E in English transcription. English transcription: pronunciation of letters and sounds in English


The English (British) pronunciation system has 44 sounds, which are divided into 24 consonants and 20 vowels, including 8 diphthongs. The following table lists individual English sounds and their corresponding English transcription marks, as well as examples of words in which they are pronounced.

Table of English sounds:

Consonants
[ f ]
five
[ d ]
do
[ v ]
very
[ k ]
key
[ θ ]
thick
[ g ]
gas
[ ð ]
this
[ ]
chin
[ s ]
so
[ ]
Jim
[ z ]
zoo
[ m ]
mother
[ ʃ ]
ship
[ n ]
no
[ ʒ ]
pleasure
[ ŋ ]
long
[ h ]
horse
[ l ]
less
[ p ]
park
[ r ]
river
[ b ]
book
[ j ]
yellow
[ t ]
tea
[ w ]
white
Vowel monophthongs
[ i: ]
eat
[ ə ]
paper
[ i ]
it
[ ʌ ]
cup
[ e ]
pen
[ ʊ ]
cook
[ æ ]
bad
[ u: ]
school
[ a: ]
art
[ ɜ: ]
girl
[ ɒ ]
box
[ ɔ: ]
all
Vowel diphthongs
[ ai ]
like
[ ]
air
[ ]
house
[ ʊə ]
poor
[ ɔi ]
boy
[ əʊ ]
home
[ ei ]
lake
[ ]
ear

Classification of English sounds

In accordance with the mechanics of education, English sounds are primarily divided into vowels and consonants phonemes. The pronunciation of vowels is associated with active vibration of the vocal cords and the free passage of exhaled air through all organs of speech. Consonant sounds, on the contrary, are formed by overcoming various barriers, cracks and passages formed by the muscles of the vocal apparatus when the air stream exits.

Let us consider in more detail the classification of the sounds of the English language according to individual signs of articulation (the position of the organs of speech when pronouncing sounds) and their comparison with Russian sounds.

English consonant sounds

When pronouncing consonant sounds, the air on its way encounters various barriers formed by the active organs of speech: tongue, lips, teeth and alveoli.

If the organs of speech close in such a way that they completely block the passage for air, then we pronounce stop consonant. These consonants are also called explosive, since a small explosion is heard when the organs of speech are opened.

[ p ] , [ b ] , [ t ] , [ d ] , [ k ] , [ g ]
stop plosive English sounds

[ P ], [ b ], [ t ], [ d ], [ to ], [ G ]
occlusive explosive Russian sounds

If air passes out through the nasal cavity, then such occlusive sounds are called nasal.

[ n ] , [ m ] , [ ŋ ]
nasal occlusive English sounds

[ n ], [ m ]
nasal occlusive Russian sounds

If the organs of speech do not close completely, but leave a narrow passage - a gap for air, then we pronounce slotted consonant.

[ θ ] , [ ð ] , [ ʃ ] , [ ʒ ] , [ s ] , [ z ] , [ h ] , [ f ] , [ v ] , [ w ] , [ r ] , [ j ] , [ l ]
slotted english sounds

[ With ], [ h ], [ f ], [ in ], [ w ], [ sch ], [ and ], [ l ]
slotted russian sounds

Among the consonants are occlusive-slotted sounds. They are called so because the opening of the barrier in them is slow; the complete obstruction goes into the gap.

[ ] , [ ]
occlusive-slit english sounds

[ c ], [ h ]
stop-slit Russian sounds

An obstruction to the path of exhaled air can be formed by various organs of speech. If the lower lip approaches the upper, then there are labial consonants.

[ p ] , [ b ] , [ m ] , [ w ]
labial english sounds

[ P ], [ b ], [ m ]
lip-labial Russian sounds

If the lower lip touches the upper teeth, then such consonants are called labiodental.

[ f ] , [ v ]
labio-dental English sounds

[ f ], [ in ]
lip-tooth Russian sounds

If the tip of the tongue is between the lower and upper front teeth, then it is pronounced interdental consonant. There are no such sounds in Russian.

