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It consists of 26 letters, with 44 sounds. Therefore, you need to clearly know how to pronounce this or that sound, because the sound of the same letter may differ. This happens according to a certain system; such pronunciation rules are universal. To know them means to know the language.

Correct pronunciation of vowels

Sounds English language can be divided into vowel sounds and consonant sounds. There are several rules for reading and pronouncing vowel sounds, such as E, A, Y, U, I, O.

To better remember and understand how to read the sounds of the English language correctly, a table with examples and transcription for convenience in Russian letters will help you quickly remember the reading rules.

• the type of pronunciation is associated with the presence of an open syllable in a word. Any syllable that ends with a vowel is considered open, including if the vowel is unreadable.
• type of pronunciation - consonant syllable.
• type of pronunciation - vowel with the letter “r”. The letter G determines the prolonged sound of the vowel, which is at the root of the word.
• reading type - 2 vowels and the letter G between them. In this case, the letter G is not readable. And vowels have a special pronunciation.

How to read consonants in English

The pronunciation of consonants in English also has its own characteristics. To understand how to correctly read the consonants of the English language, transcription in Russian letters will help you.

The letters sh are read as sh, ch as h, tch - h, ck - k, wh as uo (for example, what) or x (for example, xy), ng as n, q as kv, nk- as nc and wr as p , th is pronounced as with interdental vowels if they are at the beginning of a word, and as z in pronoun words, function words, between vowels.

Diphthongs in English: pronunciation rules

There are also vowel sounds that go together. They are called diphthongs and are pronounced according to special rules. Vowel sounds in English and their pronunciation often depend on whether they appear at the beginning, middle or end of a word.

The diphthong is pronounced "ay". Expressed in writing with the vowels "i" and "y" in open syllable with emphasis, the letter combination “ie” and “ye” at the end of the word, as well as “uy”, “eye”, “igh”.

i - line [line]
y - fly [fly]
ie - tie [tai]
ye - dye [give]
uy - guy [guy]
eye - eyebrow [eyebrov]
igh - knight [night]

[ɔɪ] is read like the Russian "oh". In writing it is expressed through "oi", "oy".

oi - noisy [noisy]
oy - annoy [enoy]
reads like "hey".

In writing it is represented by the letter "a" in the open stressed syllable, and letter combinations "ai", "ay", "ey", "ea", "ei".

a - save [save]
ai - main [main]
ay - tray [tray]
ey - gray [gray]
ea - great [great]
ei-eight

It's read as "ay". The sound "a" is longer than "u". In writing it is conveyed through the letter combinations “ow”, “ou”.

ow - town [town]
ou - pound [pound]

[əu] is read as the average between the sound combinations “ou” and “eu”. The letter contains the letter “o” in an open stressed syllable, and letter combinations “ow”, “ou”, “oa”, “o+ld”, “o+ll”

o - bone [bone]
ow - snow [snow]
ou - soul [soul]
oa - coat [coat]
old - cold [cold]
oll - roller [roller]

[ɪə] is read as “ee”, “i” is long, and “e” is short. In writing it is conveyed by the letter combinations “ear”, “eer”, “ere”, “ier”.

ear - gear [gie]
eer - deer [die]
ere - severe [sivie]
ier - fierce [fies]

[ɛə] is read "ea" or "ee". The sound is a clear “e” and an intermediate between “e” and “a”. In writing it is conveyed using the letter combinations “are”, “ear”, “air”.

are - care [kee]
Bear - bear [bae]]
air - repair [repeer]]

It is read as "ue", while the "u" is longer than the "e". It is expressed using the letters "ue", "ure", "ou+r".

ue - cruel [cruel]
ure - sure [shue]
our - tour [tuer]]

Combination of vowels and consonants

In the English language, there is such a pattern when certain vowels are combined with consonants. For example, the combination al, if it is before the letter k, and after it there are other consonants. The combination of letters wo, if the previous syllable has consonants. Wa - if this combination comes before vowels at the end, the exception is r or if it is combined with consonants, for example, warm. We have already described the combination igh among diphthongs, as well as the combination qua, if it is found before consonants other than r.

And go through listening exercises. You will only listen to the correct pronunciation of real American English!

