English sounds with examples of words for children. English letters and their transcription. Plus running combinations of English letters. Understandable and accessible

Phonetics is the branch that studies sounds. Its main goal is to teach you how to pronounce English sounds and words correctly, as well as to develop your ability to perceive the speech of native speakers. Therefore, in order to learn how to speak and read English competently, you need to know the English alphabet and learn the pronunciation of individual phonemes and the words in which they are used. English phonetics The English language is based on the Latin alphabet, it has only 26 letters (instead of the usual 33), but almost twice as many sounds are superimposed on these familiar letters, namely 46 different phonemes. English sounds are very important for learners of this language, so you need to understand how they are used in speech and for what.

As mentioned above, a distinctive feature of the English language is a huge number of sounds that do not correspond to the number of letters available. That is, one letter can convey several phonemes, depending on the letters that are nearby. Based on this, it is necessary to speak very carefully and accurately. Incorrect use of this or that sound leads to misunderstanding.

For example, the word "bed" (bed) and the word "bad" (bad) They are pronounced and spelled almost the same, so it's easy to get confused. At this stage of learning English, many begin to transcribe the pronunciation in Russian in order to facilitate the memorization process.

However, this "relief" is very misleading, as it often leads to even more confusion between words with similar pronunciations. After all, both words "bed" and "bad" in Russian can be transcribed exclusively as "bad", without displaying the duality of sound. Therefore, it is better to learn sounds separately.

Learning the phonetics of the English language will undoubtedly bring some clarity to the pronunciation and development of all the phrases and words that will come your way during the training.

First of all, you should have a dictionary in which you will designate all sounds in traditional transcription, and after that, next to them, their sound in your native language.
It is also worth pointing out special cases of pronunciation, indicating that this word needs to be pronounced somehow in a special way or written down, that it is impossible to give an analogy to the Russian sound. London - London For convenience, phonemes are best divided into groups. For example, consonants, vowels, diphthongs and triphthongs. You also need to constantly practice and perform exercises of this type:

The main city of Great Britain is London. London- 6 letters, 6 sounds. Let's find it on the map of England. Where is it? Then, let's check with our friend: How do you write it? How do you spell it? Now spell this name - Spell this name for us:

- London - [Landen]

Thus, you will not only practice the pronunciation of sounds, but also learn useful words and phrases in a foreign language.

Now let's move on to their spelling and pronunciation.

Sounds of English

Let's get acquainted with a brief description of all sounds using this table.

Sound	Pronunciation
Vowels
[ı]	short [and], as in "outside and»
[e]	similar to [e] - "w e st"
[ɒ]	short [o] - "in about t"
[ʊ]	short, close to [y]
[ʌ]	similar to Russian [a]
[ə]	unstressed, close to [e]
	looks like a long [and]
[ɑ:]	deep and long [a] - “g a lka"
[ə:] = [ɜ:]	long [ё] in "sv yo cla"
	long [y], like "b at lka"
[ᴐ:]	deep and long [o] - "d about lgo"
[æ]	Russian [e]
Diphtogi (two tones)
	[hey] - same
[ʊə]	[ue] - poor
[əʊ]	[oh] - tone
[ᴐı]	[oops] - join
	[ah] - kite
	[ea] - hair
[ıə]	[ie] - fear
Tripthongs (three tones)
	[aue] - power
	[yue] - European
	[ae] - fire
Consonants
[b]	Russian [b]
[v]	analogue [c]
[j]	weak Russian [th]
[d]	like [d]
[w]	short [y]
[k]	[k] breathy
[ɡ]	like [g]
[z]	like [h]
[ʤ]	[d] and [g] together
[ʒ]	how [f]
[l]	soft [l]
[m]	as M]
[n]	like [n]
[ŋ]	[n] "on the nose"
[p]	[p] aspirated
[r]	weak [p]
[t]	[t] aspirated
[f]	like [f]
[h]	just exhale
[ʧ]	like [h]
[ʃ]	middle between [w] and [w]
[s]	like [c]
[ð]	voiced [θ] with voice
[θ]	tip of tongue between upper and lower teeth, no voice

Notes:

• Double vowels are read as one sound: moon - - [mun] or bitter - ["bitǝ] - [bit]
• Voiced consonants in English, unlike Russian, do not become voiceless: in a word good [gud] sound [d] is pronounced clearly, just like [g] in dog [dog] etc.

The meaning of correct pronunciation

As I have already said, it is very important and absolutely necessary to improve English pronunciation, because a large number of words in this language differ by only one or two sounds. But sometimes, even such a small difference is critical for correct and accurate contact with primary native speakers.

The sounds of English letters are 44 English phonemes, which are divided into two categories: consonants and vowels. Since sounds cannot be written down, graphemes (letters or combinations of letters) are used to convey sounds in writing.

English alphabet

There are 26 letters in English. The standard English alphabet starts with a and ends with z.

When classifying alphabetic characters, they distinguish:

• 5 pure vowels: a, e, i, o, u;
• 19 pure consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, x, z;
• 2 semivowels: y, w.

Learning the English alphabet requires knowledge of both the symbol representing each letter and the phonetic sounds associated with that letter. Learning English phonetics is difficult. Only a small number of letters have no exceptions in the main sound.

