To speak English, it is not enough to know how words are spelled, it is important to learn their pronunciation as well. To do this, as you know, it is enough to learn the sounds that you later need to be able to read in transcription. And if at first glance the pronunciation English words seems to be something unbearable, in fact, everything is quite simple, and today you will see for yourself.
First, let's look at what sounds and transcriptions are in English. Sound, in simple words, is what we publish, pronouncing this or that letter. Each such sound has its own symbol, which is used in transcription. A transcription, on the other hand, is one or more sound symbols, delimited by square brackets, which can convey a letter or a whole word. If theoretical explanations have given you absolutely nothing, let's analyze both concepts using an example for clarity:
| Letter | Transcription | sound |
| A |
Let's say we took the letter "a". Unlike Russian, this letter in English is pronounced as "hey". To express the sound in writing, we selected suitable characters that can convey this sound, that is, “ei”. And since the sounds in writing are used only in transcription, we added square brackets around this sound. That's all, we hope that the difference between these two concepts has become obvious.
As a rule, learning sounds begins with the English alphabet. Perhaps you once went through this topic, singing a melody with the pronunciation of all letters with your teacher, unless, of course, you ran away from the lessons. In any case, repeating this material again definitely does not hurt. So, each letter, and there are 26 of them in the English alphabet, has its own standard sound:
|
Letter order |
Letter |
Transcription |
Pronunciation |
sound |
| 1. | A a | Hey | ||
| 2. | Bb | bi | ||
| 3. | c c | si | ||
| 4. | D d | di | ||
| 5. | e e | And | ||
| 6. | F f | ef | ||
| 7. | G g | ji | ||
| 8. | H h | h | ||
| 9. | I i | ah | ||
| 10. | Jj | jay | ||
| 11. | K k | kay | ||
| 12. | l l | |||
| 13. | M m | Em | ||
| 14. | N n | [ɛn] | en | |
| 15. | O o | [əʊ] | OU | |
| 16. | Pp | pi | ||
| 17. | Q q | cue | ||
| 18. | R r | [ɑː] | A | |
| 19. | S s | es | ||
| 20. | T t | ti | ||
| 21. | U u | Yu | ||
| 22. | Vv | in and | ||
| 23. | W w | [‘dʌbljuː] | double u | |
| 24. | X x | the ex | ||
| 25. | Y y | wye | ||
| 26. | Zz | zed |
However, this list is by no means complete. The fact is that in certain combinations, letters or their combinations can sound different. Therefore, often the alphabetic pronunciation of a letter does not coincide with its pronunciation in a word. In total, there are 48 basic sounds, let's consider them in more detail.
Pronunciation of English words: consonants
List
There are only 24 consonant sounds. You are already familiar with most of them, but you may meet some for the first time. Let's study the entire list of consonants with examples of words in which they are used:
| Sound |
In writing, it is usually expressed by letter(s) |
Examples | The sound of words and sounds |
| [b] | b | ball (ball) | |
| [d] | d | day (day) | |
| [dʒ] | j/g | jazz (jazz) / gym (gym) |
|
| [f] | f | film (film) | |
| [g] | g | gold (gold) | |
| [h] | h | house (house) | |
| [j] | y | yolk (yolk) | |
| [k] | k/c/ch | karma (karma) / car (car) / |
|
| [l] | l/ll | lion (lion) / sell (sell) |
|
| [m] | m | man (person) | |
| [n] | n | nose (nose) | |
| [p] | p | picnic (picnic) | |
| [r] | r | romance (romance) | |
| [s] | s | smell (smell) | |
| [t] | t | toaster (toaster) | |
| [v] | v | vine (wine) | |
| [w] | w/ wh | wax (wax) / | |
| [z] | z / zz / se | zoo (zoo) / buzz (buzz) / |
|
| [ ŋ ] | ng | wrong (wrong) | |
| [tʃ] | ch | chew (chew) | |
| [ ʃ ] | sh | shop (shop) | |
| [ ʒ ] | sure / sia | leisure (free time) / Asia (Asia) | |
| [ ð ] | th | their (them) | |
| [ θ ] | th | thought (thought) |
Classification
All these consonants can be divided into groups. So, for example, consonants are divided:
- By voiced / deafness:
- Voiced consonants include:
- By way of pronunciation:
- Explosive (stop) consonants or consonants, the pronunciation of which creates some semblance of an "explosion". As a rule, for the pronunciation of such letters, the organs of speech first close, preventing the air from passing through, and then abruptly open, creating such an unusual sound. Since such letters are also present in Russian, let's draw an analogy to make it clearer:
- Nasal sounds are sounds that are made because air passes through the nose. If you pinch your nose and try to pronounce them, it will be extremely difficult to do this:
Also sounds:
Based on which organs of speech are closed, sounds can be divided into:
- Lip-labial sounds - sounds for the pronunciation of which both lips touch:
