English phonemes

The sounds and their spellings

A phoneme is a distinct unit of sound; spellings are ways of writing these sounds. English phonemes have different spellings depending on a word's provenance and history. This is a list of the phonemes and all their spellings.

The áccents on bold example words indicate stressed vowels and their pronunciation. An equals sign shows homophones, with words in italics suggesting meaning: sêen saw = scêne scenic, drama, crime. The bullet (●) represents any consonant. AmE = American English, BrE = British English.

Vowels and diphthongs

IPA /i:/ ê êa êe ê●e êi ìê aê oê ì ỳ êỳ êo

ê: bê mê récipê catástrophê Penélopê Lêthê hypërbolê mêthane sêrum dêvious mêdia rêtail dêmon Êly mêtre BrE distance, poem

êa: sêa water lêave hêat sêat bêat hit nêat êasy mêal drêam têam hêath

êe: sêe vision frêe trêe fêel whêel grêed fêed spêed bêet sugar êel rêel

ê●e: Pêter scêne êven fêver mêter all AmE, BrE machine only complête compête

êi: after c: percêive recêive recêipt (-êit) concêit concêive cêiling; after w: wêird wêir (but: wìêld); sêize Shêila Nêil Nêill O´Nêill

ìê: before v: belìêve relìêve grìêve

aê: stressed, from Greek (BrE): Aêschylus encyclopaêdia; unstressed in Latin plurals: nébulae nôvae fŏrmulae

oê: BrE (AmE has ê alone) from Greek: Oêdipus amoêba foêtus oêstrogen oenólogy subpoêna

ì: from French: machìne Christìne magazìne nìche elìte

ỳ: normally unstressed: fúnny sílly crâzy lâzy êasy wítty dextérity Yvétte Yvónne; stressed: Lỳón Lỳse Mervỳna

êỳ: unstressed: nôsey pôsey láckey jóckey balôney álley Hàrvey

êo: pêople

IPA /ɪ/ í ý u o e ’ eí íe

í: sít fít sítter fítter fítting bít líd híd bíd stíll bíll Wílliam Bíll fíll línt tínt wríst pín tílt míddle ínch fíg bíg

ý: týpical sýnthesis sýnagogue sýmptom cýst mýstic mýth trýst Dýlan

u: business busy

o: women

e: unstressed: Jôneses Bíggses Báxes táxes cópses fléxes

’: unstressed: Jônes’s Bíggs’s Báx’s

eí: unstressed -feít: còunterfeít fŏrfeít sürfeít

íe: unstressed: pàrtíes fámilíes lórríes cárríes cárríed márríed pólicíes

IPA /e/ é éa ai u

é: béd Néd wét sét pén hén méss dréss pép séven eléven Dévon Édward Téd bréd breed cléver éver évery néver tén ténth dén crést

éa: déath bréath bréast déad héad bréad food héaven thréat thréaten

ai: said

u: bury

IPA /æ/ á

fát cát sát mát Ánthony ánt bág dágger fán pán áttic spásm cáttle brásh ásh

redundant i in: pláit

redundant e in Gáelic Scotland (= Gállic France); cf. Gâelic Ireland

This sound is never final.

American English uses a long version of á instead of BrE à except in fàther Coloràdo Chicàgo pajàmas (BrE pyjàmas) càlm quàlm bàlm àlms or when an r follows.

IPA /ɑ/ à àr àl ó

Words pronounced with à in both British and American English are:

à: fàther Chicàgo Coloràdo AmE pajàmas BrE pyjàmas

al: (silent l) càlm bàlm quàlm àlms

and whenever an r (always heard in AmE, silent final or before a consonant in BrE) follows:

àr: màr bàr càr vàrnish pàrk màrvel stàr scàr bizàrre hàrm àrm fàr càrt fàrmer scàr pàrt màrk stàrch pàrch màrch hàrd gàrden làrge

The following are pronounced à in BrE, a long á in AmE:

ā: Irān Irāq cān’t grānt āfter crāft lāugh grāph āunt dānce

before s: pāst fāst cāstle māster clāss ghāstly nāsty grāss lāst plāster cāst pāss tāsk blāst āsk

before th: rāther pāth bāth rāther lāther

āl: with silent l: hālf cālf hālve

ó in AmE is pronounced à as follows:

IPA /ɒ/ ó à

BrE only: AmE replaces this sound with à.

