]] '''ó''' sound of the following '''a''', '''ẁad''' rhyming with '''qùad'''; '''òu''' and '''òw''' are diphthongs sounding like '''àù''' in '''àùtobahn''': '''nòw''' has this '''sòund''')
|'''èight''' (= â)
|'''machìne''' (= ê)
|'''quaỳ''' ''water'' = '''kêỳ''' ''lock'' <br>(= ê)
|'''àre
|'''òther''', '''blòod''' <br>(= ú)
|'''fùll''' (= oò), '''qùantity''' (= w)
|'''foòt''' (= ù)
|'''ẁant''' (= wó)<ref>Grave accents on '''w''' and on a '''u''' following a '''q''' indicate the sound of the following '''a''': '''à''' in American English, but in British the extra sound '''ó''' as in the British pronunciation of '''hót'''.</ref>
|-
|The '''ër''' sound (umlaut accent)
|'''përson
|'''bïrd
|'''mÿrtle
|('''ëarth''')
|'''wörd
|'''pürr
|
|
|-
|The '''åw'''/'''ŏr''' sound (ring accent)<ref>'''å''' and '''ŏ''' show the same sound: ideally the '''o''' too would have a ring over it, but this symbol is not available, so '''ŏ''' is used instead.</ref>
|
|('''cŏin''')
|('''jŏy''')
|'''åll'''
|'''mŏre
|(for some BrE speakers) '''sůre
|
|
|-
|The '''ãir''' sound (tilde accent)
|('''thére''')
|('''ãir''' =
|'''Ãyr''')
|'''stãre
|
|
|
|
|-
|Irregular (respelling needed)
|'''sew''' (= '''sô''')
|'''meringue''' (*məráng)
|
|'''because''' (*bikóz)
|'''woman''' (*wùmən), '''women''' (*wímən)
|'''business''' (*bízníss)
|
|
|}


'''Lŏrca
===Example sentences===
These sentences show how the accents may be used, for example, when teaching pronunciation. Words without accents are monosyllables with the [[schwa]] sound, a neutral grunt.


(but [[Vladimir Nabokov|Nabokov]]'s is '''Àda''') '''Âda'''
''The usual short sound, acute accent:''


'''Granàda
'''The gínger cát was jéalous of the bláck cát: howéver, the tábby was a véry dífferent mátter - the stúff of réveries, ín fáct.


'''Grenâda
''The usual long sound, circumflex accent:''


'''propagánda
'''Sây mŷ nâme thrêe tîmes with stŷle and Î’ll gô and fînd a tûne to plây for yoû.


'''referénda<ref>Plural of '''referéndum''': for more words like this, see [[English irregular nouns]].</ref>
''The third sound, grave accent:''


.*îdêə '''idêa
'''Christìna Grèy shoùld (and dòes?) lòve her mòther and fàther.


.*flê '''flêa
''The '''ër''' sound, umlaut:''


.*plê '''plêa
'''But fïrst, Mÿrtle, fürther dïrty, ïrksome and distürbing wörk for the nürses.


-êə '''Crîmêa
''The '''ŏr''' sound ('''sůre''' here is with [[British English|British]] pronunciation = '''Shåw'''), the ring, or half-ring:''


-êə '''ãrêa
'''Sůre yoû ŏught to cråwl ón åll fŏurs, m’lŏrd?


''person'' '''Chélsy''' = ''place''  '''Chélsêa'''
''Irregular, without accent, instead with respelling:''


.*Swónzy '''Sẁansêa
'''Many women? Any woman!''' (pronounced: *Ménny wímmin? Énny wùman!)


.*nåuzêə '''nåusêa
==Double letters==
The following alphabetical table shows examples of how letters can be doubled in English.  


'''Ólga
Double consonant letters before suffixes are used (as often elsewhere) to preserve short vowel sounds, as in '''flípped''' (not *flîped), '''rebélled''' (not *rebêled) and '''pégged''' (not *pêged, which if regular would in any case be pronounced *pêjed).  Compare '''scrâped''', past of '''scrâpe''', and '''scrápped''', from '''scráp'''. In the case of '''t''', doubling it after an unstressed vowel and before a suffix may seem unnecessary, but in some cases it can be doubled before -'''ed''': either '''tàrgeted''' or '''tàrgetted''' (but always '''commítted''').


'''broûhàhà
The sign # indicates a double letter that is rare in that position; capital-letter words indicate that the double letter in this position is only found in names. An asterisk (*) indicates a respelling to show pronunciation, and an equals sign (=) introduces a [[homophone]].
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!letter
!initial
!medial
!final
!final + silent e
|-
|'''A
|'''àardvark''' #<ref>'''àardvark''' and '''Transvàal''' are from '''[[Afrikaans|Afrikàans]]''', itself a further example.</ref>
|'''bazàar''' #
|'''bàa''' #
|
|-
|'''B
|
|'''ríbbon
|'''ébb''' #
|'''Crábbe''' (= '''cráb''')
|-
|'''C
|
|'''sóccer''' (*sócker), '''accépt''' (*əxépt)
|
|
|-
|'''D
|
|'''hídden
|'''ádd
|
|-
|'''E
|'''êel
|'''bêen
|'''sêe
|
|-
|'''F
|'''Ffoùlkes'''
|'''éffort
|'''óff'''
|'''Clíffe''' (= '''clíff''')
|-
|'''G
|
|'''aggréssion''' (-'''g'''-), '''exággerate''' (-j-)
|'''égg''' #
|'''Légge''' (= '''lég''')
|-
|'''H
|
|'''hítchhike''' # (accidental)
|
|
|-
|'''I
|
|'''skìíng''' #
|'''Hawàìi''' #
|
|-
|'''J
|
|
|'''hàjj''' # (also spelt '''hàdj''')
|
|-
|'''K
|
|'''púkka'''; '''boòkkeeper''' (accidental)<ref>With a pause to indicate both '''k'''’s are pronounced.</ref> #
|
|
|-
|'''L
|'''llàma'''<ref>Also representing a [[Welsh language|Welsh]] sound in place names like '''Llandudno''' (-dídno) and '''Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwrndrobllllantysiliogogogóch'''.</ref> #
|'''fílling
|'''wéll'''
|'''bélle''' ''beauty'' (= '''béll''' ''ring'')


'''gèisha
|-
|'''M
|
|'''súmmer
|'''Crámm''' (= '''crám''')
|'''grámme''' (= '''grám''')
|-
|'''N
|
|'''dínner
|'''ínn''' # ''pub''
|'''Ánne''' (= '''Ánn''')
|-
|'''O
|'''oôze, oòmph''' #
|'''foôd, foòt, flòod, doŏr'''
|'''toô
|'''Loôe''' (= '''loô''')
|-
|'''P
|
|'''flípped
|
|'''stéppe''' ''Asia'' # (= '''stép''' ''foot'')
|-
|'''Q
|
|'''Sadìqqi''' #
|
|
|-
|'''R
|
|'''érror
|'''pürr
|
|-
|'''S
|
|'''méssy
|'''lóss
|'''crevásse
|-
|'''T
|
|'''bétter
|'''ẁatt
|'''couchétte''' -sh-
|-
|'''U
|
|'''vácuum''' # (*vákyoôm)
|
|
|-
|'''V
|
|'''révved''' #
|
|
|-
|'''W
|
|'''Lawwell''' # (accidental)
|
|
|-
|'''X
|
|'''[[Exxon|Éxxon]]''' ™ #
|'''[[Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans|Bób B. Sóxx]]''' #
|
|-
|'''Y
|
|'''[[Omar Khayyam|Khayyàm]]''' #
|
|
|-
|'''Z
|
|'''fízzy
|'''búzz
|
|}


clóss- '''claustrophôbìa
==Names of the letters==
The names of the letters of the alphabet are rarely written out in English (a simple capital being the normal usage: "with a C, not a K") so that, unlike in many other languages, most of their spellings have a rather unofficial status. But they can be shown as follows, using real words where possible:


-íshə '''Alícia
'''A''': '''â''' (the indefinite article, when stressed), '''èh?''' ''what?


-ìssiə '''Galìcia
'''B''': '''bê''' ''exist'', '''bêe''' ''sting


-íshə: rhymes with '''milítia''' - '''Patrícia
'''C''': occasionally '''cêe'''; '''sêe''' ''look'', '''sêa''' ''ship


'''Albânia
'''D''': [[River Dee|'''Dêe''' ''River]], ''surname''


'''Tanzanìa
'''E''': '''ê''' as in '''êmail''', '''ê-mail


'''Armênia
'''F''': '''éff''' as in the euphemism '''éff óff


.*skítzô-frêniə '''schizophrênia
'''G''': '''gêe''' ''up, exclamation'' *jêe


'''Slovênia
'''H''': '''âitch''' as in '''drópping your âitches


'''insómnia
'''I''': '''Î''' ''me'', '''eŷe''' ''vision


Wó- '''Wallônia
'''J''': '''jây''' ''bird


'''ària
'''K''': '''Kây''' ''person


'''malãria
'''L''': '''él''' ''elevated railway'' ([[American English|AmE]])


'''Bavãria
'''M''': '''ém''' ''dash


'''Lîbêria
'''N''': '''én''' ''dash


'''hystêria
'''O''': '''ôwe''' ''debt'', '''ôh!''' ''exclamation


pìts- '''pizzerìa
'''P''': '''pêa''' ''pod'', '''pêe''' ''urine'', '''p''' ''pence'' ([[British English|BrE]])


'''Victŏria
'''Q''': '''queûe''' ''line'', '''cûe''' ''ball'', ''prompt


'''trattorìa
'''R''': '''àre''' ''be'', BrE '''àh''' ''exclamation


.*Âyshə or *Âyzhə '''Âsia
'''S''': occasionally '''éss


-zhə '''amnêsia
'''T''': '''têa''' ''drink'', '''têe''' ''golf'', '''tì''' ''do-re-mi


-zhə '''Indonêsia
'''U''': '''yoû''' ''me'', '''eŵe''' ''sheep


.*Toô-nìzhə [[American English|AmE]]; [[British English|BrE]] Chû-nízìə '''Tunisia'''
'''V''': '''[[Bobby Vee|Vêe]]''' ''Bobby''


-zhə '''Maláysia
'''W''': "'''doúble you'''" (*dúblyu; cf. '''vácûum''', which actually does have a '''doúble Û''')


-shə -'''tia
'''X''': '''éx-''' ''past


*Crôw-âyshə '''Croâtia
'''Y''': '''whŷ''' ''reason'' (voiced '''w''', as in BrE)


'''Patrícia''' rhymes with '''milítia
'''Z''': BrE '''zéd''', AmE '''zêe


'''inërtia
==''The Chaos''==
by Gerard Nolst Trenité


vîa
This poem on pronunciation irregularities was first published in 1920. Accent marks, respellings and editorial comments have been added to reflect current [[British English]] pronunciation. The unadorned poem, with an introduction, can be found [http://ncf.idallen.com/english.html here].


trŏika


là
'''The Châós''' (*câyóss)


Kampàla


Mandéla
Dêarest crêature ín creâtion


-zwâyla Venezuèla
Stúdying English (*Ínglish) pronunciâtion,


umbrélla
:Î wíll têach yoû ín mŷ vërse


côla
:Sòunds lîke cŏrpse, cŏrps (*cŏr), hŏrse and wörse.


scrófula
Î wíll kêep yoû, Sûsy, busy (*bízzy),


.*pé-nínssyələ península
Mâke yŏur héad wíth hêat grôw dízzy;


Mà
:Têar ín eŷe, yŏur dréss yŏu'll téar;


Alabáma
:Quêer, fãir sêer (*sêe-er), hêar mŷ prãyer.


Pánamà
Prây, consôle yŏur lòving pôet,


dràma
Mâke mŷ côat loòk neŵ, dêar, sew (=sô) ít!   
:Júst compãre heàrt, hêar and hëard,


or -mə cínemà
:Dîes and dîet (*dîət), lŏrd and wörd.


Émma
Swŏrd (*sŏrd) and swård, retâin and Brítain


dilémma
[Mînd the látter hòw ít's wrítten].


diplôma
:Mâde hás nót the sòund of báde,


carcinôma
:Sây–said (*séd), pây–pâid, lâid but pláid.
Nòw Î sůrely wíll nót plâgue yoû


Victoriàna
Wíth súch wörds as vâgue and âgûe,


.*Loû-êasy-Ánna Louisiána
:Bút bê cãreful hòw yoû spêak,


banāna
:Sây: gúsh, bùsh, steâk, strêak, breâk, blêak,


'''Fontāna
Prêvious, précious, fûchsia (*feŵsha), vîa,   
 
Récipê, pîpe, stúdding-sâil, choîr (=quîre);


'''Montána
:Wôven, óven, hòw and lôw,


'''nìrvàna
:Scrípt, recêipt (*rissêet), shoe (=shoô), pôem, tôe.
Sây, expécting fråud and tríckerỳ:


Guyána
Dåughter (*dåwter), làughter (*làfter) ánd Terpsíchorê (*Terpsíckery),


vagîna
:Brànch, rànch, mêasles, tópsails, aîsles (*îles),


Regîna
:Míssîles, símilês, revîles.
Whôlly (=hôly), hólly, sígnal, sîgning (*sîning),


Polyánna
Sâme, exámining, but mîning,
:Schólar (*scóllar), vícar, and cigàr,


hénna
:Sôlar, mîca, wår and fàr.


anténna
From "desîre": desîrable - ádmirable from "admîre",


tûna
Lúmber, plúmber, biêr, but brîer,
:Tópsham, broûgham (*breŵəm), renòwn, but knôwn,


bôa
:Knówledge, dòne, lône, góne, nòne, tône,


Nôah rhymes with Gôa
Òne (=wòn), anémonê, Balmóral,
Kítchen, lîchen (=lîken), låundry, laurel (lórrel).


môa
:Gërtrude, Gërman (J-), wínd and wînd,


Pà
:Beau (=Bô), kînd, kíndred, queûe, mankînd,   
Tŏrtoise (*tŏrtus), türquŏise, chámois-léather (*shámwà-),


spà
Rêading, Réading, hêathen, héather.


brà
:Thís phonétic lábyrínth


cf. Ôprah - ópera
:Gíves móss, grôss, broòk, brôoch, nînth, plínth.


Pandŏra
Háve yoû éver yét endéavoured


Andŏrra AmE; BrE Andórra
To (=toô)<ref>Strong form of '''to''', not normal in a verb's infinitive, necessitated by the metre.</ref> pronòunce revêred and sévered,


Sumàtra
:Dêmon, lémon, ghoûl, fòul, sôul,


Sinàtra
:Pêter, pétrol and patrôl?


ork- ŏrchestra
Bíllet dòes nót énd lîke bállèt (*bállây);


strâta AmE ≈ BrE strâighter - stràta
Boûquèt, ẁallet, mállet, chálèt.       
:Blòod and flòod are nót lîke foôd,
       
:Nŏr ís môuld lîke shoùld and woùld (=woòd).


táffeta
Bánquet ís nót nêarly pàrquèt,


excrêta
Whích exáctly rhŷmes wíth khàkì. ''—not usually nowadays''
       
:Díscòunt, vîscòunt (*vîcòunt), lôad and brŏad,
       
:Towård, to fŏrward, to (=toô) rewård,


-wə Manágua
Rícochèted and crôchèting, crôquèt?


-yûə or -wə Nicarágua
Rîght! Yŏur pronunciâtion's OK.<ref>The pronunciation required by the metre is "ôkay", though the '''K''' is normally the stressed syllable: '''okây'''.</ref>


nôva
:Ròunded, woûnded, griêve and síeve,
:Friénd and fiênd, alîve and líve.


sŏya
Ís yŏur R corréct ín hîgher?


Gàza
Kêats assërts ít rhŷmes Thalîa.


plàza
:Hûgh, but húg, and hoòd, but hoôt,
       
:Buŏyant, mínute, bút minûte.


.*pêetsa pìzza
Sây abscíssion wíth precísion,


===B===
Nòw: posítion ánd transítion;
'''náb


'''jáb
:Woùld ít tálly wíth mŷ rhŷme
       
:Íf Î méntioned páradîgm?


'''Árab
Twòpence, thréepence, têase are êasy,


'''stáb
But cêase, crêase, grêase and grêasy?
 
:Cŏrnice, nîce, valìse, revîse,


'''ébb
:Râbíes, but lúllabîes.


'''fíb
Óf súch púzzling wörds as nåuseous,


'''níb
Rhŷming wéll wíth cåutious, tŏrtious,


.*lám '''lámb
:Yoû'll envélop lísts, Î hôpe,
       
:Ín a línen énvelôpe.  


.*lím '''límb
Woùld yoû lîke some mŏre? Yoû'll háve ít!


''climate'' '''clîme''' =  ''up'' '''clîmb
Áffidâvit, Dâvid, dávit.


.*côam '''cômb
:To (=toô) abjûre, to përjure. Shèik
:Dòes nót sòund lîke Czéch but âche.   
Líberty, lîbrary, hêave and héaven,


'''còme, húm, súm''' rhyme with -'''cúm''' '''succúmb
Râchel, lóch, moustàche, eléven.


.*dúm '''dúmb
:Wê sây hállôwed, bút allòwed,


.*thúm '''thúmb
:Pêople, léopard, tôwed but vòwed.


''fruit'' plúm = ''plumbing''  plúmb
Màrk the dífference, moreôver,


.*núm númb
Betwêen mover (*moôver), plòver, Dôver.  


.*bóm bómb
:Lêaches, brêeches, wîse, precîse,


.*côam cômb
:Chálíce, bút polìce and lîce,


.*toôm tomb
Cámel, cònstable, únstâble,


hóbnob
Prínciple, discîple, lâbel.
   
:Pétal, pênal, and canál,


.*dŏrnób dŏorknob
:Wâit, surmîse, pláit, prómíse, pál,


AmE *érb hërb
Sûit, suìte, rûín. Cïrcuít, cónduít


vërb
Rhŷme wíth "shïrk ít" and "beyónd ít". —''still?''


súburb
:Bút ít ís nót hàrd to téll


blürb
:Whŷ ít's påll, måll, but Páll Máll.


pertürb
Múscle, múscular, gâol (=jâil), îron,


distürb
Tímber, clîmber, búllion, lîon,


cúb
:Wörm and stŏrm, chaise (*shézz), châós, chãir,


dúb
:Sénator, spectâtor, mãyor,


húb
Îvy, prívy, fâmous; clámour


===C===
Hás thê Â of dráchm and hámmer.
mâniac


insómniac
:Pùssy, hússy ánd posséss,


.*afrô-dízzỳác aphrodísìac
:Désert, but desërt, addréss.  


lîlac
Gôlf, wolf (=Woòlf), còuntenance, lieuténants
Hŏist ín lieû of flágs léft pénnants.


ålmanac
:Coùrier, cŏurtier, tomb (*toôm), bómb, cômb,


Quebéc
:Còw, but Cowper (=Coôper), sòme and hôme.


terrífic
"Sôlder, sôldier!  Blòod ís thícker",


horrífic
Quôth hê, "than liqueûr ŏr líquor",   
:Mâking, ít ís sád but trûe,


lógic
:Ín bravàdo, múch ado (*adoô).


.*shêek chìc
Strânger dòes nót rhŷme wíth ánger,


pýrrhic
Neîther dòes devòur wíth clángour. —''neither does anger: *áng-gə''
:Pîlot, pívot, gåunt, but āunt,
:Fónt, frònt, wônt, wånt, gránd and grānt.