- Interdental consonants are sounds that require the tongue to be placed between the upper and lower teeth. Since, unlike other sounds that have at least some similar Russian counterparts, interdental sounds do not occur in Russian, they often cause difficulties for students. However, if you take the correct posture mentioned above, you will succeed. These sounds include:
- Alveolar consonants - consonant sounds that are pronounced by raising the tip of the tongue to the alveoli:
| [d] |
| [l] |
| [s] |
| [t] |
| [z] |
Pronunciation of English words: vowels
List
talk (talk) /
pearl (pearl)
cure (healing)
Classification
According to their pronunciation, vowels can be divided into:
- Front and back vowels:
Anterior row sounds are pronounced by raising the back of the tongue to the hard palate and placing its tip near the base of the lower row of teeth:
- Based on the location of the lips, they also distinguish between rounded and not rounded, where:
Rounded - these are sounds for the pronunciation of which the lips move forward:
- In addition, vowel sounds can be divided according to tension, that is, how strongly the organs of speech are strained to pronounce the sound. Here everything is known in comparison. For example, to pronounce some sounds:
Therefore, it turns out that the first are unstressed, and the second are stressed.
- The examples above also show that vowels can be short or long. To make a sound long, a colon is usually added next to it.
- Depending on the articulation, vowels are also divided into:
- Monophthongs, during the pronunciation of which the articulation does not change:
- Diphthongs are two sounds that are used together:
Reading rules: open and closed syllables
Despite the fact that there are only 6 vowels in English, the variety of sounds is simply huge. Understanding when a letter is pronounced this way and not otherwise is often possible with the help of syllables. For example:
If the syllable is open, then the letter "a" is pronounced like, if the syllable is closed, then the sound turns into [æ]. Compare:
Consider the pronunciation of English vowels using the table:
Pronunciation of English words: stress
Particular attention should be paid to stress. IN English transcription it is usually expressed with an apostrophe, helping:
- Define a compound word from a combination of words:
- Distinguish one part of speech from another:
Note that the apostrophe indicating stress comes before the stressed syllable, not above stressed letter, as is customary in Russian. The stress can fall on any vowel anywhere:
| art [ˈɑːt] - art | |
| potato - potato | |
| reconstruct - reconstruct |
Perhaps it is not placed only on a vowel in open syllable at the end of a word.
The main feature of the stress of English words is that there can be two of them at once. This option is found in words that consist of four or more syllables. The two accents in this case look different. The main and already familiar to us is distinguished as before by an apostrophe. But the secondary - an apostrophe below. Let's look at examples:
Sometimes there can be three accents at all. In these cases, two secondary stresses are distinguished equally:
| microcinematography [ˌmaɪkrəʊˌsɪnəməˈtɒɡrəfi] - microcinema |
Stress is usually not emphasized in writing, so all these nuances will be useful to you only for the correct reading of words.
Pronunciation of English words: pronunciation difference
As you know, English is spoken by a huge number of people from different parts of the world. However, dividing English depending on the location of the speakers, British and American English are most often distinguished. So, for example, we analyzed British English above. No, this does not mean that you will have to memorize a whole range of new sounds if you decide to devote time to American English. It's just that the pronunciation of some English words among Americans is strikingly different, and therefore their version of English sounds more harsh. Let's look at the main differences in the pronunciation of these two accents:
- The first thing you can immediately pay attention to is the sound [r]. If it is at the beginning or in the middle of a word, it is pronounced the same way:
That is, this sound is clearly and clearly audible. However, if it is at the end, then English pronunciation words change a little. In British English, [r] at the end is usually not readable. This sound is heard only if it is followed by a word that begins with a vowel for ease of pronunciation. In American English, the letter [r] is always pronounced:
- The sound in American English is sometimes difficult to distinguish. More often, this sound simply turns into:
- The sound [ə] changes to [o]:
- The American sound can sound more expressive, with more rounding. In transcription, nothing changes.