In most cases, each letter has several phonemes. The letter B sometimes sounds like bat (bet) or does not sound, for example, in the words crumb (krum), dumb (dam). The letter C sounds like "k" for cat (ket) or "c" for ceiling (si:ling), or "tch" for church (tche:tch). And the list of exceptions is endless.

Vowel sounds

Vowels represent the main category of phonemes in English speech. There are 20 vowels in spoken English. This discrepancy (in relation to literal characters) underlies the complexity of writing in English.

Short	Long	diphthongs
a [æ]	A(ā)
e [ɛ]	E (ē)
i [ɪ]	I (ī)	[ɔɪ]
o [ɒ]	O(ō)	[ɪə]
u [ʌ]	U (ū)
		[ʊə]
		[əʊ]

For short and long vowels, additional vowels are used. For sounds a and e - when the vowel accompanies the sound r. For o, the options are varied.

Consonants

Deaf	Voiced	Other
p	b	c
t	d	h
k	g	j
f	v	l
s	z	m
		n
		q
		r
		w
		x
		y

alphabet order

Transcription and stress

Phonetic transcriptions tell about the pronunciation of words. In English dictionaries, this is a necessary condition, since the spelling does not say how the word is pronounced.

Phonetic transcriptions are written in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), in which each English sound is assigned its own symbol. For example, the IPA-based phonetic transcription of the word home is /hoʊm/, the transcription of come is /kʌm/, despite the fact that the spelling of the words is similar (both end in –ome), but are transcribed with differences.

Vowels	Consonants
ʌ	b
ɑ:	d
æ	f
e	g
ə	h
ɜ:ʳ	j
ɪ	k
i:	l
ɒ	m
ɔ:	n
ʊ	ŋ
u:	p
aɪ	r
aʊ	s
eɪ	ʃ
oʊ	t
ɔɪ	tʃ
eəʳ	θ
ɪəʳ	ð
ʊəʳ	v
	w
	z
	ʒ
	dʒ

The rules do not fully cover aspects of stress in English words. The language is characterized by the presence of exceptions, and the English themselves make mistakes, especially in polysyllabic words.

But obviously some basic rules still apply:

Prefixes in two-syllable words are not stressed, except in certain nouns or adjectives. Two-syllable nouns beginning with a prefix are studied individually.

English consonants

There are fewer consonants in the English alphabet than there are consonants. Therefore, to expand the alphabet, digraphs of the type "ch", "sh", "th" and "zh", and some letters and digraphs represent more than just one consonant. For example, the sound written "th" in this is transcribed as /ð/, and "th" in thin is /θ/.

English consonants are classified according to their combination of functions:

In addition, there is a function "silent alveolar stop", /t/ when the airflow mechanism is down.

According to the method of formation, consonants are divided into:

1. Approximants: j, w, r.
2. Nine fricative consonants: f, v, θ, ð, s, z, ʃ,ʒ,h.
3. Lateral approximant: l.
4. Two affricative sounds: tʃ and dʒ.
5. Six explosive sounds: p, b, t, d, k, g.
6. Nasal consonants: m, n, ŋ.

The sound - [x] - a voiceless fricative - is non-standard for the English language. Although in some original words, such as ugh (ugh!), Is an additional marker of irritation. In writing, the fricative is represented as "gh".

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Features of English consonants

A consonant combination is a set of two or three consonant letters that retain their original sound when pronounced. Such sets occur either at the beginning or at the end of a word. For example, the word brave, in which both "b" and "r" are pronounced, is the initial combination. In the word bank "-nk" is the final combination.

Classification:

1. Initial combinations are classified into sets with "l", "r", and "s". In "l" the combination ends with "l". An example would be the letters "bl" in the word blind. Similarly, the final sound in "r" in combination with "r" when "br" and "cr", for example, in the words bridge, crane. On the contrary, in "s" it starts with s, "st" and "sn" - stap, snail.
2. The final combinations are grouped into sets with "s", "l" and "n": -st, -sk, -ld, -nd, -nk. Examples, first, desk, gold, sand, sink.

Digraphs

Consonant digraphs refer to a set of consonants that form one sound. Some digraphs are both at the beginning and at the end of the word - "sh", "ch" and "th". There are also strict initial and final digraphs - "kn-" and "-ck".

Examples of digraphs:

Ch-	-ch
Kn-	— ck
Ph-	-sh
Sh-	-ss
Th-	-th
wh-	-tch
Wr-

Features of digraphs:

