Learn English Word Pronunciation with Audio
Click the play button to hear how each English word is pronounced. Practice by repeating after the audio.
1. Short vowels.
The sound [ɪ]: generally, this sound is produced when the vowel "i"
is placed between two consonants and at the beginning of certain words.
It is pronounced 
Example :
Skin
[Skɪn]
Wit
[Wɪt]
Kit
[Kɪt]
pig
[pɪg]
pin
[pɪn]
in
[ɪn]
it
[ɪt]
The sound [e]: generally, this sound is produced when the vowel "e"
is placed between two consonants.
It is pronounced
Example :
Bed
[bed]
Let
[let]
Bet
[bet]
Wet
[wet]
Get
[get]
The sound [æ]: generally, this sound is produced when the vowel "a"
is placed between two consonants.
It is pronounced
Example :
Bat
[bæt]
Bad
[bæd]
Lad
[læd]
Cat
[kæt]
Mad
[mæd]
The sound [ɒ]: generally, this sound is produced when the vowel "o"
is placed between two consonants and with certain words.
It is pronounced
Example :
Doll
[dɒl]
Pot
[pɒt]
Boss
[bɒs]
Lot
[lɒt]
Dot
[dɒt]
Watch
[wɒtʃ]
What
[wɒt]
Wash
[wɒʃ]
Cough
[kɒʃ]
Dog
[dɒg]
The sound [ʊ]: generally, this sound is produced when the vowel "o"
is doubled and with the vowel "u" in certain words.
It is pronounced
Example :
Foot
[fʊt]
Book
[bʊk]
Cook
[kʊk]
Look
[lʊk]
Put
[pʊt]
The sound [ʌ]: generally, this sound is produced with the following vowels and syllables: "u, o, oo, ou".
It is pronounced
Example :
Must
[mʌst]
Bus
[bʌs]
Plug
[plʌg]
Fun
[fʌn]
Uncle
['ʌŋkl]
Mud
[mʌd]
Love
[lʌv]
Onion
['ʌnjən]
Mother
['mʌδər]
Tough
[tʌf]
Rough
[rʌf]
Enough
[ɪ'nʌf]
Blood
[blʌd]
Flood
[flʌd]
Does
[dʌz]
The sound [ə]: this sound is nothing more than the letter "e"
pronounced weakly.
It is pronounced
Example :
America
[ə'merɪkə]
Better
['betər]
seller
['selər]
2. Long vowels.
When it comes to long vowels, the syllables are held slightly longer.
The sound [i:]: this
sound is produced with the following syllables: "ee,
ea", sometimes "eo".
It is pronounced
Example :
Bee
[bi:]
Feet
[fi:t]
Feel
[fi:l]
Bean
[bi:n]
Beat
[bi:t]
Seat
[si:t]
People
[pi:pl]
The sound [u:]: this
sound is produced with the following syllables: "oe,
oo, ue", sometimes "ew".
It is pronounced
Example :
Shoe
[ʃu:]
Blue
[blu:]
Flue
[flu:]
Moon
[mu:n]
Tool
[tu:l]
Doom
[du:m]
Soon
[su:n]
Brew
[bru:]
Crew
[kru:]
New
[nju:]
Few
[fju:]
News
[fju:z]
The sound [a:]: this
sound is produced with the syllable "ar".
It is pronounced
Example :
Far
[fa:r]
Hard
[ha:d]
Card
[ka:d]
Car
[ka:r]
Start
[sta:t]
The sound [ɔ:]: this
sound is produced with the following syllables "or,
al, aw", sometimes "oor".
It is pronounced
Example :
Fall
[fɔ:l]
Call
[kɔ:l]
Salt
[sɔ:lt]
Law
[lɔ:]
Saw
[sɔ:]
Flaw
[flɔ:]
More
[mɔ:r]
Door
[dɔ:r]
Floor
[flɔ:r]
The sound [ɜ:]: this
sound is produced with the following syllables "ir,
or".
It is pronounced
Example :
Bird
[bɜ:d]
Third
[θɜ:d]
First
[fɜ:st]
Girl
[gɜ:l]
Word
[wɜ:d]
Work
[wɜ:k]
World
[wɜ:ld]
3. Diphthongs
When it comes to diphthongs, the sound is made up of two syllables.
The sound [ɪə]: generally, this sound is produced with syllables ending in "ea,
ee", sometimes "ere".
It is pronounced
Example:
Near
[nɪər]
Fear
[fɪər]
Dear
[dɪər]
Idea
[aɪ'dɪə]
Beer
[bɪər]
Deer
[dɪər]
Seer
[sɪər]
Here
[hɪər]
The sound [ʊə]: generally, this sound is produced with syllables ending in "oo,
ure".
It is pronounced
Example:
Poor
[pʊər]
Pure
[pjʊər]
Sure
[ʃʊər]
Cure
[kjʊər]
The sound [aɪ]: generally, this sound is produced with the vowels and syllables "i, uy,
y".
It is pronounced
Example:
Bike
[baɪk]
Light
[laɪt]
Child
[tʃaɪld]
Type
[taɪp]
Guy
[gaɪ]
My
[maɪ]
Try
[traɪ]
The sound [ɔɪ]: this
sound is produced with the syllables "oi,
oy".