- can be replaced with [æ]:
These are just one of the few features. In fact, there are a lot of such nuances. This does not mean that if you choose, for example, British English, you will not be understood in America. No, the language is the same, it just sounds slightly different in different areas. Which accent is better is a purely personal choice.
The correct pronunciation is present in both accents, they are just different. It all depends on your future goals. Accordingly, if you are going to the UK or planning to take IELTS, British English will suit you. If you are focused on America, American. Arguing which accent is better is a waste of time. It all depends solely on your own preferences, so choose the option to which the soul lies.
Of course, you can learn two pronunciations at once, but in order to acquire an accent, you need constant practice, and with such transitions from one accent to another, this will be quite difficult. Sometimes setting an accent can be harder than you thought at first glance. Therefore, there are even specialists who do not teach you the English language itself in the courses, but put exactly correct pronunciation English words.
Of course, it will be a little more difficult to learn it yourself, but such an alternative is quite possible. Indeed, in addition to teachers, there are a huge number of textbooks that deal with the pronunciation of the English word. And, of course, films. This is a great option for both beginners and advanced. Watch, imitate, repeat and you will succeed. Most importantly, don't be afraid to speak up. You can make at least 50 mistakes in pronunciation, but you will be understood and corrected, which means that next time you will not make these mistakes.
Pronunciation of English words: how to learn English transcription
Transcriptions in English may seem confusing and incomprehensible. However, they contain the rules of reading. And reading rules help you remember how to pronounce English words, so you need to be able to read them. But that doesn't mean you have to sit with a piece of English text trying to make a transcription of each word.
It is much easier and more efficient to listen to how words are pronounced and match them with the transcription. Now on the Internet you can find a lot of dictionaries that show not only how a phrase is written, but also how English words are read with transcription and pronunciation. Moreover, the transcription of English words is given in two versions: in British and in American. By listening to voice recordings of words spoken by native speakers, it will be easier for you to understand how to pronounce the word correctly.
You can also find out the pronunciation in the translator, but do not forget that he can make mistakes, since, unlike dictionaries, the word in this case is read not by a native speaker, but by a robot. Accordingly, no one checks the correct pronunciation. In any case, try to constantly practice this skill, and in the future it will not be difficult for you to read any, even the most difficult words.
Pronunciation of English words: examples of words
Of course, we will not study a number of sentences, but you can make out some English words that are quite common in speech and whose reading rules you need to know. We have already considered a couple of words, for example, their or see pronunciation above, but repetition never hurts:
| Word | Reading | Translation |
| ask | [ɑːsk] | ask |
| be | be | |
| become | become | |
| begin | start off | |
| call | call | |
| can | be able to | |
| come | come | |
| could | could | |
| do | do | |
| education | [ˌedʒuˈkeɪʃn] | education |
| find | find | |
| get | [ɡet] | get |
| give | [ɡɪv] | give |
| go | [ɡəʊ] | go |
| have | have | |
| home | house | |
| help | to help | |
| keep | hold | |
| know | know | |
| leave | leave | |
| let | let | |
| like | like | |
| live | live | |
| look | look | |
| make | do | |
| May | be able | |
| mean | keep in mind | |
| might | could | |
| move | move | |
| need | need | |
| play | play | |
| put | put | |
| run | run | |
| say | say | |
| see | see | |
| seem | seem | |
| should | [ʃʊd] | must |
| show | [ʃoʊ] | show |
| start | begin | |
| take | accept | |
| talk | speak | |
| tell | tell | |
| their | [ðeə(r)] | their |
| think | [θɪŋk] | think |
| though | [ðəʊ] | Although |
| use | use | |
| want | want | |
| will | will/want | |
| work | work | |
| would | would |
We hope that now you can easily "translate" the transcription and read it. Even if at first it will be difficult for you, the main thing is to practice. We learn everything consistently and efficiently, and most importantly, constantly. Such a thorough approach to learning a language is sure to lead you to success.
The English alphabet is based on the Latin alphabet and consists of 26 letters. Of these, 6 vowels: A, E, I, O, U, Y.