éthic
Àrsenic, specífic, scênic,


Góthic
Rélic, rhétoric, hygìênic.
:Goòseberry, goôse, and clôse, but clôse,


mýthic
:Páradise, rîse, rôse, and dôse.
Sây invèigh, nèigh, but invêigle,


repúblic
Mâke the látter rhŷme wíth êagle.


seîsmic
:Mînd! Mêándering but mêan,


herôíc
:Válentîne and mágazìne.


cf. Pátrick - Éric
Ánd Î bét yoû, dêar, a pénny,


''ill'' '''síck'''    = ''thus'' '''síc'''
Yoû sây máni-(fôld) lîke many (*ménny),


mûsic
:Whích ís wróng.  Sây râpier, pìêr,


dramátic
:Tîer (òne who tîes), but tìêr.


tråumátic
Àrch, archângel; prây, dòes ërring


fanátic
Rhŷme wíth hérring ŏr wíth stïrring?   
:Príson, bîson, tréasure trôve,


''noun, verb'' státic
:Trêason, hóver, còver, côve,  


parasític
Persevêrance, séverance.  Ríbald


plástic
Rhŷmes (but pîebåld dòesn't) wíth níbbled.
 
       
drástic
:Phâeton, paêan, gnát, ghåt, gnåw,
 
       
acoûstic
:Liên, psŷchic, shóne, bône, pshåw.
 
cf. adjective mýstical - noun mýstic
Dôn't bê dòwn, mŷ ôwn, but roúgh ít,
 
''loft'' '''áttic''' = ''Greek'' '''Áttic
 
paralýtic
 
''wood'' '''blóck''' = ''political'' '''blóc'''
 
súbfúsc
 
can be móllusk in American - móllusc
 
===D===
bád
 
dád


''book'' Bêde = ''string'' bêad
Ánd distínguish bùffèt, búffet;   
 
déad
 
héad
 
knêad
 
bréad
 
dréad
 
spréad
 
instéad
 
fád
 
hád
 
Ílìád
 
Jeremîád
 
trîád
 
lád
 
mád
 
gôad
 
rôad
 
brŏad
 
abrŏad
 
tôad
 
sád
 
qùad rhymes with ẁad
 
ádd
 
ódd
 
-did -ded
 
woûnded
 
låuded
 
procêed
 
hêed
 
nêed
 
grêed
 
wêed
 
áct = -ácked
 
''tactful'' táct = ''tack'' tácked
 
stácked
 
AmE tráveled
 
-ld fîled
 
-ld smîled
 
-ld pîled
 
l doubled after stressed syllable - BrE and AmE rebélled
 
BrE trávelled
 
abándoned
 
boôed
 
-pt stépped
 
réd
 
scãred
 
.*sâycríd sâcred
 
hámpered
 
cf. compãred - cómpéred
 
two syllables neûtered
 
revêred
 
sévered
 
mîred
 
cf. hâte -  *hâtríd hâtred
 
cf. kînd - *kíndríd kíndred
 
-rəd húndred
 
food bâste = base bâsed
 
.*bîast bîased
 
-éssed mostly rhymes with -ést: conféssed
 
.*blést, but can be *bléssid before a noun bléssed
 
asséssed
 
obséssed
 
-tíd -ted
 
tàrgeted
 
.*rícoshâid rícochèted
 
intërpreted
 
excîted
 
éxited
 
ẁanted
 
bígoted
 
-vd shôved
 
-vd lòved
 
allòwed
 
hállowed
 
néxt rhymes with séxed
 
stãry-eŷed
 
stàrry-eŷed
 
''person'' Bŏyd = ''buoy'' buŏyed
 
âid
 
lâid
 
''make'' mâde = ''woman'' mâid
 
.*pâyed pâid
 
''bray'' brâyed = ''hair'' brâid
 
.*séd said
 
bíd
 
díd
 
líd
 
sqùalid
 
válid
 
vŏid
 
rápid
 
vápid
 
flûíd
 
Réginald
 
Rónald
 
géld
 
héld
 
fìêld
 
wìêld
 
mèld
 
wéld
 
gíld
 
chîld
 
mîld
 
wîld
 
ôld
 
bôld
 
fôld
 
thrêefôld
 
gôld
 
hôld
 
x yêars ôld in the plural, but hyphens when it's an ''adjective, noun'' x-yêar-ôld
 
sôld
 
tôld
 
cf. gôld - Goûld
 
cf. coùld, shoùld and woùld, all -ùd - môuld
 
ánd
 
hánd
 
lánd
 
-lənd: mostly schwa in (place or people’s) names, where it conveys familiarity: -lánd suggests alienness, even lack of sovereignty -land
 
Tŷ- Thaîland
 
Blánd
 
Åuckland
 
Hólland
 
a as schwa before nouns, e.g. Ínland Révenue, otherwise á - ínlánd
 
mâinlánd
 
Fínland
 
Pôland
 
Láplánd
 
Súnderland
 
mòtherlánd
 
hínterlánd
 
ôverlánd
 
Swítzerland
 
Quêensland
 
Scótland
 
heàrtlánd
 
Mãryland
 
sánd
 
fìênd
 
friénd
 
blénd
 
pénd
 
rénd
 
sénd
 
ténd
 
wénd
 
bînd
 
''crime'' fîned = ''discover'' fînd
 
hînd
 
one word hûmankînd
 
blînd
 
mînd
 
rînd
 
támarínd
 
''blow'' wínd
 
''round'' wînd
 
beyónd
 
ròund
 
woûnd
 
''religion'' Gód = ''idol'' gód
 
clód
 
nód
 
pód
 
foôd
 
goòd
 
no y - lîkelihoòd
 
moôd
 
broôd
 
woòd
 
apart from monosyllables, mostly -ə(r)d -ard
 
càrd
 
'''bêard
 
'''hëard
 
'''hàrd
 
.*Ríchərd '''Ríchard
 
'''shàrd
 
'''làrd
 
cf. ''wide'' '''brŏad''' - ''boring'' '''bŏred''' = ''wood, company'' '''bŏard
 
.*cúbbərd '''cúpboard
 
'''flŏorbŏard
 
.*lépərd '''léopard
 
'''lêotàrd 
 
'''bāstard
 
bústard
 
.*gàrd guàrd
 
wård
 
báckward
 
åwkward
 
except for Fránkie Hòwerd: Hòward
 
yàrd
 
házard
 
lízard
 
wízard
 
blízzard
 
búzzard
 
''hear'' hëard = ''animals'' hërd
 
nërd
 
bïrd
 
''tie''  chŏrd = ''vocal'' cörd
 
''person''  Fŏrd = ''water'' fŏrd
 
name suffix, -fəd -ford
 
Brádford
 
Rédford
 
Blándford
 
Rétford
 
Óxford
 
''rope'' cŏrd =  ''music'' chörd
 
wörd
 
absürd
 
türd
 
applåud
 
Måud
 
fråud
 
Î’d
 
''listen'' hêed = ''he'' hê’d
 
shê’d
 
''plant'' wêed = ''we'' wê’d
 
.*prâycêed prècis’d
 
ít’d
 
yoû’d
 
thèy’d
 
===E===
Final '''e''' is mostly silent; for words normally italicised and ending in written -'''''é''''' see [[French words in English]] - '''e'''
 
AmE -'''ê''' -'''aê
 
'''nébulaê
 
'''fŏrmulaê
 
'''anténnaê
 
'''nôvaê
 
'''scrîbe
 
'''descrîbe
 
''medicine'' '''prescrîbe''' ≈ ''illegal'' '''proscrîbe
 
zé- xénophobe
 
lôbe
 
fâce
 
.*préffis préface
 
.*ménnis ménace
 
Ẁallis = Ẁallace
 
.*Hórris, rhyming with words in -óris - Hórace
 
.*térris térrace
 
îce
 
sácrifîce
 
órifíce BrE; AmE ǒrifíce
 
sürplíce
 
nîce
 
Véníce
 
cŏrníce
 
hóspíce
 
thrîce
 
caprìce
 
trîce
 
pôultíce
 
láttíce
 
''noun'' = práctíse BrE ''verb'' - práctíce
 
nôtíce
 
devîce
 
crévíce
 
véngeance
 
(sometimes written as in French) séance - sèànce
 
chānce
 
vígilance
 
románce
 
perfŏrmance
 
''noun = verb'' either stressed fînánce
 
híndrance
 
forbéarance
 
''enter'' éntrance
 
''beguile'' entrānce
 
cf. exístence - stānce
 
cf. exístence - resístance
 
AmE lîcense, cf. BrE and AmE suspénse - lîcence
 
.*ákwêeyéssənss; cf. présence, -zənss - acquiéscence
 
câdence
 
décadence
 
transcéndence
 
subsîdence
 
évidence
 
próvidence
 
cf. dénse - fénce
 
AmE defénse - defénce
 
AmE offénse - offénce
 
hénce
 
scîence
 
-shənss cónscience
 
åudience
 
-âshence impâtience
 
cf. prevâil - prévalence
 
vîolence
 
përmanence
 
adhêrence
 
occúrrence
 
rêcúrrence
 
ábsence
 
cómpetence
 
séntence
 
insístence
 
cf. stānce - exístence
 
ínfluence
 
''mint'' mínts ≈ ''meat'' mínce
 
''print'' prínts ≈ ''royal'' prínce
 
fìêrce
 
pìêrce
 
enfŏrce
 
-êí- reinfŏrce
 
divŏrce
 
verbs -ésce
 
-éss acquiésce
 
.*côwaléss coalésce
 
-éss effervésce
 
BrE -dyoôss or -joôss, AmE doôss -dûce
 
redûce
 
indûce
 
''verb'' prodûce
 
''noun'' próduce
 
fâde
 
shâde
 
jâde
 
glâde
 
''woman'' mâid = ''make'' mâde
 
granâde
 
sh-; AmE charâde - charàde
 
parâde
 
concêde
 
intercêde
 
supersêde
 
stressed in verbs, unstressed in nouns, but always pronounced -îde
 
régicide
 
sûicide
 
cŷanide
 
derîde
 
asîde
 
besîde
 
.*rizîde resîde
 
one word úpside
 
one word dòwnside
 
provîde
 
óxide
 
in some names -forde
 
íl- elûde
 
əl- allûde
 
lóngitude
 
látitude
 
áttitude
 
''insect'' bêe
 
divorcêe
 
fêe
 
cóffee
 
banóffee
 
tóffee
 
Yánkee
 
glêe
 
referêe
 
as a suffix meaning ‘without’ -frêe should be at least hyphenated:
cãrefrêe and commítment-frêe
 
degrêe
 
pédigree
 
sêe
 
.*lîcencêe licensêe
 
cf. députy - devotêe
 
payêe
 
-êe has main stress when in contrast to emplŏyer - emplŏyêe
 
gáffe
 
lîfe
 
.*nîfe knîfe
 
wîfe
 
âge
 
mostly -íj -age
 
-íj cábbage
 
-íj bándage
 
.*hémərij haémorrhage
 
fôlìage
 
.*cárríj cárriage
 
.*márríj márriage
 
-àzh fûselage
 
-àzh cámouflage
 
-íj víllage
 
-àzh cóllage
 
-íj dámage
 
-íj mánage
 
-àzh bádinage
 
BrE *gáràj; *gáríj is regarded by many as uneducated; AmE *gəràzh gáràge
 
-íj áverage
 
-íj béverage
 
-íj lêverage
 
-àzh míràge
 
-íj stŏrage
 
BrE *báràj, AmE *bəràzh bárràge
 
sâge
 
BrE *məssàj, AmE *məssàzh mássàge
 
-íj méssage
 
-àzh dréssàge
 
-íj ûsage
 
-àzh sábotàge
 
-íj cóttage
 
-íj wâstage
 
-íj hóstage
 
-íj lánguage
 
-íj sávage
 
bádge
 
édge
 
plédge
 
slédge
 
-íj knówledge
 
mídge
 
rídge
 
brídge
 
pórridge
 
stódge
 
fúdge
 
sácrilege
 
prívilege
 
cf. édge - allége
 
oblîge
 
-êezh prestìge
 
-íj véstíge
 
chânge
 
whínge
 
lòunge
 
scròunge
 
Dôge
 
bàrge
 
làrge
 
dïrge
 
fŏrge
 
ürge
 
scöurge
 
pürge
 
sürge
 
.*âke âche
 
BrE *məstásh, AmE *mústásh moustàche
 
-kê synécdochê
 
cf. trôphy, átrophy - catástrophê
 
apóstrophê
 
*dhə before consonants, *dhê before vowels - thê
 
lôathe rhymes with clôthe
 
''colour'' dŷe = ''death''  dîe
 
bïrdìê
 
Chàrly = Chàrlie
 
Wílly = Wílley = Wíllie
 
Cónnie
 
Lónnie
 
Rónnie
 
pîe
 
soft g - menágerìê
 
côterìê
 
cálorìê
 
éyrìê
 
bâke
 
câke
 
Jâke
 
cf. bláck, Bláck - Blâke
 
mâke
 
snâke
 
sâke
 
tâke
 
''eat'' steâk = ''hold'' stâke
 
mistâke
 
lîke
 
chîldlîke
 
gódlîke
 
wårlîke
 
cátlîke
 
pîke
 
chôke
 
brôke
 
broòk rhymes with Ládbroke
 
broòk rhymes with Bólingbroke
 
evôke
 
provôke
 
wôke
 
rebûke
 
dûke
 
cf. ''noun, adjective'' fînal - ''noun'' finàlê
 
cf. ''adjective'' rátional - ''noun'' rationàle
 
cf. Âbel, Bâbel, lâbel, Mâbel - âble
 
impertürbable
 
applícable
 
dis- despícable
 
it is normal to retain an e before -able to show either the palatalised pronunciation of the preceding consonant or the long sound of the preceding vowel -eable
 
-nsəble pronòunceable
 
-jəble mánageable
 
-jəble chângeable
 
-kəble unshâkeable
 
-ləble sâleable
 
gâble
 
cf. lâbel - avâilable
 
unwínnable
 
ádmirable
 
desîrable
 
advîsable
 
tâble
 
debâtable
 
insurmòuntable
 
stâble
 
cònstable
 
forgívable
 
dábble
 
rábble
 
cf. rébel - pébble
   
   
dríbble
:Broôd, stoòd, roôf, roòk, schoôl, woòl, boôn,  
 
cóbble
 
góbble
 
hóbble
 
nóbble
 
wóbble
 
Húbble
 
rúbble
 
stúbble
 
édible
 
tánj- tángible
 
fállible
 
térrible
 
hórrible
 
comprehénsible
 
apprehénsible
 
sénsible
 
-sable is French - respónsible
 
axé- accéssible
 
colléctible
 
suscéptible
 
contémptible
irresístible
ámble
prê- preámble
gámble
rámble
scrámble
assémble
dissémble
.*rizémble resémble
.*onsómble ensemble
nímble
thímble
búmble
crúmble
fúmble
grúmble
húmble
júmble
múmble
rúmble
grúmble
túmble
stúmble
nôble
doúble
AmE rûble = BrE roûble
troúble
pínnacle
bàrnacle
téntacle
 
óbstacle
 
.*vêícle vêhicle
 
véntricle
 
pàrticle
 
.*úngkəl úncle
 
càrbuncle
tréadle
crâdle
páddle
stráddle
ẁaddle
tẁaddle
médal medallion = interfere méddle
bicycle pédal = sell péddle
díddle
fíddle
míddle
píddle
ríddle
códdle
cúddle
fúddle
befúddle
húddle
múddle
cándle
dándle
hándle
spíndle
noôdle
poôdle
 
gïrdle
 
cürdle
 
hürdle
 
kerfúffle
 
trúffle
 
strúggle
 
invêigle
 
g sounded separately from ng -ngle
 
ángle
 
bángle
 
dángle
 
spángle
 
wrángle
 
wángle
 
bürgle
 
bûgle
 
bîle
 
BrE -île, AmE -əl môbile
 
åutomobìle
 
fîle
 
BrE -île, AmE -əl frágile
 
Ánglophîle
 
mîle
 
símilê
 
.*fáx-íməly facsímilê
 
smîle
 
pîle
 
rîle
 
BrE -île, AmE -əl stérile
 
BrE -île, AmE -əl ''prayers'' míssal = ''war'' míssile
 
tîle
 
BrE -île, AmE -əl vólatile
 
mërcantîle
 
ínfantîle
 
BrE -île, AmE -əl hóstile
 
.*gîle, hard g - guîle
 
revîle
 
táckle
 
héckle
 
fréckle
 
píckle
 
tíckle
 
cóckle
 
búckle
 
ánkle
 
tínkle
 
wrínkle
 
wínkle
 
''food'' gríll = ''screen'' grílle
 
''fire'' côal = ''person'' Côle
 
dôle
 
hôle
 
môle
 
''ballot'' pôll = ''Poland'' Pôle = ''wood'' pôle
 
''over, eat'' rôll = ''play'' rôle
partíciple
 
''adjective, person'' príncipal = ''belief'' prínciple
 
discîple
 
sāmple
 
exāmple
 
dímple
 
símple
 
rúmple
 
crúmple
 
stêeple rhymes with pêople
 
nípple
 
rípple
 
típple
 
coúple
 
scrûple
 
vással and in AmE words in -āstle rhyme with hássle
 
-zle tòusle
 
.*súttle súbtle
 
chŏrtle
 
-səl -stle
 
cāstle
 
véssel rhymes with -éstle
 
néstle
 
tréstle
 
wréstle
 
whístle
 
grístle
 
Rússell rhymes with -ústle
 
bústle
 
hústle
 
rústle
 
líttle
 
cáttle
 
kéttle
 
''gold'' métal = ''courage'' méttle
 
bóttle
 
súbtle rhymes with shúttle
 
-ûel rhymes with -ûle
 
módule
 
mûle
 
rûle
 
cápsule
 
dázzle
 
fízzle
 
cf. drível - drízzle
 
sízzle
 
púzzle
 
mê
 
cf. âim - câme
 
gâme
 
lâme
 
sâme
 
frâme
 
tâme
 
extrême
 
dîme
 
.*rèzhìme regìme
 
lîme
 
''verse'' rhŷme = ''frost'' rîme
 
tîme
 
íncòme
 
òutcòme
 
dôme
 
hôme
 
gênome
 
''Alaska'' Nôme = ''garden'' gnôme
 
sòme
 
səm -some
 
troúblesome
 
hándsome
 
thrêesome
 
h- whôlesome
 
wínsome
 
cf. hysteréctomy - epítomê
 
.*rizyûme resûme
 
written with French accents avoids confusion with resûme: résumé
.*rézumây résumè
 
