{"id":174349,"date":"2023-09-05T00:44:27","date_gmt":"2023-09-05T04:44:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/learn\/english-pronunciation-guide\/"},"modified":"2025-02-19T07:08:28","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T12:08:28","slug":"english-pronunciation-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fluentu.com\/blog\/english\/english-pronunciation-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"All About Pronunciation Guides in English"},"content":{"rendered":"

Next to a word in the dictionary are some strange-looking symbols<\/em> (images that represent something else). These letter-like symbols are actually a pronunciation guide. For example, here’s how to pronounce the word dictionary<\/em>:\u00a0\u02c8dik-sh\u0259-\u02ccner-\u0113<\/b><\/p>\n

Learning how to use the dictionary’s pronunciation guide isn’t as hard as it looks. Once you understand the rules, you’ll be able to check the dictionary for the definition of a word and <\/i>know how to read it correctly.<\/p>\n

[fluentu-toc]<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

1. Dictionaries Use Symbols to Indicate Pronunciation<\/h2>\n

If you think about it, letters are<\/em> symbols used to represent sounds. So what’s the point of creating a whole different way of writing these same sounds?<\/p>\n

Try reading these words out loud:<\/p>\n

pit<\/em><\/p>\n

pie<\/em><\/p>\n

Both are three-letter words with the letter i<\/i> as the second letter. The letter i<\/em> is read differently each time, though! In each word, the letter i\u00a0<\/em>makes a different sound.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Now try these two words:<\/p>\n

garage<\/em><\/p>\n

vision<\/em><\/p>\n

In these words, the second\u00a0g\u00a0<\/em>in garag<\/strong>e<\/em>\u00a0<\/em>makes the same sound as the letter s\u00a0<\/em>in vis<\/strong>ion<\/em>. I bet you never noticed that before!<\/p>\n

As you can see, letters have different sounds, depending on where they are in the word or the sentence, or even which country the speaker is from<\/a>. Some letters have many sounds. Some sounds don\u2019t have their own letter.<\/p>\n

2. The International Phonetic Association (IPA) Standardizes Pronunciation Guides<\/h2>\n

People who study languages, called linguists<\/i>, have created a pronunciation guide called the International Phonetic Association, or the IPA for short. Most dictionaries use a version of the IPA for their pronunciation guide.<\/p>\n

The IPA on its own isn’t very easy to understand. It’s mostly for scholars and linguists\u2014people whose job is to figure out sounds and how to write them down.<\/p>\n

Dictionary pronunciation guides are a little different though. They’re meant for anyone to use, so you can learn to read them too! They use some simple symbols, and they aren’t as complicated as they seem. You just need to learn what sounds the symbols stand for.<\/p>\n

3. Guides Differ for British or American English<\/h2>\n

The American and British guides are slightly different\u2014they use different symbols for the same sounds.<\/p>\n

The British guide uses more actual symbols (instead of letters) or old Greek letters, so it can be a little harder to learn. Luckily, this guide will tackle American pronunciation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

That said, if you’re interested in British pronunciation, check out the Oxford Learner’s Dictionaries guide to British vs. American symbols and sounds<\/a>.<\/p>\n

4. There are More English Consonants Than Vowels, But Fewer Consonant Sounds<\/h2>\n

Consonants are all of the letters that aren’t vowels. The English language might have 21 consonants, but there are fewer consonant sounds.<\/p>\n

Letters like c<\/em> and k<\/em>, and c<\/em> and s<\/em> can have the same sound depending on where they are in the word. Other sounds are a combination of consonants, like ch<\/em> and sh<\/em>. These make different sounds too. There aren’t that many consonant symbols to learn, and they’re mostly easy to understand\u2014so that’s a relief!<\/p>\n

Here are the consonants found in the English pronunciation guide, which sound exactly the way they look:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
English Consonants in Pronunciation Guides<\/th>Example Words<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
b<\/strong><\/td>b<\/strong>ed<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
d<\/strong><\/td>d<\/strong>one<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
g<\/strong><\/td>g<\/strong>row<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
h<\/strong><\/td>h<\/strong>at<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
l<\/strong><\/td>l<\/strong>amp<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
m<\/strong><\/td>m<\/strong>at<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
n<\/strong><\/td>n<\/strong>ice<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
p<\/strong><\/td>p<\/strong>at<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
r<\/strong><\/td>r<\/strong>un<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
v<\/strong><\/td>v<\/strong>iew<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
w<\/strong><\/td>w<\/strong>et<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
y<\/strong><\/td>y<\/strong>es<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

All consonant symbols stand for just one sound, but some sounds can be made in more than one way.<\/p>\n

When you see these letters in the guide, just remember the sound they make\u2014even if the word doesn\u2019t have that letter at all! It might help to read these words out loud, so you can hear how similar the sound is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
English Consonant Sounds That Appear in Different Letters<\/th>Example Words<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
f<\/strong><\/td>f<\/strong>ire <\/em>
\nrough<\/strong><\/em>
\nph<\/strong>one<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
j<\/strong><\/td>j<\/strong>ump<\/em>
\ndodg<\/strong>e<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
k<\/strong><\/td>mak<\/strong>e<\/em>
\nq<\/strong>uit <\/em>
\npick<\/strong><\/em>
\nc<\/strong>at<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
s<\/strong><\/td>s<\/strong>top<\/em>
\nc<\/strong>ent<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
t<\/strong><\/td>t<\/strong>op<\/em>
\nmopped<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
z<\/strong><\/td>z<\/strong>ebra<\/em>
\nx<\/strong>ylophone<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
zh<\/strong><\/td>vis<\/strong>ion<\/em>
\ngarag<\/strong>e<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Some consonants make a different sound when they’re put together. These sounds are also mostly written the same way in the guide as they are in a word. They are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
English Consonants That Sound Different When Together<\/th>Example Word<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
ch<\/strong><\/td>ch<\/strong>at<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
wh<\/strong><\/td>wh<\/strong>ite <\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ng<\/strong> (this sometimes looks like this: \u014b)<\/td>thing<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
sh<\/strong><\/td>sh<\/strong>ip<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
th<\/strong><\/td>th<\/strong>in<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
th<\/strong><\/td>th<\/strong>is<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