The phonetics of the English language is so complex and interesting that we have devoted more than one article to it. Here you can find, and here you will find English words. General information is described in this article, but today we want to talk about how English sounds are pronounced correctly. English transcription and a convenient table of English sounds with pronunciation will help us with this.

Why does the pronunciation of English sounds raise so many questions? Primarily due to the discrepancy in the number of letters and sounds in the English language. There are almost half as many letters in the English alphabet (26 letters and 48 sounds). Consequently, the pronunciation of sounds cannot be correlated each with its own letter. Hence the confusion. More precisely, certain conditions that allow one to master English pronunciation Right.

What determines the pronunciation of English sounds?

As long as we read “to ourselves,” that is, silently, we will not be able to recognize the sound English words. Only pronunciation out loud allows you to cope with practical phonetics. But in practice, the sounds of the English language and their pronunciation directly depend on the so-called articulation. That is, on how we use the organs of speech.

The organs of speech, or the articulatory apparatus, are the larynx, tongue (tip of the tongue, anterior part of the tongue, middle part and the back of the tongue with the root), soft and hard palate, teeth of the upper and lower jaws, lips, nasopharynx. The whole system organs involved in the creation of speech and voice sounds.

To pronounce all sounds correctly, you need to use all organs of articulation. Moreover, different sounds require different organs. For example, to pronounce voiceless consonant sounds, the vocal cords are not tense and are spread apart. But for vowels and voiced consonants, you need to tense your vocal cords and literally make them vibrate. Of course, this is not done consciously. Correct pronunciation of sounds itself “turns on” certain parts of the articulatory apparatus. But for correct English pronunciation it is useful to know exactly how sounds appear.

Pronunciation of vowel sounds and their types in English

There are two types of vowel sounds in English:

1. Monophthongs- these are vowel sounds, during the pronunciation of which the articulation does not change throughout the entire period of sound. Example of a monophthong: [ɔː].
2. Diphthongs- These are vowel sounds consisting of two components. When pronouncing a diphthong, the speech organs first take one position to pronounce the first component, and then change position to pronounce the second component. The first component is called the diphthong nucleus and is longer and more distinct. The second component of the diphthong sounds shorter and gives the sound a certain “shade” of sound. Diphthong example: .

Consonant sounds are divided into more varieties:

1) Labial consonants:

labiolabials are articulated with both lips: [w], [m], [p], [b]

labiodental are pronounced with the lower lip and upper teeth: [f], [v].

2) Forelingual consonants:

interdental, when the surface of the front part of the tongue forms an incomplete barrier with the upper teeth: [θ], [ð]

apical-alveolar, leading edge tongue raised to the alveolar arch: [t], [d], [n], [l], [s], [z], [∫], [ʒ], ,

kakuminal-zaalveolar, the anterior edge of the tongue is raised upward and slightly curved towards the posterior slope of the alveoli: [r].

3) Middle language consonants, the barrier is formed by raising the middle part of the tongue to the hard palate: [j].

4) Rear lingual consonants that are articulated by raising the back of the tongue to the soft palate: [k], [g], [ŋ].

5) Laryngeal the only consonant in English is [h].

6) Stops consonants: [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g], [m], [n], [ŋ], , .

7) Slotted consonants: [f], [v], [θ], [ð], [s], [z], [∫], [ʒ], [h], [w], [l], [r], [j].

8) Stops noisy consonants:

explosive, when the complete obstruction opens, air leaves the oral cavity, producing an explosion noise: [p], [b], [t], [d], [k], [g]

affricates, when the opening of the speech organs, forming a complete obstruction, occurs smoothly: , .

9) Fricatives consonants: [f], [v], [θ], [ð], [s], [z], [∫], [ʒ], [h].

10) Nasals sonants, a complete obstruction is formed in the oral cavity, the soft palate descends, and air exits through the nasal cavity: [m], [n], [ŋ].

11) Oral sonants: [w], [r], [j], [l].

