Key points
- English has about 44 sounds but only 26 letters, so spelling is a poor guide to pronunciation. The IPA gives every sound its own symbol.
- The 44 sounds are 12 single vowels (7 short, 5 long), 8 diphthongs and 24 consonants.
- The mark ː means a long vowel, ˈ comes before the stressed syllable, and slashes /like this/ hold a transcription.
- Most consonant symbols look like the letters you know. The ones to learn are θ, ð, ʃ, ʒ, tʃ, dʒ, ŋ and j.
On this page
What is the IPA and why use it?
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a set of symbols where each symbol stands for exactly one sound. English needs it more than most languages, because its 26 letters have to cover around 44 sounds. The letter a alone sounds different in cat, car, cake, call and about.
Every good learner's dictionary (Cambridge, Oxford, Longman, Merriam-Webster) writes the pronunciation of each word in IPA. Once you can read the symbols, you can pronounce any new word correctly without hearing it first.
This chart uses the British English (RP) symbols found in most learner's dictionaries. Where General American English is different, the table says so. Tap the speaker icon next to a word to hear it.
How to read an IPA transcription
A few marks appear in almost every dictionary entry:
| Mark | Meaning | Example |
|---|---|---|
| / / | Slashes hold the transcription of the sounds. | /kæt/ |
| ː | Length mark: the vowel before it is long. | /siː/ |
| ˈ | Primary stress: the next syllable is the strongest. | /ˈteɪbl/ |
| ˌ | Secondary stress: weaker than ˈ but not weak. | /ˌedʒuˈkeɪʃn/ |
| ( ) | A sound that some speakers drop. | /ˈdɪf(ə)rənt/ |
Examples
table /ˈteɪbl/: the stress is on the first syllable, which has the diphthong /eɪ/.
education /ˌedʒuˈkeɪʃn/: secondary stress on ed, main stress on ca.
Short vowels (7)
Short vowels are quick and relaxed. The most important one is the schwa /ə/, the most common sound in English. It appears in almost every unstressed syllable: about, banana, teacher, problem.
| Symbol | Example | Example in IPA | American English |
|---|---|---|---|
| /ɪ/ | sit | /sɪt/ | Same |
| /e/ | bed | /bed/ | Often written /ɛ/ |
| /æ/ | cat | /kæt/ | Same |
| /ʌ/ | cup | /kʌp/ | Same |
| /ɒ/ | hot | /hɒt/ | /ɑː/: hot /hɑːt/ |
| /ʊ/ | book | /bʊk/ | Same |
| /ə/ | about | /əˈbaʊt/ | Same |
Long vowels (5)
Long vowels are marked with ː. Length is not the only difference: /iː/ is also tenser than /ɪ/, with the lips spread in a smile. Mixing them changes the word, as in ship and sheep.
| Symbol | Example | Example in IPA | American English |
|---|---|---|---|
| /iː/ | see | /siː/ | Same |
| /ɑː/ | car | /kɑː/ | R is pronounced: /kɑːr/ |
| /ɔː/ | door | /dɔː/ | R is pronounced: /dɔːr/ |
| /uː/ | blue | /bluː/ | Same |
| /ɜː/ | bird | /bɜːd/ | /ɝː/: bird /bɝːd/ |
Diphthongs (8)
A diphthong is a vowel that glides from one position to another inside one syllable. Say the first part clearly, then move smoothly towards the second. Day starts near /e/ and moves to /ɪ/.
| Symbol | Example | Example in IPA | American English |
|---|---|---|---|
| /eɪ/ | day | /deɪ/ | Same |
| /aɪ/ | my | /maɪ/ | Same |
| /ɔɪ/ | boy | /bɔɪ/ | Same |
| /aʊ/ | now | /naʊ/ | Same |
| /əʊ/ | go | /ɡəʊ/ | /oʊ/: go /ɡoʊ/ |
| /ɪə/ | near | /nɪə/ | /ɪr/: near /nɪr/ |
| /eə/ | hair | /heə/ | /er/: hair /her/ |
| /ʊə/ | tour | /tʊə/ | /ʊr/: tour /tʊr/ |
In American English, /ɪə/, /eə/ and /ʊə/ are usually said as a vowel plus a pronounced R, so many American charts list only 5 diphthongs.
