Pronunciation of the word consonants

Мои примеры

Словосочетания

sonant consonants — звонкие согласные  
spirant consonants — спирантные согласные  
dropping of consonants — выпадение согласных  
succession of vowels and consonants — последовательность гласных и согласных  
table of consonants — таблица согласных  

Примеры с переводом

The consonants are geminated in these words. 

В этих словах данные согласные — удвоенные.

Indian accents can be characterized by the fact that speakers retroflex their consonants 

Для индийских акцентов характерна ретрофлексия согласных.

Примеры, ожидающие перевода

Grimm showed how the consonants shifted  

Для того чтобы добавить вариант перевода, кликните по иконке ☰, напротив примера.

Возможные однокоренные слова

consonant  — согласный, созвучный, совместимый, согласный звук

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In English, consonants can be distinguished by whether they are ‘sounds’ or ‘letters’. Sometimes they overlap. From the sharp ‘s’ sound to the gentle ‘m’ hum, consonants are the backbone of English speech. Explore our examples of English consonants and ways to identify them!

The meaning of ‘consonant’

A consonant is a speech sound made by either completely or partially obstructing breath. This is done by creating contact between two articulators.

Articulators are vocal organs such as the tongue, lips, teeth, hard and soft palate. These are what we use to create and manipulate speech sounds.

List of English consonants letters and examples

There are 24 consonant sounds in Englush. Some examples of how you use consonants in English are as follows:

  1. / p / as in pen, attempt, and top.

  2. / b / as in brain, abstract, and cab.

  3. / t / as in tell, realistic, and armpit.

  4. / d / as in dad, under, and bed.

  5. / tʃ / as in church, kitchen, and speech.

  6. / dʒ / as in Jordan, angel, and change.

  7. / k / as in kite, technical, and rock.

  8. / g / as in girl, finger, and gang.

  9. / f / as in photo, coffee, and laugh.

  10. / v / as in van, convince and of.

  11. / θ / as in think, athlete and month.

  12. / ð / as in this, brother and clothe.

  13. / s / as in sit, basic, and dance.

  14. / z / as in zebra, crazy / cousin, and watches.

  15. / ʃ / as in ship, pressure / nation / ocean, and wish.

  16. / ʒ / as in genre, casual / leisure / vision, and beige.

  17. / m / as in mother, common, and home.

  18. / n / as in need, dinner, and fun.

  19. / ŋ / used for the -ing form or sing.

  20. / h / as in hat, who and behave.

  21. / l / as in lion, help, and travel.

  22. / r / as in right, wrong, and car (standard American English pronunciation) .

  23. / w / as in wait / one, swim and quit.

  24. / j / as in yellow, cute, few and lay.

You may notice that certain consonants can be combined. For example:

ch is usually pronounced / tʃ /, which combines / t / and / ʃ / so chat = / tʃæt /.

Here’s some trivia for you: in “Pacific Ocean” every c is pronounced differently: Pacific Ocean = [pəˈsɪfɪk ˈəʊʃən]. The reason this happens could be historical.

Consonants, examples of consonants, StudySmarterFig. 1 — Vowel and consonant sounds are produced differently.

How are consonant sounds made?

Consonants have three characteristics:

  1. Voicing
  2. Place of articulation
  3. Manner of articulation

Let’s have a look at them all in more detail.

Voicing

Voicing refers to the activity of the vocal cords. The organs related to voicing are:

  • The vocal cords.

  • The glottis.

  • The larynx.

There are two types of voicing:

  • Voiceless — When the vocal folds are wide apart and not vibrating, consonants are voiceless. For example, the consonant sounds of / p /, / t / and / s /.
  • Voiced — When the vocal folds are close together and vibrating, consonants are voiced. For example, the consonant sounds of / b /, / d / and / z /.

You can feel when your vocal cords are producing ‘voiced’ consonants by putting your hand on your larynx (throat). Try it.

Can you feel the vibration?

Now try a voiceless consonant. Feel the difference?

Place of articulation

The place of articulation is where the airstream is obstructed to form consonant sounds. There are two types of articulators:

  1. The active articulators are the parts that you can move, like your tongue or your lips.

  2. The passive articulators are the immovable parts of your vocal tract that can be brought together, like the teeth or the palate.

These are the 8 places of articulation (with letters corresponding to the image below):

  • Bilabial sounds are produced when the upper and lower lips are fully in contact. The bilabial consonant sounds are / p, b, m /. (H)
  • Labiodentals are produced when the obstruction of the airstream is made by the top teeth touching the lower lip. The labiodental consonant sounds are / f / and / v /. (G)
  • Dental sounds are produced when the tip of the tongue is just behind the top teeth (on rare occasions it may protrude between the teeth, but not commonly). The dental consonant sounds are / θ / and / ð /. (F)
  • Alveolar sounds are produced by the tip of the tongue touching or approaching the alveolar ridge. The alveolar consonant sounds are / t, d, l, r, n, s, z /. (E)
  • Post-alveolar sounds are produced with the blade of the tongue approaching the hard palate. The post-alveolar consonant sounds are / ʃ / and / ʒ /. (D)
  • Palatal sounds are made a bit further back from an post-alveolar. The consonant sound / j / is in this category. (C)
  • Velar sounds are produced with the back of the tongue against the soft palate. The velar consonant sounds are / k, g, ŋ /. (B)
  • Glottals are made in the vocal folds. The glottal consonants are / h / and / ʔ /. (A)

Consonants, places of articulation diagram, StudySmarterFig. 2 — The eight places of articulation range from the lips to the glottis

Remember: practise all the time. Help yourself by putting your finger or your hand on the throat, close your eyes and focus on the movement of the tongue. In this way, you will understand more which places of articulation you are using.

Use the same technique for the manner of articulation to understand how it works when you pronounce a word.

Manner of articulation

The manner of articulation refers to how the airstream is obstructed to produce consonant sounds. There are six different ‘manners of articulation’:

  • Stops are produced by blocking the airstream completely and then releasing it in a burst. The stop consonant sounds are / p, b, t, k, g /.
  • Fricative sounds are produced by a partial obstruction of the airstream. The airstream coming out is turbulent, and this turbulence causes friction. That’s why they are called fricatives. The fricative consonant sounds are / f, v, s, z, ʃ, ʒ, θ, ð, h /.
  • Affricates start with the symbol of a stop sound and end with a fricative sound. In this case, the release of the air is done progressively, producing friction. The affricate consonant sounds are / tʃ, ts, dʒ, ds /.
  • Nasals are sounds produced when the air is redirected up through the nasal cavity. The nasal consonant sounds are / m, n, ŋ /.
  • Liquid sounds are made when the airstream passes through the mouth in a fluid manner. The liquid consonants are / l / and / r /.
  • Approximants are sounds made without any kind of friction or contact. The approximant consonants are / w / and / j /.

Differences between vowels and consonants

Consonants are speech sounds produced by the obstruction or constriction of the airflow in the vocal tract, involving either the lips, the glottis, or the tongue.

Vowels are speech sounds made when the mouth is open and the air is expelled freely through the vocal tract without being blocked in the mouth or larynx.

Let’s summarise:

  • A consonant sound is produced with a complete or partial closure of the vocal tract.
  • A vowel is produced with a complete opening of the vocal tract.
  • Consonants are described according to voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation.
  • Vowels are described according to height, frontness or backness, and roundness.
  • There are 24 consonant sounds and 20 vowel sounds in English.

Examples of consonants and vowels

Now play a game to understand the examples of how to pronounce a vowel and how to pronounce a consonant:

  • Make the vowel sound / u /. While you are making the sound, move your lips and your jaw. Even though there is a movement of the articulators, you can sustain the same sound. Do the same exercise with some other vowel sounds.
  • Now try to make the consonant sound / b / without moving your mouth, lips, or tongue. It is impossible to do because to pronounce a consonant, you have to move the articulators.

Consonants — key takeaways

  • A consonant is a speech sound made with a complete or partial closure of the vocal tract.
  • There are 24 consonant sounds in the English language.
  • Consonant sounds are described according to three criteria: voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation.
  • There are eight places of articulation: bilabial, labiodental, interdental, alveolar, post-alveolar, palatal, velar, and glottal.
  • There are six manners of articulation: stops, fricatives, affricates, nasals, liquids, and approximants.

References

  1. Fig. 1. Image by brgfx on Freepik

Frequently Asked Questions about Consonants

A consonant is a speech sound, articulated with a complete or partial closure of the vocal tract.

The sounds ‘p’ and ‘l’ in ‘play’, and ‘b’ and ‘t’ in ‘rabbit’. 

Consonants are speech sounds produced by the obstruction of the airflow in the vocal tract. Vowels are speech sounds made when the mouth is open and the air is expelled freely through the vocal tract.

There are several types of consonant sound and you can define them based on voicing, place of articulation, and manner of articulation. 

The following letters of the English alphabet are consonant sounds: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z

Final Consonants Quiz

Consonants Quiz — Teste dein Wissen

Question

How many consonant sounds are there in the word doctor?

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Question

How many consonant sounds are there in the word utopia?

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Question

Which phoneme is considered both a vowel sound and a consonant sound?

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Question

How many consonants are there in the alphabet?

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Question

How many consonant sounds are there?

​

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Question

What type of consonant is the phoneme /k/?

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Question

What type of consonant is the phoneme /v/?

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Answer

Voiced labiodental fricative. 

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Question

What type of consonant is the phoneme /ŋ/?

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Question

What type of consonant is the phoneme /ð/?

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Question

Which phoneme represents the consonants “th” in the word health?

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Question

The articulators can be passive or active based on their movement. TRUE OR FALSE.

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Question

A voiceless sound is produced when the vocal folds vibrate. TRUE OR FALSE.

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Answer

FALSE: A voiceless sound is produced when the vocal folds don’t vibrate.

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Question

The sounds /l/ and /r/ are nasal sounds. TRUE OR FALSE. 

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Answer

FALSE: Both /l/ and /r/ are liquids.

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Question

The manner of articulation refers to how a consonant is produced. TRUE OR FALSE.

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Question

Alveolar sounds are made in the vocal folds. TRUE OR FALSE.

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Answer

FALSE: The alveolar sounds are produced by the tip of the tongue touching or approaching the alveolar ridge. 

Show question

Answer

A speech sound created by obstructing the airflow.

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Answer

Vocal organs that are used to create different consonant sounds. These include: lips, teeth, tongue, hard palate and soft palate.