[ θ ] , [ ð ]
interdental English sounds

Russian consonants [ t ], [ d ], [ n ], [ l ] - dental, as the end of the tongue rises to the inner surface of the upper teeth. English consonants [ t ] , [ d ] , [ n ] , [ l ] , [ ŋ ] - alveolar, as the tip of the tongue touches or rises to the alveoli.

[ k ] , [ p ] , [ s ] , [ t ] , [ f ] , [ h ] , [ ] , [ ʃ ] , [ θ ]
voiceless consonants in English

[ to ], [ P ], [ With ], [ t ], [ f ], [ X ], [ h ], [ w ], [ sch ]
voiceless consonants of the Russian language

[ b ] , [ v ] , [ g ] , [ d ] , [ z ] , [ l ] , [ m ] , [ n ] , [ r ] , [ ʒ ] , [ ] , [ ð ]
voiced consonants in English

[ b ], [ in ], [ G ], [ d ], [ and ], [ h ], [ l ], [ m ], [ n ], [ R ], [ c ]
voiced consonants of the Russian language

English vowel sounds

To classify English vowels, the various positions of the tongue relative to the hard palate are considered, as well as which part of the tongue is involved in articulation and how high the back of the tongue rises to the hard palate.

Distinguish front vowels, when the tip of the tongue rests against the base of the lower teeth, and the back of the tongue comes quite close to the hard palate: the English vowel [ i:] and Russian [ and ].

If the tongue is pulled back and the tip of the tongue is lowered and the back of the tongue is raised to the soft palate, we pronounce back vowel sounds: English sound [ a:] and Russian sounds [ about ], [ at ].

According to the position of the lips rounded and undestroyed vowel sounds. For example, when pronouncing the Russian sound [ at] lips rounded and pushed forward: [ at] is a rounded vowel. When pronouncing [ and] lips slightly stretched, but not pushed forward: sound [ and] is an unrounded vowel.

The quality of a vowel depends on the tension of the muscles of the organs of speech: the more intense the articulation, the more distinct and brighter the sound. Accordingly, vowels are distinguished tense and relaxed. For example, the English vowel [ i:] is pronounced with more tension than [ i ] .

Pronunciation of English sounds

Referring to the contents of our guide to English phonetics, for each of the English sounds you will find a detailed description of the features of its pronunciation and articulation, ways of writing and sounding examples, as well as comparisons with other sounds and their Russian counterparts.

The phonetics of the English language is so complex and interesting that we have devoted more than one article to it. Here you can find, and here you will find English words. General information about is presented in this article, and today we want to talk about how English sounds are still correctly pronounced. English transcription and a convenient table of English sounds with pronunciation will help us with this.

Why does the pronunciation of English sounds raise so many questions? First of all, because of the mismatch in the number of letters and sounds in the English language. There are almost half as many letters in the English alphabet (26 letters and 48 sounds). Consequently, the pronunciation of sounds cannot be correlated each with its own letter. Hence the confusion. More precisely, certain conditions that allow you to master English pronunciation correctly.

What determines the pronunciation of English sounds?

As long as we read “to ourselves”, that is, silently, we will not be able to recognize the sound of English words. Only pronunciation aloud allows you to cope with practical phonetics. But in practice, the sounds of the English language and their pronunciation directly depend on the so-called articulation. That is, how we use the organs of speech.

The organs of speech, or articulatory apparatus, are the larynx, tongue (tip of the tongue, front of the tongue, middle part and back of the tongue with the root), soft and hard palate, teeth of the upper and lower jaws, lips, nasopharynx. An entire organ system involved in the creation of speech and voice sounds.

To correctly pronounce all sounds, you need to use all the organs of articulation. At the same time, different organs are needed for different sounds. For example, to pronounce deaf consonant sounds, the vocal cords are not tense and apart. But for vowels and voiced consonants, you need to strain your vocal cords and literally make them vibrate. Of course, this is not done consciously. The correct pronunciation of sounds itself “turns on” certain parts of the articulatory apparatus. But for correct English pronunciation, it is useful to know exactly how the sounds appear.

