Transcription (International Phonetic Alphabet) is used to represent the sounds of a language with special characters.
It is interesting: A wide variety of sounds are found in foreign languages: all kinds of clicks, grunts and sniffles, and for each such sound in international phonetic alphabet there is a symbol.
For transcribing sounds characters of the Latin and Greek alphabets are used, to designate some sounds, italic writing of Latin letters is used, and sometimes their spelling is reversed.
Transcription of English sounds
Total in English language 44 sounds, 20 vowels and 24 consonants.
Vowels. There are 20 vowels in English:
7 - short vowels (short vowels)
5 - long vowels (long vowels)
8 - diphthongs / double vowels (diphthongs)
Consonant sounds (consonants). There are 24 consonants in English:
8 - deaf consonants (voiceless consonants)
8 - voiced consonants (voiced consonants)
8 - other consonants (other consonants)
Below you will see very useful talking tables English sounds. On the left you will listen to the sound performed by the BBC announcer, and by clicking on the transcription symbol on the right you can listen to examples (three words) for each sound of the English language.
Pronunciation of English sounds. (Briefly.)
The pearl of this material is the table of pronunciation of English sounds, which is located below: If you click on the transcription sign, you can watch a two-minute video of a wonderful teacher of English for foreigners Alex Bellem where she explains and shows how to pronounce one or another English sound, and also talks about the differences in pronunciation with similar sounds. These videos were first published on the bbc website.
Pronunciation of English sounds with examples. (Full detailed description)
Click on the transcription symbol, watch the video where the BBC announcer tells and shows how to pronounce this English sound correctly.
The sounds are organized into the following different groups:
(The sounds are divided into the following groups)
When starting to learn a language, many people are faced with the fact that the same letters in English and Russian are read differently. To teach the correct pronunciation and reading of foreign phonemes, words and expressions, Russian grammarians created a phonetic transcription system, which is not only useful to know, but also mandatory for everyone who wants to learn foreign language. What is transcription and why is it needed - these questions concern Russian-speaking people when learning English, since such a concept is found only in linguistics. "Transcription" is a Latin word, which in translation means "rewrite, redraw".
Transcriptions of most words can be found in a dictionary or online. Signs and symbols are enclosed in square brackets next to each word, the following table (table 1) will help the beginner to read correctly English words. However, it is worth remembering that the English language is famous for various phonetic and stylistic rules and exceptions, the phenomena of which are not always clear to language learners.
Transcription marks and their pronunciation
English sounds, like Russian ones, are divided into vowels and consonants. Vowels, in turn, are monophthongs and diphthongs. This is the first difference between the two languages.
Monophthong is a vowel phoneme consisting of one element. In other words, it is a "pure" sound, it does not change its hue, pitch and rise throughout the entire pronunciation. There are 12 monophthongs in English.
A diphthong is a combination of two phonemes, pronounced without a pause, in one breath. The first sound is considered the main element, it is pronounced with great stress, the second is weaker than the first, relaxed. Various grammarians give different amount diphthongs. British scientists distinguish eight diphthong phonemes, American - five.
Table 1.
| Letter / Letter combination | Symbols (consonants) | Pronunciation in Russian | Letter | Symbols (vowels) | Pronunciation in Russian |
| b | [b] | [b] | monophthongs | ||
| d | [d] | [e] | a oh ou | [Λ] | [a] short |
| f | [f] | [f] | a, ar | [a] long | |
| s, g | [and] | i, y | [i] | [and] short | |
| Letter combination dg | [j] | ee, ea | [and] long | ||
| g | [g] | [G] | o, a | [o] | [o] short |
| h | [h] | lung [x] | au, or, a, aw, al, our | [o] long, deep | |
| c, k | [k] | [to] | oo | [u] | [y] short |
| l | [l] | [l] | u,ru | [y] long | |
| m | [m] | [m] | e, ee | [e] | as in the word "summer" |
| n | [n] | [n] | i/e/u, ea+r | [ε:] | as in the word "ice" |
| p | [p] | [P] | diphthongs | ||
| s | [s] | [With] | o | [əu] | [OU] |
| t | [t] | [t] | Letter combination ou | [au] | |
| v | [v] | [in] | a | [hey] | |
| z | [z] | [h] | oi, oi | [oh] | |
| r | [r] | lung[p] | I, ie, y, ye | [ah] | |
| j | [j] | [th] as in the word iodine | |||
| Letter combination ch | [h] | ||||
| Letter combination sh | [∫] | [w] |
Sounds that have no analogues
There are 6 phonemes in English, which have no analogues in Russian. The following table (table 2) shows 4 consonants and 2 vowels:
Table 2.