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Question

What are the three characteristics of consonant sounds?

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Answer

  • Voicing
  • Manner of articulation
  • Place of articulation

Show question

Question

Which of these is not a place of articulation?

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Question

How many different manners of articulation are there?

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Lesson Transcript

Ryan: Hi everyone, I’m Ryan. The Pronunciation of Consonants.
Chihiro: Hey everyone, it’s Chihiro, and in this lesson, we’ll explore American English consonants. American English has voiced consonant sounds and voiceless consonant sounds. Now, Ryan, what does this mean?
Ryan: Well, we make a voiced sound when our vocal cords vibrate. All vowel sounds in the previous lesson, for example, are voiced. A voiceless sound is when your vocal cords are not vibrating, and the sound is made with the shape of our mouths, the position of our tongues and air.
Chihiro: There are twenty-four or twenty-five consonants in total — the number varies depending on the researcher. As with the vowel lesson, we will give you the sound with an example word. Ready Ryan?
Ryan: Let’s do it.
Chihiro: The first sound is the voiceless sound «p» in
Ryan: «pin»
Chihiro: The voiced «b» in
Ryan: «bin»
Chihiro: If you put your hand up in front of your mouth when you make those two sounds, you should feel a puff of air. Okay, the next consonant is the «t» in
Ryan: «tin»
Chihiro: The «d» in
Ryan: «doe»
Chihiro: The «k» in
Ryan: «cap»
Chihiro: The «g» in
Ryan: «gap»
Chihiro: The «ch» in
Ryan: «choose»
Chihiro: The «j» in
Ryan: «juice»
Chihiro: The «m» in
Ryan: «main»
Chihiro: The «n» in
Ryan: «name»
Chihiro: The «h» in
Ryan: «hang»
Chihiro: The «f» in
Ryan: «fast»
Chihiro: The «v» in
Ryan: «vast»
Chihiro: The «th» in
Ryan: «thick»
Chihiro: The «th» in
Ryan: «this»
Chihiro: Those two sounds are made with the tongue between the teeth. Okay, carrying on, the next sound is the «s» in
Ryan: «sap»
Chihiro: The «z» in
Ryan: «zap»
Chihiro: The «sh» in
Ryan: «shin»
Chihiro: The «szh» in
Ryan: «pleasure»
Chihiro: The «h» in
Ryan: «house»
Chihiro: The «w» in
Ryan: «wine»
Chihiro: The «r» in
Ryan: «rose»
Chihiro: The «y» in
Ryan: «young»
Chihiro: The «l» in
Ryan: «left»
Chihiro: And those are the main ones we’re going to go over. You may have noticed that some sounds are pairs with their voiced and voiceless counterparts. For example «t» and «d» have the same tongue positioning, and the difference is that one is voiced, and the other isn’t.
Ryan: Can you pick out the others?
Chihiro: Many of these sounds may be familiar to you from your native tongue. However, you may not use some of these sounds in your language. Pay attention to the sounds that you do not use in your native language so that you can get used to the tongue positioning of the word.
Ryan: There are also sounds in American English such as the flap, the glottal stop, and the velar nasal
Chihiro: Before you say what the heck is that? Ryan will explain the first one in a very simple way.
Ryan: The flap is when the tongue quickly taps the top of your mouth. This sounds occurs in American English for words like
Chihiro: “ladder”
Ryan: or
Chihiro: “twitter”.
Ryan: Even though the words are spelt with a “d” and “t” the sound that is made is with the tongue tapping the roof of the mouth.
Chihiro: Right, simple as that. The glottal stop is common in English, for words like
Ryan: “hat”
Chihiro: and the interjection
Ryan: “uh oh”
Chihiro: The pause in the middle is actually the vocal chords pressing together. That is why some people say that the American’s don’t enunciate their words clearly. It’s because the vocal chords are pressing together… which means we aren’t really saying the letter as expected.
Ryan: And the last one is the velar nasal. It sounds like «ng» as in
Chihiro: «sing»
Ryan: and
Chihiro: «fling»
Ryan: The last sound combination of the “ng” is actually not that clearly distinguished, and they melt into each other. That is what the combination sounds like.
Chihiro: «ng»
Ryan: and not
Chihiro: «ng»
Ryan: There are some more sounds in English that we will not go over, because we believe that this is enough to get you started down the right track.
Chihiro: Be aware that English spelling can be tricky and that the same combination of letters may not always have the same pronunciation in different words.
Ryan: With some patience and much practice, the pronunciation will become easier and the words will be less difficult to pronounce.
Chihiro: Thanks for listening, everyone.
Ryan: See you all soon!
Источник

Consonant sounds

All consonants are different shades of noise. When they are formed, the air stream encounters an obstacle in its path. Their articulation can be accompanied by the sound of a voice (voiced) or pronounced without it (deaf). The consonant system includes 24 elements. We are describing here Consonant phonemes in English

English consonants are classified by the method of formation of the barrier, by the work of the active organ of speech and the place of formation of the barrier, by the participation of the vocal cords.

According to the method of formation of the barrier, consonants are divided into occlusives, slotted, and affricates. The formation of occlusive consonants is achieved by the complete closure of the articulating organs of speech, i.e. the formation in the oral cavity of a complete obstruction to the airflow. If, when the obstacle is opened, the airstream produces a strong, like an explosion, sound, the consonant is called explosive, for example: [k], [g], [p], [b].

The strength of the exhaled airflow and the degree of muscular tension when pronouncing voiceless consonants is higher than when pronouncing vowels. Therefore, when describing them, they use the term fortis from lat. fortis ‘strong’. When pronouncing voiced consonants [b, d, ɡ, v, ð, ʤ, ʒ, z], the strength of muscular tension is lower, therefore, in relation to them, the term “ lazy” from Latin is used. lenis ‘soft, weak’.

There are 8 sonants in English: 

[m, n, l, ŋ, h, j, r, w]. … Sonorous, or sonants, are very close to vowels and contrast to voiceless aspirated consonants. These are consonants that are pronounced without active vibration of the vocal cords. Very often they don’t have a deaf couple. Sonants [m, n, l] in the final position in a word after a noisy consonant or between two noisy consonants are syllabic.

When pronouncing gap consonants, only some convergence of the articulating organs of speech is achieved. If the gap formed in this way is not too wide, the noise of friction prevails in the pronunciation of consonants. Such consonants are called fricatives , for example: [f], [v], [h]. When pronouncing slotted sonants, the passage for the air stream is somewhat wider. Air is directed either along the entire plane of the tongue or along the sides of the tongue, as in the case of sound. Therefore, consonants such as [j], [w], [r] are called median sonants, and consonant [l] is called lateral or lateral sonant.

When pronouncing the affricate [tʃ |, [ʤ], a complete obstacle gradually turns into an incomplete one.

According to the work of the active organ of speech and the place of formation of the obstacle, consonants are divided into labial, lingual and guttural.

1-Labial consonants 

can be labial, articulated with both lips – [w], [m], [p], [b]; labiodental, pronounced with the lower lip and upper teeth – [f], [v].

  1. Lingual consonants

 fall into front-lingual, middle-lingual, and posterior-lingual.

  1. Front-lingual consonants

(when pronouncing which the front part of the tongue takes part in the formation of the obstacle) can be:

4-interdental (predorsal-dental)

[θ], [ð] (the surface of the anterior part of the tongue forms an incomplete obstruction with the upper teeth);

5-apical-alveolar 

[t], [d], [n], [l], [s], [z], [∫], [ʒ], [t∫], [dʒ] (the anterior edge of the tongue is raised to alveolar arch);

6-cacuminal-postalveolar

[r] (the front edge of the tongue is raised up and slightly bent to the posterior slope of the alveoli).

When pronouncing middle-lingual consonants,

 the obstacle is formed by raising the middle part of the tongue to the hard palate. This is how the only dorsal-palatal sound [j] in English is articulated.

7-Back- lingual consonants 

are articulated by raising the back of the tongue to the soft palate – [k], [g], [ŋ]. These are dorsal-veolar sounds.

8-The [h] sound is the only guttural sound in English.

When pronouncing it, the exhaled stream of air with a slight noise of friction passes through the narrowed glottis, the vocal cords do not vibrate, the organs of speech in the supraglottic cavities occupy the position necessary to pronounce the vowel sound following the laryngeal consonant.

voiced and voiceless Consonants 

According to the participation of the vocal cords in the pronunciation of consonants, the latter is divided into voiced and voiceless.

When pronouncing voiced consonants,

as, for example, in the case of [b], [ɡ], and others, as well as sonants, the vocal cords vibrate. Pronunciation of voiceless consonants is associated with the absence of vibration of the vocal cords, and therefore, with the absence of a voice in their pronunciation, for example: [p], [f], [Ɵ].

It should be noted the strong articulation of the final voiceless consonants and a significant weakening of articulation and partial stunning of the final voiced consonants in English.

Most English consonants sound solid, i.e. they are not opposed on the basis of palatalization (softening of the consonants resulting from the raising of the middle back of the tongue to the hard palate).

Voiceless plosive-plosive consonants [p], [t], [k] in English

are pronounced with aspiration (aspiration). Aspiration resembles the noise of a weak exhalation sounding immediately after a voiceless consonant. This weak exhalation is created by rubbing the air against the converging vocal cords, resembling the consonant sound [h]: [ph], [th], [kh].

In the position after the voiceless slit fricative [s], the English voiceless plosive consonants [p], [t], [k] are pronounced without aspiration. In order to correctly pronounce the unaspirated version of a voiceless plosive-plosive sound, one should intensify the articulation of the slotted fricative [s] and linger a little on it, while moving to the articulation of the plosive-plosive consonant. The opening of the obstacle is done by fast and intensive movement of the corresponding speech organs: sp oon [ sp u: n], st ool [ st u: l], sch ool [ sk u: l], sp eak [ spi: k]. Voiceless plosive consonants are pronounced without aspiration in unstressed syllables: potato, tobacco. 

1-[р], [b]

labial-labial occlusive-plosive consonants. When pronouncing them, the lips, closing, form a complete barrier. Opening the barrier is done quickly and energetically. [p] is a voiceless, strong (forceful) consonant sound, pronounced with aspiration. [b] is a voiced, weak (lazy) consonant sound.

2-[k], [ɡ]

back-lingual plosive-plosive consonants. The dorsum of the tongue touches the soft palate, forming a complete obstruction, [k] – a dull, strong sound, pronounced with aspiration, [ɡ] – a sonorous, weak sound.