.*prizyûme presûme
 
-syû- consûme
 
-syû- assûme
 
''frost'' rîme = ''verse'' rhŷme
 
''fruit'' lîme = ''England'' Lŷme
 
énzŷme
 
bâne
 
''persons'' Câin = Câine = stick câne
 
urbâne
 
Dâne
 
mêthane
 
Jâne
 
lâne
 
cf. remâin - ''relevant'' germâne
 
scêne
 
obscêne
 
''person'' Germâine
 
-ône colôgne
 
-îgn rhymes with -îne
 
mìgrâine
 
Ukrâine
 
.*Mádlin or *Mádlən - '''Mádeleíne'''
 
refîne
 
confîne
 
éngíne
 
cf. hérôín ''drug'', hérôíne ''hero'' - méscalíne
 
declîne
 
reclîne
 
mîne
 
vërmín rhymes with ërmíne
 
detërmíne
 
sërpentîne
 
türpentîne
 
intéstíne
 
Chrístìne K-
 
prístìne
 
magazìne
 
''win'' wòn = ''number'' òne
 
cône
 
cf. Stône of Scone, *Scoôn - scóne
 
dòne
 
condône
 
góne
 
alône
 
anémonê
 
nòne
 
atône
 
stône
 
cf. Kíngston, both schwa - Mâidstone
 
zône
 
ãirborne
 
Mélbourne
 
Êastbŏurne
 
*dí-mâin demèsne
 
= -ô, -ôw -ôe
 
ôboe
 
dôe
 
fôe
 
-oô shoe
 
-oô canoe
 
rôe
 
tôe
 
wôe
 
grâpe
 
Penélopê
 
ántelôpe
 
énvelôpe
 
shãre
 
prepãre
 
îronwãre
 
sóftwãre
 
-re as schwa - *âkə âcre
 
-re as schwa - -kə mássacre
 
''ear'' hêar = ''this'' hêre
 
''them'' théir = ''that'' thére
 
''clothes'' wéãr = ''place'' whère
 
mêre
 
''was'' wëre
 
sevêre
 
shîre
 
in England, schwa, -shə -shire
 
.*Glóstersher Glóucestershire
 
.*Léstersher Léicestershire
 
.*Wùstersher Worcestershire
 
-shîre in Scotland – though non-Scots may not comply Âyrshîre
 
hîre
 
mîre
 
AmE mêter = BrE length mêtre
 
cf. fŏr - befŏre
 
to the fŏre
 
thérefore
 
(and, for some, toûr ''guide'')  ''rock''  tŏr = ''téar'' tŏre
 
bizàrre
 
cf. grándeûr - cûre
 
endûre
 
pāstûre
 
abjûre
 
-jə ínjure
 
-jə cònjure
 
përjure
 
lûre
 
-lyə fâilure
 
BrE əlyûə allûre
 
BrE  Shåw = AmE sûre
 
-zhər -'''sure
 
'''pléasure
 
'''méasure
 
'''tréasure
 
'''léisure
 
'''clôsure
 
-sh- '''préssure
 
-sh- '''físsure
 
-chər -'''ture
 
'''matûre
 
'''nâture
 
'''státure
 
'''fûture
 
'''sûture
 
'''wê’re
 
''of you'' '''yŏur''' = ''days'' '''yŏre''' = ''you are'' '''yŏu’re
 
''here'' '''thére''' = ''them'' '''théir''' = ''they'' '''thèy’re
 
'''chêese''', '''slêaze''' and '''frêeze''' rhyme with '''êase
 
-ss '''lêase
 
'''êase''' rhymes with ''plea'' '''plêas''' = ''request'' '''plêase
 
-ss '''crêase
 
''verb'', ''noun'' -ss '''decrêase
 
''verb'', ''noun'' -ss '''incrêase
 
-z '''têase
 
'''âce''' rhymes with '''châse
 
''confuse'' '''fâze''' = ''temporary'' '''phâse
 
-êez (no nationalities end in -ìse); usually stressed but can become unstressed before a noun as in '''Jápanese''': -'''êse
 
'''chêese
 
'''jöurnalêse
 
'''Nepalêse
 
Jápanêse
 
Chînêse
 
in all words apart from those specified below, -îse can be spelt -îze, for example críticize, and this is how -îse is pronounced in most verbs -îse
 
críticîse
 
noun, verb pronounced but never spelt -ize éxercîse
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize mërchandîse
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize fránchîse
 
vërbalîse
 
rêalise
 
êqualîse
 
valìse
 
fërtilîse
 
never spelt -ize because it is a noun and pronounced -íss prémíse
 
noun, verb never spelt -ize because pronounced -íss prómíse
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize cómpromîse
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize surmîse
 
.*pŏrpus pŏrpoise
 
.*tŏrtus tŏrtoise 
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize despîse
 
glámorise
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize comprîse
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize surprîse
 
presh- pressurîse
 
émphasîse
 
práctíce = ''BrE verb'' práctíse
 
áppetîse
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize ádvertîse
 
.*éxpertêez expertìse
 
silent u; pronounced but never spelt -ize disguîse
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize advîse
 
cf. noun devîce - -z verb devîse
 
pronounced but never spelt *wîze wîse
 
pronounced but never spelt -wize -wîse
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize lîkewîse
 
pronounced but never spelt -ize clóckwîse
 
-ss, as also hénce, fénce - dénse
 
sénse
 
nónsense
 
cf. defénce, lîcence, offénce where AmE has -ense, all -ss suspénse
 
-ss dôse
 
-z chôse
 
grandiôse
 
.*loôze lose
 
''noun, adjective'' -s, ''verb'' -z clôse
 
-z nôse
 
-z choôse
 
.*lûce loôse
 
-z expôse
 
can have French accent: exposé *expôzây expôsè
 
-z rôse
 
ápse
 
lápse
 
''noun'' rêlapse
 
''verb'' relápse
 
collápse
 
trâipse
 
eclípse
 
wood = cóps cop cópse
 
hëarse
 
cf. revërse - rehëarse
 
tërse
 
vërse
 
avërse
 
ádverse
 
cf. rehëarse - revërse
 
gŏrse
 
hŏrse
 
wörse
 
bŏurse
 
cŏurse
 
-z ûse
 
no -z refûse
 
''rubbish'' -ss réfuse
 
-z mûse
 
-ss spòuse
 
-îze ánalyse
 
-îze páralyse
 
''lure'' bâit = ''anger, breath'' bâte
 
debâte
 
rêbâte
 
-âte verb, -ət noun prédicate
 
índicâte
 
víndicâte
 
-ət certíficate
 
BrE -ət, AmE -âte - cándidate
 
fâte
 
hâte
 
lâte
 
-âte ''verb'', -ət ''adjective'' artículate
 
régulâte
 
mâte
 
-ít or -ət clîmate
 
-âte ''verb'', -ət ''adjective'' éstimate
 
spâte
 
séparate
 
-rət dísparate
 
-âte ''verb'', -ət ''adjective'' delíberate
 
exónerâte
 
-rət désperate
 
émigrate
 
ímmigrate
 
-âte ''verb'', -ət ''adjective'' eláborate
 
máj- mágistrâte
 
démonstrâte
 
rémonstrâte
 
-âte ''verb'', -ət ''adjective'' precípitate
 
áctivâte
 
effête
 
complête
 
.*sôshalîte sôcialîte
 
elìte
 
polîte
 
gráníte
 
fînîte
 
.*définət définite
 
.*ínfinət ínfinite
 
unîte
 
despîte
 
AmE réspíte - réspîte
 
hýpocríte
 
AmE -or- fâvouríte


Trótskyîte
:Worcester (*Wùster), Boleýn, to (=toô) impûgn. 
Sây ín sòunds corréct and stërling


can be written Brontë - Bróntê
Hëarse, hêar, heàrken, yêar and yëarling ''—yëar and yêarling are about as likely''


ánecdote
Êvil, dévil, mézzotínt,


ántidote
:Mînd the Z (zéd)!  (A géntle hínt.)


môte
Nòw yoû nêed nót pây atténtion


nôte
To (=toô) súch sòunds as Î dôn't méntion,
:Sòunds lîke pŏres, påuse, pŏurs and påws,
       
:Rhŷming wíth the prônòun yŏurs;


vôte
Nŏr are próper nâmes inclûded,


fŏrtè
Thôugh Î óften hëard, as yoû díd,     
:Fúnny rhŷmes to ûnicŏrn,
       
:Yés, yoû knôw them, Våughan and Stråchan —''nowadays regularised to *Strákhən


càste
Nô, mŷ mâiden, cŏy and còmely,
 
hâste
 
châste
 
-étte
 
oô- oubliétte
 
serviétte
 
cf. hámlet - *ómlet ómelette
 
kitchenétte
 
tríbûte
 
cóntríbûte
 
dístríbûte
 
''noun'' áttribûte
 
''verb'' attríbute
 
.*mínít ''time'' mínute
 
.*mŷ-neŵt ''small'' mînûte
 
repûte
 
compûte
 
cf. ínput - impûte
 
bŷte
 
nêophŷte
 
silent unless shown with an accent -ue
 
âgûe
 
.*lêag lêague
 
''persons'' Hãig = Hâigh = ''city, person'' Hâgue
 
.*plâig plâgue
 
.*Pràg Pràgue
 
-êeg noun íntrigue
 
-êeg verb intrìgue
 
-êeg fatìgue
 
.*meráng meringue
 
.*túng tòngue
 
-óg sýnagogue
 
-óg dîalogue
 
àrgûe
 
''blow'' bleŵ = ''colour'' blûe
 
clûe
 
glûe
 
-àk pláque
 
-âik opâque
 
cf. reálpolitìk - critìque
 
-ésk burlésque
 
-ésk picturésque
 
-ósk mósque
 
cf. brísk -ùsk brùsque
 
''Susan'' Sûe = ''law'' sûe
 
.*insyû ensûe
 
-syû pursûe
 
.*íshû íssue
 
.*tíshû tíssue
 
câve
 
Dâve
 
gâve
 
háve
 
cónclâve
 
pâve
 
râve
 
crâve
 
''serious, dead'' grâve
 
''accent'' gràve
 
sw- suàve
 
êve
 
slêeve
 
belìêve
 
relìêve
 
grìêve
 
síeve
 
sémibrêve
 
côërcíve
 
dîve
 
éndíve
 
recêive
 
concêive
 
fîve
 
cf. jîve ''dance'' - hard g in ''take'' gíve
 
hîve
 
líve
 
alîve
 
derîve
 
contrîve
 
adhêsíve
 
offénsive
 
crêâtive
 
tålkatíve
 
imáginative
 
repétitive
 
arrîve
 
persuâsive
 
sénsitíve
 
môtíve
 
revîve
 
'''abòve
 
''bird'' '''dòve
 
(BrE is regular '''dîved''') AmE ''dive'' '''dôve
 
''England'' '''Hôve''' = ''heave'' '''hôve
 
'''shòve
 
'''lòve
 
'''glòve
 
.*moôve '''move
 
'''groôve
 
'''rôve
 
'''grôve
 
'''stôve
 
'''trôve
 
'''strôve
 
'''nërve
 
'''sërve
 
.*prizërv '''presërve
 
'''Î’ve
 
'''wê’ve
 
'''yoû’ve
 
'''thèy’ve
 
'''Zimbàbwè
 
'''Lilóngwè
 
AmE '''áx''' - BrE '''áxe
 
'''yê
 
''me'' '''Î''' = ''sight'' '''eŷe
 
''pig, eye'' stŷ = ''eye'' stŷe
 
plêase and frêeze rhyme with slêaze
 
fâze
 
gâze
 
ádze
 
free frêes = cold frêeze
 
trapêze
 
most words in -îse can also be spelt -îze: all exceptions are listed under -îse -îze
 
never -ise sêize
 
apart prîse = present prîze
 
never -ise sîze
 
dôze
 
búlldoze
 
Drûze
 
AmE; BrE ánalŷse, both pronounced -îze ánalŷze
 
AmE; BrE páralŷse, both pronounced -îze páralŷze
 
===F===
'''chìêf
 
míschíef
 
thìêf
 
belìêf
 
relìêf
 
stāff
 
whíff
 
táriff
 
óff
 
féoff
 
Géoff
 
blúff
 
stúff
 
íf
 
'''sérif
 
cf. ''reason'' '''môtíve''' - *mô-têef ''pattern'' '''môtìf
 
Álf
 
.*cāf cālf
 
.*hāf hālf
 
one word himsélf
 
one word hersélf
 
one word yoursélf
 
one word itsélf
 
one word mŷsélf
 
gôlf
 
= Rôlph - Rôlf
 
.*wùlf wolf
 
gúlf
 
Bêowùlf
 
No expressions with [[modal verbs]] followed by ‘of’ exist.  What may sound like ‘of’ is the weak form of háve and so this or apostrophes should be written instead: woùld have, shoùld’ve, cān’t have, mîght’ve etc. - *óv óf
 
goôf
 
hoôf
 
roôf
 
===G===
'''fág
 
'''hág
 
'''nág
 
'''drág
 
'''ság
 
'''lég
 
'''pég
 
'''égg
 
'''díg
 
'''jíg
 
'''píg
 
'''ríg
 
'''wíg
 
'''sáng
 
'''âgeing
 
cf. ''sing'' '''sínging''' - -j- ''singe'' '''síngeing'''
 
.*âking '''âcheing'''
 
'''mâking'''
 
''snooker, drama'' '''cûeing''' = ''line'' '''queûeing'''
 
'''rûeing'''
 
'''brínging'''
 
cf. ''singe'' '''síngeing''' -j- - ''sing'' '''sínging'''
 
'''thíng'''
 
often mispronounced 'Beizhing': '''Bèijíng'''
 
AmE '''lâbeling
 
'''fîling
 
BrE '''lâbelling
 
'''fílling
 
'''dúmpling
 
'''êvening
 
'''mîning
 
'''exámining
 
''sound'' '''bŏing
 
.*dûíng '''doing
 
gôing
 
tûí- toíng and frôíng
 
''bell, round'' ríng
 
bríng
 
''squeeze'' wríng
 
síng
 
cf. râcing - râising
 
tàrgeting
 
intërpreting
 
gétting
 
forgétting
 
bétting
 
accrûing
 
flôwing
 
lápwing
 
léft-wíng
 
rîght-wíng
 
lóng
 
sóng
 
dúng
 
lúng
 
súng
 
bóg
 
dóg
 
hóg
 
lóg
 
cf. Jôe Blóggs - blóg
 
Stríndbërg
 
îcebërg
 
.*Hŷdlebërg Heîdelbërg
 
Bŏrg
 
Mágdebürg
 
Lúxemböurg
 
.*Shãrebŏrg Chérbourg
 
.*Strázbërg Strásböurg
 
búg
 
dúg
 
thúg
   
   
slúg
Î dôn't ẁant to spêak of Chòlmondeley (*Chúmley).  
 
       
túg
:Nô. Yét Froûde compãred wíth pròud
 
===H===
or any number of '''à'''’s '''àh
 
mostly schwa -ah
 
cf. Marìa - Marîah
 
parîah
 
blàh
 
ayatóllah
 
Gôa rhymes with Nôah
 
hurràh
 
Ûtàh
 
êach
 
blêach
 
pêach
 
rêach
 
impêach
 
AmE *spínních; BrE *spínnídge spínach
 
tree = bêach sand - bêech
 
besêech
 
.*ték: abbreviation of téchnical; also hî-téch - téch
 
whích
 
-k Zûrich
 
cf. Åldwých -wích
 
and S- town; AmE -ch; BrE -dge sándwich
 
.*Woòlidge Woòlwich
 
.*Brómmidge Brómwich
 
.*Grénnidge Gréenwich
 
.*Hárrídge Hárwich
 
.*Nórrídge, rhyming with pórridge - though some say -rích Nórwich
 
-wích Ípswich
 
-wích Drŏitwich
 
-wích Nántwich
 
squélch
 
''person'' Wélsh = ''Wales'' Wélch
 
fílch
 
zílch
 
drénch
 
sténch
 
wénch
 
ínch
 
sínch
 
wínch
 
cónch
 
búnch
 
húnch
 
púnch
 
lýnch -ch
 
''down, wash'' sínk = ''together'' sýnch
 
-dóck Mürdoch
 
smoôch
 
àrch
 
sëarch
 
làrch
 
-k pâtriàrch
 
-ək mónarch
 
kítsch
 
pùtsch
 
bátch
 
cátch
 
hátch
 
nátch
 
ẁatch
 
étch
 
fétch
 
kétch
 
ítch
 
dítch
 
hítch


glítch
:Ís nô bétter thán McLeod (*McClòud).


pítch
But mînd trívial and vîal,


stítch
Trîpod, mênial, denîal,
       
:Trôll and trólley, réalm and rêam,
       
:Schédule, míschief, schísm, and schême.
Àrgil, gíll, Argŷll, gíll. Sůrely


cf. Åldwých - what whích = wizard wítch
Mây bê mâde to rhŷme wíth Råleigh,
       
:Bút yŏu're nót suppôsed to sây


twítch
:Pìquèt rhŷmes wíth sóbriquèt.


bótch
Hád thís ínvalid inválid


hótchpotch
Wörthless dócuments? Hòw pállid,
 
       
Dútch
:Hòw uncoûth hê, còuchant, loòked,  
 
       
múch
:Whén for Pŏrtsmouth Î had boòked!
 
-k eûnuch
 
còuch
 
toúch
 
vòuch
 
súch
 
cf. place names in -wích - Åldwých
 
Rìyadh
 
''ð'' éth or édh
 
*ây èh
 
mostly silent gh
 
''no'' nây = ''horse'' nèigh
 
''kill'' slây = ''ride'' slèigh
 
cf. convèy, purvèy - invèigh
 
''how'' wây = ''heavy'' wèigh
 
''greeting'' hî = ''up'' hîgh
 
cf. voiced th in thŷ: vowel sound identical - unvoiced th in thîgh
 
.*sîe sîgh
 
.*Éddinbrə Édinburgh
 
.*Frâzerbrə Frâserburgh
   
   
.*Pítsbürg Píttsburgh
Zeûs, Thêbes, Thales, Aphrodîtê,  
 
BrE *làf AmE *láf lāugh
 
-òw bòugh
 
-ô thôugh
 
-ôw fûrlôugh
 
.*slòu - ''England'' Slòugh = ''swamp'' slòugh
 
.*slúff ''skin'' sloúgh
 
.*rúff roúgh
 
-û - ''throw'' threŵ = ''preposition'' throûgh
 
AmE = búrrow ''ground'' - BrE *búrrə bòrough
 
.*Lúfbrə Loúghborough
 
.*Scàrbrə Scàrborough
 
.*Míddlzbrə Míddlesborough
 
BrE *thúrrə, AmE *thúrrôw thòrough
 
-óff trôugh
 
-úff toúgh
 
-úff enoúgh
 
letter Ô = exclamation ôh


-f -ph
Páramour, enámoured, flîghty, 
:Épisôdes, antípodês,
       
:Ácquiésce, and óbsequies.


Rálph
Plêase dôn't mònkey wíth the gêyser,


oòmph
Dôn't pêel 'tâters wíth mŷ râzor,


trîumph
:Rāther sây ín áccents pûre:
       
:Nâture, státure ánd matûre.


lýmph
Pîous, ímpìous, límb, clîmb, glúmly,


nýmph
Worsted (wùsted), wörsted, crúmbly, dúmbly,
 
:Cónquer, cónquest, vàse, phâse, fán,
       
:Ẁan, sedán and àrtisan.
The TH (*têe-âitch) wíll sůrely troúble you


mŏrph
Mŏre than R, CH ŏr W (*àh, cêe-âitch ŏr doúble-û)


glýph
:Sây thén thêse phonétic géms:
       
:Thómas, thŷme, Therêsa, Thames (*Témz).