Consonants (24)
Most consonants come in voiceless and voiced pairs: the mouth does the same thing, but for voiced sounds your vocal cords vibrate. Put your fingers on your throat and say ssss, then zzzz: you feel the buzz only on /z/.
| Symbol | Example | Example in IPA | Voice |
|---|---|---|---|
| /p/ | pen | /pen/ | Voiceless |
| /b/ | bad | /bæd/ | Voiced |
| /t/ | tea | /tiː/ | Voiceless |
| /d/ | dog | /dɒɡ/ | Voiced |
| /k/ | cat | /kæt/ | Voiceless |
| /ɡ/ | get | /ɡet/ | Voiced |
| /f/ | fish | /fɪʃ/ | Voiceless |
| /v/ | van | /væn/ | Voiced |
| /θ/ | think | /θɪŋk/ | Voiceless |
| /ð/ | this | /ðɪs/ | Voiced |
| /s/ | sun | /sʌn/ | Voiceless |
| /z/ | zoo | /zuː/ | Voiced |
| /ʃ/ | she | /ʃiː/ | Voiceless |
| /ʒ/ | vision | /ˈvɪʒn/ | Voiced |
| /tʃ/ | chair | /tʃeə/ | Voiceless |
| /dʒ/ | jam | /dʒæm/ | Voiced |
| /h/ | hat | /hæt/ | Voiceless |
| /m/ | man | /mæn/ | Voiced |
| /n/ | no | /nəʊ/ | Voiced |
| /ŋ/ | sing | /sɪŋ/ | Voiced |
| /l/ | leg | /leɡ/ | Voiced |
| /r/ | red | /red/ | Voiced |
| /w/ | wet | /wet/ | Voiced |
| /j/ | yes | /jes/ | Voiced |
The consonant symbols worth learning first
- /θ/ and /ð/: the two TH sounds, as in think and this. Put the tip of your tongue lightly between your teeth.
- /ʃ/ and /ʒ/: she and the middle of television.
- /tʃ/ and /dʒ/: church and judge.
- /ŋ/: the NG sound at the end of sing. There is no separate /ɡ/ after it.
- /j/: the Y sound in yes, not the J in jam.
British vs American pronunciation in IPA
Dictionaries often give two transcriptions. These are the differences you will meet most:
| Feature | British (UK) | American (US) |
|---|---|---|
| R after a vowel | car /kɑː/ | car /kɑːr/ |
| The O in hot | hot /hɒt/ | hot /hɑːt/ |
| The O in go | go /ɡəʊ/ | go /ɡoʊ/ |
| The A in bath, ask | bath /bɑːθ/ | bath /bæθ/ |
| T between vowels | water /ˈwɔːtə/ | water /ˈwɑːt̬ɚ/ |
Both are correct. Pick the accent you hear most and stay consistent, rather than mixing the two inside one word.
How to learn the IPA chart quickly
- Start with the consonants. 17 of the 24 symbols look like ordinary letters.
- Learn the vowels in pairs that are easy to confuse: /ɪ/ and /iː/, /ʊ/ and /uː/, /æ/ and /ʌ/.
- Every time you look up a word, read its IPA aloud before you play the audio, then check yourself.
- Practise the pairs on the minimal pairs page until you can hear the difference.
Frequently asked questions
How many sounds are there in English?
Standard British English has 44 sounds (phonemes): 20 vowel sounds (12 single vowels and 8 diphthongs) and 24 consonants. The exact number varies a little between accents.
What is the most common sound in English?
The schwa, written /ə/. It is the relaxed 'uh' sound used in most unstressed syllables, such as the a in about and the er in teacher.
What does the symbol ː mean in IPA?
It is the length mark. The vowel before it is long, so /iː/ in see is longer and tenser than /ɪ/ in sit.
Should I learn British or American IPA?
Either is correct. Most symbols are the same; the main differences are the R after vowels, the vowels in hot and go, and the T between vowels. Choose the accent you listen to most and be consistent.