Table of pronunciation of English consonants

b	b	bag, band, cab	bag, band, cab
d	d	dad, did, lady, odd [ɒd]	dead, did, lady, od
f	f, ph, sometimes gh	fable , fact , if [ɪf], off [ɒf], photo , glyph	fable, fact, if, of, foutow, glyph
g	g	give , flag	givew, flag
h	h	hold, ham	hold, ham
j	usually represented by y, but sometimes by other vowels	yellow, yes, young, neuron, cube	Yelow, ies, yang, n (b) yueron, k (b) yu: b - the sound j is similar to the vowel sound i:.
k	k, c, q, que, ck, sometimes ch	cat, kill, queen, skin, thick [θɪk], chaos	kat, kil, qui:n, sik, keyos
l	l	lane, clip, bell, milk, sould	lane, clip, bel, milk, sould - has two sound options: pure /l/ before a vowel, “darkened” /ɫ/ before a consonant or at the end of a word
m	m	man, them [ðem], moon	man, zem, mu:n
n	n	nest, sun	nest, san
ŋ	ng	ring, sing, finger [ŋ] is sometimes followed by the sound [g]. [ŋ] if "ng" is at the end of a word or a related word (sing, singer, thing), to "-ing", which translates verbs into participles or gerunds. [ŋg], if "ng" is not at the end of a word or in related words, also in comparative degrees (longer, longest).	/ring/, /sing/, /finge/
p	p	pen, spin, tip, happy	pen, spin, type, happy
r	r	rat, reply, rainbow,	rat, ripple, rainbow - movement of the tongue close to the alveolar ridge, but without touching it
s	s, sometimes c	see, city, pass, lesson	si:, pa: s, forest
ʃ	sh, si, ti, sometimes s	she [ʃi:], crash , sheep [ʃi:p], sure [ʃʊə], session , emotion [ɪməʊʃn], leash	shi:, crash, shi:p, shue, session, imashn, li:sh
t	t	taste, sting	test, sting
tʃ	ch, sometimes t	chair [ʧɛə], nature teach beach	t che e, ney t che, ti: t h, bi: t h
θ	th	thing [θɪŋ], teeth, Athens [æθɪnz[	t sing, ti: t s, et sinz - voiceless fricative
ð	th	this [ðɪs], mother	d sis, ma d ze - voiced fricative
v	v, sometimes f	voice, five, of [ɔv]	voice, five, ov
w	w, sometimes u	wet, window, queen	y in em, y in indeu, ku in i: n - [w] is similar to
z	z	zoo, lazy	zu: lazy
ʒ	g, si, z, sometimes s	genre [ʒɑːŋr], pleasure, beige, seizure, vision	genre e, plezhe, beizh, b:zhe, vision
dʒ	j, sometimes g, dg, d	gin [ʤɪn], joy [ʤɔɪ], edge	gin, joy, edge

English vowels

Each English vowel is pronounced in three ways:

1. like a long sound;
2. like a short sound;
3. as a neutral vowel (schwa).

In the English alphabet, there are 5 vowels, but sometimes y becomes a vowel and is pronounced like i, and w replaces u, for example, in the digraph ow.

Rules for reading vowels

Short vowels, which are characterized by a "short" sound, appear when there is one vowel in a word, either at the beginning of a word or between two consonants. For example, if, elk, hop, fan. A typical short vowel pattern is consonant+vowel+consonant (CHS).

Words are taught as families that represent groups of words with a common pattern, such as in the pattern "-ag" - bag, wag, tag or "-at" - cat, bat, hat.

Sound	Letter	Examples
[æ]	a	rag, sag, ram, jam, gap, sap mat
[ɛ]	e	hen, pen, wet, bet, let
[ɪ]	i	pig, wig, dig, pin, win, tin, tin, bit
[ɒ]	o	hop, pop, top, hot, pot, lot
[ʌ]	u	bug, lug, tug, hut, but, cut

Features of reading vowels:

Sound	Writing	Examples
A	ai, ay, a+consonant+e	name, mail, gray, ace
E	e, ee, ea, y, ie ,ei, i+consonant+e	he, deep, beast, dandy, thief, receive, elite
I	i, i+gn, igh, y, i+ld, i+nd	mine, sign, high, sky, wild, kind
O	o+consonant +e, oa, ow, o+ll, ld	tone, road, note, know, roll, bold
U	ew, ue, u+consonant+e	few, due, tune

The vowel sound in unstressed syllables is expressed by the abbreviated neutral sound ("schwa"), the phonemic symbol /ə/, especially if syllabic consonants are not used.

For example:

• a in about, around, approve, above [ə bʌv];
• e in accident, mother, taken, camera ;
• i c, family, lentil, officer pencil ;
• o in memory, common, freedom, purpose, London;
• u in supply, industry, suggest, difficult, succeed, minimum ;
• and even y in sibyl;
• schwa appears in function words: to, from, are.

Features of vowel sounds in English

Vowels are divided into monophthongs, diphthongs or triphthongs. A monophthong is when there is one vowel in a syllable, a diphthong is when there are two vowels in a syllable.

Let's take a closer look:

1. Monophthongs are pure and stable vowels., whose acoustic characteristics (timbre) do not change during the time they are pronounced.
2. A diphthong is a sound formed by the combination of two adjacent vowels in the same syllable. Technically, the tongue (or other parts of the speech apparatus) moves when a vowel is pronounced - the first position is stronger than the second. In the transcription of a diphthong, the first character is the starting point of the body of the language, the second character is the direction of movement. For example, you should know that in /aj/ the body of the tongue is in the lower center position represented by /a/ and immediately starts moving up and forward to the position for /i/.
3. Diphthongs are often formed when separate vowels work together in rapid conversation.. Usually (in the speaker's speech) the body of the tongue does not have time to get to the position /i/. Therefore, the diphthong often ends closer to /ɪ/ or even to /e/. In the diphthong /aw/, the body of the tongue moves from the lower center position /a/, then moves up and back to the position /u/. Although single diphthongs are also distinguished, which are heard as separate vowel sounds (phonemes).
4. English also has triphthongs.(combinations of three adjacent vowels), including three sound types, for example, fire /fʌɪə/, flower /flaʊər/. But in any case, all diphthongs and triphthongs are formed from monophthongs.