AmE -r, BrE silent -rrh
Thómpson, Chátham, Wåltham, Stréatham,  


catàrrh
Thére are mŏre but Î forgét 'em -
       
:Wâit! Î've gót ít: Ánthony,
       
:Lîghten yŏur anxîety.


mÿrrh
Thê archâíc wörd ålbêít


ásh
Does nót rhŷme wíth èight - yoû sêe ít;  
 
:Wíth and fŏrthwith, òne hás vŏice,  
básh
 
cásh
 
dásh
 
gásh
 
hásh
 
flásh
 
slásh
 
smásh
 
rásh
 
crásh
 
thrásh
 
stásh
 
qùash
 
ẁash
 
Bangladésh
 
mésh
 
frésh
 
thrésh
 
réddish
 
chîldish
 
gàrnish
 
tàrnish
 
vàrnish
 
Cŏrnish
 
bürnish
 
fürnish
 
''person'' Ẁalsh
 
-sh - ''person'' Wélch = ''Wales'' Wélsh
 
bánish
 
Spánish
 
vánish
 
''end'' fínish = ''Finland'' Fínnish
 
astónish
 
vàrnish
 
wísh
 
fíftyish
 
cósh
 
dósh
 
nósh
 
whoòsh
 
pósh
 
tósh
 
bùsh
 
lúsh
 
blúsh
 
flúsh
 
plúsh
 
pùsh
 
rúsh
 
thrúsh
 
mostly unvoiced -th
 
déath
 
hêath
 
bréath
 
wrêath
 
ôath
 
pāth
 
-drət + unvoiced th - húndredth
 
shibbóleth
 
voiced th - wíth
 
héalth
 
stéalth
 
wéalth
 
plínth
 
nînth
 
bôth
 
dòth
 
lôth
 
slôth
 
ëarth
 
dëarth
 
heàrth
 
bïrth
 
gïrth
 
héncefŏrth
 
Fïrth of Fŏrth
 
gô fŏrth
 
nŏrth
 
wörth
 
''4th'' fŏurth
 
noun th unvoiced, verb th voiced mòuth
 
ou as schwa, th unvoiced -mouth
 
-məth Bŏurnemouth
 
-məth Pŏrtsmouth
 
-məth Plýmouth
 
síxth
 
voiced th - ''casual'' blîthe = ''persons'' Blŷthe = Blŷth
 
voiced th - ''persons'' Smŷthe = Smŷth
 
or AmE schwa = BrE er - úh
 
===I===
-'''î''' or -'''ì
 
'''Dubaî
 
'''h''' sounded '''Shanghaî
 
'''Ábu Dhàbi
 
'''rábbî
 
'''álibî
 
'''Sàùdì
 
likewise other plurals of -'''us''' - '''nûclêî
 
'''Hawàìì
 
'''Isrâeli
 
'''Disrâeli
 
.*sémmy  '''sémi
 
''eat'' '''pîe''' =  ''number'' '''pî
 
girls’ names tend to end in -'''i''' or -'''ie''', boys’ in -'''y''' - '''Térrì
 
===J, K===
-zh '''Ràj
 
''Mahal'' -zh '''Tàj
 
-dj '''hàjj
 
-'''que''' = -'''k
 
''vegetable'' '''lêek''' = ''liquid'' '''lêak
 
'''blêak
 
'''spêak
 
''car'' '''brâke''' = ''pieces'' '''breâk
 
'''strêak
 
têak
 
''money, wood'' stâke = ''meat'' steâk
 
''days'' wêek = ''feeble'' wêak
 
'''flák
 
'''ánorák
 
'''háck
 
'''sáck
 
'''déck
 
'''líck
 
'''gímmick
 
'''hŏick
 
bríck
 
síck
 
tíck
 
Pàrtick
 
cf. Éric - Pátrick
 
Bûíck
 
quíck
 
wíck
 
.*Wórrick Ẁarwick
 
.*Bérrick Bérwick
 
w sounded in Lërwick
 
.*Kézzíck Késwick
 
.*Smédhík Sméthwick
 
cf. Bangkók - cóck
 
dóck
 
lóck
 
wédlock
 
flóck
 
wårlock
 
.*nóck knóck
 
sóck
 
dúck
 
lúck
 
''liquid'' lêak = ''vegetable'' lêek
 
mêek
 
rêek
 
sêek
 
''feeble'' wêak = ''days'' wêek
trék
 
cf. sqwåwk - -åwk -ålk
 
or båulk -  -åwk bålk
 
-åwk chålk
 
cf. talcum powder tálc, l sounded - -åwk speak tålk
 
-åwk ''bird'' stŏrk BrE = ''plant, follow'' stålk
 
-åwk wålk
 
whélk
 
.*fôk fôlk
 
-fək Nŏrfolk
 
-fək Súffolk
 
bánk
 
sánk
 
tánk
 
thánk
 
dránk
 
''person'' Fránk = ''honest'' fránk
 
thínk
 
rínk
 
drínk
 
shrínk
 
sínk
 
hónk
 
plónk
 
mònk
 
hónky-tónk
 
fúnk
 
Bángkók
 
noòk
 
spoôk
 
roòk
 
broòk
 
wók
 
pàrk
 
jërk
 
bersërk
 
smïrk
 
shïrk
 
kïrk
 
quïrk
 
wörk
 
lürk
 
Türk
 
āsk
 
bāsk
 
flāsk
 
tāsk
 
désk
 
''record'' dísc = ''computer'' dísk
 
whísk
 
óbelisk
 
rísk
 
ásterisk
 
dúsk
 
músk
 
túsk
 
åuk
 
squåwk
 
===L===
'''lógical
 
'''mýthical
 
'''puritánical
 
'''histórical
 
'''hystérical
 
'''thêátrical
 
'''mûsical
 
'''práctical
 
'''scéptical
 
'''mýstical
 
'''nåutical
 
'''quízzical
 
fôcal
 
lôcal
 
vôcal
 
''interfere'' méddle = ''coin'' médal
 
''sell'' péddle = ''bicycle'' pédal
 
cf. cándle, hándle - scándal
 
sándal
 
concêal
 
repêal
 
squêal
 
vêal
 
revêal
 
lêgal
 
illêgal
 
rêgal
 
Bengål
 
.*commërshal commërcial
 
denîal
 
mênial
 
.*pàrshal pàrtial
 
ânal
 
AmE bânal - BrE banàl
 
canál
 
phenómenal
 
diágonal
 
hexágonal
 
-shənəl -tional
 
nátional
 
rátional
 
nôtional
 
hôle rhymes with gôal
 
shôal
 
cf. ''main, headteacher'' prínciple - ''basic, credo'' príncipal
 
quadriláteral
 
âmóral
 
immóral
 
-zəl apprâisal
 
cf. véssel - hássle rhymes with vással
 
ántênâtal
 
pôstnâtal
 
''quality'' méttle = ''iron'' métal
 
.*péttle pétal
 
AmE inståll - BrE instål
 
-zhəl cásual
 
-kchəl áctual
 
evéntual
 
stomach nâvel = ship nâval
 
cf. êvil - *medêvəl or medìêval
 
*Mŷcle Mîchael
 
Ráphâél
 
a common mistake is to write *Isreal - Ísrâel
 
cf. âble, tâble, stâble - Âbel
 
cf. bábble - Bâbel
 
lâbel
 
Mâbel
 
''noun'' rébel
 
''verb'' rebél
 
excél
 
módel
 
yôdel
 
êel
 
fêel
 
pêel
 
fálafel
 
''air'' ãerial = ''person'' Ãriel
 
Mûriel
 
cf. lôcal, vôcal - yokel
 
cf. përsonal - personnél
 
repél
 
compél
 
dispél
 
expél
 
appárel
 
cóckerel
 
bárrel
 
mínstrel
 
wâstrel
 
êasel
 
wêasel
 
words in -éstle rhyme with véssel
 
*hô-tél hôtél
 
cf. módel - *mô-tél motél
 
cartél
 
-ûle rhymes with -ûel
 
''two'' dûal = ''fight'' dûel
 
fûel
 
crûel
 
grûel
 
''navy'' nâval = ''stomach'' nâvel
 
Ravél
 
unrável
 
trável
 
cf. drízzle - drível
 
swível
 
shòvel
 
nóvel
 
bòwel
 
tròwel
 
vòwel
 
píxel
 
TÉFL
 
fâil
 
avâil
 
prevâil
 
vèil
 
AmE fulfíll, BrE fulfíl
 
níl
 
fŏil
 
êvil
 
dévil
 
Brazíl
 
åll
 
båll
 
cåll
 
fåll
 
tåll
 
wåll
 
béll
 
déll
 
féll
 
héll
 
nútshell
 
péll-méll
 
séll
 
téll
 
quéll
 
wéll
 
fíll
 
píll
 
tíll
 
dóll
 
cf. ''parrot'' póll, ''elect'' pôll
 
''part'' rôle = ''along'' rôll
 
drôll
 
strôll
 
tôll
 
bùll
 
cúll
 
dúll
 
but the suffix is -fùl - fùll
 
''city'' Húll = ''boat'' húll
 
lúll
 
''island'' Múll = ''over'' múll
 
''and void'' núll
 
anúll
 
pùll
 
hê’ll
 
shê’ll
 
wê’ll
 
Î’ll
 
ít’ll
 
yoû’ll or yoù’ll or yŏu’ll
 
thèy’ll
 
prôtocol
 
álcohol
 
coôl
 
foôl
 
.*skoôl schoôl
 
poôl
 
spoôl
 
toôl
 
woòl
 
AmE enróll - BrE enrôl
 
patrôl
 
pétrol
 
cf. rôll - contrôl
 
párasól
 
-təl pístol
 
whŏrl
 
hôpeful
 
cãreful
 
beaûtiful
 
dûtiful
 
''noun'' spoônful
 
wònderful
 
àrtful
 
Gåul
 
måul
 
Påul
 
Såul
 
cáterwåul
 
cf. ''word'' fùll ''suffix'' -fùl
 
hôpeful
 
stréssful
 
jŏyful
 
''bird'' fòwl = ''bad'' fòul
 
ghoûl
 
''only'' sôle = ''Korea'' Seôul = ''spirit'' sôul
 
åwl
 
båwl
 
cråwl
 
''all meanings'' bôwl
 
''bird'' fòwl
 
hòwl
 
y as schwa - Síbyl
 
y as schwa - Béryl
 
===M===
'''glêam
 
'''rêam
 
'''drêam
 
''appear'' '''sêem''' = ''thread, coal'' '''sêam
 
'''stêam
 
'''scrêam
 
'''drêam
 
'''strêam
 
'''hám
 
AmE; BrE h silent, a as schwa, -əm -hám
 
h silent, g not sounded separately Búckingham
 
h silent, g not sounded separately Bïrmingham
 
-nəm Twíckenham
 
-nəm Chéltenham
 
-nəm Tóttenham
 
.*Méppəm Méopham
 
-səm Tópsham
 
-təm Stréatham
 
-təm Chátham
 
-təm Éltham
 
-təm Wåltham
 
unvoiced th sound Bôtham
 
unvoiced th sound Gótham
 
.*Rûtəm Wrotham
 
'''Wést Hám
 
'''môdém
 
'''dêem
 
''group'' '''têam''' = ''pour'' '''têem
 
'''hém
 
'''ahém
 
'''Béthlehém
 
sounding like -um '''thêorem
 
'''stém
 
-ám '''dîaphragm
 
.*flém phlégm
 
-îm páradigm
 
rhýthm
 
âim
 
mâim
 
dím
 
dénim rhymes with Blénheim
 
whím
 
Kím
 
skím
 
dénim
 
mínim
 
BrE and AmE -àm bàlm
 
BrE and AmE -àm càlm
 
BrE and AmE -àm quàlm
 
tálcum rhymes with *Málcum Málcolm
 
''dwell'' hôme = ''oak, islet'' hôlm
 
frêedom
 
bŏredom
 
kíngdom
 
slàlom
 
Tóm
 
árm
 
fàrm
 
hàrm
 
cf. wörm, wårn - wårm
 
pák- páchydërm
 
j- gërm
 
spërm
 
tërm
 
fïrm
 
fŏrm
 
nŏrm
 
cf. ''heat'' wårm - ''animal'' wörm
 
ŏrgasm
 
kázəm chásm
 
-zəm spásm
 
-ízəm; never stressed -ísm
 
âthêísm
 
Bùddhism
 
existéntialism
 
shôv- chauvinism
 
térrorism
 
mîcrocosm
 
tálcum
 
memorándum
 
referéndum
 
glúm
 
húm
 
válium
 
thállium
 
gerânium
 
aquãrium
 
delírium
 
drúm
 
húmdrúm
 
conúndrum
 
gymnâsium
 
fŏrum
 
vácûum
 
gỳm
 
''name'' -ným
 
syû- pseûdonym
 
hómonym
 
sýnonym
 
ántonym
 
Î’m
 
===N===
bán
 
ürban
 
türban
 
cán
 
cf. Gŏrdon - Jŏrdan
 
-tion crustâcean
 
lôtion rhymes with ôcean
 
dêan
 
clêan
 
mêan
 
-ìən epicûrêan
 
fán
 
Ìan
 
-íshən -ícian
 
technícian
 
patrícian
 
.*Óstrâlìən in rapid speech rhymes with míllion etc., -lyən -
Austrâlian
mán
 
-íshən ''abstract'' -ítion  = ''person'' -ícian
 
logícian
 
patrícian
 
politícian
 
mathematícian
 
reptílian
 
civílian
 
Brazílian
 
Gíllian
 
nonagenãrian
 
quinquagenãrian
 
septuagenãrian
 
sexagenãrian
 
octogenãrian
 
lîbrãrian
 
sectãrian
 
vegetãrian
 
libertãrian
 
no words end in *-erian
 
histŏrian
 
from -sia + n, = -sion, mostly -zh- -sian
 
-zh- Âsian
 
-zh- Caucâsian
 
-zh- Frêsian
 
AmE -izh-, BrE -ízì- Parísian
 
-shən = -tion -tian
 
Dalmâtian
 
nâtion rhymes with Crôâtian
 
Alsâtian
 
Títian
 
-bîzh- Azerbaijàn
 
mán
 
.*Îləv-Mán Îsle of Mán
 
mostly -mən -man
 
pâcemán
 
polìceman
 
hénchman
 
Omàn
 
Sûpermán
 
gásmán
 
ómbùdsman
 
bátman
 
Bátmán
 
táxmán
 
Nŷman
 
-ən Kôfi Ànnan
 
môan
 
''alone'' lône = ''lend'' lôan
 
grôan
 
''god'' Pán = ''food'' pán
 
tán
 
Tîtan
 
can be stressed in any word depending on speaker -stān 
 
usually second syllable stressed Uzbékistan
 
Tajíkistan
 
Afghánistan
 
Manháttan
 
ván
 
ẁan
 
Tŷ- Taiwàn
 
= ón ''French'' en
 
''letter'' én
 
dén
 
wîden
 
cf. Lòndon, both -dən - Cámden
 
sêen
 
splêen
 
shêen
 
grêen
 
fén
 
hén
 
dh- thén
 
léngthen
 
stréngthen
 
âlien
 
tâken
 
wêaken
 
brôken
 
tôken
 
wôken
 
dàrken
 
heàrken
 
póllen
 
swôllen
 
mén
 
-mən in most words -men
 
Yémen
 
spŏrtsmen
 
spécimen
 
chíldren
 
bréthren
 
wörsen
 
léssen
 
delicatéssen
 
bêaten
 
.*sóffən sóften
 
.*fāssən fāsten
 
.*hâyssən hâsten
 
''bird'' bíttern ≈ ''bite'' bítten
 
íll-gótten
 
héaven
 
hâven
 
êven
 
eléven
 
séven
òven
còven
or prû- prôven
wôven
Ôwen
óxen
yén
Zén
-n -gn
campâign
vèin rhymes with dèign
''would''  fâin = ''pretend'' fèign
 
''wet'' râin  = ''monarch'' rèign
 
.*sóvrin sóvereign
 
-lîne malîgn
 
-nîne benîgn
 
signal = sîne maths - sîgn
 
-zîne desîgn
 
-zîne resîgn
 
-sîne énsîgn
 
-pyûne impûgn
 
''pub'' ínn = ''out'' ín
 
Câin
 
disdâin
 
gâin
 
.*əgén; some regularise to agâin - again
 
slâin
 
explâin
 
mâin
 
cf. germâne ''relevant'' = Germâine ''person'' - remâin
 
brâin
 
Bahrâin
 
trâin
 
retâin
 
Bríton ''person''  = ''country'' Brítain
 
-tín cáptain
 
dín
 
skèin
 
[[Elmer Bernstein|''Elmer'' Bërnstêin]]
 
[[Leonard Bernstein|''Leonard'' Bërnsteîn]]
 
thín
 
detërmine rhymes with vërmin
 
pín
 
sín
 
bâsin
 
tín
 
-m -mn
 
''condemn''  dám = ''water''  dámn
 
condémn
 
sólemn
 
cólumn
 
åutumn
 
''man'' hím = ''church''  hýmn
 
''out'' ín = ''pub'' ínn
 
ón
 
mostly schwa, as are Cámden, Màrsden, Hámpden = Hámpton -on
 
càrbon
 
''university, clothing'' dón
 
Héndon
 
Lòndon
 
cŏrdon
 
cf. gàrden – Gŏrdon
 
curmúdgeon
 
pígeon
 
-njən dúngeon
 
-jən sürgeon
 
-jən stürgeon
 
-nchən trúncheon
 
bandôneon
 
Lêón
 
.*kəmêlêən; AmE -mê-; in fast speech -lyən, like míllion, Austrâlian - chamaêlêon
 
Napôleon
 
nêón
 
péntagon
 
bándwagon
 
àrgón
 
pólygón AmE; BrE *pólygən
 
'''îón
 
-yən -'''ion
 
most words spelt thus in Spanish are -'''tion''' in English -'''cion
 
-sh- '''suspícion
 
'''Asunción
 
-sh- '''côërcion
 
rêgion
 
lêgion
 
relígion
 
fáshion
 
cf. percússion, also -sh- - cùshion
 
vermílion
 
bíllion
 
míllion
 
tríllion
 
ònion
 
ûnion
 
Orîon
 
centûrion
 
-zhən after vowels; -shən after consonants, including another s and, in BrE, r -sion
 
lêsion
 
vísion
 
télevision
 
revísion
 
scánsion
 
expánsion
 
-éntion -énshən = -énsion
 
comprehénsion
 
pénsion
 
suspénsion
 
ténsion
 
preténsion
 
exténsion
 
avërsion
 
dîvërsion
 
convërsion
 
excürsion
 
dîgréssion
 
séssion
 
míssion
 
í- emíssion
 
ə- omíssion
 
-sh- percússion
 
fûsion
 
delûsion
 
illûsion
 
intrûsion
 
mostly -shən –tion
 
inundâtion
 
foundâtion
 
creâtion
 
nâtion
 
rátion
 
vî- vibrâtion
 
mî- migrâtion
 
-kshən -ction
 
áction
 
afféction
 
conféction
 
BrE can be -éxion - refléction
 
colléction
 
BrE can be -éxion - connéction
 
eréction
 
diréction
 
contradíction
 
.*sángktchən sánction
 
.*úngktchən únction
 
.*fúngktchən fúnction
 
.*júngktchən júnction
 
.*cəmpúngkshən compúnction
 
complêtion
 
discrétion
 
definítion
 
preposítion
 
proposítion
 
opposítion
 
competítion
 
frûítion
 
= -énsion, -énshən -éntion
 
méntion
 
deténtion
 
inténtion
 
atténtion
 
prevéntion
 
absŏrption
 
erúption
 
abŏrtion
 
contŏrtion
 
contribûtion
 
distribûtion
 
pollûtion
 
'''solûtion'''
 
