Learning the English language is beneficial in society today.
It is currently the most
spoken language worldwide, with roughly 1.5 Billion or nearly 1 in 3 people communicating
with it.
If you can converse in English, you can access many opportunities in business, social
relationships, and travel. It is a crucial skill worthy of investing time.
But English is more than just grammar and spelling. It would help if you had better
pronunciation for people to understand you.
Difference Between Vowels versus Consonants
The problem is, the English language is not phonetic. The first thing you must know is
the difference between vowels and consonants. There are 26 letters in the English alphabet. 5
represents vowels and 21 for consonants.
The main difference is the way you produce the sound.
Vowel sounds can be produced by continuous airflow. Try speaking A, E, I, O, U. The
sound is made without interrupting (like closing the lips or blocking the air with your tongue).
On the other hand, consonant sounds are made when you obstruct the airflow by closing
your mouth (try producing the “m” sound), blocking your tongue (try the “l” sound), or similar
actions (try saying the “p” and “k” sound).
The Difficulty of Learning English Words
But these sounds can differ when based on the position of the vowels and their
combinations with the consonants. And sometimes, it just isn’t apparent. It makes learning
English words more difficult.
Certain words that look alike might not be said the same way. It is because words with
similar spelling might not represent the same sounds.
For example, similar-looking words like “tear” (as in the fluid when you cry) and “tear”
(as in to pull apart in pieces by force) have different pronunciations despite having the same
spelling.
Another example is words like “stair” and “stare.” They have different spellings but the
same pronunciations.
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) Standard
Linguists all over the world recognized this problem not only in English but also in
learning other languages. That’s why the International Phonetic Standard (IPA) was developed in
the 19th century.
The IPA is a set of unique symbols that represent only one sound for pronouncing words.
These symbols are currently used in numerous dictionaries and English Pronunciation books to
guide you in learning English pronunciation.
Knowing the commonly used IPA symbols for English will give you an advantage in
your English learning journey. Here are some of the symbols you should be familiar with.
Short Vowels
These are vowels you pronounce with a short breath. Here are the common symbols for short
vowels.
æ (sound) – pass, back, have, had, contact
ɛ (sound) – every, ever, never, necessary, end
ʌ (sound) – cup, flood, love, come, thumb
ʊ (sound) – book, foot, woman, full, would
ɒ (sound) – of, often, office, squat, offer
ə (sound) – mother, stuff, ago, action, never
Long Vowels
These are vowels that are pronounced the same way you pronounce its name. Here are the
common symbols for long vowels:
i: (sound) – be, need, feel, she, free
ɜ: (sound) – her, word, turn, world, girl
ɔ: (sound) – your, more, also, small, sure
u: (sound) – new, too, value, school, you
ɑ: (sound) – ask, party, father, star, bar
Diphthong Vowels
These are sounds produced by combining two vowel sounds. Here are the common symbols for
Diphthong vowels:
ɪə (sound) – here, period, idea, career, clear
eə (sound) – care, share, where, there, hair
eɪ (sound) – later, eight, day, play, age
ɔɪ (sound) – voice, enjoy, join, boy, choice
aɪ (sound) – life, buy, why, guy, high, five
oʊ (sound) – open, only, follow, home, hold
aʊ (sound) – town, house, allow, now, how
Plosives
These are consonants that are pronounced by blocking the airway with your teeth, mouth, lips, or
palate and releasing the air afterward. Here are the common symbols for plosives:
p (sound) – happen, program, keep, play, pay
b (sound) – but, before, best, maybe, job
t (sound) – take, tell, time, study, talk
d (sound) – day, idea, decide, friend, do
k (sound) – can, require, think, take, school
g (sound) – give, go, group, agree, good
Fricatives
These are consonants where the sound is produced by blocking the airway that causes friction
when you pronounce it. Here are the common symbols for fricatives:
f (sound) – from, phone, self, fact, family
v (sound) – move, value, live, provide, even
θ (sound) – thing, month, thank, health, truth
ð (sound) – with, smooth, brother, they, then
z (sound) – these, reason, those, zone, citizen
ʃ (sound) – push, show, sure, wish, finish
ʒ (sound) – decision, pleasure, television, vision, version
h (sound) – whole, help, perhaps, who, hello
Nasals
These are consonants pronounced by lowering your soft palate and producing the sound through
your nose. Here are the common symbols for nasals:
m (sound) – man, summer, more, million, come
n (sound) – not, know, into, number, woman
ŋ (sound) – thank, think, feeling, thing, song
Affricates
These are consonants that pronounced beginning as a plosive and ends as a fricative. Here are the
common symbols for affricates
ʈʃ (sound) – church, century, culture, change, challenge
dʒ (sound) – job, join, general, energy, huge
Approximants
These are consonants that are frictionless and sounds like a vowel. Here are the common
symbols for approximants:
r (sound) – carry, program, very, ring, road
j (sound) – unit, beyond, argue, during, usually
w (sound) – where, world, wait, require, we
l (sound) – leave, last, look, control, people
Conclusion
Learning English phonetics is quite hard, especially for non-native speakers. Alongside
with the guide above, you can get reliable TESOL-certified tutors to help you, depending on
your current English proficiency level.
You can also improve your pronunciation through the English Pronunciation Course at
LingualBox.