| Letter / Letter combination | Symbols (consonants) | Letter | Symbols (vowels) |
| Letter combination th | [θ] | a | [æ] |
| Letter combination th | [ð] | e | [ə] |
| Letter combination ng, n | [ŋ] | ||
| w | [w] |
The phonemes [θ] and [ð] have no analogues in Russian, and often beginners are intimidated by their pronunciation. This is just a matter of practice, which consists in placing the tongue between the teeth and blowing air out. The difference between these two sounds lies in the participation vocal cords when pronouncing: the sound [θ] is deaf, and [ð] is voiced.
The sound [ŋ] is similar to the French nasal n. It is formed in the region of the larynx. Many mistakenly pronounce it as the sound combination "ng", which is incorrect and contradictory English rules phonetic system of the language.
According to the phonetic rules, the phoneme [w] is pronounced as follows: the lips are stretched into a tube, as when pronouncing the Russian “y”, and air flows are blown out with force.
The phoneme [æ] is sometimes called a frog. It's a long "e" that's pronounced with your mouth wide open.
Sound [ə] is a neutral sound, usually it is given by unstressed vowels, as, for example, in the word daughter [‘do: tə].
Transcriptions, recorded pronunciation of English words, their translation, as well as reading rules can be found on specialized sites for learning a language online. Audio recordings from correct pronunciation will help users learn to read, as well as provide overwhelming assistance in the study of complex English-language phenomena.
For example, for those who are already a little familiar with English, it will be very helpful
Transcription- this is a written representation of the sounds of a language using special signs, with the aim of accurate transmission pronunciation. International transcription is used as the main one. With its help, you can record the sound of any word, regardless of whether it belongs to any language.
International phonetic alphabet(English) International Phonetic Alphabet, abbr. IPA; fr. Alphabet phonetique international, abbr. API) is a sign system for recording transcription based on the Latin alphabet. Developed and maintained by the IPA International Phonetic Association. The characters for the IPA were chosen to be in harmony with the Latin alphabet. Therefore, most characters are letters of the Latin and Greek alphabets or their modifications. Many British dictionaries, including educational dictionaries, such as Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary and Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, now use the international phonetic alphabet to convey the pronunciation of words. However, most American publications (and some British ones) use their own designations, which are considered more intuitive for readers unfamiliar with the IPA.
The colon after the sign means that the sound is long and needs to be pronounced a little longer. In English dictionaries, there are two types of stress, primary and secondary, and both are placed before the stressed syllable. In transcription, the main emphasis is placed at the top - [... ʹ
...] and the secondary at the bottom [... ͵
...]. Both types of stress are used in polysyllabic and compound words. It is also worth mentioning that there are rules under which some sounds and letters are not pronounced. In transcription, they are placed in parentheses - [.. (..)
..].