ó: hót gót spót bóther dóg dóll nót stóp lóst óften slób slóppy cróss nód ódd shóne óff tóffee

ough as -óff: cóugh tróugh

a:

after ẁ: ẁant ẁas ẁash ẁasp ẁarren ẁander ẁarrant

after ẁh: ẁhat

after sẁ: sẁap sẁan sẁab sẁamp

after qù: qùantity qùantum qùad qùash sqùash sqùad sqùabble

IPA /ɔ/ å åw åu åugh ŏr ŏre ŏrps ŏor ŏa ŏur ŏugh

The r is silent in BrE before a consonant, heard in AmE.

å: wåter ålso

before lk: chålk tålk stålk wålk bålk

before ll: åll fåll tåll båll

before lt: ålter fålter Wålter hålt althôugh

åw: såw see, tool åwful bråwl cråwl fåwn colour, deer, grovel bråwn clåw påw animal swårm wårm wårn wård jåw Shåw måw

åu: cåuse påuse fåult exhåust fåun god

åugh: cåught tåught åught nåughty Wåugh

ŏr: ŏr either fŏr nŏr cóndŏr fŏrt pŏrt sŏrt shŏrt whŏrl

ŏre: ŏre metal cŏre centre gŏre pŏre skin scŏre sŏre pain bŏre tedium, hole ignŏre deplŏre restŏre whŏre (h-) mŏre extra

ŏrps: cŏrps army

ŏor: dŏor pŏor broke, unfortunate flŏor bŏor rude mŏor land

ŏa: brŏad abrŏad

ŏar: ŏar boat bŏar animal sŏar fly

ŏur: fŏur pŏur mŏurn tŏurnament

ŏugh: fŏught bŏught sŏught brŏught

IPA /ʊ/ ù oò oùl où o

ù: pùt fùll pùsh bùsh bùll pùll cùshion

oò: goòd woòd soòt foòt woòl

oùl: shoùld coùld woùld

où: poùffe

o: woman wolf

IPA /u:/ û ûe û●e ûi oû oûgh oô eŵ ŵ o

û: gnû Stû flû ill gùrû êmû pûny Mûnich jûry Trûdi dûbious rûling mûtiny nûtrient

ûe: flûe chimney trûe blûe colour glûe cûe drama, billiards queûe wait (*kyû)

û•e: Jûne jûte flûte tûne dûpe Drûse trûth Rûth fûneral

ûi: frûit jûice slûice crûise

oû: groûp soûp coûp hit

oûgh: throûgh

oô: shoô soôn foôd broôd foôl schoôl toôl moôn troôp loôp droôp loôse choôse groôvy loôt toô also, much coô bird

eŵ: neŵ neŵs vieŵ cheŵ revieŵ Jeŵ bleŵ blow

ŵ: unstressed in Rŵánda

ŵo: tŵo 2

o: do who (*hû) shoe lose move prove to particle

IPA /ʌ/ ú oú ò òo

ú: nút cúp slút túck spún fún dúst rúst búst sún múck súck dúck

oú: doúble troúble soúthern; (-úff) toúgh enoúgh roúgh

ò after w: wòrry wònder wòn win

before n: frònt dòne nòne òne 1 (invisible w-: = wòn)

before -ve: lòve shòve glòve dòve

before -ther: òther anòther mòther bròther smòther

òo: before d: flòod blòod

IPA /ɜ:/ ër ëar ïr ür ÿr ör öur

Schwa lengthened, always with -r (silent in BrE)

ër: wëre përson vërve vërdant sërvant jërk fërn hërd tërn bird

ëar: hëard lëarn yëarn hëarse rehëarse ëarl pëarl dëarth

ïr: fïrst bïrd dïrt gïrl quïrk ïrk stïr whïrr dïrt shïrt skïrt flïrt cïrcus cïrcle cïrcuit bïrth gïrth fïrm fïr

ür: bürn türn round absürd chürch Türk fürtive blürt spürt hürt nürse

ÿr: mÿrtle mÿrrh Bÿrd

ör: only after w: wörk wörse wörst wörm wörd

öur: in -jöurn- and cöurt-: jöurney jöurnal adjöurn cöurteous cöurtesy

IPA /ə/, the schwa sound

An example of schwa (*shwà) is the neutral grunt which begins the word abòut (*əbòut). A shorter version of /ɜ/, never stressed, it can be spelt a, e, o or, less often, u, with or without a following r (which is silent in BrE if not followed by another vowel). It also appears as y in Béryl, Síbyl and síbyllîne - and it can be invisible before r and l.