3-[t], [d]

anterior lingual apical-alveolar occlusive-plosive consonants. The tip of the tongue touches the alveoli, forming a complete obstruction, which is opened by a jet of air. [t] is a voiceless consonant, pronounced with aspiration, [d] is a voiced consonant.

4-[f], [v]

labiodental slotted fricative consonants. [f] is a voiceless, strong consonant sound. [v] is a voiced, weak consonant sound.

5-[s], [z]

anterior lingual apical-alveolar slotted fricative consonants. When pronouncing these consonants, a narrow gap is formed between the tip of the tongue and the alveoli. [s] is a voiceless consonant, [z] is a voiced consonant.

6-[Ɵ], [ð]

anterior lingual apical-interdental slotted fricative consonants. When pronouncing these consonants, the tongue is not tense, the tip of the tongue is between the teeth. Teeth are bared, a stream of air passes between the tongue and upper teeth, [θ] is a voiceless consonant, [ð] is a voiced consonant.

7-[ʧ], [ʤ]

anterior lingual alveolar-palatal occlusive affricates, the first component is an explosive sound [t] or [d], the second is a fricative [ʃ] or [ʒ]. When pronouncing them, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli, while the middle part of the tongue rises to the hard palate. Gradually, the tip of the tongue moves away from the alveoli. A complete obstruction turns into an incomplete one, [ʧ] is a deaf weak consonant sound, [ʤ] is a voiced strong sound.

8-[m]

labial occlusive nasal sonant. The lips, closing, form a complete obstruction, the soft palate is lowered, the air stream passes through the nasal cavity.

9-[n]

anterior lingual apical-alveolar occlusive nasal sonant. The tip of the tongue touches the alveoli and forms a complete obstruction, the soft palate is lowered, the air passes through the nasal cavity.

10-[ŋ]

posterior lingual occlusive nasal sonant. When pronouncing it, the back of the tongue touches the soft palate. The tip of the tongue does not rise to the alveoli but is located at the base of the lower teeth. The sonant [ŋ] is not used at the beginning of a word but occurs only in the middle and final position after short vowels. Compared to other English sonants, the sound [ŋ] has the greatest duration and sonority.

11-[ʃ], [ʒ]

anterior lingual alveolar slit fricative consonants. The tip of the tongue is at the alveoli, and the middle part of the tongue rises to the hard palate, which gives the sounds a shade of softness, [ʃ] – a dull, strong consonant sound. [ʒ] is a voiced, weak consonant sound.

12-[h]

is a voiceless slit pharyngeal consonant. When it is pronounced in the pharynx region, an incomplete barrier is formed by bringing the root of the tongue and the back wall of the pharynx closer together. At the moment of pronouncing, the language takes a position for the next vowel, the sound is perceived by ear only as an exhalation. The [h] sound occurs only before vowels in English.

13-[l]

anterior lingual apical-alveolar lateral sonant. The tip of the tongue is pressed against the alveoli, the lateral edges are lowered, forming a passage for air. The dark (hard) shade [l] sounds at the end of words and before consonants. Light (palatalized) shade [l] sounds before vowels and consonants [j].

14-[j]

middle palatal slit sonant. The middle part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate. The edges of the tongue are pressed against the upper teeth, forming a passage for air along the middle of the tongue.

15-[r]

anterior lingual trans alveolar median slit sonant. The tip of the tongue is raised to the posterior slope of the alveoli.

16-[w]

 labial-labial posterior lingual slit sonant. When pronouncing it, the lips are strongly rounded and pushed forward, forming a round slit. The back of the tongue is raised to the soft palate. The organs of speech immediately move to the position for pronouncing the next vowel sound. Sonant [w] does not occur in the final position in a word.

Consonant Sound with Examples 

1-Sounds [p] / [b]

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
p pencil [pensl]
p play [pleɪ]
p party [‘pɑ: tɪ]
p port [pᴐ: t]
p push [puʃ]
p stop [stɔp]
pp pepper [‘pepə]
pp happy [‘hæpɪ]
pp shopping [‘ʃɔpɪŋ]

2-Sounds [ t ] / [ d ]

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
t tea [ti:]
t till [tɪl]
t two [tu:]
t task [tɑ: sk]
t twenty [twentɪ]
t water [‘wɔːtə]
t complete [kəm’pliːt]
t eight [eɪt]
t light [lait]
t suit [s (j) uːt]
tt better [‘betə]
tt bottle [bᴐtl]

3-Sounds [ k ] / [ g ] 

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
c care [‘kɛə]
c clean [kliːn]
c close [kləuz]
c color [‘kʌlə]
c fact [fækt]
k keep [ki: p]
k kind [kaɪnd]
k desk [desk]
k walk [wɔːk]
ck back [bæk]
ck black [blæk]
ck check [ʧek]
ck pocket [‘pɔkɪt]
ch school [skuːl]
ch stomach [‘stʌmək]
ch chemist [‘kemɪst]
ch architect [‘ɑːkɪtekt]

4-Sounds [ f ] / [ v ] 

In writing, the sound [ f ] is transmitted by the letter Ff ( Fred , after , flag , flight , coffee ), letter combinations ph ( photo , phone ), gh ( laugh ).

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
f friend [frend]
f first [fɜːst]
f cafe [‘kæfeɪ]
f after ‘ɑːftə]
f leaf [liːf]
ff off [ɔf]
ff coffee [‘kɔfɪ]
ph phone [fəun]
ph autograph [‘ɔːtəgrɑːf]
gh enough [ɪ`nəf]
gh laugh [lɑːf]

5-Sounds [ s ] / [ z ] 

The English consonants [s, z] are called slit consonants, because when they are pronounced, a gap is formed between the tip of the tongue and the alveoli, through which air passes. When pronouncing English slit sounds [s, z], the tip of the tongue is raised to the alveoli, but does not touch them. The voice passes through the gap formed between the alveoli and the tip of the tongue.

In writing, the sound [ s ] is conveyed by the letter Ss ( small , pass ), the letter Сс , if there are vowels i , e , y ( cinema , pencil , cycle ) after it , the letter combination sc ( science ).

The letter s is read as [s] at the beginning of a word, before a consonant letter, at the end of a word after voiceless consonants: sit, best, lips. 

The letter s is read as [z] between vowels, at the end of words after vowels and voiced consonants: music, noses, beds.

The letter c is read as [s] before the letters e, i, y and as [k] in all other cases: cent, cold.

 

Letter (combination of letters)

 Example Transcription
s sick [sɪk]
s sister [‘sɪstə]
s bus [bʌs]
ss class [klɑːs]
ss glasses [‘glɑːsɪz]
c city [‘sɪtɪ]
c pencil [‘pens (ə) l]
c place [pleɪs]
c police [pə’liːs]
c pronounce [prə’naun (t) s]
sc science [‘saɪəns]
sc scissors [‘sɪzəz]

6-Sounds [θ] / [ð] 

The speech exercises below will help you understand how these sounds are pronounced.

Stick your tongue between your teeth and blow air. Make sure that the tongue is not tense and the lips are not touching the edges of the tongue.

– Stick your tongue between your teeth and then quickly pull it out. Repeat this exercise several times.

When pronouncing the sounds [ θ, ð ], the tongue is spread out and not tense, the tip of the tongue is between the teeth. The sound [ θ ] is pronounced deaf, and the sound [ ð ] with a voice is pronounced as voiced. Remember that your lips should not touch the edges of your tongue. You should quickly remove your tongue by the teeth so as not to interfere with the pronunciation of the subsequent sound.

In writing, the sounds [ θ, ð ] are denoted by the letter combination th . The sound [ ð ], as a rule, sounds in service words: in the definite article ( the ), in pronouns ( this, that, they, them ), at the end of words before the letter e ( bathe ). If the combination of letters th is the ending for the formation of ordinal numbers, then it is pronounced as [ θ ], for example : tenth .

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
th thick [θɪk]
th thanks [θæŋks]
th theater [‘θɪətə]
th thin [θɪn]
th Thursday [‘θɜːzdɪ]
th thirsty [‘θɜːstɪ]
th three [θriː]
th both [bəuθ]
th month [mʌnθ]
th north [nɔːθ]
th south [sauθ]
th birthday [‘bɜːθdeɪ]

7-Sounds [ʃ] / [ʒ] / [h] 

In writing, the sound [ ʃ ] is conveyed by the letter combination s h ( ship, shelf, shut, fish, finish ).

The sound [ ʒ ] has no letter match. It is pronounced only in suffixes: sure , sion ( pleasure, measure, vision ).

In writing, the sound [ h ] is conveyed by the letter Hh (hot, help, how, home, he, hay, high).

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
sh ship [ʃɪp]
sh sheep [ʃiːp]
sh fashion [‘fæʃ (ə) n]
sh cash [kæʃ]
sh fresh [freʃ]
sh mushroom [‘mʌʃrum]
c ocean [‘əuʃ (ə) n]
ch machine [mə’ʃiːn]
ci delicious [dɪ’lɪʃəs]
ci special [‘speʃ (ə) l]
s sugar [‘ʃugə]
s sure [ʃuə]
ss profession [prə’feʃn]
ti international [ˌꞮntə’næʃ (ə) n (ə) l]

8-Sounds [tʃ] / [ʤ] 

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
ch chin [ʧɪn]
ch chips [ʧɪps]
ch choose [ʧuːz]
ch rich [rɪʧ]
ch March [mɑːʧ]
ch which [wɪʧ]
t future [‘fjuːʧə]
t question [‘kwesʧən]
tch catch [kæʧ]
tch match [mæʧ]
tch watch [wɔʧ]
tch kitchen [‘kɪʧɪn]

9-Sounds [ m ] / [ n ] / [ŋ] 

In writing, the sound [ n ] is conveyed by the letter Nn ( nose , nice ) and the combination of letters k n at the beginning of words ( k now, knee, knife ).

The sound [ m ] is conveyed by the letter Mm ( mouse , melt ) and the letter combinations mm , mb , mn ( summer , autumn , comb ).

The sound [ ŋ ] is transmitted by letter combinations ng , nc , nk ( morning , uncle , bank ).