'''éxion''' is, except for '''compléxion''', BrE only: other words end in -'''éction''' - '''éxion'''
 
so AmE, BrE ''refléction'' = BrE only '''refléxion'''
 
cf. '''conféction''' - *compléction '''compléxion'''
 
cf. '''convíction''' - '''crucifíxion'''
 
'''nŷlón'''
 
dêmon
 
lémon
 
Sólomon
 
Lébanon
 
cánnon
 
Shánnon
 
moôn
 
buffoôn
 
balloôn
 
lampoôn
 
harpoôn
 
cf. càrton - càrtoôn
 
upón
 
''person''  Bárron = ''lord'' báron
 
''person'' Sháron
 
''person'' AmE Sharôn, BtE Sharón
 
sáffron
 
eléctrón
 
neûtrón
 
sh- chévrón
 
''boy'' sòn
 
bîson
 
Áshton
 
Élton
 
Lýttelton
 
prôtón
 
càrton
 
Nŏrton
 
''east'' êastern BrE = ''person'' Êaston
 
''west'' wéstern BrE = ''person'' Wéston
 
cf. Féatherstone, etc. Ålston
 
Màrston
 
Rŏyston
 
bútton
 
mútton
 
Sútton
 
wòn
 
cf. Jáckson, Híckson, etc. Díxon
 
Níxon
 
Ríxon
 
bàrn
 
dàrn
 
ëarn
 
lëarn
 
cf. wårm, wörm: ''wear'' wŏrn = ''person'' Wårne =  ''warning'' wårn
 
yàrn
 
''bird'' = türn ''direction'' tërn
 
stërn
 
astërn
 
''persons'' Pátten = Pátton = BrE ''arrange'' páttern
 
bŏrn
 
cŏrn
 
cf. ''wriggly'' wörm - ''warning'' wårn = ''wear'' wŏrn
ürn
 
bürn
 
chürn
 
''round'' türn
 
fún
 
gún
 
nòun
 
''shine'' sún
 
Whítsun
 
dåwn
 
påwn
 
spåwn
 
pråwn
 
heŵn
 
gòwn
 
blôwn
 
môwn
 
renòwn
 
.*nôan knôwn
 
cròwn
 
tòwn
 
===O===
mostly ô; never -ó -o
 
placêbô
 
usually *ənkô - & cô, and cô
 
stúccô
 
flaméncô
 
-û do
 
vídêo
 
Montevidèo
 
Lêo
 
Clìo = Clêo
 
Galilèo
 
gô
 
lumbâgo
 
dóggô
 
vërtigo
 
Djángo
 
lôgô
 
Tôgo
 
mácho
 
.*sŷko psŷcho
 
.*Tŷko Tŷcho
 
-shô braggadôcio
 
portfôlio
 
pôlio
 
-ss- impresàrio
 
-shô râtio
 
-shô Horâtio
 
nô
 
taboô
 
gôo
 
Wåterloô
 
Shampoô
 
kangaroô
 
woô
 
.*Búrə - it means Míddlesbrough, which doesn’t have the ò - ends in schwa - Bòro
 
prô
 
cf. bûreau - pólitburo
 
sô
 
Plâto
 
AmE tomâto - tomàto
 
potâto
 
f- phôto
 
Plûto
 
''at'' to = ''also, many'' toô = ''2'' tŵo
 
émbrỳo
 
===P===
cáp
 
gáp
 
snáp
 
táp
 
stép
 
híp
 
friéndship
 
kíngship
 
crāftsmanship
 
shôwmanship
 
wörship
 
kíp
 
skíp
 
líp
 
clíp
 
flíp
 
slíp
 
whíp
 
gríp
 
tríp
 
stríp
 
whélp
 
kélp
 
cámp
 
dámp
 
lámp
 
rámp
 
crámp
 
trámp
 
hémp
 
ímp
 
skímp
 
límp
 
pímp
 
wímp
 
búmp
 
dúmp
 
thúmp
 
júmp
 
lúmp
 
slúmp
 
frúmp
 
trúmp
 
devélop
 
cf. ''noun'' énvelôpe - ''verb'' envélop
 
flóp
 
póp
 
sóp
 
désktóp
 
láptóp
 
hoôp
 
droôp
 
troôp
 
loôp
 
sloôp
 
stoôp
 
càrp
 
hàrp
 
wårp
 
bürp
 
slürp
 
cúsp
 
úp
 
cùp
 
''bird'' coô = ''overthrow'' coûp
 
.*rêcoôp recoûp
 
.*groôp groûp
 
gåwp
 
===Q, R===
Iràq
 
where unstressed, schwa -ar
 
bazàar
 
bàr
 
càr
 
râdàr
 
cálendar
 
êar
 
cf. ''drink'' bêer - ''animal, tolerate'' béãr
 
cf. ''risk'' dãre - ''animal'' dêer = ''beloved, expensive'' dêar
 
fêar
 
gêar
 
''there'' hêre = ''ear'' hêar
 
''look'' lêer = ''person'' Lêar
 
clêar
 
unclêar
 
.*nûclêə(r) nûclear
 
smêar
 
yêar or yëar
 
cf. búgger - béggar
 
though contemporaries pronounced it ending in schwa - Élgàr
 
sh- sùgar
 
buŷer, flŷer and trîer rhyme with lîar
 
brîar
 
jàr
 
píllar
 
cáterpillar
 
hóller rhymes with dóllar
 
sk- schólar
 
cóllar
 
môlar
 
múscular
 
régular
 
grámmar
 
-z- quâsàr
 
púlsàr
 
Qátàr
 
néctar
 
sítàr
 
''change'' ålter = ''church'' åltar
 
mŏrtar
 
stàr
 
BrE schwa = AmE uh - er
 
mostly schwa; stressed -ër in some words; AmE only in some words which are -re in BrE -er
 
câber
 
.*clîmer clîmber
 
tímber
 
encúmber
 
cûcumber
 
lúmber
 
.*plúmmer plúmber
 
cáncer
 
dāncer
 
cîder
 
glîder
 
spîder
 
''person'' Rŷder = ''ride'' rîder
 
insîder
 
''bold'' bôlder = ''rock'' bôulder
 
shôulder
 
propagánda rhymes with BrE gánder
 
Lêánder
 
mêánder
 
cf. sqùalor - sqùander
 
ẁander
 
wònder
 
yónder
 
enginêer
 
pîonêer
 
iléc- electionêer
 
cf. ''wither'' sêar, one diphthong syllable - *sêeər, two syllables ''see'' sêer
 
voluntêer
 
defër
 
confër
 
refër
 
prefër
 
óffer
 
próffer
 
cónifer
 
pílfer
 
hard g - làger
 
-j- mánager
 
cf. béggar - dágger
 
bígger
 
lógger
 
blógger
 
.*Nizhãir Nigér
 
hard g - tîger
 
hard g pronounced separately: áng-ger ánger
 
.*dânjer dânger
coat g not pronounced separately from -ng-; = hángar aeroplane hánger
 
.*mânjer mânger
 
.*strânjer strânger
 
.*jínjer gínger
 
hard g sounded separately: líng-ger línger
 
no g sound sínger
 
no g sound wínger
 
hard g sounded separately *mòng-ger -mònger
 
físhmònger
 
warmonger
 
hard g sounded separately: *stróng-ger - strónger
 
àrcher
 
màrcher
 
cátcher
 
decîpher
 
gôpher
 
or cîpher - cŷpher
 
voiced th and schwa -ther
 
bâther
 
féather
 
héather
 
léather
 
''climate'' wéather
 
''BrE far'' fàrther = ''AmE as well as BrE dad'' fàther
 
cf. AmE fàther - AmE láther - lāther
 
bláther
 
cf. AmE fàther - AmE ráther - rāther
 
togéther
 
''if'' whéther
 
téther
 
''where'' whíther = ''decay'' wíther
 
òther
 
bóther
 
smòther
 
mòther
 
one word anòther
 
bròther
 
fàrther
 
fürther
 
idéntifîer
 
supplîer
 
ëarlier
 
cry, town = Crŷer person crîer
 
pìêr
 
silent French r - dóssièr
 
''cry'' têar = ''level'' tìêr
 
jôker
 
hoòker
 
snoôker
 
pôker
 
bàrker
 
wörker
 
hándler
 
tóddler
 
jâiler
 
tåller
 
dóllar rhymes with hóller
 
rôller
 
stámmer
 
''baseball'' hômer = ''person'' Hômer
 
wårmer
 
fŏrmer
 
góner
 
lôner
 
kêeper
 
léper
 
.*loôzer loser
 
câter
 
lâter
 
wåter
 
cf. áctor - k- cháracter
 
detër
 
cf. BrE mêtre AmE mêter distance, rhythm - parámeter
 
perímeter
 
thermómeter
 
Pêter
 
trúmpeter
 
.*dåwter dåughter
 
āfter rhymes with lāughter
 
.*slåwter slåughter
 
wâiter
 
''church'' åltar = ''change'' ålter
 
fålter
 
Wålter
 
shélter
 
helter-skélter
 
wélter
 
promôter
 
hélicopter
 
stàrter
 
disāster
 
Chéster
 
Mánchester
 
Dŏrchester
 
or -or protéster
 
gángster
 
yoúngster
 
blíster
 
síster
 
bátter
 
fátter
 
hátter
 
mátter
 
bétter
 
bítter
 
lítter
 
hótter
 
tótter
 
bútter
 
stútter
 
commûter
 
compûter
 
.*lácker lácquer
 
avër
 
hâver
 
brâver
 
quâver
 
fêver
 
whichéver
 
AmE léver - BrE lêver
 
whenéver
 
.*hû-éver whoéver
 
wheréver
 
.*wót-éver whatéver
 
hòwéver
 
fîver
 
líver
 
ríver
 
''arrow, shake'' quíver
 
ôver
 
còver
 
Dôver
 
hóver
 
lòver
 
plòver
 
''art'' dråw ≈ ''chest'' dråwer
 
bòwer
 
flòwer
 
glòwer
 
tòwer
 
cf. lãir - *lãyə lâyer
 
.*plâyə(r) plâyer
 
.*prãir prãyer
 
.*fŏyây fŏyèr
 
låwyer rhymes with emplŏyer
 
buŷer
 
.*lŏyer låwyer
 
thére *thãir rhymes with ãir
 
hãir
 
despãir
 
fïr
 
-vwàr réservoir
 
tâpìr
 
stïr
 
bestïr
 
mostly schwa, as also -er, -our -or
 
ráncor
 
córridŏr
 
cóndŏr
 
fŏr
 
abhŏr
 
ultêrior
 
antêrior
 
postêrior
 
ánchor
 
cf. sqùander - sqùalor
 
''person'' Tâylor = ''clothes'' tâilor
pállor
 
chāncellor
 
trémor
 
gòvernor
 
dŏor
 
pŏor
 
térror
 
hórror
 
spónsor
 
''téar'' tŏre = ''crag'' tŏr
 
álligâtor
 
flagellâtor
 
órator
 
colláborator
 
narrâtor
 
spectâtor
 
áctor
 
léctor
 
Selécter ''band'' = seléctor
 
colléctor
 
protéctor
 
véctor
 
dóctor
 
proprîetor
 
trâitor
 
méntŏr
 
protéster is much more common than protéstor
 
invéstor
 
resístor
 
transístor
 
impóstor
 
whïrr
 
Cŏrr
 
fürr
 
pürr
 
occür
 
incür
 
concür
 
.*gránjə grándeur
 
frottëur
 
longuëur
 
voyëur
 
für
 
AmE Darfùr BrE Darfůr
 
AmE súlfur BrE súlphur
 
demür
 
fêmur
 
lêmur
 
mürmur
 
when unstressed, schwa; -or in AmE -our
 
''we'' òur = ''time'' hòur
 
doûr
 
AmE -or - hàrbour
 
scòur
 
''preposition'' fŏr = ''4'' fŏur
 
cf. ''petal'' flòwer - ''dough'' flòur
 
BrE *cúlə; AmE -or - còlour
 
BrE *glámə; AmE -or - glámour
 
BrE *hûmə; AmE -or - hûmour
 
BrE *ónə; AmE -or - hónour
 
sòur
 
''téar'' tŏre = ''hill'' tŏr = ''travel'' for some speakers toûr
 
nón séquitur
 
-ə -yr
 
zéphyr
 
màrtyr
 
===S===
.*áz ás
 
.*wéəráz whereás
 
.*ház hás
 
.*Cánzus Kánsas
 
-såw Årkansås
 
.*wóz ẁas
 
AmE *ërbs hërbs
 
thêátrics
 
-x athlétics
 
-x gymnástics
 
-x logístics
 
Nétherlands
 
-dz forwards
 
words from Greek, etc: -êz -ês
 
Ándês
 
antípodês
 
côdes
 
édges
 
lódges
 
Hódges
 
''hew'' heŵs = ''person'' Hûghes
 
lúllabîes
 
râbíes
 
.*síəríz sêríes
 
BrE *wúrríz, AmE *würríz or *würrìz wòrríes
 
Lós = lóss ''lose''; -íz Lós Ángeles
 
''distance'' mîles = ''person'' Mîles
 
cf. shékels - sháckles
 
-z Hërculês
 
-nz Bàrnes
 
Jóhn Mâynard Kèynes
 
Mílton Kêynes
 
.*dúzz dòes
 
.*gôze gôes
 
hêroes
 
.*tôze tôes
 
-tôze potâtoes
 
plural of -sís in Greek-derived words (see [[English irregular nouns]]) -sês
 
parénthesês
 
cf. prîces *prîsíz - *crŷsêez crîsês
 
.*loôziz loses
 
glāsses
 
-zíz hòuses
 
-ssíz spòuses
 
Sócratês
 
hêaves
 
''leave, leaf'' lêaves
 
''have-nots'' háves
 
shâves
 
wâves
 
''thief'' thìêves
 
Îves
 
gíves
 
-k- àrchîves
 
''plural noun'' lîves
 
''singular verb'' líves
 
''knife'' knîves
 
arrîves
 
môtíves
 
''wife'' wîves
 
''calf'' càlves
 
''valve'' válves
 
''elf'' élves
 
''delve'' délves
 
''shelf'' shélves
 
''self'' sélves
 
one word, as with following: *òursélvz oursélves
 
*yŏrsélvz yoursélves
 
*dhəmsélvz themsélves
 
*wùlvz '''wolves'''
 
cf. dòves - drôves
 
''hoof'' hoôves
 
''scarf'' scàrves
 
*yéss yés
 
hoôves rhymes with roôfs
 
-gz dógs
 
parîahs
 
''big'' sîze = ''sigh'' sîghs
 
-āffs lāughs
 
-óffs cóughs
 
.*íz ís
 
.*híz hís
 
plurals, no apostrophes, -íz Bangladéshis
 
-íz Bengålis
 
-íz Nepålis
 
-íz Isrâelis
 
-əss pênis
 
-íz Sùnnis
 
-nŏy Íllinois
 
-íss Páris
 
Hórace and Mórris = BrE Maurice rhyme with Bóris and Dóris
 
Hárris
 
térrace rhymes with Férris
 
rhyming with Hórace, BrE Maurice = Mórris
 
Nórris
 
thêsis
 
Greek-derived words in -sís, *síss, have -sês, *sêez, for their plurals (see Irregular Plurals) sýnthesis
 
némesis
 
-íss Dâvis
 
-íss Mâvis
 
-íss Trávis
 
Élvis
 
pélvis
 
-íss áxis
 
léxis
 
*nóx knócks
 
loòks
 
spoôks
 
-z sélls
 
-z húms
 
words from Greek: -óss -ós
 
*kâyós châos
 
''insect'' lòuse = ''nation'' Làos
-dôz tornâdos
 
-pss hélps
 
schnápps
 
''heart'' cŏre = ''army'' cŏrps
 
-z stàrs
 
lîars, trîers and buŷers rhyme with plîers
 
bôres, BrE påuse, and påws rhyme with dŏors
 
mostly -íss -ess
 
.*áxéss áccess
 
góddéss
 
cãreless
 
ûseless
 
hápless
 
hélpless
 
t can be silent lístless
 
t can be silent réstless
 
méss
 
goòdness
 
lîonéss
 
cléanliness
 
clúmsiness
 
nāstiness
 
no words end: *-yness
 
dréss
 
áctress
 
stréss
 
headmístress
 
cf. áccess *áxéss - asséss
 
silent u - guéss
 
kíss
 
prémíse rhymes with míss
 
lóss
 
grôss
 
cúss
 
-tss cáts
 
Kêats
 
Yâtes = Yeâts
 
-tss séts
 
''it is'' ít’s = ''of it'' íts
 
-tss síts
 
-tss bútts
 
-tss cúts
 
mostly -əss -us
 
-ss bús
 
ábacus
 
fôcus
 
-oôz Híndûs
 
-kəss Bácchus
 
Sibèlius
 
Dêlius
 
Jûlius
 
j-; cf. adjective ingênious - noun gênius
 
ignorâmus
 
j- gênus
 
ménûs
 
for adjectives = -us mostly for nouns: -əss –ous
 
cåucus rhymes with råucous
 
-dəss - only found in the following five words -dous
 
treméndous
 
stûpendous
 
horréndous
 
jép- jéopardous
 
házardous
 
-jəss outrâgeous
 
-jəss gŏrgeous
 
simultâneous
 
-êsh- spêcious
 
-ésh- précious
 
-ísh- vícious
 
uncónscious
 
relígious rhymes with sacrilegious
 
cf. noun gênius - adjective ingênious
 
pîous
 
censŏrious
 
kyù- cùrious
 
-ísh- fictítious
 
óbvious
 
prêvious
 
.*ánkshus ánxious
 
jéalous
 
zéalous
 
màrvellous
 
ridículous
 
fâmous
 
ínfamous
 
ánimus cf. ûnánimous
 
cf. vërtigo, hard g - g as j in vertíginous
 
glûtinous
 
glúttonous
 
scábrous
 
wòndrous
 
slānderous
 
mürderous
 
nûmerous
 
from -our - -orous
 
vígorous
 
glámorous
 
hûmorous
 
díz- disàstrous
 
mónstrous
 
vácuous
 
fátuous
 
nërvous
 
.*Bélla-Roôse Belarûs
 
cf. prósperous - phósphorus
 
rhêsus
 
cénsus
 
consénsus
 
sánctus
 
ríctus
 
-z jåws
 
irregular: *séz says
 
regular: *stâze stâys
 
-âze sîdeways
 
never used to form plurals: either a singular possessive or an abbreviation of ís - ‘s
 