20 consonants: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Z
The letter "Y" can represent both a vowel and a consonant. In combination with a vowel, the pronunciation is very close to Russian [y] and denotes the sounds [ j ] or [ y ]
yellow, yes, you, yard, young, yoga, yogurt
day, they, boy, toy, buy, eye
Forming syllables and being paired with a consonant, the letter "Y" conveys the vowel sound [ i ]
baby, mystery, system, funny
and sound [ ai ] in words
my, cry, analyze, cycle, sky, reply
In the alphabet, each letter has its own sound name, i.e. alphabetical reading.
Transcription marks are used to convey sounds in writing. Each sign corresponds to only one sound inherent in it. Transcription signs are written in square brackets: for example, the letter A is its alphabetic name (sound) - [ ei ].
In the alphabet, letters are read unambiguously, one letter - one sound.
The letters Z and R are read differently in the British and American versions.
The British version of Z - (zed), the American version of Z - (zi).
British version R - (a), American version R - (ar).
Knowledge English alphabet also necessary because of the discrepancy between the pronunciation of words and their spelling. Therefore, you may often be asked to spell a word - Can you spell that, please?
English alphabet with pronunciation and transcription
| Letter | Transcription | Pronunciation* | The sounds it conveys | |
| A a | Hey | , [æ] | ||
| Bb | bi | [b] | ||
| c c | si | [s] - before e, i, y [k] - in other cases |
||
| D d | di | [d] | ||
| e e | And | , [e] | ||
| F f | ef | [f] | ||
| G g | ji | , [g] | ||
| H h | h | [h] | ||
| I i | ah | , [i] | ||
| Jj | jay | |||
| K k | Kay | [k] | ||
| l l | [l] | |||
| M m | Em | [m] | ||
| N n | en | [n] | ||
| O o | OU | , [ɔ] | ||
| Pp | pi | [p] | ||
| Q q | cue | |||
| R r | ar | [r] | ||
| S s | es | [s], [z] | ||
| T t | ti | [t] | ||
| U u | Yu | , [ʌ], [u] | ||
| Vv | in and | [v] | ||
| W w | ["dʌbl ju:] | double u | [w] | |
| X x | the ex | , | ||
| Y y | wye | [j] | ||
| Zz | () | zi (zed) | [z] | |
* In the column " Pronunciation"given in Russian letters is the approximate sound of the names of the letters. And in the column" Transcription" given a more accurate pronunciation using phonetic transcription.
Transcription is the transmission in writing of elements oral speech using a specific set of characters. Phonetic transcription- this is the most accurate transmission of oral speech by graphic means (special transcription signs).
Each individual sound and its variants have their own designations. For recording, special characters are used, called transcription marks, which are enclosed in square brackets. Some of these signs repeat the letters of the English alphabet, the designations of others may differ significantly. However, letter and sound are completely different things. Letter- these are the designations of sound in writing, while the sound can be regarded as an independent unit. We write and read letters, we hear and pronounce sounds. The transcription mark indicates the sound and features of its pronunciation. In a letter, one letter can convey several sounds at once, and each transcription mark can convey only one sound.
What is transcription used for?
The spelling of a word and its actual pronunciation can vary significantly. Therefore, for correct pronunciation, only knowing the rules of reading is not enough, because there are always exceptions to the rules. The same letters/letter combinations under the same conditions can be read differently. Thanks to transcription, if necessary, you can correctly read an unfamiliar word. On initial stage language learning, it is possible to use Russian transcription, but in English there are sounds that are absent in Russian, so Russian transcription conveys only the approximate sound of the word, which is why you can pronounce the word written in Russian transcription incorrectly. In addition, the quality of pronunciation of the same sounds may differ.
Perfect knowledge of transcription marks is not mandatory, because you are unlikely to need to convey the sound of a word using these marks. But you may need to look up the correct pronunciation of a word in a dictionary. And for this it is important to be able to correctly read the transcription in the dictionary. In addition, most transcription marks are found in other European languages.
Factors affecting pronunciation
word stress
The correct pronunciation of vowels in stressed syllables, where the vowels are pronounced clearly, and the meaning of the word will depend on the correctness of their sound, can cause difficulties. In an unstressed syllable, vowels are not clearly articulated, they can fall out (not pronounced), so they do not present any particular difficulties in pronunciation. Unlike Russian, where the stress is placed over the stressed syllable, in English the stress is indicated by a vertical stroke. before percussive syllable. Monosyllabic words have one stress, long ones can have two. In this case, the main emphasis is placed at the top, the secondary - at the bottom.