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
m me [miː]
m more [mɔː]
m lemon [‘lemən]
m money [‘mʌnɪ]
m film [fɪlm]
m some [sʌm]
m sometimes [‘sʌmtaɪmz]
mm summer [‘sʌmə]
mb comb [kəum]
mn autumn [‘ɔːtəm]

10-Sounds [ l ] / [ r ]

In writing, the sound [ r ] is denoted by the letter Rr ( Rett , rain , river , very ) and the combination of letters wr ( write , wrap ).

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
l learn [lɜːn]
l leave [liːv]
l language [‘læŋgwɪʤ]
l love [‘lʌv]
l alone [ə’ləun]
l feel [fiːl]
l help [help]
l english [‘ɪŋglɪʃ]
ll tall [tɔːl]
ll well [wel]
ll yellow [‘jeləu]

11-Sounds [ w ] / [ j ] 

Before uttering the sound [ w ] , you should do the following exercises:

– round your lips strongly and protrude forward, blow air into the formed round hole;

– stick out your lips, then quickly spread them apart, repeat the exercise several times.

When pronouncing the sound [ w ], the lips are strongly rounded and pushed forward, forming a round slit. Then instantly the tongue and lips move into position for pronouncing the subsequent vowel. When pronouncing [ w ], the lips are rounded and slightly protruding forward. When pronouncing [ f, v ], the upper teeth touch the lower lip.

In writing, the sound [ w ] is conveyed by the letter Ww ( Wayne , wait , week , wet , woe ) and the letter combination wh ( wheel , what , where ). Exception: wh + o (who [hu:], whose [hu: z], whom [hu: m].

The sound [ j ] is not represented by any single letter, it is most often denoted by the letter y if it is followed by any vowel letter ( yet, yes, yell, yield, yard, yoke) .

Letter (combination of letters) Example Transcription
w week [wi: k]
w way [weɪ]
w warm [wɔːm]
w well [wel]
w weather [‘weðə]
w windy [‘wɪndɪ]
w away [ə’weɪ]
w always [‘ɔːlweɪz]
w twelve [twelv]
wh what [wɔt]
wh white [waɪt]
wh which [wɪʧ]
wh where [wɛə]
o one [wʌn]
u language [‘læŋgwɪʤ]
u question [‘kwesʧən]
u quiet [‘kwaɪət]
u square skwɛə]
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{{temp[‘translated_content’]}}

Источник

noun

- a speech sound that is not a vowel
- a letter of the alphabet standing for a spoken consonant

adjective

Extra examples

…the temples and palaces of ancient Greece are among the most consonant buildings in architectural history…

…his gentle behavior is consonant with his expressed belief in pacifism…

It is consonant with our aim.

“M” is a voiced consonant.

“S” is a voiceless consonant.

This policy is scarcely consonant with the government’s declared aims.

This vowel is usually elided before a single consonant

The consonant reduplicates after a short vowel

The nasal assimilates to the following consonant

I worry about the second Germanic consonant shift

Word forms

noun
singular: consonant
plural: consonants

Источник

English Consonant Sounds IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet)


With Voice Recorder & Audio Files

See examples of each of the IPA Consonant Sounds with examples in common English words. You can listen to each English consonant sound pronounced by a native English speaker and practise your pronunciation of each consonant sound. 

What are the English Consonant Sound IPA symbols (International Phonetic Alphabet)? English has 24 consonant sounds. Some consonants have voice from the voicebox and some don’t. These consonants are voiced and voiceless pairs /p/ /b/, /t/ /d/, /k/ /g/, /f/ /v/, /s/ /z/, /θ/ /ð/, /ʃ/ /ʒ/, /ʈʃ/ /dʒ/. These consonants are voiced /h/, /w/, /n/, /m/, /r/, /j/, /ŋ/, /l/.

I understand that for many people, the IPA symbols can look a little overwhelming. But remember, you don’t have to know every IPA symbol for it to be seriously helpful for improving your English pronunciation.

Watch this video lesson on English consonant sounds with IPA, the International Phonetic Symbols to revise all the consonants in English. 

Before we get started, let’s go over two things you need to know about the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). 

Even if you don’t know all the English Consonant IPA symbols, still use the IPA for important information such as:  

– when you see the two dots /:/ it means the sound is long 
– each symbol represents a sound 
– when you see this dash /’/ it means the next syllable is stressed

Why is the IPA so helpful for English pronunciation? The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a very helpful tool for learners of English because English is not a phonetic language. The spelling of an English word doesn’t tell us how to pronounce it. In English, several different letter combinations can be used to spell the same sound and there are silent letters. The IPA tells us exactly the correct sounds and word stress for pronouncing English words. 

 
RECORD & PRACTICE English Consonant Sounds Examples 


VOICED & UNVOICED CONSONANT SOUNDS

Let’s talk about voicing. Voiced and unvoiced pairs. 

The first 8 boxes below show the consonant sounds IPA symbols for voiced and unvoiced consonant pairs. 
English consonants can be unvoiced and voiced.

An unvoiced consonant means that there is is no vibration or voice coming from the voicebox when the sound is pronounced. Examples of unvoiced consonant sounds are /s/, /p/ and /t/. 

A voiced consonant means that there is voice or vibration coming from the voicebox when the sound is pronounced. Examples of voiced consonant sounds are /v/, /b/ and /g/. 

A consonant pair is when the mouth position required to make two sounds is the same, but one sound in unvoiced and one sound is voiced. 

We have put the voiced and unvoiced pairs in the box together. Remember that the mouth position for the pair is exactly the same, the only difference is that one is voiced and one isn’t.

For example, the mouth position required to make the sounds /p/ and /b/ is exactly the same, /p/ has no voice and /b/ is voiced.

/f/ and /v/ require exactly the same mouth position, /f/ is unvoiced and /v/ is voiced. 

Refresh your consonant sounds ipa symbols now with the tools below. 

TOP TIPS FOR REVISING CONSONANT SOUNDS IPA SYMBOLS WITH EXAMPLES

Don’t worry too much about voicing. It is not really very important for how clear your English is to listeners.

You need to focus on your mouth position. Are you pronouncing each consonant clearly? 

Pay careful attention to consonant sounds at the ends of words. Consonant sounds at the ends of words are very important for speaking clearly in English.

For example, when pronouncing /k/ in the word ‘back’, make sure you can clearly hear the /k/ sound at the end. It is strong or stressed but it does need t be there.

Consonant Sounds – Voiced & Unvoiced Pairs With International Phonetic Symbols – IPA

Источник

What is a consonant?

In addition to vowels, the English alphabet is also made up of consonants. While vowels represent open-mouthed speech sounds, consonants represent sounds that are made when part or all of the vocal tract is closed. Because they require a specific position of the lips, cheeks, tongue, etc., there is generally little to no difference in how consonants are pronounced between different speakers of English. (The pronunciation of vowels, on the other hand, can differ drastically depending on dialect).

There are 21 consonants: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, and Z. Note that Y can sometimes function as a vowel (as in myth [/mɪθ/] or dry [/draɪ/]), so it is often referred to as a semivowel. W can also function alongside vowels to form certain vowel sounds (as in grow [/groʊ/] or draw [/drɔ/]), but it can’t function as a vowel on its own.

Forming consonant sounds

Each consonant letter has at least one specific speech sound associated with it, but certain combinations of letters (known as digraphs) produce other specific sounds as well. For the most part, we’ll be focusing on the sounds that consonants can make on their own, but we’ll also look at certain instances in which a consonant’s sound changes when it appears next to certain vowels or other consonants. For the unique speech sounds that specific consonant combinations create, see the section on Consonant Digraphs.

B b

The consonant B (pronounced “bee,” IPA: /bi/) is formed by softly pressing the lips together before passing air through the mouth. The vocal cords are used to make a sound when this happens, so it is known as a voiced speech sound. This is the only sound associated with B in English, so the same character is used in IPA transcription: /b/.

For example:

  • boy (/bɔɪ/)
  • break (/breɪk/)
  • badly (/ˈbædli/)
  • able (/ˈeɪbəl/)
  • embarrass (/ɪmˈbɛrəs/)
  • imbue (/ɪmˈbju/)
  • dab (/ˈdæb/)
  • verb (/vɜrb/)
  • describe (/dɪˈskraɪb/)

Silent B

The only exception to the pronunciation of B is the rare time that it is silent in a word. This usually occurs when B follows the letter M. Less commonly, silent B can occur when B precedes the letter T. For example:

MB

BT

climb

(/klaɪm/)

lamb

(/læm/)

thumb

(/θʌm/)

numb

(/nʌm/)

bomb

(/bɔm/)

comb

(/koʊm/)

debt

(/dɛt/)

doubt

(/daʊt/)

subtle

(/ˈsʌtəl/)

Be careful, though, because not every occurrence of MB or BT will produce a silent B. If in doubt, consult a good dictionary that provides pronunciation guides.

C c

The letter C (pronounced “cee,” IPA: /si/) commonly produces two different sounds, depending on how it is used in a word. These are known as “hard C” and “soft C.” Generally speaking, there are predictable patterns that determine whether C will be hard or soft, depending on the vowel that follows it. (Note that digraphs featuring the letter C have their own patterns of pronunciation.)

Hard C

Hard C has the same consonant sound as the letter K, transcribed in IPA as /k/. It is made by closing the vocal tract at the back of the throat before forcing air through.

The hard C sound generally occurs when C is followed by the vowels A, O, and U. For example:

CA

CO

CU

cap

(/kæp/)

cat

(/kæt/)

catch

(/kætʃ/)

corner

(/ˈkɔrnər/)

cover

(/ˈkʌvər/)

coat

(/koʊt/)

cushion

(/ˈkʊʃən/)

cute

(/kjut/)

curve

(/kɜrv/)

The hard C sound also occurs when C appears before the consonants T, R, and L, as well as when C is the last letter of a word. For example:

CT

CR

CL

Final letter

act

(/ækt/)

perfect

(/ˈpɜrˌfɪkt/)

predict

(/prɪdˈɪkt/)

crawl

(/krɔl/)

create

(/kriˈeɪt/)

accrue

(/əˈkru/)

climb

(/klaɪm/)

clean

(/klin/)

uncle

(/ˈʌŋkəl/)

arc

(/ark/)

graphic

(/ˈgræfɪk/)

cardiac

(/ˈkɑrdiˌæk/)

Soft C

Soft C has the same consonant sound as the letter S; both are transcribed in IPA as /s/. It is made by forcing air between the tongue and the roof of the mouth and out past the teeth. This is known as a sibilant speech sound, meaning it produces a hissing effect. The vocal cords are not engaged to produce a sound, so this is an unvoiced speech sound.