Table of pronunciation of simple English vowels

All vowels are formed from only 12 monophthongs. Every word in English, regardless of spelling, is pronounced using some combination of these sounds.

The table shows examples of simple English vowels with Russian pronunciation:

[ɪ]	pit, kiss, busy	pete, kitty, beezy
[e]	egg, let, red	eg, years, red
[æ]	apple, travel, mad	apple, travel, mead
[ɒ]	not, rock, copy	music, rock, copy
[ʌ]	cup, son, money	cap, san, mani
[ʊ]	look, foot, could	bow, foot, cool
[ə]	away, away	hey, hey
	be, meet, read	bi:, mi:t, ri:d
[ɑ:]	arm, car, father	a:m, ka:, fa:dze
[ɔ:]	door, saw, pause	to:, from:, to: from
[ɜ:]	turn, girl, learn	cho:n, gyo:l, le:n
	blue, food, too	blu:, foo:d, tu:

Diphthong pronunciation table

	day, pain, rein	dei, pein, rein
	cow, know	kou, know
	wise, island	visa, island
	now, trout	naw, trout
[ɔɪ]	noise, coins	noiz, coin
[ɪə]	near, hear	nee, hie
[ɛə]	where, air	uh uh uh
[ʊə]	pure, tourist	p (b) yue, tu e rist

Learn the transcription of English words

Consider some features of English transcription:

There are a large number of videos online on the Internet to listen to the pronunciation of sounds, and you can also practice using exercises.

It seemed like an impenetrable jungle with 26 dangerous predators hiding in the wilds. However, now you will probably easily name and arrange all the letters in the correct order, and even flash a few facts that are far from known to every philologist.

After reading this article, the topic of English transcription and pronunciation will be transferred from the room of fear to the room of laughter. Today's program:

Getting rid of the fear of reading and the study of graphic symbols
. acquaintance, memorization and memorization of diphthongs, vowels and consonants (classification of sounds), arranged in unique tables
. pause for downloading and printing English transcriptions in pictures
. a clear and concise explanation of the use of English sounds by comparing them with Russian relatives
. consolidation of the material covered with a 10-minute video about English transcription

Are you still afraid? Then we are coming to you!

Graphic symbols of transcription in English

Before you plunge into the pool of English reading with your head, we strongly recommend that you heed the advice of experienced divers. Naturally, the child learns to sit first, and then to walk, and not vice versa - the same thing will happen to us: first learn to read the transcription, and then pronounce it (in the head or out loud). You should not get carried away only by reading, otherwise you risk digging into the jungle of theory and breaking away from practice.

First you need to learn and clarify all the questions regarding each transcription symbol. Then listen online as many examples as needed for a clear and precise idea of ​​how this symbol sounds in live speech. Learn strictly from examples of sounds not taken out of context (like Rian's "uh-uh" in the hit "Umbrella"), but in a specific combination of letters found in words. Then, first listen to each new word and only then check what you catch with your ears with the alphabetic dictionary transcription enclosed in square brackets. By the way, about them and other essential companions of transcription:

Square brackets. They signal that inside is exactly transcription.
For example, English is a word, and ["ɪŋglɪʃ] is its transcription;

‘ - main emphasis. Placed BEFORE the stressed vowel: around [əˈraʊnd];

, - secondary accent. Placed BEFORE the vowel: ["hæmˌbɜːgə];

: - vowel length.

The proposed option will seem at first glance not the fastest, but the wise one will not go uphill - the wise one will bypass the mountain. As a result, the time spent is converted into the comfort of speech perception: you no longer need to painfully strain your ears, trying to recognize unfamiliar sounds. And soon unfamiliar "squiggles" will acquire a meaningful sound. Isn't it magical? This is the secret of not only the correct pronunciation, but also the ease of listening to speech.

Foundation of English transcription

Since “it’s great that we are all here today” about the study of transcription, let's get to know it better. There are two types of transcription: phonetic and phonemic. You are mistaken if you think that you have taught/will learn phonetic transcription to a more familiar ear. She, as a rule, is of interest to serious uncles and aunts of linguists, our choice is the study of phonemes (sound language units). Simply put, if two sounds are very similar, but the difference between them can change the meaning of the word, then they form two different phonemes. In Russian, this is not so noticeable, because if you call a cat at least “cat”, even “koooooot”, he will still come, but the meaning of the word will not change. One phoneme for two different sounds. In English, the number will not work: "cot", "caught" and "coat" contain different phonemes. Why so many "smart letters"? In addition to the fact that dictionaries contain phonemic transcriptions, remember this and do not let yourself be confused:

Pope(dad, papal):
1) is a phonetic transcription, it is emphasized here that the first [p], unlike the second, is pronounced with aspiration (aspiration after consonants p, t, k before vowels);
2) is a dictionary (phonemic) transcription.

