English Sounds & IPA
A detailed pronunciation reference covering consonants, vowels, diphthongs, articulation, common learner contrasts and practical listening/production work.
1. How consonants are described
Consonants are commonly described by voicing, place of articulation and manner of articulation.
| Dimension | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Voicing | Do the vocal folds vibrate? | /s/ voiceless vs /z/ voiced |
| Place | Where is airflow constricted? | /p b/ bilabial; /f v/ labiodental |
| Manner | How is airflow controlled? | plosive, fricative, affricate, nasal, approximant |
2. Plosives
/p b t d k g/
Plosives temporarily block airflow and then release it. English voiceless /p t k/ are often aspirated at the beginning of a stressed syllable: pin, ten, cat.
3. Fricatives and affricates
/f v θ ð s z ʃ ʒ h tʃ dʒ/
Fricatives create continuous friction. The dental sounds /θ ð/ require the tongue to approach or lightly contact the teeth. /tʃ dʒ/ begin like stops and release into friction.
4. Nasals and approximants
/m n ŋ l r j w/
/ŋ/ is the final sound in sing; many learners incorrectly add /g/. English /r/ is generally an approximant rather than a trill.
5. Short and long vowel contrasts
| Contrast | Examples | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| /iː/ vs /ɪ/ | sheep–ship; leave–live | quality + duration |
| /uː/ vs /ʊ/ | fool–full; Luke–look | quality + duration |
| /æ/ vs /ʌ/ | cap–cup; ran–run | jaw/tongue position |
| /ɒ/ vs /ɔː/ | cot–caught in accents preserving contrast | accent dependent |
6. Schwa /ə/
The central unstressed vowel
Schwa is extremely common in unstressed syllables: about, support, teacher in many accents. It is central to natural English rhythm because unstressed vowels often reduce.
7. Diphthongs
| IPA | Example |
|---|---|
| /eɪ/ | day |
| /aɪ/ | my |
| /ɔɪ/ | boy |
| /əʊ/ | go (common British notation) |
| /aʊ/ | now |
8. Common learner contrasts
Italian/Spanish-influenced English
Common areas can include /ɪ/–/iː/, /b/–/v/, /θ ð/, consonant clusters, final consonants and English /r/. Individual learners vary; diagnose rather than assume.
9. IPA reading practice
10. Production routine
- Hear the contrast.
- Identify articulatory difference.
- Produce isolated sound.
- Move to syllables and words.
- Use the sound in short phrases.
- Record and compare.
Source note
Original Corrigan School teaching material. Terminology and symbol conventions are cross-checked against the International Phonetic Association and established learner pronunciation references. Examples and exercises are newly written.