It is pronounced
Example:
Toy
[tɔɪ]
Boy
[bɔɪ]
Noise
[nɔɪz]
The sound [əʊ]: this
sound is produced with the syllables "o,
ao, ow, ew".
It is pronounced
Example:
So
[səʊ]
No
[nəʊ]
Boat
[bəʊt]
Goat
[gəʊt]
Road
[rəʊd]
Flow
[fləʊ]
Row
[rəʊ]
Sew
[səʊ]
The sound [ɛə]: this
sound is produced with the syllables "air,
are, ere".
It is pronounced
Example:
Hair
[hɛər]
Chair
[tʃɛər]
Fair
[fɛər]
Care
[kɛər]
Dare
[dɛər]
Fare
[fɛər]
Where
[wɛər]
The sound [aʊ] : this
sound is formed with the syllables "ou,
ow".
It is pronounced
Example:
"
Out
[aʊt]
Cloud
[klaʊd]
House
[haʊs]
Cow
[kaʊ]
How
[haʊ]
Brown
[braʊn]
Down
[daʊn]
Town
[taʊn]
The sound [eɪ] : this
sound is made with the syllables "a, ai,
ay".
It is pronounced
Example:
"
Lane
[leɪn]
Flame
[fleɪm]
Pain
[peɪn]
Bait
[beɪt]
Faint
[feɪnt]
Way
[weɪ]
Bay
[beɪ]
Day
[deɪ]
Change
[tʃeɪnʤ]
Train
[treɪn]
4- Tripthongs
When it comes to tripthongs, words have three syllables. Among these
syllables, we can mention:
The sound [aɪə] : this
sound is formed with syllables containing "ia, ie, ire,
yre, igher".
Example:
"
Tired
['taɪəd]
Siren
['saɪərən]
Fire
[faɪər]
Society
[sə'saɪəti]
Liar
['laɪər]
Tyre
['taɪər]
Higher
['haɪər]
Diary
['daɪərɪ]
The sound [ɔɪə] : this
sound is formed with syllables containing "oya,
oye".
Example:
"
Destroyer
[dis'tɔɪər]
Employer
[ɪm'plɔɪər]
Enjoyable
[ɪn'ʤɔɪəbl]
The sound [əʊə] : this
sound is formed with syllables containing "wer,
oer"
Example :
Follower
['fɒləʊər]
Goer
['gəʊər]
The sound [eɪə] : this
sound is formed with syllables containing "aye".
Example:
"
Layer
['leɪər]
Player
['pleɪər]
The sound [aʊə] : this
sound is formed with syllables containing "ower, our,
owa".
Example:
"
Flower
['flaʊər]
Power
['paʊər]
Hour
['aʊər]
Our
['aʊər]
Flour
['flaʊər]
Nowadays
['naʊədeɪz]
5. Consonants
In general, consonants are pronounced the way they are written, except for some.
We will therefore study the consonants that change.
The consonant "C":
consonant is pronounced "k" before the following vowels:
"a, o, u".
Example:
"
Cat
[kæt]
Come
[kʌm]
Cut
[kʌt]
But before "e, i", the "c" is pronounced "s".
Exemple :
Certain
['sɜ:tən
Cite
[saɪt
The consonant "n":
Before the letter "g", the "n" becomes "ŋ".
Listen
Example:
"
King
[kɪŋ]
Being
[bi:ɪŋ]
Coming
['kʌmɪŋ]
The consonants "ch":
The consonants "ch" are pronounced "tʃ". Listen
Example:
"
Check
[tʃek]
Chick
[tʃɪk]
Chair
[tʃɛər]
Choice
[tʃɔɪs]
The consonants "sh":
The consonants "sh" are pronounced "ʃ". Listen
Example:
"
Shake
[ʃeɪk]
Shed
[ʃed]
Shirt
[ʃɜ:t]
The consonants "th":
The consonants "th" have two different pronunciations.
1st
pronunciation:
these consonants are pronounced "θ". Listen
Example:
"
Think
[θɪŋk]
Third
[θɜ:d]
Month
[mʌnθ]
Earth
[ɜ:θ]
Worth
[wɜ:θ]
Thank
[θæŋk]
Thin
[θɪn]
Death
[deθ]
Cloth
[klɒθ]
Thigh
[θaɪ]
2nd
pronunciation:
these consonants are pronounced "ð". Listen
Example:
"
That
[ðæt]
This
[ðɪs]
These
[ðɪ:z]
Those
[ðəʊz]
They
[ðeɪ]
The
[ðə]
The consonants "ph":
These consonants are pronounced "f".
Example:
"
Phone
[fəʊn]
Atmosphere
['ætməsfɪər]
The consonants "gh":
These consonants are pronounced "f", except in words like
"high, thigh".
Example:
"
Tough
[tʌf]
Enough
[ɪ'nʌf]
Cough
[kɒf]
The consonant "s":
In general, this consonant is pronounced "s".
Example:
"
Send
[send]
Say
[seɪ]
Cats
[kæts]
Books
[bʊks]
But "s" is read "z" when it is at the end of words ending with "g, n, ay, ey, oy, oes, w".
Example:
"
Does
[dʌz]
Pens
[penz]
Fans
Pigs
Days
Keys
Boys
Guys
News
The consonant "s" is read "ʒ" when it is between two
vowels.
Example:
Pleasure
['pleʒər]
Television
['telɪ,vɪʒən]
Vision
['vɪʒən]
Treasure
['treʒər]