English sounds
Consonant sounds and their approximate Russian counterparts:
- [b] - [b]
- [d] - [d]
- [f] - [f]
- [g] - [g]
- [k] - [k]
- [l] - [l]
- [m] - [m]
- [n] - [n]
- [p] - [p]
- [s] - [s]
- [t] - [t]
- [v] - [in]
- [z] - [z]
- [ʃ] - [w]
- [ʒ] - soft [zh]
- - [h]
- - absent in Russian (represents a very quickly pronounced sound [j]);
- [r] - the tip of the tongue is not tense, does not vibrate, is motionless, raised to the arch of the oral cavity, but does not touch the alveoli (reminiscent of the Russian sound [r], but not so clear);
- [j] - [th];
- [ŋ] - nasal [n];
- [θ] - absent in Russian, interdental (to pronounce it, say [s], sticking the tip of your tongue between your teeth);
- [ð] - absent in Russian, interdental (to pronounce it, say [з], sticking out the tip of the tongue between the teeth).
The articulation of a number of English sounds practically does not differ from the articulation of Russian sounds, however, there are some features:
- From Russian analogues [t], [p], [k] English [t], [p], [k] are distinguished by their pronunciation with aspiration (aspiration);
- When pronouncing sounds [d], [l], [n], [t], the tip of the tongue is on the alveoli (tubercles just above the upper teeth);
- [ʃ] [ʒ] - softer than Russian counterparts, for this you need to slightly raise the back of the tongue;
- [h] - a sound slightly louder than exhalation;
- [w] - lips are rounded and tense, the lower lip should not touch the teeth (quickly say [wee]).
Vowel pronunciation
In English, vowel length is very important because it affects the meaning of a word. This means that words with the same vowel of different lengths will differ in meaning, for example: sheep [ʃi: p] - sheep, ship [ʃɪp] - ship, live live - leave - leave, leave.
The longitude of a vowel in a letter is indicated two dots after it. With the help of 6 vowels, you can form a wide variety of sounds:
- - long sound [a];
- [æ] - the middle between [a] and [e], the mouth is wide open, the jaw is lowered down;
- - long [and];
- [i] - short [and];
- [e] - the average between [e] and [e], the corners of the lips are stretched to the sides;
- [ɔ] - short [o];
- [ɔ:] - long [o];
- [ə] - obscure, unstressed sound resembling [e];
- [ʌ] - short [a];
- [h] - resembles the sound [e];
- [u] - short [y];
- - lingering [y].
diphthongs
diphthongs- these are two vowel sounds pronounced together, where the first is stressed, articulated more clearly and distinctly, and the second is weaker:
- - [ai];
- - [Hey];
- [ɔi] - [oh];
- - [ay];
- [əu] - [oh];
- - [ie];
- - [ue];
- [ɛə] - remotely similar to [ea].
triphthongs
Triphthong- this is a combination of three vowel sounds that are pronounced together and are part of one syllable.
- pronounced like [aye]. The longest of the three sounds is "a". The sounds "y" and "e" are pronounced almost together.
It is expressed in writing using the letter combinations “ire”, “yre”, “iar”, less often “ier” and “ie + t”:
ire - fire [‘faɪə] (fire)
yre - tire [‘taɪə] (tire)
iar - liar [‘laɪə] (liar)
ier - tier [‘taɪə] (connective)
iet - quiet [‘kwaɪət] (quiet)
- pronounced like [aue]. At the same time, the sound "y" is exactly the sound that is transmitted by the letter "w".
The letter is transmitted using the letter combinations "our", "ower":
our - sour [‘sauə] (sour)
ower - power [‘pauə] (strength)
- pronounced like [yue]. The longest of the three sounds in this triphthong is "y".
The letter is transmitted using the letter combinations "eur", "ure":
eur - European [ˌjuərə'piːən] (European)
ure - pure (pure).
Words in speech flow
In addition to the main stress, with which the emphasis is placed on the syllable, there is the concept of phrasal stress. Phrase stress- this is the selection in the flow of speech of words on the importance of which the speaker wants to emphasize. The location of the phrasal stress does not significantly change the essence of the sentence. Let's compare on the example of a simple short sentence (stressed words are in bold:) She has gone to the shop just now. She just went to the store (it was her, not someone else). She has gone to the shop just now. She has just gone to the store (went, not used another vehicle). She has gone to the shop just now. She just went to the store (namely, the store, and not anywhere else). She has gone to the shop just now. She just went to the store (just now).