w-, plural ònes = possessive òne’s
 
or *híz hê’s
 
or *shíz shê’s
 
chíldren’s
 
of it íts = it is ít’s
 
===T===
'''át
 
'''cát
 
'''bêat
 
'''hêat
 
'''chêat
 
'''plêat
 
'''nêat
 
'''fát
 
voiced '''th''' - '''thát
 
'''slát
 
''ash'' '''grâte''' = ''big'' '''greât
 
'''swéat
 
bôat
 
côat
 
flôat
 
glôat
 
môat
 
Crôát
 
thrôat
 
.*dét débt
 
.*dòut dòubt
 
''touch'' afféct
 
''emotion'' áffect
 
result í- efféct
 
përfect
 
''thing'' óbject
 
''disagree'' objéct
 
''matter'' súbject
 
''cruel'' subjéct
 
''verb'' rejéct
 
''noun'' rêjéct
 
colléct
 
connéct
 
áspect
 
respéct
 
''person'' áddict
 
''verb'' addíct
 
êdict
 
.*indîte indîct
 
vërdict
 
''person'' cónvict
 
''verb'' convíct
 
mostly -ít (-ət in Australasian English), but some have French -ây -et
 
BrE Hërbert rhymes with shërbet
 
t sounded ''hit'' búffet
 
.*bùffây ''food'' bùffèt
 
.*crôshây crôchet
 
rátchet
 
crótchet
 
thícket
 
pícket
 
crícket
 
wícket
 
màrket
 
-lây chálèt
 
cf. -létte - *boòklít, though these words are -lət in Australasian English - boòklet
 
píglet
 
.*bállây bállèt
 
mállet
 
ẁallet
 
bíllet
 
tríplet
 
BrE, u as schwa - qùadruplet, quíntuplet, séxtuplet, séptuplet, óctuplet
 
AmE - qùadrûplet, quíntûplet, séxtûplet, séptûplet, óctûplet
stàrlet
 
Jánet
 
plánet
 
gánnet
 
cŏrnet
 
límpet
 
-rây bérèt
 
quårtét
 
bánquet
 
-kây crôquèt
 
-kây sóbriquèt
 
BrE *pàhkây, AmE *parkây pàrquèt
 
.*boô-kây bouquèt
 
déft
 
héft
 
léft
 
beréft
 
míffed rhymes with ríft
 
dríft
 
shríft
 
lóft
 
.*yót yacht
 
mostly silent gh -ght
 
èight
 
heîght
 
frèight
 
wèight
 
fîght
 
lîght
 
delîght
 
plîght
 
cf. sleîght-of-hánd ''little'' slîght
 
nîght
 
rîght
 
frîght
 
tîght
 
''correct, left'' rîght  = maker -wrîght
 
.*plâywrîte plâywrîght
 
cópyrîght
 
any = ŏught should åught
 
cåught
 
drāft = drāught
 
fråught
 
''any'' åught = ''should'' ŏught
 
bŏught
 
fŏught
 
nŏught
 
brŏught
 
dròught
 
wrŏught
 
ít
 
-ate rhymes with -âit
 
''breath'' bâte = ''catch'' bâit
 
gâit
 
wâit
 
awâit
 
bít
 
inhábit
 
prohíbit
 
déficit
 
còunterfeít
 
fŏrfeít
 
sürfeít
 
Fáhrenheît
 
befít
 
fít
 
hít
 
kít
 
lít
 
admít
 
commít
 
ômít
 
vómit
 
sít
 
-kít cïrcuit
 
-skít bíscuit
 
cóndûít
 
quít
 
-roôt recrûit
 
.*froòt frûit
 
cf. soòt - *sût or *syût sûit
 
Jésûít
 
-syoôt pursûit
 
quít
 
wít
 
dímwit
 
outwít
 
côbålt
 
hålt
 
målt
 
bélt
 
K- Célt
 
n- knélt
 
félt
 
jílt
 
kílt
 
sílt
 
tílt
 
.*bílt buílt
 
wílt
 
fåult
 
cúlt
 
only word ending in -mt (cf. prómpt) - dréamt
 
ánt
 
''AmE cannot'' cán’t = ''philosopher'' Kánt = ''words'' cánt
 
signíficant
 
descéndant
 
deféndant
 
''adjective'' depéndent = ''person'' depéndant
 
clâimant
 
dŏrmant
 
còvenant
 
cf. próminent - dóminant
 
rámpant
 
árrant
 
érrant
 
''now'' cúrrent = ''eat'' cúrrant
 
pléasant
 
incéssant
 
blâtant
 
hésitant
 
contéstant
 
resístant
 
rélevant
 
sërvant
 
ẁant
 
''send'' sént =  ''money'' cént
 
.*áxent áccent
 
dêcent
 
rêcent
 
magníficent
 
ascént
 
dént
 
précedent
 
anticêdent
 
áxi- áccident
 
óxi- óccident
 
résident
 
président
 
''person'' depéndant = ''adjective'' depéndent
 
indepéndent
 
j- ''man'' gént
 
stríngent
 
púngent
 
hard G-  ''Belgium'' Ghént
 
obêdient
 
lént
 
éxcellent
 
repéllent
 
fråudulent
 
cf. ''mean'' méant - suffix -ment
 
engâgement
 
mánagement
 
séttlement
 
-tíssm- advërtisement
 
âilment
 
gòvernment
 
pâyment
 
përmanent
 
cf. dóminant - próminent
 
përtinent
 
oppônent
 
pãrent
 
appárent
 
transpárent
 
dífferent
 
inhérent
 
cohêrent
 
réverent
 
irréverent
 
''eat'' cúrrant = ''now'' cúrrent
 
''money'' cént = ''send'' sént
 
tént
 
cómpetent
 
inadvërtent
 
consístent
 
persístent
 
nón-exístent
 
vént
 
fërvent
 
línt
 
flínt
 
glínt
 
mínt
 
pînt
 
frònt
 
dåunt
 
gåunt
 
håunt
 
''verb'' discòunt
 
''noun'' díscount
 
vîc- vîscount
 
blúnt
 
rúnt
 
stúnt
 
gót
 
.*éscàr-gô escargôt
 
Màrgo = Màrgôt
 
hót
 
lót
 
''no'' nót = ''tie'' knót
 
boôt
 
hoôt
 
foòt
 
loôt
 
roôt
 
soòt
 
pót
 
rót
 
árrow rhymes with tárôt
 
''gold'' cárat = ''eat'' cárrot
 
párrot
 
tót
 
ápt
 
léapt
 
accépt
 
excépt
 
képt
 
slépt
 
wépt
 
unkémpt
 
exémpt
 
''noun'' éxcërpt
 
íx- ''verb'' excërpt
 
àrt
 
pàrt
 
depàrt
 
impàrt
 
wårt
 
dïrt
 
flïrt
 
fŏrt
 
shŏrt
 
repŏrt
 
''noun'' ímport
 
''verb'' impŏrt
 
sŏrt
 
''verb'' consŏrt
 
cf. cóncert - noun cónsŏrt
 
cürt
 
hürt
 
êast
 
bêast
 
fêast
 
lêast
 
bréast
 
yêast
 
fāst
 
lāst
 
māst
 
vāst
 
stréssed rhymes with stressed -est
 
bést
 
íncést
 
.*hŷíst hîghest
 
.*drŷíst drîest
 
priêst
 
jést
 
lést
 
nést
 
vést
 
wést
 
lôwest
 
ángst
 
râcist
 
.*fáshist fáscist
 
líst
 
sôshə- sôcialist
 
týpist
 
gríst
 
K- Chrîst
 
-k- Gílchríst
 
insíst
 
consíst
 
persíst
 
exíst
 
whîlst
 
cóst
 
''dusty'' dúst = ''archaic do'' dòst
 
hôst
 
ghôst
 
lóst
 
fŏremôst
 
úppermôst
 
òutermôst
 
pôst
 
fïrst
 
thïrst
 
wörst
 
cürsed rhymes with bürst
 
hürst
 
búst
 
lôcust
 
lúst
 
trúst
 
cýst
 
ánalýst
 
cátalýst
 
more common in family names like Péttitt and Sénnett (= sénate house) than in ordinary words: -tt
 
ẁatt
 
''head'' bútt
 
Àrgonaut
 
cóz- cósmonaut
 
ástronaut
 
júggernaut
 
''however'' bút
 
cút
 
jút
 
glút
 
slút
 
nút
 
òut
 
gòut
 
clòut
 
pòut
 
tòut
 
.*impùt ínput
 
rút
 
neŵt
 
nòwt
 
séxed rhymes with néxt
 
téxt
 
cān’t
 
shān’t
 
hádn’t
 
nêedn’t
 
dídn’t
 
.*cùdənt coùldn’t
 
.*shùdənt shoùldn’t
 
.*wùdənt woùldn’t
 
àren’t
 
dãren’t
 
wëren’t
 
háven’t
 
âin’t
 
dôn’t
 
''habit'' wônt = ''will'' wôn’t
 
.*házzənt hásn’t
 
.*wózzənt ẁasn’t
 
.*dúzzənt dòesn’t
 
.*ízzənt ísn’t
 
.*åwtənt ŏughtn’t
 
.*mússənt mústn’t
 
.*mîtənt mìghtn’t
 
===U, V, W===
.*táblô '''tábleau
 
.*byoôrô '''bûreau
 
.*troôssô '''troûsseau
 
.*pláttô '''pláteau
 
silent '''u''' in '''Guinea'''; -ssòw '''Guínea Bíssàù'''
 
''illness'' '''flû
 
.*êemyoô '''êmû
 
'''cáriboû
 
'''gùrû
 
-óff '''Gorbachev
 
-nyéff '''Brézhnev
 
along with many other such Slavonic names, -'''ov''' as '''óff''' (such words were once spelt -'''off''') '''Chékhov
 
'''guffåw
 
'''jåw
 
låw
 
clåw
 
''animal'' påw
 
dråw
 
''see, wood'' såw
 
feŵ
 
''little'' feŵ = ''relief'' pheŵ
 
Jeŵ
 
neŵ
 
''needle'' = sô ''therefore'' - sew
 
dreŵ
 
''tree'' = yoû ''me'' = eŵe ''sheep'' - yeŵ
 
''ribbon'' bôw
 
''Street'' Bôw
 
''incline'' bòw
 
còw
 
Móscôw
 
Dòw
 
wíndôw
 
hòw
 
lôw
 
belôw
 
flôw
 
allòw
 
-llôw
 
fállow
 
sẁallow
 
béllow
 
féllow
 
méllow
 
yéllow
 
bíllow
 
píllow
 
fóllow
 
hóllow
 
môw
 
nòw
 
''negative'' nô = ''knowledge'' knôw
 
''line'' rôw
 
''argue'' ròw
 
grôw
 
thrôw
 
pròw
 
árrôw
 
bárrôw
 
fárrôw
 
hárrôw
 
nárrôw
 
spárrôw
 
''needle'' sew = ''seeds'' sôw
 
''pig'' sòw
 
''foot'' tôe = ''pull'' tôw
 
stôw
 
bestôw
 
vòw
 
===X===
''data'' fácts = ''machine'' fáx
 
''hasn’t'' lácks = ''careless'' láx
 
côax
 
hôax
 
wáx
 
rêflex
 
cïrcumflex
 
véx
 
fíx
 
míx
 
síx
 
jínx
 
mínx
 
quíncunx
 
lýnx
 
phárynx
 
óx
 
bóx
 
cóx
 
páradox
 
ŏrthodox
 
flúmmox
 
''plural'' -lôz tábleaux
 
''plural'' -rôz bûreaux
 
flúx
 
crúx
 
===Y===
after consonant mostly '''ỳ''' -'''y
 
as a suffix, may be pronounced -dỳ in days of the week such as '''Mònday''' - '''dây
 
'''bïrthday
 
'''hóliday
 
'''Frîday
 
'''wêekday
 
'''wörkday
 
'''Mònday
 
'''Súnday
 
'''todây
 
'''yésterday
 
'''Sáturday
 
''doom'' doômsday = ''book'' Domesday
 
Wédnesday
 
Tûesday
 
Thürsday
 
Mâyday
 
hèyday
 
''elf'' fèy = ''person'' Fây
 
gây
 
hây
 
clây
 
delây
 
plây
 
displây
 
''verb'' Mây = ''month'' mây
 
sây
 
.*Línzy Líndsay
 
daresây
 
hêarsay
 
stây
 
cf. place names in -aî - *Páragwŷe Páraguaŷ
 
.*Yûrəgwŷe Ûruguaŷ
 
weight wèigh = how wây
 
awày
 
verb is two words breâkaway
 
verb is two words rúnaway
 
verb is two words gétaway
 
Gålway
 
''cricket, farewell'' bŷe = ''2'' bî- = ''preposition'' bŷ
 
bâby
 
cábbie and words in -ábby rhyme with Gáby
 
lúllabŷ
 
''abbot'' ábbey = ''persons'' Àbbey = Ábby
 
shábby
 
flábby
 
tábby
 
lóbby
 
lâybŷ
 
sêe sight = -sỳ = -cỳ
 
Mâcy
 
râcy
 
cf. hypócrisy - thêócracy
 
cf. hypócrisy - demócracy
 
.*byurócracy bureaucracy
 
áccuracy
 
-cỳ noun cf. próphesŷ verb - próphecy
 
nŏrmalcy
 
fáncy
 
chāncy
 
nécrománcy
 
''person'' Náncy
 
''France'' Nàncy
 
discrépancy
 
téndency
 
cúrrency
 
constítuency
 
shâdy
 
lâdy
 
trágedy
 
cómedy
 
përfidy
 
súbsidy
 
''persons'' Àbbey = Ábby = ''abbot'' ábbey
 
obèy
 
''person'' Fây = ''whimsy'' fèy
thèy
 
whèy
 
kêy
 
láckêy
 
dónkêy
 
mònkêy
 
lèy
 
állêy
 
válley
 
trólley
 
fólly rhymes with vólley
 
jóckêy
 
dónkêy
 
mònkêy
 
''nest, cart'' = drây ''cart'' drèy
 
Jéffrêy
 
ósprêy or ósprèy
 
cf. invèigh - convèy
 
purvèy
 
Hàrvêy
 
-zy Jërsêy
 
íffy
 
jíffy
 
stúffy
 
símplifŷ
 
mágnifŷ
 
vérifŷ
 
goôfy
 
dódgy
 
pódgy
 
-jy strátegy
 
fóggy
 
-njỳ -ngy
 
-jy mângy
 
-jy díngy
 
-ləjỳ -logy
 
jêó- geólogy
 
sôsh- sociólogy
 
-jy astrólogỳ
 
-jy énergy
 
-jy sýnergy
 
-jy líturgy
 
.*díng-y dínghy
 
.*dôwy dôughy
 
jó- geógraphy
 
cf. catástrophê, apóstrophê - trôphy
 
átrophy
 
voiced th, cf thîgh, unvoiced, same vowel sound thŷ
 
telépathy
 
sýmpathy
 
lêaky
 
tácky
 
plúcky
 
pôky
 
âbly
 
próbably
 
regréttably
 
nó- knóbbly
 
fêebly
 
vísibly
 
respónsibly
 
''dumb'' *dúmly dúmbly
 
''crumble'' crúmbly
 
nôbly
 
cf. bâsically - públicly
 
admíttedly
 
lîkely
 
two ls pronounced - sôlely
 
delíberately
 
complêtely
 
or -érily -ãrily
 
prîmãrily
 
necessãrily
 
temporãrily
 
militãrily
 
momentãrily
 
-z- êasily
 
quíckly
 
állŷ
 
cf. públicly - económically
 
tópically
 
bâsically
 
mûsically
 
illêgally
 
víscerally
 
incidéntally
 
tôtally
 
''mostly female'' Bíllie = ''either'' Bílly
 
two l’s pronounced shrílly
 
sílly
 
vólley rhymes with fólly
 
two l’s pronounced whôlly
 
two l’s pronounced coôlly
 
two l’s pronounced dúlly
 
fùlly
 
replŷ
 
ëarly
 
dêarly
 
nêarly
 
pëarly
 
cléverly
 
fãirly
 
bürly
 
vígorously
 
AmE evidéntly BrE évidently
 
áptly
 
trûly
 
Âmy
 
astrónomy
 
gástrónomy
 
autónomy
 
cf. epítomê - hysteréctomy
 
.*énny any
 
.*ménny many
 
zâny
 
prógeny
 
shîny
 
Plíny
 
cf. tínny - tîny
 
whîny
 
Jénnie = Jénny
 
Kénny
 
pénny
 
Jóhnnie = Jóhnny
 
Dónny
 
fúnny
 
súnny
 
BrE o as schwa, AmE -môny
 
BrE *hígémony (hard g), AmE *héjəmôny hegemony
 
îrony
 
pôny
 
Tôny
 
misógyny
 
bŏy
 
jŏy
 
tŏy
 
álloy
 
annŏy
 
háppy                                                                           
 
AmE, when stressed syllable does not come immediately before it, -ãry or -éry, cf. -ery; BrE a as AmE or as schwa or silent; see also -ory - -ary
      
      
Cãry
:Òne hás nót, yoû mâke yŏur chŏice.


Gáry
Shoes (=shoôs), gôes, dòes. Nòw fïrst sây: fínger;
Thén sây: sínger, gínger, línger.
       
:Rêal, zêal, mauve (*môv), gåuze and gâuge,
       
:Márríage, fôlìage, mìràge, âge,


-shəry judíciary
Hêro, héron, quêry, véry,


vocábulary
Párry, tárry, fûry, bury,
     
:Dòst, lóst, pôst, and dòth, clóth, lôth,
       
:Jób, Jôb, blóssom, bosom (*bùzm), ôath.
Fåugh, oppúgnant, kêen oppûgners,


canãry
Bòwing, bôwing, bánjo-tûners


gránary
:Hôlm yoû knôw, but nôes, canoes (*canoôz),


díctionary
:Pûisnê (*poôny), trûísm, ûse (*yoûss), to ûse (*yoûz)?


lîbrary
Thôugh the dífference sêems líttle,


nécessary
Wê sây áctual, but víctual,


líterary
Sêat, swéat, châste, càste, Lêigh, èight, heîght,
       
:Pùt, nút, gránite, ánd unîte.


suppleméntary
:Rêefer dòes nót rhŷme wíth déafer,


documéntary
Féoffer dòes, and zéphyr, héifer.     
       
:Dúll bùll Géoffrey, Geŏrge ate (*ét) lâte,
       
:Hínt, pînt, sénate, but sedâte.


Jánuary
Gáelic, Árabic, pacífic, —''Scottish; or regular Gâelic if Irish


Fébruary
Scîence, cónscience, scientífic;
       
:Toûr, but òur, doûr, súccour, fŏur,


vãry
:Gás, alás, and Àrkansås.


wãry
Sây manoeûvre, yacht (*yót) and vómit,


crŷ
Néxt omít, whích díffers fróm ít


drŷ
:Bôna fîdê, álibî


tåwdry
:Gŷrate, dòwry ánd awrŷ.
   
