Symbol |
Name |
Example Word |
Place/Manner/voicing |
Note |
[p] |
p |
pie |
voiceless bilabial stop |
|
[b] |
b |
buy |
voiced bilabial stop |
|
[m] |
m |
my |
voiced bilabial nasal |
|
[f] |
f |
fat |
voiceless labio-dental fricative |
|
[v] |
v |
vat |
voiced labio-dental fricative |
|
[θ] |
theta |
thigh, thick, breath |
voiceless interdental fricative |
Spelled in English orthography with "th" |
[ð] |
edh |
thy, them, breathe |
voiced interdental fricative |
Spelled in English orthography with "th" |
[t] |
t |
tip |
voiceless alveolar stop |
|
[d] |
d |
dip |
voiced alveolar stop |
|
[s] |
s |
sip |
voiceless alveolar fricative |
|
[z] |
z |
zip |
voiced alveolar fricative |
|
[n] |
n |
nip |
voiced alveolar nasal |
Don't confuse this with [ŋ] (below). |
[l] |
l |
lip |
voiced alveolar (lateral) liquid |
Some of you may notice your [l] segment is made without the tongue touching the alveolar ridge at least sometimes. We discussed these velarized or 'dark' [l] realizations in class. |
[ʃ] |
esh |
ship, fresher, flash |
voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative |
Note this differs from [s] above.
Note there is no 'h' sound in the example words here. the [ʃ] sound has nothing to do with an [h] sound.
|
[ʒ] |
ezh |
genre, measure, beige |
voiced alveolo-palatal fricative |
This is not a frequent sound in English and is often confused with [ʃ] or [z]. We discussed with in class as the 'hover craft' sound. |
[tʃ] |
t-esh |
choke, church |
voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate |
Written as 'ch' in orthography. Often confused with [ʃ] when transcribing. This is written as two symbols because it is two sounds pushed together: the stop [t] and the fricative [ʃ] |
[dʒ] |
d-ezh |
joy, judge |
voiced alveolo-palatal affricate |
Don't transcribe this as a "j". |
[r] |
r |
rip, dear |
voiced palatal or retroflex liquid |
Do not confuse this with [ɚ] or the very similar [r̩], a sound that is more a vowel than a consonant. Contrast [fri] 'free' and [fr̩i] 'furry'. |
[j] |
j |
yellow, gray |
voiced palatal glide |
This is generally written in orthography as 'y'. Do not use [j] to represent the affricate in 'jelly' or 'judge' |
[w] |
w |
wick, cow |
voiced labio-velar glide |
This is labio because the lips are rounded and velar because the back of the tongue raises toward the velum. |
[k] |
k |
coat |
voiceless velar stop |
|
[g] |
g |
goat |
voiced velar stop |
|
[ŋ] |
eng |
ping, rang |
voiced velar nasal |
This is written generally in orthography as 'ng' but there is no [g] sound actually made. Don't confuse this with [n] (above). |
[h] |
h |
hip |
voiceless glottal fricative |
|
[ʔ] |
glottal stop |
huh-uh, uh-oh |
|
|
[i] |
i |
beat |
high, front, tense vowel |
|
[I] |
cap i |
bit |
high, front, lax vowel |
|
[ej] |
e or ej |
bate |
mid, front, tense vowel |
Without the [j], this ounds like the Canadian 'eh'? |
[ɛ] |
epsilon |
bet |
mid front, lax vowel |
|
[æ] |
ash |
bat |
low, front, lax vowel |
Do not confuse this with [a] |
[u] |
u |
boot |
high, back, tense vowel |
This is [u] as in [ful] 'fool', not [ju] as in [fju] 'few'. |
[ʊ] |
upsilon |
put |
high, back, lax vowel |
|
[ow] |
o or ow |
boat |
mid, back, tense vowel |
This is not the diphthong vowel in the word 'cow' or 'house'. without the [w] glide, this is the 'o' sound characteristic of Jamaica or some parts of the northern US. |
[ɔ] |
open o |
caught |
mid, back, lax vowel |
Not all of you have a difference between this vowel and [a] (below).
Pronounce the two names 'Dawn' and 'Don'. If they sound different, this is the one in 'Dawn'. |
[a] |
a |
cot |
low, back vowel |
|
[ʌ] |
caret |
cut, above, luck |
mid lax central vowel |
Use in stressed syllables |
[ə] |
schwa |
the, a |
mid lax central vowel |
Use in unstressed syllables |
[aj] |
aj |
buy, pride |
diphthong |
This is frequently written in orthography as 'i', then a consonant, then a silent 'e'' |
[aw] |
aw |
cow, loud |
diphthong |
This is frequently written in orthography as 'ow' |
[ɔj] |
open-o-j |
soy, join |
diphthong |
This is frequently written in orthography as 'oy' or 'oi'. |
[ɚ] |
schwar |
bird her church |
|
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