The soft C sound usually occurs when C is followed by the vowels E, I, and Y, as in:

CE

CI

CY

central

(/ˈsɛntrəl/)

celebrate

(/ˈsɛləˌbreɪt/)

nice

(/naɪs/)

circle

(/ˈsɜrkəl/)

city

(/ˈsɪti/)

exercise

(/ˈɛksərˌsaɪz/)

juicy

(/ˈʤusi/)

icy

(/ˈaɪsi/)

cylinder

(/ˈsɪlɪndər/)

Producing the /ʃ/ sound

Occasionally, C produces the sound most commonly made by the digraph SH, transcribed in IPA as /ʃ/. This sound is made by forming a narrow passageway with the sides of the tongue against the top teeth and then forcing air through partly open lips. Like the /s/ sound of soft C, it is unvoiced, meaning the vocal cords do not vibrate.

Generally speaking, C produces the /ʃ/ sound when it appears after a vowel and is followed by the letter I and another vowel. For example:

  • efficient (/ɪˈfɪʃənt/)
  • facial (/ˈfeɪʃəl/)
  • precious (/ˈprɛʃəs/)
  • social (/ˈsoʊʃəl/)

C also produces this sound in a handful of words in which it is followed by EA, as in:

  • ocean (/ˈoʊʃən/)
  • crustacean (/krəˈsteɪʃən/)

Silent C

C often becomes silent when it comes after the letter S and is followed by E or I. For example:

  • ascend (/əˈsɛnd/)
  • descend (/dɪˈsɛnd/)
  • muscle (/ˈmʌsəl/; LE here produces a sound like EL)
  • obscene (/ɑbˈsin/)
  • scent (/sɛnt/)
  • science (/ˈsaɪəns/)

We can also think of C as silent in the digraph CK, which is pronounced the same as K on its own: /k/. For instance:

  • attack (/əˈtæk/)
  • bucket (/ˈbʌkət/)
  • locker (/ˈlɑkər/)
  • stack (/stæk/)
  • truck (/trʌk/)
  • wicked (/ˈwɪkəd/)

D d

The consonant D (pronounced “dee,” IPA: /di/) is usually pronounced by softly pressing the tongue to the roof of the mouth before forcing air through. The vocal cords are used to make a sound as well, making this a voiced speech sound. It is unique to the letter D, so the IPA transcription for the sound is simply /d/. For the most part, this sound does not change, regardless of where D appears in a word. However, there are three general exceptions to this rule.

Producing the /t/ sound

When the suffix “-ed” is used to form the simple past tense of a verb, D often takes on the speech sound of the letter T (/t/). This occurs when “-ed” follows an unvoiced consonant sound—that is, /f/, /k/, /p/, /s/, /ʃ/, /tʃ/, and /θ/. For example:

/f/

/k/

/p/

/s/

/ʃ/

/tʃ/

/θ/

briefed

(/brift/)

laughed

(/læft/)

puffed

(/pʌft/)

baked

(/beɪkt/)

knocked

(/nɑkt/)

sacked

(/sækt/)

worked

(/wɜrkt/)

dropped

(/drɑpt/)

helped

(/hɛlpt/)

jumped

(/ʤʌmpt/)

mapped

(/mæpt/)

aced

(/eɪst/)

based

(/beɪst/)

diced

(/daɪst/)

passed

(/pæst/)

blushed

(/blʌʃt/)

crashed

(/kræʃt/)

extinguished

(/ɪkˈstɪŋgwɪʃt/)

pushed

(/pʊʃt/)

approached

(/əˈproʊʧt/)

branched

(/brænʧt/)

hunched

(/hʌnʧt/)

patched

(/pæʧt/)

birthed

(/bɜrθt/)

frothed

(/frɔθt/)

Note that verbs ending in /t/ (also an unvoiced consonant sound) are an exception to this rule, and D is pronounced /d/ as normal, as in:

  • knotted (/ˈnɑtɪd/)
  • potted (/ˈpɑtɪd/)
  • heated (/ˈhitɪd/)
  • plated (/ˈpleɪtɪd/)
  • greeted (/ˈgritɪd/)

Producing the /ʤ/ sound

Very rarely, the letter D produces the same sound as the consonant J, transcribed in IPA as /ʤ/. This sound is made by first stopping airflow by pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth and then forcing air through a narrow gap between the two. It is formed the same way as the CH sound (transcribed as /ʧ/), except that it is voiced, meaning the vocal chords are vibrated.

This happens in some words in which D is preceded by a vowel and followed by the letter U, as in:

  • assiduous (/əˈsɪdʒuəs/)
  • education (/ɛʤuˈkeɪʃən/)
  • graduate (verb: /ˈgræʤuˌeɪt/)
  • individual (/ɪndəˈvɪʤuəl/)
  • residual (/rɪˈzɪʤuəl/)

(However, be aware that in some dialects this sound change is not seen, with D still pronounced as a standard /d/ sound.)

There is also one instance where a D followed by an I produces the /ʤ/ sound: soldier (/ˈsoʊlʤər/).

Additionally, D contributes to a /ʤ/ sound in the consonant combinations DG and DJ, which we’ll look at in the section on Consonant Digraphs.

Silent D

When D appears in a large consonant cluster (especially when D comes after N), it is occasionally left unpronounced. For example:

  • handkerchief (/ˈhæŋkərʧɪf/)
  • handsome (/ˈhænsəm/)
  • grandfather (/ˈgrænfɑðər/)
  • grandmother (/ˈgræ[n]mʌðər/; N is also sometimes silent)
  • granddaughter (/ˈgrændɔtər/; first D is silent, but second D is pronounced)
  • grandson (/ˈgrænsʌn/)
  • sandwich (/ˈsænwɪʧ/)
  • Wednesday (/ˈwɛnzdeɪ/)

(Note that for many of these words—with the exception handkerchief and Wednesday—the D may be pronounced in some dialects but left out in others.)

F f

The letter F (pronounced “ef,” IPA: /ɛf/) is almost always pronounced as a voiceless or unvoiced labiodental fricative—that is, by pressing the front top teeth against the lower lip (the meaning of “labiodental”) as air is expelled through the mouth without engaging the vocal cords. This is represented in IPA as /f/. For example:

  • feel (/fil/)
  • fair (/fɛr/)
  • foot (/fʊt/)
  • after (/ˈæftər/)
  • different (/ˈdɪfrənt/)
  • effect (/ɪˈfɛkt/)
  • life (/laɪf/)
  • belief (/bɪˈlif/)
  • off (/ɔf/)

There is only one word in English in which F is pronounced differently: of (/ɑv/). Rather than taking the standard pronunciation, F is here pronounced like the letter V (IPA: /v/), which is called a voiced labiodental fricative. This means that instead of just pushing air between the teeth and lower lip, the vocal chords are vibrated at the same time.

G g

Like C, the letter G (pronounced “gee,” IPA: /ʤi/) has two standard pronunciations: “hard G” and “soft G.” Again, there are patterns that dictate whether G will be hard or soft in a word, though these are a bit less reliable than they were for hard and soft C. (And, again, there are separate rules for when G appears in consonant digraphs.)

Hard G

“Hard G” is a distinct sound not shared with any other consonant, transcribed in IPA as /g/. It is pronounced by closing the vocal tract at the back of the throat as air is pushed through and the vocal cords are vibrated (making this a voiced speech sound).

Like C, G makes a “hard” sound when it is followed by the vowels A, O, and U. For example:

GA

GO

GU

gap

(/gæp/)

gate

(/geɪt/)

gall

(/gɔll/)

go

(/gɔ/)

gossip

(/ˈgɑsəp/)

gouge

(/gɑʊʤ/)

guest

(/gɛst/)

gut

(/gʌt/)

argue

(/ˈɑrgju/)

The hard G sound also occurs when G appears before the consonants L, R, and sometimes H,* as well as when G is the last letter of a word (and is not preceded by N). For example:

GL

GR

GH

Final letter

glove

(/glʌv/)

glean

(/glin/)

gargle

(/ˈgɑrgəl/)

grow

(/groʊ/)

agree

(/əˈgri/)

flagrant

(/ˈfleɪgrənt/)

ghost

(/goʊst/)

ghastly

(/ˈgæstli/)

spaghetti

(/spəˈgɛti/)

bag

(/bæg/)

dog

(/dɔg/)

catalog

(/ˈkætəlɔg/)

(*Note: The digraph GH can produce several different sounds, as well as being silent, depending on the vowel(s) or consonant(s) that precede it. The /g/ sound is uncommon in this combination, usually only occurring when a word begins with GH.)

Soft G

Soft G has the same consonant sound as the letter J: both are transcribed in IPA as /ʤ/. It is made by first stopping airflow by pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth and then forcing the air between a narrow gap. It is a voiced consonant sound, meaning the vocal chords are vibrated.

Like soft C, the soft G sound typically occurs when G is followed by the vowels E, I, and Y, as in:

GE

GI

GY

germ

(/ʤɜrm/)

age

(/eɪʤ/)

fringe

(/frɪnʤ/)

fragile

(/ˈfræʤəl/)

giant

(/ˈʤaɪənt/)

logic

(/ˈlɑʤɪk/)

gym

(/ʤɪm/)

biology

(/baɪˈɑləʤi/)

Egypt

(/ˈiʤəpt/)

It’s important to note, though, that there are many exceptions to these patterns, and it is quite common to see hard G pronunciations that occur with these combinations (particularly GE and GI). For example:

  • get (/gɛt/ or /gɪt/)
  • gear (/gɪr/)
  • gecko (/ˈgɛkoʊ/)
  • gift (/gɪft/)
  • giggle (/ˈgɪgəl/)
  • gill (/gɪl/)
  • gynecology (/gaɪnəˈkɑləʤi/)

Note as well that these patterns become even less reliable when G is used in different digraphs, especially NG and GG.

The other soft G

While /ʤ/ is the most common speech sound used for a soft G, there is a second, similar pronunciation that appears in some foreign loanwords ending in GE after a vowel. It is the same sound used for SU in certain words (such as pleasure or usual), and the IPA transcription is /ʒ/. The sound is formed in the same way as /ʤ/, except the tongue is not pressed against the roof of the mouth initially. (It is also the same formation as the digraph SH (/ʃ/) except that it is voiced, meaning a sound is made with the vocal cords.)