Sêa, idêa, guínea, ãrêa,


mostly e as schwa: can sound like -ry in BrE -ery
Psàlm, Marìa, bút malãria.


físhery
:Yoûth, sòuth, soúthern, cléanse and clêan,


fîery
:Dóctrine, türpentine, marìne.


bâkery
Compãre âlien wíth Itálian,


coòkery
Dándelîon wíth battálion,


sh- chicânery
:Rálly wíth állŷ; yeâ, yê,
 
:Eŷe, Î, ây, aŷe, whèy, kêy, quaỳ! ''—ây mê, archaic expression of sadness, ây = èh


''paper'' stâtionary = ''stop'' stâtionery
Sây avër, but éver, fêver,


conféctionery
Neîther, léisure, skèin, recêiver.     
:Néver guéss - ít ís nót sâfe,
     
:Wê sây càlves, válves, hālf, but Râlf.


míz- '''mísery
Stàrry, gránary, canãry,


cürsory rhymes with nürsery
Crévice, but devîce, and éyrie,
       
:Fâce, but préface, thén grimâce,


cémetery
:Phlégm, phlegmátic, áss, glāss, bâss.


quêry
Báss, làrge, tàrget, gín, gíve, vërging,


véry
Ŏught, òust, jòust, and scòur, but scoürging;


brâvery
:Êar, but ëarn; and ére and téar


recòvery
:Do (*doô=) nót rhŷme wíth hêre but héir.       
Mînd thê Ô of óff and óften


discòvery
Whích mây bê pronòunced as ŏrphan, ''—scarcely heard nowadays
       
:Wíth the sòund of såw and såuce;


quêry
:Ålsô sóft, lóst, clóth and cróss.


frŷ
Pùdding, púddle, pùtting. Pútting?


bélfry
Yés: at gôlf ít rhŷmes wíth shútting.


ángry
:Réspîte, spîte, consént, resént.
       
:Lîable, but Pàrliament.


húngry
Séven ís rîght, but sô ís êven,


gŏry
Hŷphen, roúghen, néphew, Stêphen,     
       
:Mònkey, dónkey, clerk (=Clàrk) and jërk,
       
:Ásp, grāsp, ẁasp, demèsne, cŏrk, wörk.


glŏry
 of válour, vápid vâpour,


compúlsory
S of neŵs (-z) (compãre neŵspâper (-ss-)),
       
:G of gíbbet (j-), gíbbon, gíst (j-),
       
:Î of ántichrîst and gríst,


nürsery rhymes with cürsory
Díffer like divërse and dîvers,


Tŏry
Rívers, strîvers, shívers, fîvers.


usually pronounced -trỳ in BrE -tory
:Ònce, but nónce, tôll, dóll, but rôll,


oblígatory
:Pólish, Pôlish, póll and pôll.  
 
óratory
Pronúnciation - thínk of Psŷchê! -
 
AmE láboratŏry, BrE labóratory
Ís a pâling, stòut and spîky.  
 
       
satisfáctory
:Wôn't ít mâke yoû lose (=loôs) yŏur wíts
 
       
réctory
:Wrîting grôats and sâying 'gríts'? —''no longer
 
diréctory
 
trajéctory
 
dŏrmitory
 
stŏry
 
hístory
 
prŷ
 
Bárry
 
''person'' Cárrie = ''fetch'' cárry
 
Hárry
 
márry
 
''earth'' burỳ = ''fruit'' bérry
 
as suffix, AmE -bérry, BrE -brêe bláckberry
 
blûeberry
 
AmE rázb-, BrE ràzb- rāspberry
 
stråwberry
 
lórry
 
sórry
 
wòrry
 
cúrry
 
fürry
 
húrry
 
trŷ
 
påltry
 
pléasantry
 
péasantry
 
bígotry
 
áncestry
 
sóphistry
 
ké- chémistry
 
''fruit'' bérrỳ = ''earth'' bury
 
Dûry
 
Drûry
 
lúxury
 
mostly = -cỳ -sỳ
 
-zêe êasy
 
-sêe grêasy
 
-zêe quêasy
 
like demócracy, thêócracy all -ssy idiosýncrasy
 
-sêe écstasy
 
-zêe chêesy
 
cf. noun próphecỳ -sêe - verb próphesŷ
 
-sêe héresy
 
demócracy and thêócracy rhyme with hypócrisy
 
léprosy
 
-sêe émbassy
 
-sêe fússy
 
dízzy rhymes with *bízzy busy
 
-sêe jéalousy
 
-zêe Sûzy = Sûsie = Sûzie = Sûsy
 
entîrety
 
cíty
 
felícity
 
stupídity
 
reálity
 
cf. spécialty - speciálity
 
mentálity
 
facílity
 
relîabílity
 
flexibílity
 
celébrity
 
iníquity
 
antíquity
 
fêalty
 
cf. speciálity - spécialty
 
lŏyalty
 
rŏyalty
 
crûelty
 
silent h - hónesty
 
thïrsty
 
Kïrsty
 
''goodbye, cricket'' bŷe = ''preposition'' bŷ = ''money'' buŷ
 
nâvy
 
wâvy
 
bévy
 
cf. lévêe, Lêvî - Lêvy
 
îvy
 
prívy
 
ánchovy
 
scürvy
 
sávvy
 
deŵy
 
wáxy
 
fóxy
 
slêazy
 
dâzy
 
hâzy
 
lâzy
 
crâzy
 
whêezy
 
dízzy
 
===Z===
'''bíz'''
 
'''whízz''' or '''whíz'''
 
'''quíz'''
 
'''Óz'''
 
'''jázz'''
 
'''razzmatázz'''
 
'''pizzázz'''
 
'''fízz'''
 
'''búzz'''
 
'''fúzz'''
 
'''zzzz'''
 
==Double letters==
The following alphabetical table shows examples of how letters can be doubled in English.
 
Double letters before suffixes are used to preserve short vowel sounds as in flípped (not *flîped), rebélled (not *rebêled) and pégged (not pêged, which would probably in any case be pronounced pêjed).  Compare scrâped, past of scrâpe, and scrápped, from scráp. In the case of t, doubling it after an unstressed vowel and before a suffix seems unnecessary, but in some cases it doubles before -ed: either tàrgeted or tàrgetted.
 
The sign # indicates a double letter that is rare in that position; capital-letter words indicate that the double letter in this position is only found in names. An asterisk (*) indicates a respelling to show pronunciation and an equals sign (=) introduces a [[homophone]].
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!initial
!medial
!final
!final + silent e
|-
|àardvark #<ref>'''àardvark''' and '''Transvàal''' are from '''[[Afrikaans|Afrikàans]]''', itself a further example.</ref>
|Transvàal #
|bàa #
|
|-
|
|ríbbon
|ébb #
|Crábbe
|-
|
|sóccer (*sócker), accépt (*əxépt)
|
|
|-
|
|hídden
|ádd
|
|-
|êel
|bêen
|sêe
|
|-
|
|éffort
|clíff
|Clíffe
|-
|
|aggréssion
|égg #
|Légge (= lég)
|-
|
|hítchhike # (accidental)
|
|
|-
|
|skìíng #
|Hawàìi #
|
|-
|
|
|hàjj # (also spelt hàdj)
|
|-
|
|púkka #<ref> Also accidental in '''boòkkeeper''', with a pause to indicate both k’s are pronounced.</ref>
|
|
|-
|llàma #
|fílling
|wéll
|bélle
|-
|
|súmmer
|Crámm
|grámme
|-
|
|dínner
|ínn # ''pub''
|Ánne (= Ánn)
|-
|oôze, oòmph #
|foôd, foòt, flòod, [[British English|BrE]] doŏr
|toô
|Loôe (= loô)
|-
|
|
|flípped
|
|-
|
|Sadìqqi #
|
|
|-
|
|érror
|pürr
|
|-
|
|méssy
|lóss
|crevásse
|-
|
|bétter
|ẁatt
|couchétte -sh-
|-
|
|vácuum # (*vákyoôm)
|
|
|-
|
|flívver #
|
|
|-
|
|[[Exxon|Éxxon]] ™ #
|[[Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans|Bób B. Sóxx]] #
|
|-
|
|fízzy
|búzz
|
|}
 
==Table of accents==
These accents are intended to show the pronunciation while retaining the spelling: they are not part of the language. Those on '''i''' and '''y''' show the same sound; similarly with '''u''', '''oo''' and '''w'''.  Accented vowels are stressed ('''ỳ''' is normally unstressed, as in '''háppy''').  '''ā''', not in the table, means that the sound is '''à''' in British English and '''á''' in American.
{|class="wikitable"
|rowspan=2|
|colspan=3 align=center|'''Front vowels
|colspan=5 align=center|'''Back vowels
|-
!e
!i       
!y<ref>When not accented, it is usually the semi-consonant of '''yoû''' and '''yés'''.</ref>
!a
!o
!u
!oo
!w<ref>When not accented, it is usually the semi-consonant of '''wê''' and '''wíll'''.</ref>
|-
|width=36%|The typical short sound:
|width=8%|pét
|width=8%|pít
|width=8%|crýpt
|width=8%|cát
|width=8%|dóg<ref>In American English this short British sound is replaced by the longer '''à''' in most positions, and by '''ŏ''' before '''r'''.</ref>
|width=8%|nút
|width=8%|
|width=8%|
|-
|The typical long sound:
|sêe
|nîce
|mŷ
|nâme
|nôse
|tûne
|toô
|neŵ
|-
|The 'third' sound ('''ẁ'''- and '''qù'''- indicate the ó sound of the following '''a''', '''ẁad''' rhyming with '''qùad'''; '''òu''' and '''òw''' are diphthongs sounding like '''àù''' in '''àùtobahn''': '''nòw''' has this '''sòund'''):
|èight
|machìne
|quaỳ ''water'' = keỳ (kêy) ''lock''
|àre
|òther
|fùll, qùantity
|foòt
|ẁant<ref>Grave accents on '''w''' and on a '''u''' following a '''q''' indicate the sound of the following '''a''': '''à''' in American English, but in British the extra sound '''ó''' as in the British pronunciation of '''hót'''.</ref>
|-
|The '''ër''' sound, as in '''ër, Î dôn’t thínk sô''':
|përson
|bïrd
|mÿrtle
|
|wörd
|pürr
|
|
|-
|The '''ŏr''' sound, as in '''thís ŏr thát''' (also used for '''cŏin''' and '''jŏy'''):
|
|
|
|såw
|mŏre
|(for some BrE speakers) sůre
|
|
|-
|The '''ãir''' sound, as in '''frésh ãir''':
|(thére)
|
|
|stãre
|
|
|
|
|-
|Irregular (with respelling):
|sęw (ô)
|merįngue (á)
|
|becąuse (ó)
|wǫman (ù)
|bųsiness (í)
|
|
|}
===Example sentences===
''Words without accents have the [[schwa]] sound, a neutral grunt.''
 
''The usual short sound:''
 
The gínger cát was jéalous of the bláck cát: howéver, the tábby was a véry dífferent mátter - the stúff of réveries, ín fáct.
 
''The usual long sound:''
 
Sây mŷ nâme thrêe tîmes with stŷle and Î’ll gô and fînd a tûne to plây for yoû.
 
''The third sound:''


Christìna Grèy shoùld lòve her mòther and fàther (and dòes).
Ìt's a dàrk abýss ŏr túnnel


''The ‘ër’ sound:''
Streŵn wíth stônes lîke rôwlock, gúnwale,


But fïrst, Mÿrtle, fürther dïrty, ïrksome and distürbing wörk for the nürses.
:Íslington, and Îsle of Wîght,  
       
:Hòusewîfe, vërdíct and indîct.  


''The ‘ŏr’ sound (sůre here is with [[British English|British]] pronunciation = Shåw):''
Dôn't yoû thínk sô, rêader, ràther,


Sůre yoû ŏught to cråwl ón åll fŏurs, m’lŏrd?
Sâying làther, bâther, fàther?     
       
:Fînally, whích rhŷmes wíth enoúgh,
       
:Thôugh, throûgh, bòugh, cóugh, hóugh, sòugh, toúgh??  


''Irregular, with respelling:''
Hiccoúgh hás the sòund of súp.


Many women? Any woman! (pronounced: *Ménny *wímmin? *Énny *wùman!)
Mŷ advîce ís: GÍVE ÍT ÚP!


==Notes==
==Notes==
{{reflist}}
{{reflist}}[[Category:Suggestion Bot Tag]]

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list  
Common misspellings  

English is notorious for its many varied, inconsistent and irregular spellings. This can be seen at its most extravagant in the field of proper nouns—for example, simply adding an 'h' to 'Maria' to make it rhyme with 'pariah', or calling oneself 'Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh' while pronouncing it 'Chumley Fanshaw'. An example of a common misspelling is 'disasterous' for 'disastrous', retaining the 'e' of 'disaster'. Many words do not turn out to have the pronunciation they appear to have: 'do' and 'to' do not rhyme with 'go' and 'no', while 'seismic', instead of being 'seezmic' or 'sayzmic', or even 'sayizmic', is in fact 'size-mic'. The above grid (reproduced and explained below) provides links to three lists and a cluster of articles devoted to these things.

To show pronunciation, these articles use correct spellings with added accent marks, instead of relying on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). In some cases incorrect respellings are placed next to the correct ones, signalled by a preceding asterisk, like thís *thíss. The accent marks show pronunciation, thús. A table of these accents (which are not part of the language[1]) can be found below; there is also an IPA key at English phonemes. Where there is more than one accent, the first is stressed, and the same is true after a hyphen, so in the respelling of Tchaikóvsky, *Chŷ-kóffskỳ, it is 'kóff' that has the main stress. (Another way of showing new stress is with a bar: Tchaî|kóvsky.) A sentence from the preceding paragraph can thus be rewritten as follows: "An example of a common misspelling is *disāsterous for disāstrous, retaining the E of disāster." Respelling may be used to exemplify an incorrect spelling, or show a correct pronunciation, or a bit of both. Unlike the IPA, where there can only be one version per pronunciation, as there must be an unambiguous one-to-one correspondence, there can be many respellings: if *disāsterous for disāstrous is a common mistake, we can also represent the pronunciation as *dizāstrus or *dizāstrous or *dizāstrəss (with 'ə', a special character – the only one used – for schwa); or we can contrast British English *dizàstrus with American *dizástrus.

Particular attention is given to homophones, words with the same pronunciation but different meanings. English is rich in homophones, many of which are also homonyms, having also the same spelling, as, for example, cán able, tin (the italicised words suggest meanings, in this case two); while homographs are words with the same spelling whose meanings are distinguished by different pronunciations.

Also of special note are words that many writers incorrectly divide. ôver and dûe, for example, combine to form overdûe, without a space in the middle. Such examples are included with ‘one word’ alongside them: alongsîde one word.

An equals sign = is placed between homophones (in some cases the approximately equals sign ≈ is more appropriate). Homographs and other similar-looking words are included after 'cf.' (Latin conferre, 'compare').

Some words from other languages, in most cases French, may sometimes appear in English with accents from those languages. Here, such spellings are shown using bold italics: touchè may be written with a French accent: touché *tooshây.

The apostrophe is an important part of spelling and so it is treated as a letter, with its own place at the end of the alphabet.

Fragments of words are in bold when correctly spelt: Ukrâine has -âine, not -âne.

Words in italics are used to suggest meanings (e.g. sêa water = sêe vision, where the equals sign denotes identical pronunciation). Words beginning with an initial capital may have no word in italics following: these are names of people, either personal or family, and/or commercial or place names. Such words are included because they often contrast with the spellings of homophones: a bank clerk might be named Clàrk or Clàrke, but probably not 'Clerk' (though BrE clerk = Clàrk/Clàrke). Unusual spellings can be explained by regular ones: Cloúgh = Clúff. An American called Maurìce Mŏrris could just as well be called Mórris Maurice ("Morris Morris") in Britain, where Maurice = Mórris (although it would be putting the conventional surname before the conventional given name).

Links to letter articles and lists

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list  
Common misspellings  

In the navigation table above (reproduced at the top of each article in the cluster) the cells in each row link as follows:

  • Top row: articles on each letter and its use in English. There are similar articles on GH, the apostrophe and the hyphen.
  • Second row: alphabetical lists of of commonly misspelt and/or mispronounced words, alongside more regular words they may be confused with (words beginning with an apostrophe are here). Some incorrect spellings are also listed, signalled by an asterisk: *dispánd disbánd means that the word is 'disband'. (The bottom row is devoted entirely to misspellings and typos.)
  • Third row: retroalphabetical lists, arranged alphabetically according to the final letter of the word and continuing backwards through it:
In the retroalphabetical lists the headword is on the right. In this way, suffixes and other word endings can be seen grouped together, just as prefixes can be seen in normal alphabetical order. So, instead of ádd båll coúsin, we have réplicA fláB plástiC; and so for mûsiC, see under -C, for mûsicaL, see under -L, for pàrticlE, see under -E, and so on.
Some suffixes are included separately; their pronunciation may or may not apply to following words ("always -ãrian" means there is no other pronunciation of -ãrian).
Throughout, the apostrophe is treated as the last letter, after Z. (Words ending in an apostrophe are also here.)
For clarity, italic association words are to the left of the example word:
woman mâid = make mâde
Some incorrect spellings are listed retroalphabetically, in which case the misspelling goes on the right, just as in the alphabetical list:
wêasel *wêasal
  • Bottom row: common misspellings including typos (blue-linked for checking purposes), followed by the correct versions.

Two main varieties are distinguished: British English (BrE), that of the UK and much of the Commonwealth (see also Commonwealth English), and American English (AmE), that of the USA and Canada (without the cåught = cót merger that has occurred in some parts of North America).

Unlike dictionaries, the lists include personal and place names for their own sake and for contrast.

Table of accents

These accents are intended to show the pronunciation while retaining the spelling: they are not part of the language. Those on i and y show the same sound; similarly with u, oo and w. Accented vowels are stressed (ỳ is normally unstressed, as in háppy). ā, not in the table, means that the sound is à in standard British and Commonwealth pronunciations but á in American and other British and Commonwealth speech.

Front vowels Back vowels
e i y[2] a o u oo w[3]
The typical short sound, never occurring at the end of a word (acute accent) pét pít crýpt cát dóg[4] nút
The typical long sound, corresponding to the names of the letters A, E, I, O and U (circumflex accent) sêe nîce mŷ nâme nôse rûle toô neŵ
Sounds shown with the grave accent (ẁ- and qù- indicate the BrE ó sound of the following a, ẁad rhyming with qùad; òu and òw are diphthongs sounding like àù in àùtobahn: nòw has this sòund) èight (= â) machìne (= ê) quaỳ water = kêỳ lock
(= ê) 		àre òther, blòod
(= ú) 		fùll (= oò), qùantity (= w) foòt (= ù) ẁant (= wó)[5]
The ër sound (umlaut accent) përson bïrd mÿrtle (ëarth) wörd pürr
The åw/ŏr sound (ring accent)[6] (cŏin) (jŏy) åll mŏre (for some BrE speakers) sůre
The ãir sound (tilde accent) (thére) (ãir = Ãyr) stãre
Irregular (respelling needed) sew (= sô) meringue (*məráng) because (*bikóz) woman (*wùmən), women (*wímən) business (*bízníss)

Example sentences

These sentences show how the accents may be used, for example, when teaching pronunciation. Words without accents are monosyllables with the schwa sound, a neutral grunt.

The usual short sound, acute accent:

The gínger cát was jéalous of the bláck cát: howéver, the tábby was a véry dífferent mátter - the stúff of réveries, ín fáct.

The usual long sound, circumflex accent:

Sây mŷ nâme thrêe tîmes with stŷle and Î’ll gô and fînd a tûne to plây for yoû.

The third sound, grave accent:

Christìna Grèy shoùld (and dòes?) lòve her mòther and fàther.

The ër sound, umlaut:

But fïrst, Mÿrtle, fürther dïrty, ïrksome and distürbing wörk for the nürses.

The ŏr sound (sůre here is with British pronunciation = Shåw), the ring, or half-ring:

Sůre yoû ŏught to cråwl ón åll fŏurs, m’lŏrd?

