English as an Additional Language/Pronunciation

Pronunciation Consonants The symbols used for consonants are shown in the following table. Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the left is voiceless, the one to the right voiced.   Bi­labial Labio-dental Labio-velar Den­tal Alveo­lar Post-alveo­lar Pala­tal Velar Glot­tal Stop p  b       t  d     k  g   Affricate           tʃ  dʒ       Nasal m       n     ŋ   Fricative   f  v   θ  ð s  z ʃ  ʒ   (x) h Approximant     (ʍ)  w   ɹ   j     Lateralapproximant         l         /p/: pit /b/: bit /t/: tin /d/: din /k/: cut /ɡ/: gut /tʃ/: cheap /dʒ/: jeep /m/: map /n/: nap /ŋ/: bang /f/: fat /v/: vat /θ/: thin /ð/: then /s/: sap /z/: zap /ʃ/: she /ʒ/: measure /x/: loch, Chanukah (often replaced by /-k/ and /h-/, respectively) /h/: ham /ʍ/: whine (also written /hw/, often replaced by /w/) /w/: we /ɹ/: run (often written /r/ in broad transcription) /j/: yes /l/: left Vowels Received Pronunciation Received Pronunciation is the prestige British accent, sometimes referred to as BBC English. It is used as the standard in most media within Great Britain. Full vowels Full vowels are those that appear in stressed syllables. Monophthongs Short Long Front Back Front Central Back Close ɪ ʊ iː   uː Mid ɛ ʌ   ɜː ɔː Open æ ɒ  ɑː /ɪ/: bid /ʊ/: good /ɛ/: bed (sometimes transcribed /e/) /ʌ/: bud /æ/: bat (sometimes transcribed /a/) /ɒ/: pot /iː/: bead /uː/: booed /ɜː/: bird (sometimes transcribed /əː/) /ɔː/: bought, board /ɑː/: father, bard Diphthongs Closing Centring to /ɪ/ to /ʊ/ Starting close     ɪə  ʊə Starting mid eɪ  ɔɪ əʊ ɛə Starting open aɪ aʊ   /eɪ/: bay /ɔɪ/: boy /əʊ/: toe /aɪ/: buy (sometimes transcribed /ʌɪ/) /aʊ/: cow /ɪə/: beer /ʊə/: boor (falling out of use in British English; often replaced by /ɔː/) /ɛə/: bear (sometimes transcribed /ɛː/) Reduced vowels Reduced vowels occur in unstressed syllables. /ɪ/: roses /ə/: Rosa’s, runner /l̩/: bottle /n̩/: button /m̩/: rhythm General American General American is the standardized accent of the United States, and is the dialect most commonly used in spoken media there. Full vowels Monophthongs Checked Free Front Central Back Front Centralrhotacized Back Close ɪ   ʊ i   u Close-mid       e   o Open-mid ɛ ʌ     ɝ ɔ Open æ        ɑ /ɪ/: bid /ʊ/: good /ɛ/: bed /ʌ/: bud /æ/: bad /i/: bead /u/: booed /e/: bayed /o/: bode /ɝ/: bird /ɔ/ or /ɑ/: bought /ɑ/: body, pod, father Note: the vowels /e/ and /o/ are usually diphthongal, so the transcriptions /eɪ/ and /oʊ/ are also often used.Roca, Iggy & Johnson, Wyn (1999). Course in Phonology. Blackwell Publishing. Diphthongs Closing Rhotacized to /ɪ/ to /ʊ/ Starting close     ɪɹ  ʊɹ Starting mid ɔɪ   ɛɹ  ɔɹ Starting open aɪ aʊ ɑɹ /ɔɪ/: boy /aɪ/: buy, thigh /aʊ/: bout, cow /ɪɹ/: beer, here /ʊɹ/: boor, manure (often replaced by /ɝ/, sometimes by /ɔɹ/ in American English) /ɛɹ/: bear, air /ɔɹ/: bore (sometimes phonemicized /oɹ/) /ɑɹ/: bar Reduced vowels /ɨ/: roses (for many Americans merged with /ə/) /ə/: Rosa’s /ɚ/: runner /l̩/: bottle /n̩/: button /m̩/: rhythm General Australian Full vowels Monophthongs Short Long Front Central Back Front Central Back Close ɪ   ʊ iː ʉː   Mid e   ɔ eː ɜː oː Open æ a   æː aː   /ɪ/: bid /ʊ/: good /e/: bed /ɔ/: pot /æ/: bat /a/: bud /iː/: bead /ʉː/: booed /eː/: bared /ɜː/: bird /oː/: bought, board /æː/: bad /aː/: father, bard Diphthongs Closing Centring to unrounded to rounded Starting close     ɪə  ʊə Starting mid oɪ əʉ   Starting open æɪ  ɑe æɔ   /oɪ/: boy /əʉ/: toe /æɪ/: bay /ɑe/: buy /æɔ/: cow /ɪə/: beer /ʊə/: tour (falling out of use in Australian English; often replaced by disyllabic /ʉːə/ or monophthongal /oː/) Reduced vowels /ə/: roses, Rosa’s, runner /l̩/: bottle /n̩/: button /m̩/: rhythm References