Accordingly, the stressed word will be pronounced as clearly as possible. As a rule, function words are prepositions, conjunctions, particles, pronouns, etc. are in an awkward position. It should also be noted that colloquial speech tends to be minimized: it is characterized by the use of abbreviated forms, less clear articulation, in some places intentional mispronunciation of words, dropping vowels, etc.
How much time to devote to practice?
The answer is obvious. The more practice in the language, the better. The more time you take to practice pronunciation, the more authentic (more natural, as similar as possible to English speech) your speech will sound. Listening English speech, its imitation, reading aloud will help you with this. Record your speech on a voice recorder, which will help to identify your own mistakes, because your perception of your own speech differs from its perception by others. And remember that when studying foreign language regular practice is extremely important. With shorter, but regular sessions, you will achieve greater results than with long sessions of "jerks". We wish you success!
English alphabet with transcription
Reading rules in English
In the first field, type the word you want to translate, in the second field, select the translation direction (the default is English-Russian translation), to translate, press the "enter" key or the magnifying glass icon. Translation with transcription will appear below.
English words with transcription and pronunciation
- Type Russian characters on your keyboard - turns on the on-screen keyboard for Russian characters;
- Show keyboard - opens the on-screen keyboard for Russian letters;
- Hide keyboard (to type in English) - hides the on-screen keyboard for Russian letters.
This is an electronic version of the Oxford Pocket Dictionary of English-Russian and Russian-English. An authoritative professional dictionary that contains about 210,000 words and phrases.
If you dream of learning English abroad, then this link is for you. Description of schools with photos and videos, duration and intensity of courses, as well as how much it all costs.
Applications to the online dictionary. Brief information on English grammar
1 The article in which . Gives an idea of how many letters are in the English alphabet and how it is read.
2 These articles deal with the phonetic transcription of English. In the first part are given. In the second part - .
3 English verbs: regular and irregular. What is the difference, as well as three forms irregular verbs or .
4 In the article you can learn how to pronounce correctly English numbers how to translate numbers from Russian into English, how dates are pronounced in English, and mathematical formulas and expressions are also considered.
5 have differences. It is also useful to know about this, so as not to be surprised why the same words in different texts are spelled differently.
About this English-Russian and Russian-English online dictionary with transcription
I have long wanted to put on my site a goodonline translator with transcriptionand various meanings of words, and this one, in my opinion, is one of the most successful. Most sites use a text translation system using translator programs such as Socrates. But it's not the best for learning English. online dictionary, because having met an unfamiliar English word, we need to find out its transcription, stress, polysemy of use cases. When translating, it is important Dictionary. With purely machine translation, at best, we will lose the very meaning of the statement and its stylistic component, and at worst, we will get an unrelated set of words. Computer servicesonline translatorsdo not provide an opportunity to look at the different meanings of words or their choice is limited, so machine translation must be corrected using such dictionaries. On the site "site" you are given the opportunity to take advantage of high-qualityonline dictionary completely free, that is, it is an English Russian dictionary with pronunciation. It doesn't matter what you wanted to find in the search engine: be itRussian translator online, or English online translator or free online translator- the dictionary presented here is exactly what you need. The dictionary will help you find answers to many questions that arise when translating. If you have the Internet, then you are sure to find the right word. And since you are reading this text, then you definitely have it. By the way, in addition to the English-Russian and Russian-English directions, there are many other languages \u200b\u200bin the base of this dictionary, so thisfree online translator with- one of the best options that can be found on the Internet among English Russian translators with transcription and pronunciation! So if you don't have a paper dictionary handy, you can always rely on an electronic one.online english dictionaryon that website. Use and achieve success in learning English.
Greetings, my dear readers.
Today we continue to talk about how to learn how to read correctly, so the topic of today's article is the transcription of English letters.
We have already got acquainted with the concept and dealt with the pronunciation of sounds in English. Today we will figure out exactly how they are pronounced in various combinations.
I have a clear table for you. It contains the letters of the English alphabet with transcription, Russian analogue letters and my notes, so that you can immediately put the correct pronunciation. I also added examples of words with studied sounds and their translation.
What else can be found on the blog:
- with letters and transcription (you can study them online, download, print and work with them);
- for children I have a complete .
Let `s start?