Transcription marks
used in the proposed dictionaries and articles with pronunciation examples
| Vowel sounds | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| close to the harness and in the word and wa | f ee l |
||
| [ı] | close to short and in the word and gla |
f i ll |
|
| [e] | The transcription mark is similar to uh in the word this is |
f e ll |
|
| [æ] | - middle between a and uh. Open your mouth for pronunciation a try to pronounce uh. |
c a t |
|
| [ɑ:] | long sound ah:d ah th | c a rt |
|
| [ɒ] | Brief about in the word t about t | c o t |
|
| [ɔ:] | Reminds me of a drawn out about in the word P about lono | f a ll |
|
| [ɜ:] | Long sound, middle between about and: uh... Reminds yo in the word G yo those | c u rt |
|
| [ə] | Short, obscure, unstressed sound. In Russian, it is heard in unstressed syllables: five room a t | b a nan a |
|
| [ʌ] | Close to unstressed a in the word to a mouse.In English, it is usually stressed | c u t |
|
| [ʋ] | close to sound at in the word t at t | f u ll |
|
| close to sound at, pronounced at length: at-smart | f oo l |
||
| Close to Russian ah in the word B ah feces | f i le |
||
| her in the word w her ka | f ai l |
||
| [ɔı] | oh in the word b oh nya | f oi l |
|
| ay in the word P ay per | f ou l |
||
| [əʋ] | f oa l |
||
| [ıə] | Combination [ı] and [ə] with an accent on [ı]. Approximately Ie | t ie r |
|
| [ʋə] | Combination [ʋ] and [ə] with accent on [ʋ] Approximately ue | t ou r |
|
| The first element of the combination is close to uh in the word uh that. It is followed by a faint sound [ə] . The combination is roughly pronounced Ea | t ea r |
||
| Consonants | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| [p] | resp. Russian Pp ier |
||
| [t] | resp. Russian t | t ier |
|
| [b] | resp. Russian b | b eer |
|
| [d] | resp. Russian d | d eer |
|
| [m] | resp. Russian m | m ere |
|
| [n] | resp. Russian n | n ear |
|
| [k] | resp. Russian to | ba k e |
|
| [l] | resp. Russian l | l eer |
|
| [g] | resp. Russian G | g ear |
|
| [f] | resp. Russian f | f ear |
|
| [v] | resp. Russian in | v eer |
|
| [s] | resp. Russian With | ba s e |
|
| [z] | resp. Russian h | Bai z e |
|
| [ʃ] | resp. Russian w | sh eer [ʃıə] |
|
| [ʒ] | resp. Russian and | bei g e |
|
| resp. Russian h | ch eer |
||
| resp. Russian j | j eer |
||
| [r] | matches the sound R in the word and R ebay | r ear |
|
| [h] | exhalation, resembling a weakly pronounced sound X |
h ear |
|
| [j] | sounds like Russian th before vowels: New Y orc, if[yesli]. Occurs in combination with vowels. | y ear |
|
| long Yu in the word Yu zhny | |||
| e in the word e eh | |||
| e in the word yo lka | |||
| I in the word I ma | |||
| The following consonants do not even have approximate equivalents in Russian | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| [w] | sound in uttered with the same lips. In translation, it is denoted by letters in or at: W illiams At Ilyame, AT Ilyame | w eir |
|
| [ŋ] | Open your mouth and say n without closing your mouth | wro ng |
|
| [θ] | Pull out the slightly flattened tip of the tongue between the teeth and say Russian With | wra th |
|
| [ð] | With the same position of the tongue, say h. | th is [ðıs] |
|
In site documents and dictionary entries, it is used as a new version of the international transcription of the English language, that is, one that has become widespread in recent times as well as the old version. Both transcription options differ only in the outline of some sounds.
Changes in the new transcription variant
| old form | For example | New form |
|---|---|---|
| f ee l | ||
| [i] | f i ll | [ı] |
| [e] | f e ll | [e] |
| [ɔ:] | f a ll | [ɔ:] |
| [u] | f u ll | [ʋ] |
| f oo l | ||
| f ai l | ||
| f oa l | [əʋ] | |
| f i le | ||
| f ou l | ||
| [ɔi] | f oi l | [ɔı] |
| [æ] | c a t | [æ] |
| [ɔ] | c o t | [ɒ] |
| [ʌ] | c u t | [ʌ] |
| [ə:] | c u rt | [ɜ:] |
| [ɑ:] | c a rt | [ɑ:] |
| t ie r | [ıə] | |
| [ɛə] | t ea r | |
| t ou r | [ʋə] | |
| [ə] | b a nan a | [ə] |
Learn more about what dash, colon, parentheses, and other symbols mean.
You can see another option English transcription and if it needs to be printed or copied for editing in "Microsoft Word"
English transcription
Pronunciation of English sounds.