English sounds and their pronunciation

Reading aloud and pronouncing English sounds is the best, if not the only, way to get rid of a Russian accent in colloquial speech. And for beginners learning English, this is an opportunity to immediately remember how to pronounce sounds in English correctly. All of them are collected in tables of English sounds with pronunciation:

English vowel sounds. English Vowel Sounds
Sound	Description	Example words
iː	Long vowel sound. When pronouncing a sound, the tongue is in the front of the mouth. The tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth. The middle part of the tongue is raised high to the hard palate. The lips are somewhat stretched.	feel read
	Short vowel sound. When pronouncing the sound [ɪ], the tongue is in the front of the mouth. The middle part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate, but not as high as when pronouncing the Russian sound [i]. The tip of the tongue is at the lower teeth, the lips are slightly stretched.	unit wind
	Short vowel sound. Pronounced with a slight rounding of the lips. When pronouncing the sound [ʊ], the tongue is in the back of the mouth, but not very far. The back of the back of the tongue is raised to the front of the soft palate, but not as high as when pronouncing the Russian sound [у]. The lips are slightly rounded, but hardly move forward.	put look
	Long vowel sound. When pronouncing a sound, the tongue is at the back of the mouth. The back of the tongue is significantly raised. The lips are rounded, but slightly. Towards the end of pronouncing the sound, the lips become more rounded.	noon blue
	Short vowel sound. When pronouncing the vowel sound [e], the tongue is in the front of the mouth. The tip of the tongue is at the base of the lower teeth, the middle part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate. The lips are slightly stretched. When pronouncing the sound [e], you should not lower your lower jaw.	bed desk
	Short neutral vowel sound. This sound is always unstressed, so it is very easily influenced by neighboring sounds. When pronouncing the sound [ə] at the beginning or middle of words, the entire tongue is slightly raised. The sound [ə] should not be similar to the Russian sounds [e], [a] or [s].	again under
	Long vowel sound. When pronouncing the sound [ɜː], the tongue is raised, the back of the tongue lies flat. The tip of the tongue is located at the lower teeth. The teeth are slightly exposed, the distance between the upper and lower teeth is small. The lips are tense and slightly stretched.	work burn
	Long vowel sound. When pronouncing the sound [ɔː], the tongue is in the back of the mouth. The back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate. The lips are slightly pushed forward and significantly rounded.	small morning
	Semi-long vowel sound. When pronouncing the sound [æ], the mouth is quite wide open, the tongue is in the front of the oral cavity, lies flat in the mouth, and its middle part is slightly raised. The tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth. The lips are somewhat stretched, and the corners of the lips are slightly pulled to the sides. There is no such sound in the Russian language.	bad exam
	Short vowel sound. When pronouncing the sound [ʌ], the mouth is half-open, the lips are neutral, the tongue is slightly moved back. The back of the tongue is slightly raised.	nut cut
	Long vowel sound. When pronouncing the sound [ɑː], the tongue is in the back of the mouth. The back of the tongue is slightly raised. The tip of the tongue is pulled away from the lower teeth, the lips are neutral, that is, not stretched or pushed forward. You should not open your mouth wide.	dark are
	Short vowel sound. When pronouncing the sound [ɒ], the tongue is in the back of the mouth. The back of the tongue is slightly raised. The mouth is wide open, lips are rounded.	not wash

The length of vowel sounds, which is indicated by a colon in transcription, is very important. If you do not take into account the duration of vowels, you can confuse the meaning of words. For example: the short sound ship [ʃɪp] - ship and the long sound sheep [ʃiːp] - ram.

English diphthongs. English Diphthongs
Sound	Description	Example words
ɪə	Diphthong. The core is the vowel sound [ɪ]. After pronouncing the sound [ɪ], the tongue moves towards the center in the direction of the neutral vowel [ə], which has a connotation of the sound [ʌ].	real beer
	The core of a diphthong is the vowel sound [e]. After pronouncing [e], the tongue makes a slight upward movement in the direction of the sound [ɪ], but without achieving its full formation.	say table
	The core of a diphthong is the vowel sound [ʊ]. After pronouncing the sound [ʊ], the tongue moves towards the center in the direction of the neutral vowel [ə], which has a connotation of the sound [ʌ].	tour jury
	The core of a diphthong is a vowel, which is a sound intermediate between [ɒ] and [ɔː]. After pronouncing the first element of the diphthong, the tongue moves in the direction of the vowel sound [ɪ].	boy noise
	The diphthong core is close in sound to the vowel sound [ɜː], after pronouncing which the tongue makes a slight upward movement and moves back in the direction of the vowel sound [ʊ]. At the beginning of the pronunciation of the diphthong, the lips are slightly rounded, then gradually the lips are rounded even more.	coat flow
	The core of the diphthong is a vowel, similar to the Russian sound [e] in the word this, after the pronunciation of which the tongue moves in the direction of the neutral vowel [ə] with a hint of the sound [ʌ].	where their
	The core of the diphthong is a vowel, similar to the Russian sound [a] in the word tea, when pronounced the tongue is in the front of the mouth and lies flat. The tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth, the lips are slightly stretched. After pronouncing the first element of the diphthong, the tongue moves upward in the direction of the sound [ɪ].	five my
	The core of the diphthong is a vowel, similar to the Russian sound [a] in the word tea, when pronounced the tongue is in the front of the mouth and lies flat. The tip of the tongue touches the lower teeth, the lips are slightly stretched. After pronouncing the first element of the diphthong, the tongue moves back in the direction of the sound [ʊ], which should be very weak.	how cloud