Pronunciation of vowels and their types in English

There are two types of vowels in English:

  1. monophthongs- these are vowel sounds, during the pronunciation of which the articulation does not change during the entire period of sounding. An example of a monophthong: [ɔː].
  2. diphthongs are vowel sounds that consist of two components. When pronouncing a diphthong, the speech organs first take one position to pronounce the first component, and then change position to pronounce the second component. The first component is called the core of the diphthong and is longer and more distinct. The second component of the diphthong sounds shorter and gives the sound a certain “shade” of sound. Diphthong example: .

Consonants are divided into more varieties:

1) Labial consonants:

labials are articulated with both lips: [w], [m], [p], [b]

labiodental are pronounced with the lower lip and upper teeth: [f], [v].

2) Anterolingual consonants:

interdental, when the surface of the front of the tongue forms an incomplete barrier with the upper teeth: [θ], [ð]

apical-alveolar, the front edge of the tongue is raised to the alveolar arch: [t], [d], [n], [l], [s], [z], [∫], [ʒ], ,

kakuminalno-alveolar, the front edge of the tongue is raised up and slightly bent towards the posterior slope of the alveoli: [r].

3) Middle-lingual consonants, the barrier is formed by raising the middle part of the tongue to the hard palate: [j].

4) Back lingual consonants that are articulated by raising the back of the tongue to the soft palate: [k], [g], [ŋ].

5) guttural consonant unique in English: [h].

6) Closed consonants: [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g], [m], [n], [ŋ], , .

7) Slotted consonants: [f], [v], [θ], [ð], [s], [z], [∫], [ʒ], [h], [w], [l], [r], [j].

8) Closed noisy consonants:

explosive, when the full obstruction opens, the air leaves the oral cavity, producing an explosion noise: [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g]

affricates, when the opening of the organs of speech, which form a complete barrier, occurs smoothly:,.

9) Fricatives consonants: [f], [v], [θ], [ð], [s], [z], [∫], [ʒ], [h].

10) Nasal sonants, a complete obstruction is formed in the oral cavity, the soft palate descends, and air exits through the nasal cavity: [m], [n], [ŋ].

11) Oral sonants: [w], [r], [j], [l].


English sounds and their pronunciation

Reading aloud and pronouncing English sounds is the best, if not the only, way to get rid of a Russian accent in spoken language. And for beginners to learn English, this is an opportunity to immediately remember how sounds are pronounced correctly in English. All of them are collected in tables of English sounds with pronunciation:

English vowel sounds. English Vowel Sounds

Sound

Description

Example words

Long vowel.

When pronouncing a sound, the tongue is in front of the mouth. The tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth. The middle part of the tongue is raised high to the hard palate. The lips are somewhat stretched.

feel
read

Short vowel.

When pronouncing the sound [ɪ], the tongue is in front of the mouth. The middle part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate, but not as high as when pronouncing the Russian sound [and]. The tip of the tongue is at the lower teeth, the lips are slightly stretched.

unit
wind

Short vowel. Pronounced with a slight rounding of the lips. When pronouncing the sound [ʊ], the tongue is at the back of the mouth, but not very far away. The back of the back of the tongue is raised to the front of the soft palate, but not as high as when pronouncing the Russian sound [y]. The lips are slightly rounded, but almost do not move forward.

put
look

Long vowel. When pronouncing a sound, the tongue is located at the back of the mouth. The back of the tongue is considerably raised. The lips are rounded, but slightly. Toward the end of the sound, the lips become more rounded.


none
blue

Short vowel. When pronouncing the vowel sound [e], the tongue is in front of the oral cavity. The tip of the tongue is at the base of the lower teeth, the middle part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate. Lips are slightly stretched. When pronouncing the sound [e], the lower jaw should not be lowered.

bed
desk

Short neutral vowel. This sound is always unstressed, so it is very easily influenced by neighboring sounds. When pronouncing the sound [ə] at the beginning or middle of words, the whole language is somewhat raised. The sound [ə] should not be similar to the Russian sounds [e], [a] or [s].

again
under

Long vowel. When pronouncing the sound [ɜː], the tongue is raised, the back of the tongue lies flat. The tip of the tongue is at the bottom teeth. The teeth are slightly exposed, the distance between the upper and lower teeth is small. The lips are tense and slightly stretched.

