Phonetics

                                                     
  

Introduction to phonetics

Phonetics is the branch of linguistics that examines sounds in a language. Phonetics describes these sounds using the symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).

The IPA uses a single symbol to describe each sound in a language. If a letter in a word is silent, there will be no IPA symbol used in the transcription.

The IPA can be helpful for studying a language, especially languages that use letters that are silent or have multiple pronunciations. Languages like Arabic and Spanish are consistant in their spelling and pronunciation – each letter represents a single sound which rarely varies. English is different. It has many letters with two or more sounds and many letters that are silent.

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Phonetics: vowels

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This table shows English vowel sounds with IPA symbols (International Phonetic Alphabet) and standard symbols (std). The symbols in table represent the IPA transcription. Standard symbols are used in most English dictionaries.

For each sound there is a word that demonstrates where the sound occurs (word initial, middle, or word final) and how the sound occurs (what letter or letter combinations). Click on the symbol to get an idea of these sounds. Pay attention to the sound of the letters in words.

    

            

                

                          

The word "diphthong" comes from the Greek and means "two voices" or "two sounds." In phonetics, a diphthong is a vowel in which there is a noticeable sound change within the same syllable. 

Click on the symbol to get an idea of these sounds. Pay attention to the sound of the letters in words.

                                                        

                                                

            

Consonants: voiced and unvoiced

Many consonant sounds come in pairs. For example, P and B are produced in the same place in the mouth with the tongue in the same position.

The only difference is that P is an unvoiced sound (no vibration of the vocal cords) while B is a voiced sound (vocal cords vibrate). Put your hand on your throat as you say the pairs below to feel the difference.