Pronunciation of English vowels.
The pronunciation of English sounds is represented by Russian letters, you should understand what to convey the correct English pronunciation using the Russian alphabet is not possible.
- ɑː long, deep a
- ʌ short vowel a, as in the Russian word to run.
- ɒ = ɔ - short, open about
- ɔː - long o
- зː - long vowel ё, as in the Russian word hedgehog.
- æ - open e
- e - like e in the word these
- ə - unclear unstressed sound, similar to e
- iː - long and
- ɪ - short, open and
- ʊ \u003d u - short u, pronounced with a slight rounding of the lips.
- uː - long y pronounced without much rounding of the lips.
Two-vowel sounds
Pronunciation of English consonants.
- p - p
- b - b
- m - m
- f - f
- v - in
- s - with
- z - z
- t - resembles a Russian sound tpronounced with the tongue positioned at the gums.
- d - resembles a Russian sound dpronounced with the tongue positioned at the gums.
- n - resembles a Russian sound npronounced with the tongue positioned at the gums.
- l - resembles a Russian sound l, pronounced with the tongue positioned at the gums.
- r - very hard sound, pronounced without vibration of the tongue. Corresponds to the sound p in the word lot
- ʃ - soft Russian sh
- ʒ - soft Russian zh, as in the word yeast.
- tʃ- h
- ʤ - similar to the Russian sound j (voiced h)
- k - k
- h - breath, reminiscent of a weakly pronounced sound x
- ju - long yu in the word southern
- je - the sound e in the word spruce
- jɔ - sound ё in the word Christmas tree
- jʌ - sound i in the word pit
- j - resembles the Russian sound й before vowels. Occurs in combination with vowels.
English consonants that do not have approximate equivalents in Russianː
- w - formed with rounded lips (as in a whistle). It looks like a sound delivered with only lips. In translation, it is denoted by letters in or y ː W illiams - Williams, Williams.
- ƞ - Open your mouth and say n without closing your mouth.
- ɵ - Move the slightly flattened tip of the tongue between the teeth and pronounce Russian with
- ð - Push the slightly flattened tip of the tongue between the teeth and say Russian
Graphic recording of how letters sound English alphabet or words through a sequence of corresponding characters is transcription of English words.
Table of pronunciation of English consonants |
||
Phonetic transcription |
||
b ad, b ox |
ringing sound, corresponding to Russian [b] in the word b rat |
|
o p en, p et |
deaf sound corresponding to Russian [n] in the word P ero but pronounced breathy |
|
d i d, d ay |
voiced sound similar to Russian [d] in the word d ohm, but more energetic, "sharper"; when pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue rests on the alveoli |
|
t ea, t ake |
deaf sound corresponding to Russian [t] in the word t hermos, but pronounced aspirated, while the tip of the tongue rests on the alveoli |
|
v oice, v isit |
voiced sound corresponding to Russian [in] in the word in osc but more energetic |
|
f ind, f ine |
deaf sound corresponding to Russian [f] in the word f inic but more energetic |
|
z oo, ha s |
voiced sound corresponding to Russian [з] in the word h ima |
|
s un, s ee |
deaf sound corresponding to Russian [s] in the word With silt but more energetic; when pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is raised to the alveoli |
|
g ive, g o |
voiced sound corresponding to Russian [r] in the word G Irya but pronounced softer |
|
c at, c an |
deaf sound corresponding to Russian [k] in the word to mouth, but pronounced more energetically and aspirated |
|
[ ʒ] |
vi si on, plea sur e |
voiced sound corresponding to Russian [zh] in the word and macaw, but pronounced more intensely and softer |
[ ʃ] |
sh e, Ru ss ia |
deaf sound corresponding to Russian [w] in the word w ina, but is pronounced softer, for which you need to raise the middle part of the back of the tongue to the hard palate |
y ellow, y ou |
a sound similar to the Russian sound [th] in the word th one, but pronounced more energetically and intensely |
|
l itt l e, l ike |
sound similar to Russian [l] in the word l isa, but you need the tip of the tongue to touch the alveoli |
|
m an, m erry |
a sound similar to Russian [m] in a word m ir but more energetic; when pronouncing it, you need to close your lips tightly |
|
n oh, n ame |
sound similar to Russian [n] in the word n os, but when it is pronounced, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli, and the soft palate is lowered, and air passes through the nose |
|