Pronunciation of consonants in English

If you have noticed that the intonations of the English language are more energetic compared to Russian, then this fully applies to English words. And that means sounds. English consonants are pronounced energetically, with large impulses and energy expenditure. Keep this in mind when reading tables of English consonant sounds with pronunciation:

English consonant sounds. English Consonant Sounds
Sound	Description	Example word
	Voiced consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [b], the lips first close and then immediately open, and the air escapes through the oral cavity.
	Voiced consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [d], the tip of the tongue is pressed against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), forming a complete barrier. A jet of air with an explosion opens this barrier.
	Voiced consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [ʒ], the tip of the tongue is at the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), and the middle part of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate.
	Voiced consonant sound. When pronouncing a sound, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), at the same time the middle part of the tongue rises to the hard palate. Gradually, the tip of the tongue moves away from the alveoli. The sound is pronounced similar, but loudly, with a voice.
	Voiced consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [ɡ], the back of the back of the tongue touches the soft palate, forming a complete barrier. A jet of air with an explosion opens this barrier.
	Voiced consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [v], the lower lip is slightly pressed to upper teeth, and a stream of exhaled air passes into the gap between them.
	Voiced interdental consonant sound. To pronounce the sound [ð] correctly, you need to place the tip of your tongue between your teeth. The tongue should be flat and not tense, and the teeth should be exposed. The tip of the tongue forms a small gap between the teeth, and you need to exhale air into this gap.
	Voiced consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [z], the tip of the tongue is against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth). A stream of air with friction passes through the groove formed between the anterior back of the tongue and the alveoli.
	Voiceless consonant. When pronouncing the sound [p], the lips first close and then instantly open, and the air escapes through the oral cavity.
	Voiceless consonant. When pronouncing a dull sound [t], the tip of the tongue is pressed against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), forming a complete barrier. A jet of air with an explosion opens this barrier.
	Voiceless consonant. When pronouncing the sound [ʃ], the tip of the tongue is at the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), and the middle part of the tongue is raised towards the hard palate.
	Voiceless consonant. When pronouncing a sound, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), at the same time the middle part of the tongue rises to the hard palate. Gradually, the tip of the tongue moves away from the alveoli.
	Voiceless consonant. When pronouncing the sound [k], the back of the tongue touches the soft palate, forming a complete barrier. A jet of air with an explosion opens this barrier.
	Voiceless consonant. When pronouncing the sound [f], the lower lip is slightly pressed against the upper teeth, and a stream of exhaled air passes into the gap between them.
	Voiceless interdental consonant. To pronounce the sound [θ] correctly, you need to place the tip of your tongue between your teeth. The tongue should be flat and not tense, and the teeth should be exposed. The tip of the tongue forms a small gap between the teeth, and you need to exhale air into this gap.
	Voiceless consonant. When pronouncing the sound [s], the tip of the tongue is against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth). A stream of air with friction passes through the groove formed between the anterior back of the tongue and the alveoli.
	Labialial consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [m], the lips are closed, the soft palate is lowered, and a stream of air passes through the nasal cavity.
	Nasal consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [n], the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), the soft palate is lowered, and air passes through the nasal cavity.
	Nasal consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [ŋ], the back of the tongue touches the soft palate, the soft palate is lowered, and air passes through the nasal cavity.
	Voiceless consonant. The sound [h] is formed without the participation of the tongue, and at the moment of its pronunciation the tongue takes the position for the subsequent vowel.
	Consonant. When pronouncing the sound [l], the tip of the tongue is pressed against the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth), but the lateral edges of the tongue are lowered, forming a passage for a stream of air.
	Consonant. When pronouncing the sound [r], the tip of the tongue is raised to the posterior slope of the alveoli (small tubercles behind the upper teeth). The tip of the tongue should be kept tense and motionless.
	Labialial consonant sound. When pronouncing the sound [w], the lips are strongly rounded and moved forward, forming a round slit. The back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate. Then instantly the tongue and lips move into position to pronounce the next vowel.
	Consonant. When pronouncing the sound [j], the middle part of the tongue is raised to the hard palate, but not as high as when pronouncing Russian [th]. The edges of the tongue are pressed against the upper teeth, forming a passage for air along the middle of the tongue.