There is no reliable spelling pattern that dictates when a soft G will be pronounced /ʒ/ rather than /ʤ/, so we simply have to learn them individually. Here are a few examples:

  • garage (/gəˈrɑʒ/)*
  • beige (/beɪʒ/)
  • massage (/məˈsɑʒ/)
  • rouge (/ruʒ/)
  • genre (/ˈʒɑnrə/)

(*It is also common to hear this word pronounced with the standard soft G at the end: /gəˈrɑʤ/.)

Silent G

Occasionally, G becomes silent when it comes before the letter N. For example:

  • gnaw (/nɔ/)
  • gnat (/næt/)
  • gnash (/næʃ/)
  • align (/əˈlaɪn/)
  • sign (/saɪn/)
  • arraign (/əˈreɪn/)
  • deign (/deɪn/)
  • feign (/feɪn/)
  • impugn (/ɪmˈpjun/)
  • lasagna (/ləˈzɑnjə/)

H h

As a single letter, the consonant H (pronounced “aitch,” IPA: /eɪtʃ/) has only one pronounced sound, transcribed in IPA as /h/. It is formed by slightly constricting the back of the throat as air is passed through; the vocal chords are not engaged, so it is an unvoiced speech sound.

Silent H

However, a single H is also occasionally silent. The spelling of the word on its own is usually not enough to dictate whether H is pronounced or silent, though, so we simply have to memorize such words. Here are a few examples of words where H is either pronounced or silent:

H is pronounced

H is silent

house

(/haʊs/)

hat

(/hæt/)

hear

(/hir/)

herd

(/hɜrd/)

hour

(/aʊər/)

honor

(/ˈɑnər/)

heir

(/ɛr/)

herb*

(/ɛrb/)

(*This pronunciation is most common in American English. In British English, the H is usually pronounced: /hɛrb/.)

The only times a single H is predictably silent are when it appears between two vowels or else ends a word after a vowel. For example:

  • graham (/ˈgreɪəm/ or /græm/)
  • annihilate (/əˈnaɪəˌleɪt/)
  • vehicle (/ˈviɪkəl/)**
  • cheetah (/ˈʧitə/)
  • tabbouleh (/təˈbulɪ/)
  • hurrah (/hʊˈrɑ/)

(**The H is silent in vehicle for the vast majority of English speakers, but in some dialects it may also be pronounced: /ˈvihɪkəl/.)

H in consonant digraphs

Finally, it’s important to note that H appears in many letter combinations where it can either be silent or create a range of unique pronunciations, depending on the combination. Go to the section on Consonant Digraphs to learn more about how H behaves in such instances.

J j

The letter J (pronounced “jay,” IPA: /ʤeɪ/) almost always has the same sound as soft G: /ʤ/. For instance:

  • job (/ʤɑb/)
  • judge (/ʤʌʤ/)
  • jeer (/ʤɪr/)
  • injury (/ɪnʤəri/)
  • project (/prɑʤɛkt/)
  • majority (/məˈʤɔrəti/)

Also like soft G, the letter J occasionally produces the /ʒ/ sound. This usually only happens in foreign loan words, as in:

  • Taj Mahal (/tɑʒ məˈhɑl)
  • Beijing (ˌbeɪʒˈɪŋ/)

However, this pronunciation is not consistently applied, and sometimes the normal /ʤ/ sound is used instead.

Very rarely, J also has the same sound as Y when used as a consonant. (Note that the IPA symbol for this sound looks like a lowercase j: /j/.) For example:

  • fjord (/fjɔrd/)
  • hallelujah (/hæləˈlujə/)

K k

The letter K (pronounced “kay,” IPA: /keɪ/) has the same consonant sound as hard C: /k/. For example:

  • kick (/kɪk/)
  • kiss (/kɪs/)
  • kangaroo (/ˌkæŋgəˈru/)
  • koala (/koʊˈɑlə/)
  • bake (/beɪk/)
  • work (/wɜrk/)
  • donkey (/ˈdɔŋki/)
  • skin (/skɪn/)
  • market (/ˈmɑrkət/)

Silent K

Like G, K sometimes becomes silent when it appears before the letter N, usually at the beginning of a word. For example:

  • know (/noʊ/)
  • knife (/naɪf/)
  • knight (/naɪt/)
  • knock (/nɑk/)
  • knot (/nɑt/)
  • knee (/ni/)
  • knack (/næk/)
  • knit (/nɪt/)
  • knead (/nid/)

L l

The consonant sound for the letter L (pronounced “ell,” IPA: /ɛl/) is formed by lightly pressing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth while air passes through. At the same time, the vocal cords are engaged to create a sound, making this a voiced speech sound. In IPA, this sound is transcribed as /l/.

L is often (but not always) doubled if it appears after a vowel in the middle or at the end of a word. For example:

  • listen (/lɪsən/)
  • lips (/lɪps/)
  • long (/lɔŋ/)
  • last (/læst/)
  • below (/bɪˈloʊ/)
  • bellow (/ˈbɛloʊ/; notice how the pronunciation of E changes with two Ls)
  • alter (/ɔltər/)
  • cold (/koʊld/)
  • fell (/fɛl/)
  • tell (/tɛl/)
  • gel (/ʤɛl/; in this instance, the pronunciation is the same as words with two Ls)

Silent L

L sometimes becomes silent when it appears before the consonants F, V, K, and M after the vowel A, as well as before D after the vowels OU. In some cases, this silent L elongates or otherwise modifies the vowel sound that comes before it, giving the slight impression of an /l/ sound without being distinctly pronounced. Here are a few common examples:

LF

LV

LK

LM

LD

calf

(/kæf/)

half

(/hæf/)

calves

(/kævs/)

halves

(/hævs/)

balk

(/bɔk/)

chalk

(/ʧɔk/)

talk

(/tɔk/)

walk

(/wɔk/)

almond

(/ˈɑmənd/)

balm

(/bɑm/)

calm

(/kɑm/)

palm

(/pɑm/)

psalm

(/sɑm/)

salmon

(/ˈsæmən/)

could

(/kʊd/)

should

(/ʃʊd/)

would

(/wʊd/)

The strange pronunciation of colonel

There is one word in which L produces a completely different speech sound: colonel. Rather than an expected pronunciation of /kɔlənəl/ or /kɔloʊnəl/, the middle L is actually pronounced as an R, with the second O made silent: /kɜrnəl/. This strange pronunciation is the result of the word coming into spoken English from the French coronel (with a silent second O), which itself came from the Italian word colonello. As it entered the English language more regularly, writers kept the word’s spelling closer to the original Italian, but the French pronunciation was so widely spoken that it has remained the preferred pronunciation to this day.

M m

The consonant sound for the letter M (pronounced “em,” IPA: /ɛm/) is formed by pursing the lips together while the vocal cords are engaged; it is therefore a voiced speech sound. This sound is unique to the letter, so the IPA transcription uses the same character: /m/.

M produces the same sound regardless of where it appears in a word. For example:

  • make (/meɪk/)
  • merry (/mɛri/)
  • mode (/moʊd/)
  • woman (/ˈwʊmən/)
  • almost (/ˈɔlˌmoʊst/)
  • armor (/ˈɑrmər/)
  • tram (/træm/)
  • dam (/dæm/)
  • team (/tim/)

Silent M

There is one word that features a silent M: mnemonic. Here, the N is pronounced but not the M: (/nɪˈmɑnɪk/). This pronunciation also is true for the adverbial form of the word, mnemonically (/nɪˈmɑnɪk[ə]li/).

N n

The consonant N (pronounced “en,” IPA: /ɛn/) creates a similar sound to that of M. The airway is still blocked, but the tongue is pressed against the roof of the mouth just behind the teeth, while the lips are kept open. The vocal cords are again engaged to produce a sound, so it is a voiced speech sound. In IPA, this sound is transcribed as /n/.

N almost always produces the same sound, regardless of its position. For example:

  • now (/naʊ/)
  • near (/nɪr/)
  • nag (/næg/)
  • energy (/ˈɛnərʤi/)
  • wander (/ˈwɑndər/)
  • enter (/ˈɛntər/)
  • men (/mɛn/)
  • fan (/fæn/)
  • dawn (/dɔn/)

Producing the /ŋ/ sound

Occasionally, N forms the sound /ŋ/ (the sound formed by the digraph NG, as in sing) when it appears before the consonant sound /k/, most often represented by C, CH, K, or Q. For example:

NC

NCH

NK

NQ

distinct

(/dɪˈstɪŋkt/)

junction

(/ˈʤʌŋkʃən/)

puncture

(/ˈpʌŋkʧər/)

anchor

(/ˈæŋkər/)

bronchitis

(/brɑŋˈkaɪtəs/)

synchronize

(/ˈsɪŋkrəˌnaɪz/)

ink

(/ɪŋk/)

bank

(/bæŋk/)

monkey

(/ˈmʌŋki/)

conquer

(/ˈkɑŋkər/)

relinquish

(/rɪˈlɪŋkwɪʃ/)

tranquil

(/ˈtræŋkwɪl/)

Silent N

N becomes silent when it appears after M at the end of a word. For example:

  • autumn (/ˈɔtəm/)
  • condemn (/kənˈdɛm/)
  • column (/ˈkɑləm/)
  • hymn (/hɪm/)
  • solemn (/ˈsɑləm/)

P p

The consonant sound for the letter P (pronounced “pee,” IPA: /pi/) is the unvoiced counterpart to the letter B. That is, they are both formed by pressing the lips together and then forcing air through the mouth, except the vocal cords do not make a sound when making the sound for the letter P. The IPA symbol for the sound is the same as the letter: /p/.