si ng, fi ng er |
a sound in which the soft palate is lowered and touches the back of the back of the tongue, and air passes through the nose. Pronouncing it like Russian [ng] is wrong; should be nasal |
|
r ed, r abbit |
a sound, during the pronunciation of which the raised tip of the tongue should touch the middle part of the palate, above the alveoli; tongue does not vibrate |
|
h elp, h ow |
a sound reminiscent of Russian [x] as in the word X aos, but almost silent (slightly audible exhalation), for which it is important not to press the tongue against the palate |
|
w et, w inter |
a sound similar to very quickly pronounced Russian [ue] in the word ue ls; at the same time, the lips need to be rounded and pushed forward, and then vigorously pushed apart |
|
|
j ust, j ump |
a sound similar to [j] in a Russian loan word j insy, but more energetic and softer. You can not pronounce separately [d] and [ʒ] |
|
ch eck, mu ch |
a sound similar to Russian [h] in a word h ace but stronger and more intense. You cannot pronounce [t] and [ʃ] separately |
th is, th ey |
a sonorous sound, when pronouncing which the tip of the tongue must be placed between the upper and lower teeth and then quickly removed. Do not clamp the flat tongue with your teeth, but slightly push it into the gap between them. This sound (since it is voiced) is pronounced with the participation of the vocal cords. Similar to Russian [z] interdental |
|
th ink, seven th |
a voiceless sound that is pronounced the same as [ð], but without a voice. Similar to Russian [s] interdental |
|
Table of pronunciation of simple English vowels |
||
Phonetic transcription |
Approximate matches in Russian |
|
c a t, bl a ck |
short sound, middle between Russian sounds [a] and [e]. To get this sound, you need to pronounce Russian [a], open your mouth wide, and place your tongue low. Pronouncing just Russian [e] is wrong |
|
[ ɑ:] |
ar m, f a ther |
a long sound similar to Russian [a], but it is much longer and deeper. When pronouncing it, you need to yawn, as it were, but do not open your mouth wide, while pulling your tongue back |
[ ʌ] |
c u p, r u n |
a short sound similar to Russian unstressed [a] in the word Witha dy. To get this sound, you need, while pronouncing Russian [a], almost do not open your mouth, while stretching your lips a little and pushing your tongue back a little. Pronouncing just Russian [a] is wrong |
[ ɒ] |
n o t,h o t |
a short sound similar to Russian [o] in the word dabout m, but when pronouncing it, you need to completely relax your lips; for Russian [o] they are slightly tense |
[ ɔ:] |
sp o rt, f ou r |
a long sound similar to Russian [o], but it is much longer and deeper. When pronouncing it, you need to yawn, as it were, with your mouth half open, and tighten and round your lips. |
a bout, a lias |
a sound that is often found in Russian is always in an unstressed position. In English, this sound is also always unstressed. It does not have a clear sound and is referred to as a vague sound (it cannot be replaced by any clear sound) |
|
m e t,b e d |
a short sound similar to Russian [e] under stress in words such as uh ti, ple d etc. English consonants cannot be softened before this sound. |
|
[ ɜː] |
w or k,l ear n |
this sound does not exist in Russian, and it is very difficult to pronounce. Reminds me of Russian sound in words myo d, St.yo cla, but you need to pull it much longer and at the same time stretch your lips strongly without opening your mouth (you get a skeptical smile) |
[ ɪ] |
i t, p i t |
a short sound similar to a Russian vowel in a word wand be. You have to pronounce it abruptly. |
h e, s ee |
a long sound similar to Russian [and] under stress, but longer, and they pronounce it as if with a smile, stretching their lips. A Russian sound close to it is present in the word verseai |
|
[ ʊ] |
l oo k, p u t |
a short sound that can be compared with the Russian unstressed [u], but it is pronounced energetically and with completely relaxed lips (lips cannot be pulled forward) |
bl u e, f oo d |
a long sound, quite similar to the Russian percussion [y], but still not the same. To make it work, you need, while pronouncing Russian [y], do not stretch your lips into a tube, do not push them forward, but round and smile slightly. Like other long English vowels, it needs to be drawn much longer than Russian [y] |
|
Diphthong pronunciation table |
||
Phonetic transcription |
Approximate matches in Russian |
|
|
f i ve, ey e |