work
burn

Long vowel. When pronouncing the sound [ɔː], the tongue is in the back of the mouth. The back of the tongue is raised to the soft palate. The lips are slightly pushed forward and considerably rounded.

small
morning

Semi-long vowel. When pronouncing the sound [æ], the mouth is wide enough open, the tongue is in front of the oral cavity, lies flat in the mouth, and its middle part is slightly raised. The tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth. The lips are somewhat stretched, and the corners of the lips are slightly drawn to the sides. There is no such sound in Russian.

bad
exam

Short vowel. When pronouncing the sound [ʌ], the mouth is half open, the lips are neutral, the tongue is somewhat pushed back. The back of the tongue is slightly raised.

nut
cut

Long vowel. When pronouncing the sound [ɑː], the tongue is in the back of the mouth. The back of the tongue is slightly raised. The tip of the tongue is pulled away from the lower teeth, the lips are neutral, that is, not stretched or pushed forward. You should not open your mouth wide.

dark
are

Short vowel. When pronouncing the sound [ɒ], the tongue is at the back of the mouth. The back of the tongue is slightly raised. The mouth is wide open, the lips are rounded.

not
wash

Vowel length, which is denoted by a colon in transcription, is very important. If you do not take into account the duration of vowels, then you can confuse the meaning of words. For example: short sound ship [ʃɪp] - ship and long sound sheep [ʃiːp] - ram.

English diphthongs. English Diphthongs

Sound

Description

Example words

ɪə

Diphthong. The core is the vowel sound [ɪ]. After pronouncing the sound [ɪ], the tongue moves towards the center in the direction of the neutral vowel [ə], which has a shade of the sound [ʌ].

real
beer

The core of the diphthong is the vowel [e]. After pronouncing [e], the tongue makes a slight upward movement in the direction of the [ɪ] sound, but without reaching its full formation.

say
table

The core of the diphthong is the vowel [ʊ]. After pronouncing the sound [ʊ], the tongue moves towards the center in the direction of the neutral vowel [ə], which has a shade of the sound [ʌ].

tour
jury

The core of the diphthong is the vowel, which is the middle sound between [ɒ] and [ɔː]. After pronouncing the first element of the diphthong, the tongue moves in the direction of the vowel [ɪ].

boy
noise

The diphthong nucleus is close in sound to the vowel [ɜː], after which the tongue makes a slight upward movement and moves back in the direction of the vowel [ʊ]. At the beginning of the pronunciation of the diphthong, the lips are slightly rounded, then gradually the lips are rounded even more.

coat
flow

The core of the diphthong is a vowel similar to the Russian sound [e] in the word this, after pronouncing which the language moves towards the neutral vowel [ə] with a hint of the sound [ʌ].

where
their

The core of the diphthong is a vowel similar to the Russian sound [a] in the word tea, when pronouncing which the tongue is in front of the mouth and lies flat. The tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth, the lips are slightly stretched. After pronouncing the first element of the diphthong, the tongue moves upwards in the direction of the sound [ɪ].

five
my

The core of the diphthong is a vowel similar to the Russian sound [a] in the word tea, when pronouncing which the tongue is in front of the mouth and lies flat. The tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth, the lips are slightly stretched. After pronouncing the first element of the diphthong, the tongue moves back in the direction of the [ʊ] sound, which should be very weak.

how
cloud


Pronunciation of consonants in English

If you have noticed that the intonations of the English language are more energetic than Russian, then this fully applies to English words. And that means sounds. English consonants are pronounced vigorously, with great impulses and energy expenditure. Keep this in mind when reading tables of English consonants with pronunciation:

English consonants. English Consonant Sounds

Sound

Description

Example word

Voiced consonant. When pronouncing the sound [b], the lips first close, and then instantly open, and the air exits through the oral cavity.

Voiced consonant. When pronouncing the sound [d], the tip of the tongue is pressed against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), forming a complete barrier. A jet of air with an explosion opens this barrier.

Voiced consonant. When pronouncing the sound [ʒ], the tip of the tongue is at the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), and the middle part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate.