All these subtleties may seem complicated only in theory. In practice, the position of the tongue and lips is memorized after several repetitions. A best exercises to practice pronunciation of English sounds - this is also practice. Listen to the speech of native speakers, high-quality audiobooks (by the way, this is an excellent one) and try to repeat the pronunciation of words.

You should always pay attention to the nuances of sound, because in learning English there are no minor details, every detail is important. But this approach will give the desired result: correct English pronunciation of sounds and words, and as a result - clear speech without an accent.

Did you know that english alphabet consists of 26 letters and 46 different sounds? The same letter can convey several sounds at the same time. Just don't panic! We'll tell you how easy it is to remember English sounds without boring tables and cramming.

As a rule, in class English child maintains a separate dictionary, in which the pages are divided into three columns: “word”, “transcription”, “translation”. New words are written down there, which you then need to learn. And if everything is clear with the “word” and “translation” columns, then with “transcription” there are often difficulties.

What is transcription? This is a kind of instruction on how to read a word. It is usually written in square brackets. For example: . The characters that are inside the square brackets are the sounds of the English language. One character = one sound. Only these symbols do not always look like letters of the alphabet . Let's look at the English sounds that are most difficult for a child and how to learn them:

We select associations

It's no secret that complex things are easier to remember using the method of associations. This rule works especially well for children.

ʊ - short [y] - very similar to the icon "horseshoe"
æ - wide [e] - open your mouth wide and say “e”. We call this symbol "bug icon" 🐞
ŋ - [ny] - a funny sound that is similar to how the Baby Elephant spoke in the cartoon “38 Parrots” 🐘. You need to say “n”, but a little “on the nose”, like you have a runny nose. Try holding your nose with your fingers, opening your mouth slightly and saying “n.” Did it work?

ð - interdental [z]
θ - interdental [s]

To remember this pair of sounds, you can tell your child a whole fairy tale: “Once upon a time there lived a little bunny (our tongue). But he was very timid, so he sat in the hole (in his mouth) all the time. But one day he dared to stick the very tip of his nose out of the hole (put the tip of the tongue between the teeth). At first he said quietly [θ], and then loudly [ð].

s, d, n, t- [s], [d], [n], [t] - remember the episode of “Jumble” about English pronunciation? “You need to talk as if there is a hot potato in your mouth,” is the best explanation for the baby. When you make these sounds the tongue touches the hard palate and alveoli, a little further than in Russian.
r- [r] - the English “r” is not like ours. In Russian, the tongue seems to tremble in the mouth. In English, language "wraps up" tip back towards the soft palate.
w- [у]/[в] - there is no such sound in the Russian language either. First we stretch out our lips, trying to say “y”, but then our lips should seem "spring", without closing and returning to a smile. Remember how you say “Wow!”
e- narrow [e] - similar to the Russian “e” without the “y”. When pronouncing, we open our mouth quite a bit.
ə - dull [e] - dull, slightly “compressed” sound, very short and almost indistinguishable. When you say the word "m" O loko", then you pronounce this sound in place of the first “o”. The symbol is called funny– "schwa".
ɜ - middle [e] - reads like the letter e in the word “ice”.
j- [th] - very important don't be confused with the letter Jj (“jay”)! In transcription, this symbol means something completely different from the letter.

To make things even easier, we drew the basic symbols English transcription with appropriate sounds of the Russian language.

Advice site: Tell your child that he copes with sounds brilliantly. After all, at this stage, the baby should feel relaxed and not hesitate to experiment. Otherwise, the child will think that he looks funny and will refuse to continue classes.