diphthong, similar to a combination of sounds in Russian words ah and hah |
[ ɔɪ] |
n oi se, v oi ce |
Somehow. The second element, sound [ɪ], is very short |
|
br a ve, afr ai d |
diphthong, similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word wher ka. The second element, sound [ɪ], is very short |
|
t ow n, n ow |
diphthong, similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word Withay on the. The first element is the same as in ; the second element, sound [ʊ], very short |
[ə ʊ] |
h o me, kn ow |
diphthong, similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word classOU n, if you do not deliberately pronounce it in syllables (at the same time, the consonance resembles eu ). Pronouncing this diphthong as a pure Russian consonance [oh] is wrong |
[ ɪə] |
d ea r,h e re |
diphthong, similar to a combination of sounds in the Russian word such; consists of short sounds [ɪ] and [ə] |
wh e re, th e re |
diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in the Russian word long-necked, if you do not pronounce it in syllables. Behind the sound, reminiscent of Russian [e] in the word uh then, the second element follows, an obscure short sound [ə] |
|
[ ʊə] |
t ou r,p oo r |
a diphthong in which [ʊ] is followed by a second element, an indistinct short sound [ə]. When pronouncing [ʊ], the lips cannot be pulled forward |
Definitely under study English transcription pretty boring. After all, this is a set of symbols that you just need to memorize, as they say "by heart". Therefore, this process does not cause much enthusiasm for most students. Some even prefer to abandon the idea of studying this important aspect - transcription looks very boring and not very in demand in practice in the eyes of many.
However, believe me, if you still decide and devote some of your time to this topic, you will understand how well you did. Indeed, in this case, further study of the English language will be much easier, if only because knowledge of transcription will make it easier for you to perceive new words.
Why is it important to learn the transcription of English words?
The fact is that, unlike the Russian and Ukrainian, where most of the letters in words always denote the same sound, in English the same letters, which can even be in the same word, will be read differently.
For example, the English letter "C" in different situations can be read both as "C" and as "K". And the English letter "U" can be read both as "A" and as "U". The English letter "A" in various words can be transmitted as "A", and as "Hey", and as "E". And that's not all - about the same situation with other letters of the English language.
Therefore, in order to be able to read a new English word correctly, as well as remember it and be able to put it into practice, you just need to learn the rules transcription of English words. Only in this way will teaching English be really effective and productive.
Learn the transcription of English words
Of course, it would be foolish to say that after spending 15 minutes studying the rules of transcription, you will be able to read and study English words on your own and still have perfect pronunciation. Of course, this is not true. And you will have to spend much more time on transcription, and it will not immediately be possible to accurately apply the acquired knowledge. At first, difficulties and errors are not ruled out, but each time they will become less and less. Some time will pass, and you will even be able to independently perform (record by ear) transcription of words.
Where and how to learn English and the transcription of its words?
Of course, in modern world there are all conditions for obtaining any knowledge. You can even do self-study, stocking up on a mountain teaching aids. However, as practice shows, the learning process is much easier if there is a “live” personal contact, a mentor in learning and a clearly structured educational process. Therefore, if you want to study the language most effectively, we recommend enrolling in English courses.
Thus, you will be able to receive data correctly systematized for the best perception and memorization, as well as support at all stages of learning. This approach is also good because it is in the courses that English learns the fastest.
Our English language school in Kyiv (suburb, Vishnevoe, Sofievskaya Borshchagovka, Boyarka, Petrivske, Belogorodka) offers to start learning English right now - without delay and for later. Come and see - everyone can speak English with us!