Voiced consonant.

When pronouncing a sound, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), at the same time the middle part of the tongue rises to the hard palate. Gradually, the tip of the tongue moves away from the alveoli. The sound is pronounced similarly, but loudly, with a voice.


Voiced consonant. When pronouncing the sound [ɡ], the back of the back of the tongue touches the soft palate, forming a complete barrier. A jet of air with an explosion opens this barrier.


Voiced consonant. When pronouncing the sound [v], the lower lip is slightly pressed against the upper teeth, and a stream of exhaled air passes into the gap between them.


Voiced interdental consonant. To correctly pronounce the sound [ð], you need to place the tip of the tongue between the teeth. The tongue should be flattened and not tense, and the teeth should be bared. The tip of the tongue between the teeth forms a small gap, and you need to exhale air into this gap.


Voiced consonant. When pronouncing the sound [z], the tip of the tongue is against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth). A jet of air with friction passes through the groove formed between the anterior back of the tongue and the alveoli.

Silent consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [p], the lips first close, and then instantly open, and the air exits through the oral cavity.


Silent consonant sound. When pronouncing a dull sound [t], the tip of the tongue is pressed against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), forming a complete barrier. A jet of air with an explosion opens this barrier.


Silent consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [ʃ], the tip of the tongue is at the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), and the middle part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate.


Silent consonant sound. When pronouncing a sound, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), at the same time the middle part of the tongue rises to the hard palate. Gradually, the tip of the tongue moves away from the alveoli.


Silent consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [k], the back of the back of the tongue touches the soft palate, forming a complete barrier. A jet of air with an explosion opens this barrier.


Silent consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [f], the lower lip is slightly pressed against the upper teeth, and a stream of exhaled air passes into the gap between them.


Voiceless interdental consonant. To correctly pronounce the sound [θ], you need to place the tip of the tongue between the teeth. The tongue should be flattened and not tense, and the teeth should be bared. The tip of the tongue between the teeth forms a small gap, and you need to exhale air into this gap.


Silent consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [s], the tip of the tongue is against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth). A jet of air with friction passes through the groove formed between the anterior back of the tongue and the alveoli.


Labio-labial consonant. When pronouncing the sound [m], the lips are closed, the soft palate is lowered, and a stream of air passes through the nasal cavity.


Nasal consonant. When pronouncing the sound [n], the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), the soft palate is lowered, and air passes through the nasal cavity.


Nasal consonant. When pronouncing the sound [ŋ], the back of the tongue touches the soft palate, the soft palate is lowered, and air passes through the nasal cavity.


Silent consonant sound. The sound [h] is formed without the participation of the tongue, while at the moment of its pronunciation, the tongue takes the position for the subsequent vowel.


Consonant. When pronouncing the sound [l], the tip of the tongue is pressed against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), but the lateral edges of the tongue are lowered, forming a passage for the air stream.


Consonant. When pronouncing the sound [r], the tip of the tongue is raised to the posterior slope of the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth). The tip of the tongue should be kept tense and motionless.


labial consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [w], the lips are strongly rounded and pushed forward, forming a round gap. The back of the tongue is raised to the soft palate. Then, instantly, the tongue and lips move into position for pronouncing the next vowel.


Consonant. When pronouncing the sound [j], the middle part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate, but not as high as when pronouncing Russian [y]. The edges of the tongue are pressed against the upper teeth, forming an air passage along the middle of the tongue.

All these subtleties may seem complicated only in theory. In practice, the position of the tongue and lips is remembered after several repetitions. And the best exercises for practicing the pronunciation of English sounds are also practice. Listen to the speech of native speakers, high-quality audio books (by the way, this is excellent) and try to repeat the pronunciation of words.

You should always pay attention to the shades of sound, because there are no insignificant trifles in learning English, every detail is important. But on the other hand, this approach will give the desired result: the correct English pronunciation of sounds and words, and as a result, pure speech without an accent.

Did you know that the English alphabet consists of 26 letters and 46 different sounds? The same letter can convey several sounds at the same time. Just don't panic! We will tell you how easy it is to remember English sounds without boring tables and cramming.