What else do you need to know about transcription? That there is a different syllable in it:

- open(there is no consonant after the vowel) - New
- closed(after the vowel there is a consonant) - York

- vowel: single - [e], diphthong - [ɔʊ], triphthong - [ɑiə]
- consonant:[d]

English vowel sounds (with online pronunciation)

There are fewer vowels in English than consonants, but more than diphthongs. This picture clearly shows the difference, for example, between the sounds [I] and. Anyone who has even heard of the existence of the imagination will distinguish between the words "fish" and "tree", which, like rebuses, contain the sounds mentioned. You can reread the rules as much as you like, or you can study the transcription in pictures in detail once, which visualizes examples of the use of sounds. For memory training, you can download and even print a picture, this option is provided. For audials, it is possible to hear every sound online in a word after clicking on the speaker icon.

English consonants

Consonant sounds in English are not twin brothers in Russian at all. The articulation of their creation is seriously different. However, we are here not to intimidate with smart words, but rather to make life easier for beginners in English, so we painted voiced consonants in purple, and deaf ones in blue. When forming the same plural of nouns, it is very important to feel and know the difference. 24 new words serve as a bonus to the learned sounds. We train visual memory and save English transcription in pictures for re-use when needed! Audials still click on the speaker icon under each letter to pronounce sounds in online transcription.

Diphthongs (double vowels) of English

And it would be scary from the presence of 8 diphthongs in English, if not for the wonderful pictures, thanks to which the study turns into an entertaining charade. It is enough to look at the picture, hold your eyes, voice the diphthong by pressing the speaker icon under the letter and practice correct pronunciation. Anyone who appreciates the creative approach to business is allowed to download a picture for a long memory!

From theory to practice
Some time will pass, the dictionary will be covered with a thick layer of dust or removed from the bookmarks (in the electronic version), because the translation of the necessary words is known, the sound is familiar - what other America can you discover there? Do not believe it, it is precisely the clarification of the transcription of what seems to you well-known words that is the very unplowed field that is worth crossing in order to improve the sound of speech.

Let's give an everyday example: the frequently used word "real" has a phonemic transcription a), b) or c)?
The first option is fictional and erroneous, the second and third are British and American pronunciations. What is the moral of this fable?

So that you are not painfully ashamed of your reading, we recommend that you at least briefly familiarize yourself with these tables as follows:
- read the line from left to right;
- listen to the perfect pronunciation of the sound;
- we take a mirror in our hand and train hard (you will surely like to train [æ] or [ð]).

Table of English sounds similar to Russian
These sounds in English transcription do not have to be explained on the fingers.

Sound	Example	Explanations
[ɑː]	car, far, garage	Sounds like a long "ahh". Remember the cartoon about Mowgli, where was the wise Kaa?
[ʌ]	up, but, love	Short sonorous "a". Something similar in Russian "ai".
[ɔː]	more, board, floor	Sounds like a long "oo". Imagine surprise.
[b]	book, board, tab	Russian energetic "b". When you are walking down the hallway in the dark and suddenly you stumble
[g]	green, grace, agree	Russian "g", but not as energetic.
[f]	forest, atmosphere, enough	Very energetic Russian "f".
[k]	kill, cord, school	Russian "k". It is breathy before a stressed vowel (if you put your hand in front of your lips and say “keel”, then your palm should feel your fresh breath)
[m]	mother, lamb	Russian "m".
[n]	nine, note, intrusion	Russian "n".
[p]	pub, gallop, open	Russian energetic "p". Before a stressed vowel - with aspiration.
[v]	vest, vocal, give	Russian "in".

Now let's look at some tricky examples in practice:

subtle - hardly distinguishable
"Sutl" and only like that, no "subtle" with a drum "b" in the middle.

palm - palm
Naturally, everyone wants to be under a palm tree, but here it does not smell like it. Not “palm”, not “by:lm”, but “pa:m”, as in “car” and “path”. In company with a palm turn out to be calm- "calm" and balm- "balm".

halt - stop
Drive away the analogy with the German "halt" - the correct pronunciation is "ho: lt".

won - won, won in the past from "win"
Wonderful if you pronounce "won" like "one" - .

of - preposition of belonging
Only a botanist would think of checking the sound of a two-letter word? Oh well. "Of" and no nails? Remember: "Of" is pronounced with "v" at the end. The full form is [ɔv], the reduced form is [əv]. Always.

Table of English sounds that have something in common with Russian
These sounds cause the greatest temptation and at the same time danger: the relative similarity with the usual pronunciation in Russian threatens with an absolutely wrong sound. Pay enough attention and understand the differences well.