P nearly always makes the same sound, regardless of its position in a word (except in the digraph PH, which we’ll look at separately). For example:

  • part (/pɔrt/)
  • play (/pleɪ/)
  • president (/ˈprɛzəˌdɛnt/)
  • apart (/əˈpɑrt/)
  • deeply (/ˈdipli/)
  • happy (/ˈhæpi/)
  • atop (/əˈtɑp/)
  • jump (/ʤʌp/)
  • cheap (/ʧip/)

Silent P

Occasionally, P can be silent when it is followed by the letters N, S, or T, usually in certain letter combinations that come from words of Greek origin or influence. For example:

PN

PS

PT

pneuma

(/ˈnumə/)

pneumatic

(/nuˈmætɪk/)

pneumonia

(/nuˈmoʊnjə/)

psychology

(/saɪˈkɑləʤi/)

psalm

(/sɑm/)

pseudo

(/ˈsudoʊ/)

ptarmigan

(/ˈtɑrmɪgən/)

pterodactyl

(/ˌtɛrəˈdæktɪl/)

ptisan

(/ˈtɪzæn)

Silent P occurs in a handful of other words, as well:

  • cupboard (/ˈkʌbərd/)
  • raspberry (/ˈræzˌbɛri/)
  • corps (/kɔr/; both P and S are silent, unless the word is plural, in which case S is pronounced /z/)
  • coup (/ku/)
  • receipt (/rɪˈsit/)

Q q

The letter Q (pronounced “cue,” IPA: /kju/) has the same speech sound as K: /k/. It is almost always followed by the letter U, and the two letters together most commonly form a /kw/ sound. This usually occurs when they appear at the beginning or in the middle of a word. For example:

  • quiet (/ˈkwaɪət/)
  • quick (/kwɪk/)
  • queen (/kwin/)
  • request (/rɪˈkwɛst/)
  • equipment (/ɪˈkwɪpmənt/)
  • inquire (/ɪnˈkwaɪr/)

QU does not always result in a /kw/ sound, though; sometimes it is simply a hard /k/, such as:

  • antique (/ænˈtik/)
  • bouquet (/buˈkeɪ/)
  • conquer (/ˈkɑŋkər/)
  • liquor (/ˈlɪkər/)
  • mosquito (/məsˈkitoʊ/)

Finally, there are a handful of words in which Q is not followed by a U, but nearly all of them come from other languages, such as Iraq, burqa, or qabab (usually written in English as kebab).

R r

The consonant sound for the letter R (pronounced “ar,” IPA: /ɑr/) is formed by narrowing the airway at the back of the throat as air is pushed through and the vocal cords are engaged (making it a voiced speech sound). The IPA transcription for the sound is the same character as the letter: /r/.

R always produces the same speech sound, which can appear anywhere in a word. For example:

  • right (/raɪt/)
  • roll (/roʊl/)
  • read (/rid/)
  • art (/ɑrt/)
  • pork (/pɔrk/)
  • care (/kɛr/)
  • tar (/tɑr/)
  • endure (/ɪnˈdʊr/)
  • error (/ˈɛrər/)

It’s important to mention that R often has the effect of altering the sound of a vowel that comes before it. To learn more about this, go to the section on Vowels.

S s

The consonant S (pronounced “ess,” IPA: /ɛs/) has four different pronunciations, depending on the word it appears in. We’ll briefly cover each sound here, but go to the section Pronouncing the Letter S to learn more.

Producing the /s/ sound

The primary sound associated with the letter S is the same as a soft C, transcribed in IPA as /s/. It is made by forcing air between the tongue and the roof of the mouth and out past the teeth. This is known as a sibilant speech sound, meaning it produces a hissing effect. The vocal cords are not engaged to produce a sound, so this is an unvoiced speech sound.

The /s/ sound can be made whether S is at the beginning, middle, or end of a word. For example:

  • sand (/sænd/)
  • see (/si/)
  • soft (/sɑft/)
  • assent (/əˈsɛnt/)
  • basic (/ˈbeɪsɪk/)
  • persuade (/pərˈsweɪd/)
  • gas (/gæs/)
  • this (/ðɪs/)
  • tapes (/teɪps/)

However, when S appears in the middle or at the end of a word, it can also often make the sound /z/.

Producing the /z/ sound

S also often makes the same sound as the letter Z, transcribed in IPA as /z/. The sound is formed the same way as /s/, but it is voiced, meaning the vocal cords are engaged while making the sound.

S only produces the /z/ sound when it appears in the middle or at the end of certain words (it does not create this sound at the beginning of a word). For example:

  • desert (/ˈdɛzɜrt/)
  • easy (/ˈizi/)
  • president (/ˈprɛzɪdənt/)
  • has (/hæz/)
  • goes (/goʊz/)
  • toys (/tɔɪz/)

Producing the /ʃ/ sound

S most commonly produces the /ʃ/ sound in the digraph SH, but it can also occur when S appears on its own. The sound is made by forming a narrow passageway with the sides of the tongue against the top teeth and then forcing air through partly open lips. Like the /s/ sound, it is unvoiced, meaning the vocal cords do not vibrate.

Generally speaking, S produces the /ʃ/ sound when it appears after a consonant and is followed by the letter I and another vowel; it is also sometimes formed when S is followed by the letter U. For example:

  • controversial (/ˌkɑntrəˈvɜrʃəl/)
  • tension (/ˌkɑntrəˈvɜrʃəl/)
  • obsession (/ˌkɑntrəˈvɜrʃəl/)
  • issue (/ˈɪʃu/)
  • pressure (/ˈprɛʃər/)
  • sugar (/ˈʃʊgər/)
  • sure (/ˈʃʊr/)

Producing the /ʒ/ sound

S also forms another sound when it is used in combination with certain vowels. It is the same sound used for GE in certain foreign loanwords (such as beige or garage), and the IPA transcription is /ʒ/. The sound is formed in the same way as /ʃ/ except that it is voiced, meaning a sound is made with the vocal cords while air is being pushed through the mouth.

The /ʒ/ sound is most often pronounced when S appears after a vowel and is followed by UAL, URE, or ION. For example:

SUAL

SURE

SION

usual

(/ˈjuʒuəl/)

casual

(/ˈkæʒəwəl/)

visual

(/ˈvɪʒəwəl/)

exposure

(/ɪkˈspoʊʒər/)

leisure

(/ˈliʒər/)

measure

(/ˈmɛʒər/)

collision

(/kəˈliʒən/)

division

(/dɪˈvɪʒən/)

illusion

(/ɪˈluʒən/)

T t

The consonant sound for the letter T (pronounced “tee,” IPA: /ti/) is produced by pressing the tip of the tongue against the roof of the mouth and then forcing air through. No sound is made with the vocal cords, making it an unvoiced speech sound. The IPA transcription for this sound is the same as the letter: /t/.

On its own, T can produce the speech sound /t/ anywhere in a word. For example:

  • tap (/tæp/)
  • toll (/toʊl/)
  • trunk (/trʌŋk/)
  • banter (/bæntər/)
  • retire (/rɪˈtaɪr/)
  • attribute (/ˈætrəˌbjut/)
  • apt (/æpt/)
  • react (/riˈækt/)
  • sat (/sæt/)

Producing the /ʃ/ sound

The letter T can also form the /ʃ/ (SH) sound when it is followed by IAL, IEN, or (most commonly) ION. These combinations are usually preceded by a vowel, but they sometimes come after consonants too. For example:

TIAL

TIEN

TION

initial

(/ɪˈnɪʃəl/)

partial

(/ˈpɑrʃəl/)

spatial

(/ˈspeɪʃəl/)

patient

(/ˈpeɪʃənt/)

patience

(/ˈpeɪʃəns/)

education

(/ˌɛʤjuˈkeɪʃən/)

rational

(/ˈræʃənəl/)

mention

(/ˈmɛnʃən/)

action

(/ˈækʃən/)

function

(/ˈfʌŋkʃən/)

Producing the /ʧ/ sound

While T usually produces the /ʃ/ sound when it is followed by a vowel, it can sometimes produce the /ʧ/ sound as well. This sound (most commonly associated with the digraphs CH) is made by first stopping airflow by pressing the tongue against the roof of the mouth and then forcing air through a narrow gap between the two. It is formed the same way as the J sound (transcribed as /ʤ/), except that it is unvoiced, meaning the vocal chords are not vibrated.

T most commonly produces the /ʧ/ sound when it is followed by U, but it can also occur when TI follows the letter S. For example:

TU

TI

adventure

(/ædˈvɛnʧər/)

century

(/ˈsɛnʧəri/)

eventually

(/ɪˈvɛnʧəwəli/)

fortune

(/ˈfɔrʧən/)

future

(/ˈfjuʧər/)

picture

(/ˈpɪkʧər/)

nature

(/ˈneɪʧər/)

situation

(/ˌsɪʧuˈeɪʃən)

bastion

(/ˈbæsʧən/)

Christian

(/ˈkrɪsʧən/)

congestion

(/kənˈʤɛsʧən/)

digestion

(/daɪˈʤɛsʧən/)

exhaustion

(/ɪgˈzɑsʧən/)

question

(/ˈkwɛsʧən/)

suggestion

(/səˈʤɛsʧən/)

Pronouncing equation and righteous

Uniquely, the word equation is pronounced /ɪˈkweɪʒən/; it is the only instance in which TI produces a /ʒ/ sound rather than /ʃ/ or /ʧ/.

Another time T creates a unique pronunciation is in the word righteous (pronounced /ˈraɪʧəs/), which the only instance in which TE produces the /ʧ/ sound.

These pronunciations also carry over to words derived from them, as in equational (/ɪˈkweɪʒənəl/) or righteousness (/ˈraɪʧəsnəs/).

Silent T

Occasionally, the letter T becomes silent in a word. This occurs in some words when T comes after the letter S and is followed by a schwa (/ə/), as in:

  • apostle (/əˈpɑsəl/)
  • castle (/ˈkæsəl/)
  • nestle (/ˈnɛsəl/)
  • pestle (/ˈpɛsəl/)*
  • thistle (/ˈθɪsəl/)
  • whistle (/ˈwɪsəl/)
  • wrestle (/ˈrɛsəl/)
  • christen (/ˈkrɪsən/)
  • fasten (/ˈfæsən/)
  • glisten (/ˈglɪsən/)
  • hasten (/ˈheɪsən/)
  • listen (/ˈlɪsən/)
  • moisten (/ˈmɔɪsən/)
  • Christmas (/ˈkrɪsməs/)

In a few words, silent T also occurs with other consonant combinations. For example:

  • mortgage (/ˈmɔrgəʤ/)
  • often (/ˈɔfən/)*
  • soften (/ˈsɔfən/)

Finally, certain loanwords that come from French maintain a silent T at the end of the word. For instance:

  • ballet (/bæˈleɪ/)
  • bouquet (/buˈkeɪ/)
  • gourmet (/gʊərˈmeɪ/)
  • valet (/væˈleɪ/)

(*Depending on regional dialect or personal preference, the T is sometimes pronounced in pestle [/ˈpɛstəl/] and often [/ˈɔftən/].)