As a rule, in English lessons, the child keeps a separate dictionary, in which the pages are divided into three columns: “word”, “transcription”, “translation”. New words are written there, which then need to be learned. And if everything is clear with the columns "word" and "translation", then with "transcription" there are often difficulties.

What is transcription? This is a kind of instruction on how to read the word. Usually it is written in square brackets. For example: . The characters that are inside square brackets are the sounds of the English language. One character = one sound. Only these characters are not always similar to the letters of the alphabet. . Let's look at the English sounds that are most difficult for a child and how to learn them:

We select associations

It's no secret that complex things are easier to remember by association. This rule works especially well for children.

ʊ - short [y] - very similar to the icon "horseshoe"
æ - wide [e] - open your mouth wide and say "e". We call this symbol "bug icon" 🐞
ŋ - [n] - a funny sound that is similar to how the Baby Elephant spoke in the cartoon "38 Parrots" 🐘. You need to say "n", but a little "on the nose", like you have a runny nose. Try pinching your nose with your fingers, open your mouth and say "n". Happened?

ð
- interdental [z]
θ - interdental [s]

To remember this pair of sounds, the child can be told a whole fairy tale: “There was a little bunny (our tongue). But he was very shy, so he sat in a mink (in his mouth) all the time. But one day he dared to stick the very tip of his nose out of the mink (we put the tip of the tongue between the teeth). At first he said quietly [θ], and then loudly [ð].

s, d, n, t- [s], [d], [n], [t] - remember the Yeralash series about English pronunciation? “You need to talk like you have a hot potato in your mouth,” is the best explanation for the baby. When you make these sounds the tongue touches the hard palate and alveoli, a little further than in Russian.
r- [r] - the English "r" is not like ours. In Russian, the tongue seems to tremble in the mouth. In English, language "wraps up" tip back to the soft palate.
w- [y] / [v] - there is no such sound in Russian either. First, we stretch our lips, trying to say "y", but then the lips should, as it were, "spring" without closing and returning to a smile. Remember how you say "Wow!".
e- narrow [e] - similar to the Russian "e" without "th". When pronunciation, open your mouth quite a bit.
ə - deaf [e] - a deaf, slightly "stifled" sound, very short and almost indistinguishable. When you say the word "m about loco", then you pronounce this sound in place of the first "o". The symbol is called funny"seam".
ɜ - middle [e] - reads like the letter ё in the word "ice".
j- [th] - very important not to be confused with the letter Jj ("jay")! In transcription, this symbol does not mean at all what the letter means.

To make things even easier, we have drawn the main characters of the English transcription with the appropriate sounds of the Russian language.

Tip site: tell your child that he can handle sounds brilliantly. Indeed, at this stage, the baby should feel relaxed and not be shy to experiment. Otherwise, the child will think it looks funny and will refuse to continue.

If lessons at home do not bring the desired results, come to us. Educators of the site will always find an easy way to even the most complex knowledge 📚 free!

The English language is becoming more and more widespread every day. Today it is spoken by most of the world's population, which automatically makes it an international language of communication. In addition to the American continents, it is studied in Europe and Asia. Australia, being part of the former British Empire, has long recognized English as its official language. If in Western Europe American and British English are studied by children from a very early age, then in Russia, Ukraine and other CIS countries it is treated very mediocrely. The school curriculum casually goes through the most frequent words, while the children are not really explained the rules for their use. All this makes people learn on their own, which is much more difficult. Today we will analyze how the vowels of the English alphabet are used in words. They affect the quality of pronunciation and perception of the language.

The consonants of the English alphabet are the basis of all words. The total number of letters is 26, of which 20 are consonants, and there are only 6 vowels in English. Despite such a meager number, they can take on various forms of pronunciation, as a result, about 20-24 sounds are obtained from 6 letters. All vowels and consonants are listed in the table below:

As you can see in the picture, the vowels in the English alphabet are highlighted in yellow. A transcription is written next to each letter, thanks to which you can learn how to pronounce this or that letter correctly. The need for transcription has always been due to the fact that it is simply impossible to explain the correct pronunciation using the example of the Russian language. If in Russian one letter is equated to one sound, then most of the vowels in the English alphabet are pronounced using a combination of two phonemes.