Sound	Example	Explanations
[i]	fit, bit, symbol	The middle between "s" and "i". Pronounced very briefly, as at the end of "apchi".
	cheese, tree, sea	What photographers ask us to say on camera. As in the Russian word "syyyr", but with a touching smile.
[ɒ]	hot body rock	Average between "o" and "a". That is, by no means the Vologda “o”.
[u]	cook, foot, woman	It looks like a Russian short "u", but it is easier to pronounce and the lips are slightly stretched. It turns out like "y" with a half smile. No pouty lips.
	true fool shoes	Like the previous sound, but longer.
[e]	get, bed, head	Intelligent "e". As in the Russian word "tin".
[ə]	about, until, alias	Average between unstressed "e" and "a".
[l]	let, laughter, illegal	Softened Russian "l". Something between the sound of the word "la" and "la".
[s]	stress, sunday, citizen	Muted Russian "s". He never whistles. Remember the song "Girl" by the Beatles? Now, if their famous inhalation “sssss” is pronounced with an exhalation and briefly, then you get beautiful English [s].
[z]	zero, cosmonaut, xenon	Everything is the same as about the sound [s], only loudly.
[t]	tree, trunk, receipt	Looks like Russian "t". But the tip of the tongue should not be put to the teeth, but to the tubercle behind the upper teeth.
[d]	drink, ad, diligent	Similarly: like the Russian "d", only the tip of the tongue rests on the tubercle immediately behind the upper teeth.
[ʃ]	ship, action, special	Between the Russian "sh" and "sh". Does not whistle, because the tongue does not rest with force on the teeth, but gently touches them.
[ʒ]	pleasure, visual, garage	Softened Russian "zh". Doesn't ring or whistle.
	jump, jungle, logic	We connect English [d] with [ ʒ ] and get a soft "J".
	inch, chance, catch	We connect English [t] with [ ʃ ] and get something similar to the Russian "h". As in the word "kitsch".
[j]	yes, yet, you	Average between "y" and "i".
[ɪə]	hear, fear, beer	It looks like the Russian "ie" with an accent on "i".
	air, hair, care	Russian "ea" with an accent on "e".
	make, tray, ace	Russian "ei" with an accent on "e". "I" is pronounced very short.
	hi, sky, bye	Russian "ai" with an accent on "a". "I" is pronounced very short.
[ɔɪ]	boy, joy, coin	Russian "oi" with an accent on "a". "I" is pronounced very short.
	how, cow, hour, our	Russian "au" with an accent on "a". "U" is pronounced very short.
	fire, wire	Russian "aye" with a strong accent on the first "a". Pronounced quickly and fluently.
	our flower	Russian "aua" with a strong accent on the first "a". Pronounced quickly and fluently.

were - were
"Were" is not the same as "where" - . Instead of a diphthong, we use a neutral vowel - , an abbreviated form -.

debt - debt and doubt - doubt
Fans of the group "No doubt" had more than a dozen years left to clarify how the name of their favorite group sounds right. "Debt" and "daubt" are not so easy to pronounce. In English, there is no such Russian-speaking phenomenon as stunning or voicing a consonant, but throw away their words for a sweet soul: it is pronounced and.

good - good, book - book and look - look
The double "o" does not become a long "y" in these words. Therefore, you should not copy the howl of wolves to the moon - speak correctly with a short vowel -,,.

Table of English sounds that have nothing to do with Russian
Practice well in pronouncing these sounds online, at least your speech apparatus should get used to playing them correctly.

Sound	Example	Explanations
[ɜː]	earn, her, first	If the Russian "o" wanted to become "ё", it would sound exactly like that. Something like the sound when children tease by sticking out their tongue. But you need to achieve this sound without protruding anything anywhere. To do this, silently prepare your mouth to pronounce "yo", and say "oo" out loud.
[əu]	go, joke, own	Between the Russian "ou" and "yo" (without "y") with an emphasis on the first sound. "U" is pronounced very short.
[æ]	cat, apple, compact	It is very important not to confuse this sound with [e], otherwise instead of “bad” (bad) you get “bed” (bed). You need to stretch your lips wide, lower your lower jaw and say “uh” from the heart.
[h]	hot, head, uphill	Every Russian man knows how to pronounce this sound. When they ask you to “come on, breathe,” then all the men begin to speak English, because they pronounce [h] exactly as they should: a slight exhalation, vaguely reminiscent of “x”.
[r]	red, random, orange	Russian bears are fluent in English [r]. Try to growl, bending your tongue up.
[w]	well, what, windows	Fold your lips into a tube and stretch sharply. And now the same thing, but with sound.
[ŋ]	strong, sing, sink	Children are scolded for talking with their mouths full. But if you listen to the sounds made, then there many consonants sound exactly like [ŋ] . Open your mouth and, without closing it, say "n".
[θ]	thanks, ethical	Stick your tongue between your teeth and say "s".
[ð]	they, there, others	Stick your tongue between your teeth and say "h". The best practice is to say "Is this" 100 times. Never later confuse "z" with [ð].

folk - people, folk
The letter "l" has become a victim and is not pronounced at all -.

comb - comb
No "comb" - only "koum". The English "m" and "b" are quite insidious guys who will mess things up more than once. Be alert!

won't - will not - short for "will not"
Were tormented by the question of how the cunning English distinguish between "want" and "won't" in oral speech? It’s just worth pronouncing the negation in the future tense correctly -. That's all the magic.

salmon - salmon
Not "Salmon" and certainly not "Solomon". Salmon is on your mind - as in "cat" and "apple".

Bonus for the most patient

The human brain is the eighth wonder of the world, the deep possibilities of which we can only guess so far. Something important for us now is known for certain: there is a speech center in the brain. There is no special center responsible for reading, but there is for speech. That is why we strongly recommend repeating the words out loud for the hundredth time. It is out loud, and not to yourself, because in this case, muscle memory is also connected. Naturally, words can "live and sound" in your head. The main thing is not to get stuck and stop at the stage of deciphering the transcription symbols, choosing the necessary rule for each sound. In this case, only the speed of a snail is ensured.

If the language is still alive after previous exercises, then we bring to your attention a video that is better to see once than to hear about it 100 times. All phonetic transcription of English in 10 minutes. Clear, concise and very clear.