Features of English transcription:
- it is always enclosed in square brackets. I can't say exactly where it came from, but I think it's just worth taking it for granted;
- to understand where the stress is, the transcription uses the sign [‘] before the stressed syllable;
- It is important to remember that transcription is about the sound, not the spelling of words. Sometimes the spelling can be 90% different from what we pronounce;
- to show that the sound is long - we use a colon.
In general, I wrote about English transcription - please!
Letters of the English alphabet and their transcription in Russian and English:
| English letter | Transcription | Russian analogue |
| aa | Hey | |
| bb | Bee | |
| CC | Xi | |
| Dd | Di | |
| ee | AND | |
| FF | [ɛf] | ef |
| gg | Gee | |
| hh | h | |
| II | Ai | |
| jj | Jay | |
| Kk | Kay | |
| Ll | [ɛl] | Al |
| mm | [ɛm] | Em |
| Nn | [ɛn] | En |
| Oh | [əʊ] | OU |
| pp | Pi | |
| Q | ||
| Rr | [ɑː] or [ɑɹ] | A or Ar |
| Ss | [ɛs] | Es |
| Tt | Tee | |
| Uu | YU | |
| vv | In and | |
| www | [ˈdʌb(ə)l juː] | Double-u |
| xx | [ɛks] | The ex |
| Yy | Wye | |
| Zz | , | Zed, zee |
But you know what is the most interesting thing about English?
If different letters are combined, they are pronounced differently!
That's why I prepared for you
Examples of English letter combinations in Russian and English:
| Combination | Transcription | How to pronounce | Example |
| ee | /i:/ | AND | bee - bee |
| ea | / ı:/ | AND | tea - tea |
| oo | /u/ | At | cook - cook |
| th | / ð / / Ѳ / | Z, S (interdental) | thumb - finger |
| sh | / ʃ / | W | shout - shout |
| ch | /tʃ/ | H | chair - chair |
| ph | /f/ | F | phone - phone |
| ck | /k/ | TO | snack - snack |
| ng | / Ƞ / | Ng | song |
| wh | /w/ | Ua | why - why |
| wr | /r/ | R | write - write |
| qu | /kw/ | Kua | queen - queen |
| igh | /aı/ | Ai | high - high |
| all | /Ɔ:l/ | Ol | tall - high |
| ai | /eı/ | Hey | Spain |
| ay | /eı/ | Hey | May |
| oi | /oı/ | Oh | point |
| oy | /oı/ | Oh | toy |
| ow | /oƱ/ | OU | grow - grow |
| ou | /aƱ/ | ay | out - outside |
| ew | /ju:/ | YU | knew - knew |
| aw | / Ɔ: / | Ooo | draw - draw |
| ee+r | / ıə / | ia | engineer - engineer |
| ou+r | /abə/ | Aue | our - our |
| oo+r | / Ɔ: / | Ooo | door - door |
| wo+r | / ɜ: / | Y/O | work - work |
| ai+r | /eə/ | Ea | chair - chair |
| oa+r | / Ɔ: / | Oo | roar - cry |
| old | /Ʊd/ | Oud | could - could |
| around | /aƱnd/ | Aund | round - round |
| eigh | /eı/ | Hey | eight - eight |
| -y | / ı / | AND | tiny - tiny |
| au | / Ɔ: / | Oo | Paul |
| gh | /f/ | F | laugh - laugh |
| aught | /Ɔ:t/ | From | taught - taught |
I know this table looks huge now. Surely you think that remembering all this is unrealistic. I'll tell you this: at a certain point, when you have enough, you won't even pay attention to these combinations. Your brain will learn to quickly remember how these letters sound. Moreover, even when you come across a completely unfamiliar word, you can read it correctly. The only question is the amount of practice on your part.
How to memorize combinations of letters?
- Use cards. Visual perception is better developed in most people.
- Read. Pay attention to letter combinations when or just texts.
- Don't get hung up. It is not necessary to immediately memorize these combinations and only then go directly to English. Learn as you go!
- Buy paper or download a good one e-book in order to quickly learn to recognize combinations and pronounce them correctly. Even if you need it - an adult - do not hesitate to take books for children - it is there that everything is chewed in detail and not without interest.
That's all, my dears. I hope you found it useful and understandable. I give even more such materials in the blog mailing list - subscribe and receive a portion of usefulness regularly.