The last letter "Yy" can be a vowel or a consonant, depending on the type of syllable. This should be taken into account when reading and morphemic analysis of words. Which sound will determine this or that letter depends on its position in the word and syllable.

Types of syllables in the English alphabet

At the lessons of the Russian language, everyone studied an unshakable rule: how many vowels in a word, so many syllables in it. This also applies to the English language, which greatly simplifies its learning. For example, take the word "octopus", which means "octopus". Oc-to-pus - three vowels and three syllables. The example is remarkable in that it has everything we need: open and closed syllables.

open syllable

This concept means a syllable that ends in a vowel or consists of one vowel:

  1. And [hey] - the indefinite article, consisting of one letter, is an open syllable. Therefore, the article is read as indicated in the transcription.
  2. Rules (rules) - consists of two syllables, but only the first is open. Therefore, "u" is read as in transcription, and "e" practically disappears from the word during pronunciation.
  3. Far (far) - the syllable is closed. Therefore, instead of [hey], a long [a] is pronounced.

Consonants and their combinations often change the phonetic meaning of vowels in the English alphabet, forming non-syllables of different types.

Closed syllable

Book, cook, root, meet, flat, and other words where a consonant closes a syllable are words with closed syllables. In the examples listed above, "oo" is read as Russian "u", "a" instead of [hey] is read as Russian "a".

Vowels of the English alphabet: reading features

You already know that there are far fewer vowels in the English alphabet than their sounds. What else can affect the quality of pronunciation of phonemes besides the type of syllable in a word? We will look at a few basic rules that will help you start pronouncing words correctly and improve your reading skills in a foreign language.

  1. The presence of the letter "R" in the word. If a letter is present in an open syllable, it is practically unreadable and merges with the adjacent vowel. This produces a sound similar to the Russian "e". If the letter is in a closed syllable, then it affects the duration of the pronunciation of the vowel: long sounds become short and vice versa.
  2. stress. If the accent falls on the letters "a", "o" or "u", then their pronunciation is practically not performed. They are read in passing, the duration of emphasis on these sounds is extremely short. The result is again a sound similar to the Russian "e". For example, the combination sofa-bed (sofa bed) is pronounced together, its transcription looks like [‘soufǝbǝd]. If the accent falls on "i", "e" or "y", they are pronounced like the Russian "i". For example: city, enemy.
  3. Pronunciation speed. When speaking quickly, it may turn out that the stress in the word is not recognized at all. This results in the fact that a long vowel shortens the length of its pronunciation or disappears from the word altogether. All pronouns in English are pronounced with short vowels, although the rules are to speak with long phonemes.
  4. Weak and strong forms. Short vowels are automatically considered weak, since they cannot take on stress, but in combination with other letters they can form new sounds. Weak short forms are mainly expressed in particles, articles and pronouns. In full-fledged words, strong long phonemes are much more common.

The most incomprehensible for a Russian-speaking person in the study of the vowels of the English alphabet is the analysis of diphthongs. The combination of two sounds for the pronunciation of one letter is new to the Russian language. For a general understanding, it is worth noting that all diphthongs are pronounced briefly, but their position in the word relative to consonants and the type of consonants themselves matter. Before deaf sounds like "f", "h", "s", "t" and others, diphthongs practically disappear from sound pronunciation and become very short.

For a better understanding of speech and the rules of its origin, it is recommended to read texts in English with automatic voice acting. Special courses or films with subtitles will do.

People mainly learn English in order to communicate with foreigners in a given situation. However, if your pronunciation is at a low level and you often confuse stresses, then no communication will work.

At the same time, many people are sure that the rules of pronunciation in English do not need to be taught, as this is a waste of time. But even a wide vocabulary and extensive knowledge of grammar will not be enough for you to fully communicate.

