English consonants

  1. straightforward symbols
  2. not-so-straightforward symbols
  3. new symbols


Straightforward symbols

 The following IPA symbols are used for the same sounds as the letters represent in standard English orthography.

p
paper [pep6r]
stop [stAp]

b
baby [bebi]
bomb [bAm]

m
miss [mIs]
simmer [sIm6r]

f
fluff [fl^f]
photograph [fot6græf]

v
vote [vot]
leave [liv]

t
tea [ti]
mitt [mIt]
[t] always represents this sound. It is never used in combination with h to represent a "th" sound, since the "th" sounds have their own symbols [theta] and [edh]

d
dead [dEd]
madly [mædli]

l
leave [liv]
sell [sEl]



w
weave [wiv]
when [wEn]
In almost all dialects of Canadian English, words spelled with the letter w and the sequence wh have exactly the same sound: [w].

Not so straightforward

 The following IPA symbols may be used slightly differently (or more consistently) than they are in ordinary English orthography. [j] is used completely differently. You should take special care in using these.

k
cake [kek]
crack [kræk]
quick [kwIk]
The [k] sound may be spelled with orthographic k, c, ck, or q.

g
In English spelling, the letter g sometimes represents the first sound of get ("hard g") and sometimes the first sound of gem ("soft g") -- and sometimes represents no sound at all, as in night! The IPA symbol [g] always represents only the "hard g" sound of get.
get [gEt]
give [gIv]
rogue [rog]

Note that, while most people are too lazy to fight their computers in order to get it, this symbol should technically be done in a hand-printed style.


s
sake [sek]
peace, piece [pis]
sell, cell [sEl]

Note that orthographic s often represents [z] instead of [s]. Note that the sound [s] is often spelled with orthographic c.


z
zone [zon]
lazy [lezi]
nose, knows [noz]

Note that the sound [z] is often spelled with orthographic s, and that some orthographic zs are not [z], e.g., pizza.


n
when [zon]
nose, knows [noz]

[n] is always used for the sound in now or sun. It is not used for the sound that is spelled with the combination ng.

h
[h] is always used for the sound in happy or here. It is not used as in English spelling in combinations like ch, sh, th.

j
The "y" sound of English is represented with the IPA symbol [j], similar to the way it is spelled in German orthography.
yes [jEs]
yellow [jElo]
cute [kjut]



New symbols

 The following sounds are represented with new symbols not found in the English alphabet.

theta the Greek letter "theta"

One of the two sounds usually represented by orthographic th.
thick [TIk]
thought [TAt]
bath [bæT]

eth the Old English letter "eth"

One of the two sounds usually represented by orthographic th.
this [DIs]
mother [m^D6r]
bathe [beD]

esh "esh"

This sound is usually represented by orthographic sh.
show [So]
sugar [SUg6r]
machine [m6Sin]

ezh "ezh" (or "yogh")
pleasure [plEZ6r]
rouge [ruZ]
lesion [liZ6n]
garage [g6ræZ]

t-esh

This sound is usually represented by orthographic ch.
chicken [tSIk6n]
picture [pIktS6r]
which [wItS]

d-ezh
The "soft g" sound is usually spelled with orthographic j and sometimes g.
judge [dZ^dZ]
gym, Jim [dZIm]

turned-r "turned r"
IPA uses the ordinary letter [r] to represent the rolled or trilled r sound (used in Spanish, for example). The kind of r sound used in most dialects of English is represented by a letter r turned upside-down.
real [ril]
grow [gro]

eng "eng"
thing [TIN]
singer [sIN6r]
finger [fINg6r]
bank [bæk]



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