V v

The letter V (pronounced “vee,” IPA: /vi/) always* produces the same speech sound, transcribed in IPA as /v/. This sound is formed the same way as the letter F—by pressing the front top teeth against the lower lip as air is expelled through the mouth—except that the vocal cords are engaged, making it a voiced speech sound.

V forms this sound regardless of where it appears in a word. It can appear at the beginning or in the middle of a word; it is usually not the last letter of a word, almost always being followed by E. For example:

  • vast (/væst/)
  • very (/ˈvɛri/)
  • voice (/vɔɪs/)
  • advertise (/ˈædvərˌtaɪz/)
  • invitation (/ˌɪnvɪˈteɪʃən/)
  • subversion (/səbˈvɜrʒən/)
  • have (/hæv/)
  • give (/gɪv/)
  • nerve (/nɜrv/)

*have to

In standard pronunciation, V always produces the /v/ speech sound. However, it is sometimes pronounced as an /f/ in the phrase have to, especially colloquially. So while the pronunciation /hæv tʊ/ would be considered standard, /hæf tʊ/ is also fairly common.

W w

As a distinct consonant, the letter W (“double U,” pronounced “dubbel yuu,” IPA: /ˈdʌbəlju/) creates a voiced speech sound, formed by constricting the entire mouth and pursing the lips into a narrow gap while the vocal cords are vibrated. It is transcribed in IPA as /w/.

This consonant sound may appear at the beginning or in the middle of a word, generally when W is followed by a vowel. For example:

  • way (/weɪ/)
  • wire (/waɪər/)
  • work (/wɜrk/)
  • awake (/əˈweɪk/)
  • between (/bɪˈtwin/)
  • otherwise (/ˈʌðərˌwaɪz/)

Silent W with consonants

In some consonant combinations, W is not pronounced at all. This occurs in some words beginning with WH when it is followed by O, as in:

  • who (/hu/)
  • whole (/hoʊl/)
  • whom (/hum/)
  • whose (/huz/)

W also becomes silent in most words that begin WR. For instance:

  • wrap (/ræp/)
  • wreck (/rɛk/)
  • wrestle (/ˈrɛsəl/)
  • wrist (/rɪst/)
  • write (/raɪt/)
  • wrong (/rɔŋ/)
  • wrung (/rʌŋ/)

Finally, there are three words in which W is silent after another consonant:

  • answer (/ˈænsər/)
  • sword (/sɔrd/)
  • two (/tu/)

Silent W after vowels

When W follows the vowels A, E, or O and either ends the word or is followed by a consonant, it is no longer distinctly pronounced. Instead, it usually serves to alter the vowel or else elongate the sound into a diphthong. For example:

  • bow (/boʊ/ or /baʊ/)
  • drawl (/drɔl/)
  • fawn (/fɔn/)
  • flew (/flu/)
  • grow (/groʊ/)
  • strewn (/strun/)

In some cases, W can become silent between two vowels as well, as in:

  • coward (/ˈkaʊərd/)
  • jewel (/ˈʤuəl/)
  • flower (/ˈflaʊər/)

To learn more about how vowels change their sounds in different letter arrangements, go to the sections on Vowels, Diphthongs, and Triphthongs.

X x

The letter X (pronounced “ex,” IPA: /ɛks/) does not have a single, unique consonant sound associated with it; instead, it is usually formed from a combination of two other sounds. It almost always appears in the middle or at the end of a word (other than a few exceptions, which we’ll look at later).

Pronounced as /ks/

Most commonly, X is pronounced as a combination of the unvoiced sounds /k/ and /s/. For example:

  • axe (/æks/)
  • expert (/ˈɛkspərt/)
  • dexterity (/dɛksˈtɛrəti/)
  • galaxy (/ˈgæləksi/)
  • excellent (/ˈɛksələnt/)
  • box (/bɑks/)
  • fix (/fɪks/)
  • phoenix (/ˈfinɪks/)
  • index (/ˈɪndɛks/)

Pronounced as /gz/

When X appears before a stressed vowel sound (and almost always after the letter E) it becomes voiced as the combination of the sounds /g/ and /z/. For instance:

  • example (/ɪgˈzæmpəl/)
  • exact (/ɪgˈzækt/)
  • executive (/ɪgˈzɛkjətɪv/)
  • exist (/ɪgˈzɪst/)
  • exude (/ɪgˈzud/)
  • exotic (/ɪgˈzɑtɪk/)
  • exhaust (/ɪgˈzɑst/)
  • exhibit (/ɪgˈzɪbɪt/)

(Note that the H is silent in the last two of these examples.)

Pronounced as /kʃ/ or /gʒ/

In a few rare instances, X is pronounced as /kʃ/ instead of /ks/, as in:

  • anxious (/ˈæŋkʃəs/)
  • complexion (/kəmˈpɛkʃən/)
  • flexure (/ˈflɛkʃər/)
  • sexual (/ˈsɛkʃuəl/)

Even less commonly, X is pronounced as /gʒ/ instead of /gz/:

  • luxury (/ˈlʌgʒəri/)
  • luxurious (/ləgʒˈəriəs/)

Pronounced as /z/

X predominantly appears in the middle or at the end of words. However, it does appear as the first letter of a few words, in which case it usually has the same sound as the letter Z (IPA: /z/). For example:

  • xanthan (/ˈzænθən/)
  • xenolith (/ˈzɛnəlɪθ/)
  • xenophobia (/ˌzɛnəˈfoʊbiə/)
  • xerography (/zɪˈrɒgrəfi/)
  • xylophone (/ˈzaɪləˌfoʊn/)

Note that other than the rare words of which X is the first letter, X also has the /z/ pronunciation in one other word: anxiety (/æŋˈzaɪəti/).

Y y

The letter Y (pronounced “wye,” IPA: /waɪ/) is often referred to as a “semivowel” because it can act as either a vowel or a consonant, depending on where it appears in a word.

When it functions as a consonant, the speech sound for Y is formed by first pressing the sides of the tongue up to the roof of the mouth to form a narrow passageway, as air is pushed through and the vocal cords are vibrated; then, mid-sound, this passageway is widened with the tongue to let more air through at a time. Because the vocal cords are engaged, it is a voiced speech sound. In IPA transcription, it is written as /j/. (Do not confuse this symbol with the consonant letter J; they produce very different sounds.)

As a consonant, Y almost always appears at the beginning of a word. For example:

  • yacht (/jɑt/)
  • yank (/jæŋk/)
  • yard (/jɑrd/)
  • yearn (/jɜrn/)
  • yes (/jɛs/)
  • yet (/jɛt/)
  • yoga (/ˈjoʊgə/)
  • yoke (/joʊk/)
  • you (/ju/)
  • yuck (/jʌk/)
  • yummy (/ˈjʌmi/)

Much less commonly, Y can appear as a consonant in the middle of a word:

  • canyon (/ˈkænjən/)
  • lanyard (/ˈlænjərd/)
  • lawyer (/ˈlɔjər/)
  • pinyon (/ˈpɪnjən/)
  • unyielding (/ənˈjildɪŋ/)
  • vineyard (/ˈvɪnjərd/)

However, Y never appears at the end of a word as a consonant; it always functions as a vowel in that location. For more information on how Y behaves as a vowel, see the section on Vowels.

Z z

The letter Z (pronounced “zee,” IPA: /zi/, in American English and “zed,” IPA: /zɛd/, in British English) almost always produces the same consonant sound, transcribed in IPA as /z/. It is formed the same way as the sound /s/—by forcing air between the tongue and the roof of the mouth and out past the teeth—except that the vocal cords are vibrated to create sound, making /z/ a voiced speech sound.

Z most often appears in the middle of a word after a vowel. For example:

  • amazing (/əˈmeɪzɪŋ/)
  • Amazon (/ˈæməˌzɑn/)
  • bizarre (/bəˈzɑr/)
  • breeze (/briz/)
  • brazen (/ˈbreɪzən/)
  • citizen (/ˈsɪtəzən/)
  • emblazon (/ɛmˈbleɪzən/)
  • freezing (/frizɪŋ/)
  • size (/saɪz/)

Z also usually maintains the /z/ pronunciation if it is doubled in the middle of a word, as in:

  • blizzard (/ˈblɪzərd/)
  • dazzle (/ˈdæzəl/)
  • fuzzy (/ˈfʌzi/)
  • muzzle (/ˈmʌzəl/)
  • nozzle (/ˈnɑzəl/)
  • tizzy (/ˈtɪzi/)

Z can appear at the beginning or end of a word, but it is much less common. It is usually (but not always) doubled if it ends the word. For instance:

  • zig (/zɪg/)
  • zag (/zæg/)
  • zeal (/zil/)
  • zucchini (/zuˈkini/)
  • buzz (/bʌz/)
  • fizz (/fɪz/)
  • jazz (/jæz/)
  • topaz (/ˈtoʊˌpæz/)

Z can also appear after the letter T at the end of some words, but its pronunciation changes (which we’ll look at a little later).

“-ize” and “-ization”

Perhaps the most common use of Z is in the suffix “-ize” (which indicates a verb formed from a noun or adjective) and its derivative “-ization” (which indicates a noun formed from such a verb).* For example:

IZE

IZATION

realize

(/ˈriəˌlaɪz/)

specialize

(/ˈspɛʃəˌlaɪz/)

visualize

(/ˈvɪʒwəˌlaɪz/)

realization

(/ˈriələˈzeɪʃən/)

specialization

(/ˌspɛʃələˈzeɪʃən/)

visualization

(/ˌvɪʒwələˈzeɪʃən/)

(*In British English, these suffixes are more commonly spelled “-ise” and “-isation.”)

Producing the /s/ sound

In words in which Z appears after the letter T, it is pronounced /s/ rather than /z/. For example:

  • blitz (/blɪts/)
  • klutz (/klʌts/)
  • glitzy (/glɪtsi/)
  • pretzel (/ˈprɛtsəl/)
  • quartz (/kwɔrts/)
  • waltz (/wɔlts/)

Note that this /ts/ sound also occurs when Z is doubled in certain foreign loanwords, as in pizza (/ˈpitsə/), mozzarella (ˌmɑtsəˈrɛlə), and mezzo (/ˈmɛtsoʊ/).

Producing the /ʒ/ sound

Finally, there are two instances in which Z will be pronounced as /ʒ/ rather than /z/: azure (/ˈæʒər/) and seizure (/ˈsiʒər/).

Chapter Sub-sections

  • Consonant Digraphs
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