Irregular, without accent, instead with respelling:

Many women? Any woman! (pronounced: *Ménny wímmin? Énny wùman!)

Double letters

The following alphabetical table shows examples of how letters can be doubled in English.

Double consonant letters before suffixes are used (as often elsewhere) to preserve short vowel sounds, as in flípped (not *flîped), rebélled (not *rebêled) and pégged (not *pêged, which if regular would in any case be pronounced *pêjed). Compare scrâped, past of scrâpe, and scrápped, from scráp. In the case of t, doubling it after an unstressed vowel and before a suffix may seem unnecessary, but in some cases it can be doubled before -ed: either tàrgeted or tàrgetted (but always commítted).

The sign # indicates a double letter that is rare in that position; capital-letter words indicate that the double letter in this position is only found in names. An asterisk (*) indicates a respelling to show pronunciation, and an equals sign (=) introduces a homophone.

letter initial medial final final + silent e
A àardvark #[7] bazàar # bàa #
B ríbbon ébb # Crábbe (= cráb)
C sóccer (*sócker), accépt (*əxépt)
D hídden ádd
E êel bêen sêe
F Ffoùlkes éffort óff Clíffe (= clíff)
G aggréssion (-g-), exággerate (-j-) égg # Légge (= lég)
H hítchhike # (accidental)
I skìíng # Hawàìi #
J hàjj # (also spelt hàdj)
K púkka; boòkkeeper (accidental)[8] #
L llàma[9] # fílling wéll bélle beauty (= béll ring)
M súmmer Crámm (= crám) grámme (= grám)
N dínner ínn # pub Ánne (= Ánn)
O oôze, oòmph # foôd, foòt, flòod, doŏr toô Loôe (= loô)
P flípped stéppe Asia # (= stép foot)
Q Sadìqqi #
R érror pürr
S méssy lóss crevásse
T bétter ẁatt couchétte -sh-
U vácuum # (*vákyoôm)
V révved #
W Lawwell # (accidental)
X Éxxon ™ # Bób B. Sóxx #
Y Khayyàm #
Z fízzy búzz

Names of the letters

The names of the letters of the alphabet are rarely written out in English (a simple capital being the normal usage: "with a C, not a K") so that, unlike in many other languages, most of their spellings have a rather unofficial status. But they can be shown as follows, using real words where possible:

A: â (the indefinite article, when stressed), èh? what?

B: bê exist, bêe sting

C: occasionally cêe; sêe look, sêa ship

D: Dêe River, surname

E: ê as in êmail, ê-mail

F: éff as in the euphemism éff óff

G: gêe up, exclamation *jêe

H: âitch as in drópping your âitches

I: Î me, eŷe vision

J: jây bird

K: Kây person

L: él elevated railway (AmE)

M: ém dash

N: én dash

O: ôwe debt, ôh! exclamation

P: pêa pod, pêe urine, p pence (BrE)

Q: queûe line, cûe ball, prompt

R: àre be, BrE àh exclamation

S: occasionally éss

T: têa drink, têe golf, tì do-re-mi

U: yoû me, eŵe sheep

V: Vêe Bobby

W: "doúble you" (*dúblyu; cf. vácûum, which actually does have a doúble Û)

X: éx- past

Y: whŷ reason (voiced w, as in BrE)

Z: BrE zéd, AmE zêe

The Chaos

by Gerard Nolst Trenité

This poem on pronunciation irregularities was first published in 1920. Accent marks, respellings and editorial comments have been added to reflect current British English pronunciation. The unadorned poem, with an introduction, can be found here.


The Châós (*câyóss)


Dêarest crêature ín creâtion

Stúdying English (*Ínglish) pronunciâtion,

Î wíll têach yoû ín mŷ vërse
Sòunds lîke cŏrpse, cŏrps (*cŏr), hŏrse and wörse.

Î wíll kêep yoû, Sûsy, busy (*bízzy),

Mâke yŏur héad wíth hêat grôw dízzy;

Têar ín eŷe, yŏur dréss yŏu'll téar;
Quêer, fãir sêer (*sêe-er), hêar mŷ prãyer.

Prây, consôle yŏur lòving pôet,

Mâke mŷ côat loòk neŵ, dêar, sew (=sô) ít!

Júst compãre heàrt, hêar and hëard,
Dîes and dîet (*dîət), lŏrd and wörd.

Swŏrd (*sŏrd) and swård, retâin and Brítain

[Mînd the látter hòw ít's wrítten].

Mâde hás nót the sòund of báde,
Sây–said (*séd), pây–pâid, lâid but pláid.

Nòw Î sůrely wíll nót plâgue yoû

Wíth súch wörds as vâgue and âgûe,

Bút bê cãreful hòw yoû spêak,
Sây: gúsh, bùsh, steâk, strêak, breâk, blêak,

Prêvious, précious, fûchsia (*feŵsha), vîa,

Récipê, pîpe, stúdding-sâil, choîr (=quîre);

Wôven, óven, hòw and lôw,
Scrípt, recêipt (*rissêet), shoe (=shoô), pôem, tôe.

Sây, expécting fråud and tríckerỳ:

Dåughter (*dåwter), làughter (*làfter) ánd Terpsíchorê (*Terpsíckery),

Brànch, rànch, mêasles, tópsails, aîsles (*îles),
Míssîles, símilês, revîles.

Whôlly (=hôly), hólly, sígnal, sîgning (*sîning),

Sâme, exámining, but mîning,

Schólar (*scóllar), vícar, and cigàr,
Sôlar, mîca, wår and fàr.

From "desîre": desîrable - ádmirable from "admîre",

Lúmber, plúmber, biêr, but brîer,

Tópsham, broûgham (*breŵəm), renòwn, but knôwn,
Knówledge, dòne, lône, góne, nòne, tône,

Òne (=wòn), anémonê, Balmóral,

Kítchen, lîchen (=lîken), låundry, laurel (lórrel).

Gërtrude, Gërman (J-), wínd and wînd,
Beau (=Bô), kînd, kíndred, queûe, mankînd,

Tŏrtoise (*tŏrtus), türquŏise, chámois-léather (*shámwà-),

Rêading, Réading, hêathen, héather.

Thís phonétic lábyrínth
Gíves móss, grôss, broòk, brôoch, nînth, plínth.

Háve yoû éver yét endéavoured

To (=toô)[10] pronòunce revêred and sévered,

Dêmon, lémon, ghoûl, fòul, sôul,
Pêter, pétrol and patrôl?

Bíllet dòes nót énd lîke bállèt (*bállây);

Boûquèt, ẁallet, mállet, chálèt.

Blòod and flòod are nót lîke foôd,
Nŏr ís môuld lîke shoùld and woùld (=woòd).

Bánquet ís nót nêarly pàrquèt,

Whích exáctly rhŷmes wíth khàkì. —not usually nowadays

Díscòunt, vîscòunt (*vîcòunt), lôad and brŏad,
Towård, to fŏrward, to (=toô) rewård,

Rícochèted and crôchèting, crôquèt?

Rîght! Yŏur pronunciâtion's OK.[11]

Ròunded, woûnded, griêve and síeve,
Friénd and fiênd, alîve and líve.

Ís yŏur R corréct ín hîgher?

Kêats assërts ít rhŷmes Thalîa.

Hûgh, but húg, and hoòd, but hoôt,
Buŏyant, mínute, bút minûte.

Sây abscíssion wíth precísion,

Nòw: posítion ánd transítion;

Woùld ít tálly wíth mŷ rhŷme
Íf Î méntioned páradîgm?

Twòpence, thréepence, têase are êasy,

But cêase, crêase, grêase and grêasy?

Cŏrnice, nîce, valìse, revîse,
Râbíes, but lúllabîes.

Óf súch púzzling wörds as nåuseous,

Rhŷming wéll wíth cåutious, tŏrtious,

Yoû'll envélop lísts, Î hôpe,
Ín a línen énvelôpe.

Woùld yoû lîke some mŏre? Yoû'll háve ít!

Áffidâvit, Dâvid, dávit.

To (=toô) abjûre, to përjure. Shèik
Dòes nót sòund lîke Czéch but âche.

Líberty, lîbrary, hêave and héaven,

Râchel, lóch, moustàche, eléven.

Wê sây hállôwed, bút allòwed,
Pêople, léopard, tôwed but vòwed.

Màrk the dífference, moreôver,

Betwêen mover (*moôver), plòver, Dôver.

Lêaches, brêeches, wîse, precîse,
Chálíce, bút polìce and lîce,

Cámel, cònstable, únstâble,

Prínciple, discîple, lâbel.

Pétal, pênal, and canál,
Wâit, surmîse, pláit, prómíse, pál,

Sûit, suìte, rûín. Cïrcuít, cónduít

Rhŷme wíth "shïrk ít" and "beyónd ít". —still?

Bút ít ís nót hàrd to téll
Whŷ ít's påll, måll, but Páll Máll.

Múscle, múscular, gâol (=jâil), îron,

Tímber, clîmber, búllion, lîon,

Wörm and stŏrm, chaise (*shézz), châós, chãir,
Sénator, spectâtor, mãyor,

Îvy, prívy, fâmous; clámour

Hás thê Â of dráchm and hámmer.

Pùssy, hússy ánd posséss,
Désert, but desërt, addréss.

Gôlf, wolf (=Woòlf), còuntenance, lieuténants

Hŏist ín lieû of flágs léft pénnants.

Coùrier, cŏurtier, tomb (*toôm), bómb, cômb,
Còw, but Cowper (=Coôper), sòme and hôme.

"Sôlder, sôldier! Blòod ís thícker",

Quôth hê, "than liqueûr ŏr líquor",

Mâking, ít ís sád but trûe,
Ín bravàdo, múch ado (*adoô).

Strânger dòes nót rhŷme wíth ánger,

Neîther dòes devòur wíth clángour. —neither does anger: *áng-gə

Pîlot, pívot, gåunt, but āunt,
Fónt, frònt, wônt, wånt, gránd and grānt.

Àrsenic, specífic, scênic,

Rélic, rhétoric, hygìênic.

Goòseberry, goôse, and clôse, but clôse,
Páradise, rîse, rôse, and dôse.

Sây invèigh, nèigh, but invêigle,

Mâke the látter rhŷme wíth êagle.

Mînd! Mêándering but mêan,
Válentîne and mágazìne.

Ánd Î bét yoû, dêar, a pénny,

Yoû sây máni-(fôld) lîke many (*ménny),

Whích ís wróng. Sây râpier, pìêr,
Tîer (òne who tîes), but tìêr.

Àrch, archângel; prây, dòes ërring

Rhŷme wíth hérring ŏr wíth stïrring?

Príson, bîson, tréasure trôve,
Trêason, hóver, còver, côve,

Persevêrance, séverance. Ríbald

Rhŷmes (but pîebåld dòesn't) wíth níbbled.

Phâeton, paêan, gnát, ghåt, gnåw,
Liên, psŷchic, shóne, bône, pshåw.

Dôn't bê dòwn, mŷ ôwn, but roúgh ít,

Ánd distínguish bùffèt, búffet;

Broôd, stoòd, roôf, roòk, schoôl, woòl, boôn,
Worcester (*Wùster), Boleýn, to (=toô) impûgn.

Sây ín sòunds corréct and stërling

Hëarse, hêar, heàrken, yêar and yëarling —yëar and yêarling are about as likely

Êvil, dévil, mézzotínt,

Mînd the Z (zéd)! (A géntle hínt.)

Nòw yoû nêed nót pây atténtion

To (=toô) súch sòunds as Î dôn't méntion,

Sòunds lîke pŏres, påuse, pŏurs and påws,
Rhŷming wíth the prônòun yŏurs;

Nŏr are próper nâmes inclûded,

Thôugh Î óften hëard, as yoû díd,

Fúnny rhŷmes to ûnicŏrn,
Yés, yoû knôw them, Våughan and Stråchan —nowadays regularised to *Strákhən

Nô, mŷ mâiden, cŏy and còmely,

Î dôn't ẁant to spêak of Chòlmondeley (*Chúmley).

Nô. Yét Froûde compãred wíth pròud
Ís nô bétter thán McLeod (*McClòud).

But mînd trívial and vîal,

Trîpod, mênial, denîal,

Trôll and trólley, réalm and rêam,
Schédule, míschief, schísm, and schême.

Àrgil, gíll, Argŷll, gíll. Sůrely

Mây bê mâde to rhŷme wíth Råleigh,

Bút yŏu're nót suppôsed to sây
Pìquèt rhŷmes wíth sóbriquèt.

Hád thís ínvalid inválid

Wörthless dócuments? Hòw pállid,

Hòw uncoûth hê, còuchant, loòked,
Whén for Pŏrtsmouth Î had boòked!

Zeûs, Thêbes, Thales, Aphrodîtê,

Páramour, enámoured, flîghty,

Épisôdes, antípodês,
Ácquiésce, and óbsequies.

Plêase dôn't mònkey wíth the gêyser,

Dôn't pêel 'tâters wíth mŷ râzor,

Rāther sây ín áccents pûre:
Nâture, státure ánd matûre.

Pîous, ímpìous, límb, clîmb, glúmly,

Worsted (wùsted), wörsted, crúmbly, dúmbly,

Cónquer, cónquest, vàse, phâse, fán,
Ẁan, sedán and àrtisan.

The TH (*têe-âitch) wíll sůrely troúble you

Mŏre than R, CH ŏr W (*àh, cêe-âitch ŏr doúble-û)

Sây thén thêse phonétic géms:
Thómas, thŷme, Therêsa, Thames (*Témz).

Thómpson, Chátham, Wåltham, Stréatham,

Thére are mŏre but Î forgét 'em -

Wâit! Î've gót ít: Ánthony,
Lîghten yŏur anxîety.

Thê archâíc wörd ålbêít

Does nót rhŷme wíth èight - yoû sêe ít;

Wíth and fŏrthwith, òne hás vŏice,
Òne hás nót, yoû mâke yŏur chŏice.

Shoes (=shoôs), gôes, dòes. Nòw fïrst sây: fínger;

Thén sây: sínger, gínger, línger.

Rêal, zêal, mauve (*môv), gåuze and gâuge,
Márríage, fôlìage, mìràge, âge,

Hêro, héron, quêry, véry,

Párry, tárry, fûry, bury,

Dòst, lóst, pôst, and dòth, clóth, lôth,
Jób, Jôb, blóssom, bosom (*bùzm), ôath.

Fåugh, oppúgnant, kêen oppûgners,

Bòwing, bôwing, bánjo-tûners

Hôlm yoû knôw, but nôes, canoes (*canoôz),
Pûisnê (*poôny), trûísm, ûse (*yoûss), to ûse (*yoûz)?

Thôugh the dífference sêems líttle,

Wê sây áctual, but víctual,

Sêat, swéat, châste, càste, Lêigh, èight, heîght,

Pùt, nút, gránite, ánd unîte.
Rêefer dòes nót rhŷme wíth déafer,

Féoffer dòes, and zéphyr, héifer.

Dúll bùll Géoffrey, Geŏrge ate (*ét) lâte,
Hínt, pînt, sénate, but sedâte.

Gáelic, Árabic, pacífic, —Scottish; or regular Gâelic if Irish

Scîence, cónscience, scientífic;

Toûr, but òur, doûr, súccour, fŏur,
Gás, alás, and Àrkansås.

Sây manoeûvre, yacht (*yót) and vómit,

Néxt omít, whích díffers fróm ít

Bôna fîdê, álibî
Gŷrate, dòwry ánd awrŷ.

Sêa, idêa, guínea, ãrêa,

Psàlm, Marìa, bút malãria.

Yoûth, sòuth, soúthern, cléanse and clêan,
Dóctrine, türpentine, marìne.

Compãre âlien wíth Itálian,

Dándelîon wíth battálion,

Rálly wíth állŷ; yeâ, yê,
Eŷe, Î, ây, aŷe, whèy, kêy, quaỳ! —ây mê, archaic expression of sadness, ây = èh

Sây avër, but éver, fêver,

Neîther, léisure, skèin, recêiver.

Néver guéss - ít ís nót sâfe,
Wê sây càlves, válves, hālf, but Râlf.

Stàrry, gránary, canãry,

Crévice, but devîce, and éyrie,

Fâce, but préface, thén grimâce,
Phlégm, phlegmátic, áss, glāss, bâss.

Báss, làrge, tàrget, gín, gíve, vërging,

Ŏught, òust, jòust, and scòur, but scoürging;

Êar, but ëarn; and ére and téar
Do (*doô=) nót rhŷme wíth hêre but héir.

Mînd thê Ô of óff and óften

Whích mây bê pronòunced as ŏrphan, —scarcely heard nowadays

Wíth the sòund of såw and såuce;
Ålsô sóft, lóst, clóth and cróss.

Pùdding, púddle, pùtting. Pútting?

Yés: at gôlf ít rhŷmes wíth shútting.

Réspîte, spîte, consént, resént.
Lîable, but Pàrliament.

Séven ís rîght, but sô ís êven,

Hŷphen, roúghen, néphew, Stêphen,

Mònkey, dónkey, clerk (=Clàrk) and jërk,
Ásp, grāsp, ẁasp, demèsne, cŏrk, wörk.

 of válour, vápid vâpour,

S of neŵs (-z) (compãre neŵspâper (-ss-)),

G of gíbbet (j-), gíbbon, gíst (j-),
Î of ántichrîst and gríst,

Díffer like divërse and dîvers,

Rívers, strîvers, shívers, fîvers.

Ònce, but nónce, tôll, dóll, but rôll,
Pólish, Pôlish, póll and pôll.

Pronúnciation - thínk of Psŷchê! -

Ís a pâling, stòut and spîky.

Wôn't ít mâke yoû lose (=loôs) yŏur wíts
Wrîting grôats and sâying 'gríts'? —no longer

Ìt's a dàrk abýss ŏr túnnel

Streŵn wíth stônes lîke rôwlock, gúnwale,

Íslington, and Îsle of Wîght,
Hòusewîfe, vërdíct and indîct.

Dôn't yoû thínk sô, rêader, ràther,

Sâying làther, bâther, fàther?

Fînally, whích rhŷmes wíth enoúgh,
Thôugh, throûgh, bòugh, cóugh, hóugh, sòugh, toúgh??

Hiccoúgh hás the sòund of súp.

Mŷ advîce ís: GÍVE ÍT ÚP!

Notes

  1. ↑ A few different accents, mostly from French, sometimes crop up in English, however; see French words in English.
  2. ↑ When not accented, y is usually the semi-consonant of yoû and yés.
  3. ↑ When not accented, w is usually the semi-consonant of wê and wíll.
  4. ↑ In American English this short British sound is replaced by the longer à in most positions, and by ŏ before r.
  5. ↑ Grave accents on w and on a u following a q indicate the sound of the following a: à in American English, but in British the extra sound ó as in the British pronunciation of hót.
  6. ↑ å and ŏ show the same sound: ideally the o too would have a ring over it, but this symbol is not available, so ŏ is used instead.
  7. ↑ àardvark and Transvàal are from Afrikàans, itself a further example.
  8. ↑ With a pause to indicate both k’s are pronounced.
  9. ↑ Also representing a Welsh sound in place names like Llandudno (-dídno) and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwrndrobllllantysiliogogogóch.
  10. ↑ Strong form of to, not normal in a verb's infinitive, necessitated by the metre.
  11. ↑ The pronunciation required by the metre is "ôkay", though the K is normally the stressed syllable: okây.
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