This is exactly what beginners look like at first when they try to hear the pronunciation of their English interlocutor. And it's no wonder, because Wookiee English is an important moment in learning. Language is a means of communication, primarily in oral form. Therefore, it is necessary to pay attention to its sound structure. In this lesson, we will look at the sounds of the English language and find out what transcription is.

Transcription- this is a written representation of the sounds of a language using special signs, with the aim of accurately conveying pronunciation. With its help, you can record the sound of any word, regardless of whether it belongs to any language. That is, having dealt with transcription once, you will never lose this skill and can use it when learning other languages.

Basic symbols:

• Transcription is usually given in square brackets [...] . Round brackets indicate sounds that may not be pronounced. (...) .
• Transcription of the English language also helps in the correct placement of stress in words. There are two types of stress, and both of them are indicated in transcription. The first is the main emphasis ( main stress), unlike the Russian language, is placed not above the stressed syllable, but in front of it from above. The second stress is an additional ( secondary stress) is placed before the stressed syllable below [‘,] .
• A long sound is indicated [:] colon.

In the last lesson, we learned that there are 26 letters in the English language, of which 6 are vowels and 20 are consonants. It is very important to feel the difference between a letter and a sound. We write and read letters, and we pronounce and hear sounds. Therefore, the next thing we have to remember is that 26 letters of the English language convey 44 sounds.

26 letters = 44 sounds:

• 20 consonant letters - convey 24 consonant sounds,
• 6 vowels - convey 20 vowel sounds.

Transcription marks of English sounds

Reading transcriptions or pronunciation of the sounds of the English language.

Now let's see how these sounds are pronounced. Take a close look at these tables. They will help you a lot in the future.

Vowel sounds

Sound	Description
[i]	Reminds Russian [i]. Brief. When pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is at the base of the lower teeth.
[ i:]	Reminds Russian [and] in the word willow. Long. The length of a sound, like all long vowels, varies depending on the position in the word. This sound is the longest at the end of a word before a pause, somewhat shorter before a voiced consonant, and rather short before a voiceless consonant.
[ e]	Reminds me of the sound [e] in words these, tin. Brief. When pronouncing the tip of the tongue at the lower teeth. Lips are slightly stretched. The lower jaw should not be lowered.
[æ]	Reminds Russian [e] in the word this. Brief. When pronouncing, the lips are somewhat stretched, the lower jaw is lowered, the tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth.
[ǝ]	It is called a neutral vowel and is the result of reduction, i.e. weakening of vowels in unstressed position. It is something between the sounds [e] and [a].
[ɒ]	Reminds me of Russian [o]. Brief. When pronouncing, the organs of speech occupy the same position as when pronouncing a sound, the lips are rounded and pushed forward.
[ɔ:]	Reminds me of Russian [o]. Long. When pronouncing, the organs of speech occupy the same position as when pronouncing a sound, the lips are rounded and pushed forward.
[ a:]	Reminds me of Russian [a]. Long. When pronouncing English [a], the mouth is open almost like for Russian [a]. The tip of the tongue is drawn away from the lower teeth. Lips are neutral. Before a voiced consonant, it is shortened slightly, and before a deaf one - significantly.
[ʌ]	Reminds Russian [a] in words what, bass. Brief. When pronouncing, the tongue is pushed back, the lips are slightly stretched, the distance between the jaws is quite large.
[ ʊ ]	Reminds me of Russian [y]. Brief. When pronouncing, the lips almost do not move forward, but are noticeably rounded. The tongue is pulled back.
[ u:]	Reminds me of Russian [y]. Long. When pronouncing, the lips are strongly rounded, but much less pushed forward than when pronouncing Russian [y]. Longer than the Russian equivalent. Often this sound is preceded by the sound [j]. When pronouncing a sound combination, it is necessary to ensure that the sound does not soften.
[ɜ:]	It vaguely resembles Russian [ё]. Long. When pronouncing, the body of the tongue is raised, the lips are maximally tense and slightly stretched, slightly exposing the teeth, the distance between the jaws is small.