Let's talk about the pronunciation of English words. Yes it is hard. It is sometimes very difficult to copy their speech. Ah, so I want to immediately, in English, say something like that, but no, not so fast. Our language is not as soft, not as varied in terms of sound effects as English. It has over 50 sounds. And what about them? How to remember? But everything is not as scary as it seems. After all, all sounds are formed with the help of our mouth, which means that this is real. I have often seen how beginners in learning a language, finding literature in which the pronunciation of all English words is given in Russian letters, were wildly delighted. Yes, I do not argue, it facilitates the work at first, and this technique has the right to exist. And since my site, after all, is designed for those, you will find all new words not in transcription, but in Russian letters, and this will make your life easier at first. Although I am not a supporter of this method, I do it, one might say, at the request of the working people.

But what will you do when you come across an unfamiliar, previously unseen word. You will, of course, use a dictionary. And in the dictionary ... Fathers! Why, this is not to be read by a mere mortal. In addition to English letters, there are some other icons nearby. In short, read this nonsense yourself. But take your time. These icons, as you know from school, are called transcription. She, if you know her, greatly facilitates the reading of the word. Even in Russian there is such a transcription, because. after all, in our native language, the spelling and pronunciation of words are far from the same. Therefore, we learn a lot of rules in order to be literate. And in English, you just need to deal with these signs, otherwise you will not be able to pronounce a single word correctly. And I advise you to arm yourself with an English-Russian dictionary and compare words with transcription as needed. It is necessary to gradually develop the skill of reading through transcription. And you will soon appreciate this knowledge, begin to read and pronounce words correctly.

Theoretical phonetics of English

Theoretical phonetics of the English language incorporates generalized information about the parts of the phonetic structure of the English word. It explains the interaction of acoustic and written forms of speech. Phonetics pays attention not only to the sound aspects, but also to the articulatory apparatus of a person.
When studying the theoretical phonetics of the English language, a person is faced with the following topics:
1. Phonemes of the English language. Distinctive features of phonemes.
2. Cardinal type vowels.
3. Articulatory abilities of sounds.
4. Correct interpretation of the phoneme.
5. Ways of carrying out the phonetic analysis of the word.
6. Phonological schools.
7. System of vowel sounds.
8. The system of consonant sounds.
9. What are alloforms.
Quite a long time is devoted to the method of performing phonetic analysis of words. With the help of analysis, sounds are divided into consonants and vowels, and their classification is made. Special attention

Phonetic features of the English language in examples

The first thing you need to master in phonetics is transcription. English is a rather unusual language, in which there are a lot of rules for pronunciation of words and letter combinations. And the first step in learning this is transcription.

The English alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet, while the Russian alphabet is based on the Cyrillic alphabet. Hence all the difficulties: in English there are practically no sounds that would be similar to Russian. For example, diphthongs are common in English (two vowels in one syllable): source, joy, team.

In order to pronounce these words correctly, you must know the diphthongs and read the transcription /ɔɪ/ and /aʊ/, as well as English phonetics, pronunciation, sounds, transcription of the alphabet.

Interesting video about diphthongs:

It is very easy to get confused in the pronunciation of English sounds. For example, the word "lead" (lead) is read as "lead". Here two vowels are combined into one sound. But the word "break" (break) is pronounced like "break", and here it is already necessary to pronounce two sounds.

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In order not to get lost in the peculiarities and subtleties of pronunciation, we recommend that you always check with the dictionary. In addition, a great tool is Google translator, which voices all English words, respecting intonation, stress and correct pronunciation.

Vowel Sounds - Vowel Sounds

In English there are long and short sounds, while in Russian all vowels are pronounced equally. So sometimes the whole meaning of the word can change from the length of the pronunciation of the sound:

Port (port) - pronounced /pɔːt/

Pot (pot) - pronounced short / pot /

Wheel (wheel) - pronounced /ˈwiːl/, while

Will (will) - will sound like a short /wɪl/

Therefore, in order to learn how to communicate correctly, you need English transcription and pronunciation of sounds in English.

After all, forgetting to lengthen one vowel sound in a conversation, you will talk about “ports” instead of “peas”, and all “wheels” will be replaced by “freedom”. That is why phonetics is very important in learning English, and the pronunciation of English sounds must be listened to and studied in any case.

And here are the vowels or Vowel Sounds, as well as the pronunciation of sounds in English, the table, which is located below:

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