First syllable: agô ahéad abòut again (-é-) abòve upón and in names beginning Mac- such as MacNêill - or McNêill (invisible version)

Second syllable: ígnorance pébble doùble Chîna sêater víctor bürsar quérulous lêmur fêmur vísion nâtion (-sion and -tion always have schwa) Cânaan dógs’re (informal use of apostrophe)

Third syllable: ígnorance decîder Éxeter Pámela precürsor exémplar ridículous invâsion

Fourth syllable: América Tanzanìa exécutor cálculator álligator unbelìêver abnegâtion

Fifth syllable: preváricator prevaricâtion extërminator

Invisible before liquid sounds r and l: cãre (which rhymes with prâyer) lãir (which is a one-syllable version of lâyer) ŏil (which rhymes with lŏyal) whîle (*wîyəl) fâil (*fâyəl) sêal (*sêeyəl) knêel down = Nêil, Nêill names (*nêeyəl)

IPA /eɪ/ â âi ây â●e âe âigh âu eâ èy èi èigh è●e

â: grâvy pâcy grâcious nâval navy nâvy ânal zâny stâble crâving bâgel potâto râzor BrE vâpour AmE vâpor

â●e: sâme gâme câme sâve bâse trâce pâce crâve lâser hâver râve nâvel stomach Jâmes hâzel pâge nâme tâme fâme flâme hâte gâte fâte lâte wâde câve brâve stâge grâde phâse time, moon = fâze confuse jâde fâde brâke speed lâne road bâne mâne horse gâte open hâte loathe

âi before l: nâil âil quâil fâil wâil tâil tâilor Tâylor before n: pâin stâin grâin trâin brâin drâin lâin lie detâin retâin remâin Câin mâin chief Mâine

before m: âim clâim mâim clâim âid mâid râid wâif mâize Crâig Hâig Hâigh (= Hâgue) gâit walk trâit trâitor

ây final: dây sây plây jây delây wây trây brây hây prây prayer slây kill

before -er: lâyer slâyer (but not prãyer)

âe: Gâelic Ireland Ísrâel mâelstrom phâeton

âigh: strâight Hâight Ashbury

âu: gâuge

eâ: greât breâk pieces, off

èy: thèy grèy Lèyton whèy fèy prèy on

èi: vèin vèil bèige rèin ride

èigh final: invèigh nèigh slèigh snow

before t: wèight frèight èight

è●e: crèpe

IPA /əʊ/ ô ôa ôe ô•e ôu ôugh ôw ew

ô: pôny hôly dôzy rôly-pôly Jôdie Jôni Tôny phôny hôkum fôcus hôcus-pôcus BrE côsy AmE côzy

final: sô therefore nô not gô frô lô behold cô- before ld: ôld côld gôld hôld sôld grôss pôll vote ôh!

ôa before t: gôat côat ôat stôat bôat flôat before k: clôak ôak before d: gôad tôad rôad before f: ôaf lôaf rôam wander glôam

ôe final: tôe dôe Côe fôe hôe Jôe Pôe rôe wôe Defôe flôe ice

ô●e hôme vôte nôte bôde explôde nôde tône lône cône pôle wood jôke dôze Rôme city rôte routine = wrôte write nôse expôse brôke spôke brôken spôken tôken plus r: ôver Dôver clôver grôcer plus y: nôsey bôgey phôney

oû sôul

oûgh dôugh althôugh thôugh

ôw sôw seed knôw knowledge slôw grôw bestôw flôw water Ôwen môw lôw down crôw thrôw glôw

ew sew needle