Consonants

Sound	Description
[ b]	Reminds me of Russian [b]. Voiced.
[ p]	Reminds me of Russian [p]. Pronounced with a breath, especially noticeable before a stressed vowel. Deaf.
[ d]	Reminds me of Russian [d]. When pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is raised and pressed against the alveoli (the bumpy area behind the upper teeth). Voiced.
[ t]	Reminds me of Russian [t]. When pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is raised and pressed against the alveoli (the bumpy area behind the upper teeth). Breathed before vowels. Deaf.
[ g]	Reminds me of Russian [g]. Sounds less stressful. At the end of the word is not stunned.
[ k]	Reminds me of Russian [k]. Pronounced with a breath.
[ j]	Reminds me of Russian [th]. Always precedes a vowel.
[ m]	Reminds me of Russian [m]. When pronouncing the lips are closed more tightly than when pronouncing the corresponding Russian [m], the air comes out through the nose.
[n]	Reminds me of Russian [n]. When pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is raised and pressed against the alveoli (the bumpy area behind the upper teeth).
[ l]	Reminds me of Russian [l]. When pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is raised and pressed against the alveoli (the bumpy area behind the upper teeth), the lateral edges of the tongue are lowered.
[ r]	Reminds me of Russian [p]. When pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is behind the alveoli. The tongue is tense, and the tip is not mobile. Pronounced without vibration.
[ s]	Reminds me of Russian [s]. When pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is against the alveoli. Deaf.
[ z]	Reminds me of Russian [h]. When pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is against the alveoli. Voiced.
[ʃ]	Reminds me of Russian [w]. Softer than the Russian counterpart, but care must be taken to ensure that it does not become really soft. Deaf
[ tʃ]	Reminds me of Russian [h]. Pronounced harder compared to the Russian counterpart. It is pronounced by touching the tip of the tongue to the alveoli. Deaf.
[ dƷ]	Reminds me of Russian [j]. Pronounced in the same way as, but only loudly with a voice.
[ŋ]	Reminds me of Russian [n]. In order to correctly pronounce the sound, you need to inhale through the nose with your mouth wide open, and then pronounce the sound [ŋ], exhaling air through the nose.
[ θ ]	There are no analogues in Russian. Remotely resembles Russian [c]. Deaf (no voice). When pronouncing, the tongue is flattened on the lower teeth and is not tense. The tip of the tongue forms a narrow gap with the upper teeth. Air passes through this gap. The tip of the tongue should not protrude too much and be pressed against the upper teeth. The teeth are exposed, especially the lower ones. The lower lip does not touch the upper teeth.
[ð]	There are no analogues in Russian. Remotely resembles Russian [з]. Voiced (with voice). The organs of speech occupy the same position as the pronunciation of the sound [θ].
[ f]	Reminds me of Russian [f]. When pronouncing, the lower lip is slightly pressed against the upper teeth. Pronounced more energetically than the corresponding Russian [f]. Deaf.
[ v]	Reminds me of Russian [c]. When pronouncing, the lower lip is slightly pressed against the upper teeth. Voiced.
[ w]	Reminds me of a combination of Russian sounds [uv]. When pronouncing, the lips are rounded and significantly extended forward. A jet of exhaled air passes through a round gap formed between the lips. The lips move vigorously.
[ h]	Reminds Russian [x], but unlike it, without the participation of the language. In English, it occurs only before vowels and is a light, barely audible exhalation.
[Ʒ]	Reminds me of the Russian sound [zh]. Softer, in comparison with the Russian analogue. Voiced.

Diphthongs (two-vowels)

Two-vowel sounds (diphthongs)- they consist of two sounds, but are pronounced as one whole, the second sound is pronounced a little weaker.

Sound	Description
[ ei]	Reminds me of Russian sounds [hey]. Care should be taken that the second element of the diphthong does not turn into the sound [th].
[ ai]	Reminds Russian sounds [ai] in the word tea. Care should be taken that the second element of the diphthong does not turn into the sound [th].
[ɔ i]	Reminds me of Russian sounds [oh]. Care should be taken that the second element of the diphthong does not turn into the sound [th].
[ɛǝ]	Reminds me of Russian sounds [ea].
[ jʊǝ]	Reminds me of Russian sounds [iue].
[ aʊǝ]	Reminds me of Russian sounds [aue].
[ aʊ]	Reminds me of Russian sounds [au].
[ ǝʊ ]	Reminds me of Russian [eu]. It starts with a vowel, which is something between Russian [o] and [e]. When pronouncing, the lips are slightly stretched and rounded.
[ iǝ]	Reminds me of Russian sounds [ie].

Sound combinations

Sound	Description
[ pl]	[pl]. Before a stressed vowel, it is pronounced together. The sound [p] is pronounced so vigorously that the sound [l] is deafened.
[ kl]	Reminds me of Russian sounds [kl]. As well as, before the stressed vowel, it is pronounced together, and the sound [k] is pronounced more energetically, so that the sound [l] is partially stunned.
[ aiǝ]	Reminds me of [ae]. When pronouncing, you should ensure that the sound [j] is not heard in the middle of this sound combination.
[ auǝ]	Reminds me of [aue]. When pronouncing, you should ensure that the sound [w] is not heard in the middle of this sound combination.
	When pronouncing, the sound [w] is not softened, and the sound [ǝ:] is not replaced by Russian [e] or [o].

Also, these tables in a compact form are in the spoller (button below), if it is convenient for you, you can print them for study.

Starting to learn English, many neglect the study of transcription, considering it a waste of time. However, correct pronunciation is one of the main goals in learning a foreign language.

Where to start?

Pronunciation of individual sounds. Words in English are read differently than they are written, so studying transcription will be the most effective approach to learning the language. In order to learn English sounds independently, it is recommended to go through the study of each sound of the English language separately.

All sounds of English

Reasons to learn the sounds of English

1. When studying transcription - you learn the rules of reading. Having analyzed only about a hundred words, you can build logical chains, determine the main patterns of pronunciation of sounds. Over time, you will be able to pronounce the words correctly without much effort. Learning the rules does not eliminate the need to listen to English speech. It is important to develop both auditory and visual memory.
2. By reading aloud you improve your pronunciation skills. The lack of correct pronunciation will become an obstacle in overcoming the language barrier, and subsequently will cause the development of the complex during communication. Incorrect pronunciation can change the meaning of a word or sentence.

Intonation. In working on intonation, it is important to listen to foreign speech. Regularly use audio lessons in teaching, repeat after the speaker, try to feel the intonation. Memorize short poems and dialogues. In order to hear yourself from the outside, use a voice recorder, and then work on your mistakes.