Say the last two words out loud to hear the difference.<\/p>\n

The first\u00a0th<\/i><\/b>\u00a0(in thin)<\/em>\u00a0sounds \u201csoft,\u201d and is made by placing your tongue between your teeth. The second\u00a0th<\/b><\/em> sound (in this)<\/em> is \u201chard,\u201d and is made by putting your tongue between your teeth but then moving it away. It’s a very slight difference\u2014most native speakers don\u2019t even realize there are two different sounds.<\/p>\n

A quick note about the wh<\/b><\/em> sound. If you’re confused about the difference between w<\/b><\/em> and wh<\/b><\/em>, don\u2019t worry: you’re not alone. These days, many people pronounce\u00a0wine<\/em> and\u00a0whine<\/em> the same way. The wh<\/em> sound is supposed to be more stretched out, as though you’re saying the letter h<\/em> very slightly before the letter w.<\/em> According to this blog<\/a>, if you put your hand in front of your mouth, you can feel a puff of air for the wh<\/em> sound, but not the w<\/em>.<\/p>\n

5. There are Fewer Vowels, But Pronunciation Can Change According to the Word<\/h2>\n

The vowels in the English language are a, e, i, o, u<\/em> and sometimes y<\/em>. Vowels can be combined with other letters and each other, to create new sounds. There are a few different ways of pronouncing each vowel and a symbol for each of those pronunciations.<\/p>\n

Vowels are a little tougher to read than consonants because they have so many different sounds. If you can learn all the different sounds, you will find it much easier to pronounce English words correctly. So it’s worth the effort!<\/p>\n

Some of the differences are very slight, and some are big. Also, keep in mind that some dictionaries have different symbols for vowel sounds.<\/p>\n

Below are the different pronunciations of English vowels. We’ve included one or two of the most common symbols for each sound. Which symbol you see will depend on the dictionary you use.<\/p>\n

Here is a quick rule of thumb: A line<\/strong> above a letter means you say its name. A small v<\/em><\/strong> or nothing<\/strong> above a letter means it is a short sound. Two dots<\/strong> above a letter means it is a long sound.<\/p>\n

The letter a<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Pronunciations of the Letter a<\/em><\/th>What It Sounds Like<\/th>Example Words<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u0103<\/strong><\/td>A short ah<\/em>\u00a0sound<\/td>ca<\/strong>t<\/em>
\na<\/strong>pple<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u0101<\/strong><\/td>Like the letter\u2019s name, ay<\/em><\/td>stra<\/strong>y<\/em>
\nva<\/strong>ca<\/strong>tion<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00e4<\/strong><\/td>A longer uhh<\/em>\u00a0sound (like the sound you would make when you show the doctor your throat)<\/td>fa<\/strong>ther<\/em>
\nca<\/strong>lm<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

The letter e<\/em>
\n<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t
Pronunciations of the Letter e<\/em><\/th>What It Sounds Like<\/th>Example Words<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u0115<\/strong><\/td>Like a short eh<\/em><\/td>pe<\/strong>t<\/em>
\npe<\/strong>rson<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

The letter\u00a0i<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
Pronunciations of the Letter i<\/em><\/th>What It Sounds Like<\/th>Example Words<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u012d<\/strong><\/td>Like a grunt, a short eeh<\/em>\u00a0sound made in the back of the throat<\/td>pi<\/strong>t<\/em>
\nhi<\/strong>tch<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u012b<\/strong><\/td>Say this the way you would say name of the letter i<\/em><\/td>pi<\/strong>e<\/em>
\nby<\/strong>e<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

The letter\u00a0o<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t\n\t
Pronunciations of the Letter o<\/em><\/th>What It Sounds Like<\/th>Example Words<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u014f<\/strong><\/td>Similar to the a<\/em> in father,\u00a0a long \u201cuhh\u201d sound (some dictionaries see it as the same sound)<\/td>mo<\/strong>p<\/em>
\nbo<\/strong>ther<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u014d<\/strong><\/td>Say this as you would say the name of the letter o<\/em><\/td>to<\/strong>e<\/em>
\ngo<\/strong><\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
\u00f4<\/strong><\/td>The kind of sound you would say if something is cute, like \u201caww\u201d<\/em><\/td>paw<\/strong><\/em>
\ncaugh<\/strong>t<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

The letter\u00a0u<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\n\t\n\t
Pronunciations of the Letter u<\/em><\/th>What It Sounds Like<\/th>Example Words<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n
\u016d<\/strong><\/td>A short uh<\/em> sound<\/td>cu<\/strong>t<\/em>
\ngru<\/strong>nt<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
y\u00fc<\/strong><\/td>Say this as you might say the letter u<\/em><\/td>you<\/strong>th<\/em>
\ncu<\/strong>te<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n\n

6. There is One Sound All Vowels Make (\u0259)<\/h2>\n

\u0259 <\/b>is a sound somewhere between \u016d<\/strong> and \u0103<\/strong>. It is a short uh\u00a0<\/em>sound. It might be difficult to hear at first, so practice saying these words out loud and try to see the difference between these and other words using these letters. <\/span><\/b><\/p>\n