If home lessons do not bring the desired results, come to us. Teachers of the site will always find an easy way to even the most complex knowledge 📚 free!

In the English (British) pronunciation system there are 44 sounds, which are divided into 24 consonants and 20 vowels, including 8 diphthongs. The following table shows individual English sounds and their corresponding English transcription signs, as well as examples of words in which they are pronounced.

Table of sounds of the English language:

Consonants
[ f ] five	[ d ] do	[ v ] very	[ k ] key
[ θ ] thick	[ g ] gas	[ ð ] this	[ tʃ ] chin
[ s ] so	[ dʒ ] Jim	[ z ] zoo	[ m ] mother
[ ʃ ] ship	[ n ] no	[ ʒ ] pleasure	[ ŋ ] long
[ h ] horse	[ l ] less	[ p ] park	[ r ] river
[ b ] book	[ j ] yellow	[ t ] tea	[ w ] white
Vowel monophthongs
[ i: ] eat	[ ə ] paper	[ i ] it	[ ʌ ] cup
[ e ] pen	[ ʊ ] cook	[ æ ] bad	[ u: ] school
[ a: ] art	[ ɜ: ] girl	[ ɒ ] box	[ ɔ: ] all
Vowel diphthongs
[ ai ] like	[ eə ] air	[ aʊ ] house	[ ʊə ] poor
[ ɔi ] boy	[ əʊ ] home	[ ei ] lake	[ iə ] ear

Classification of English sounds

According to the mechanics of education, English sounds are primarily divided into vowels And consonants phonemes. Pronunciation of vowel sounds involves active vibration vocal cords and free passage of exhaled air through all speech organs. Consonant sounds, on the contrary, are formed by overcoming various obstacles, cracks and passages, formed by muscles voice apparatus when the air stream exits.

Let us consider in more detail the classification of sounds of the English language according to individual signs of articulation (the position of the speech organs when pronouncing sounds) and their comparison with Russian sounds.

Consonant sounds of English

When pronouncing consonant sounds, the air encounters various obstacles on its way, formed by the active organs of speech: tongue, lips, teeth and alveoli.

If the organs of speech close so that they completely block the passage for air, then we pronounce stop consonant. Such consonants are also called explosive, because when the speech organs open, a small explosion is heard.

[ p ] , [ b ] , [ t ] , [ d ] , [ k ] , [ g ]
English stop plosives

[ n ], [ b ], [ T ], [ d ], [ To ], [ G ]
stop plosives Russian sounds

If air passes out through the nasal cavity, then such closing sounds are called nasal.

[ n ] , [ m ] , [ ŋ ]
English nasal stop sounds

[ n ], [ m ]
Russian nasal stop sounds

If the organs of speech do not close completely, but leave a narrow passage - a gap for air, then we pronounce slotted consonant.

[ θ ] , [ ð ] , [ ʃ ] , [ ʒ ] , [ s ] , [ z ] , [ h ] , [ f ] , [ v ] , [ w ] , [ r ] , [ j ] , [ l ]
English fricative sounds

[ With ], [ h ], [ f ], [ V ], [ w ], [ sch ], [ and ], [ l ]
Russian slot sounds

Among the consonants there are octopus-frictional sounds. They are called so because the opening of the barrier occurs slowly; the complete obstruction becomes a gap.

[ tʃ ] , [ dʒ ]
English stop-friction sounds

[ ts ], [ h ]
Russian stop-friction sounds

An obstacle to the path of exhaled air can be formed by various speech organs. If the lower lip gets closer to the upper lip, then labiolabial consonants.

[ p ] , [ b ] , [ m ] , [ w ]
labialial English sounds

[ n ], [ b ], [ m ]
labial Russian sounds

If the lower lip touches the upper teeth, then such consonants are called labiodental.

[ f ] , [ v ]
labiodental English sounds

[ f ], [ V ]
labiodental Russian sounds

If the tip of the tongue is between the lower and upper front teeth, then it is pronounced interdental consonant. There are no such sounds in the Russian language.

[ θ ] , [ ð ]
interdental English sounds

Russian consonants [ T ], [ d ], [ n ], [ l ] - dental, since the end of the tongue rises to the inner surface of the upper teeth. English consonants [ t ] , [ d ] , [ n ] , [ l ] , [ ŋ ] - alveolar, as the tip of the tongue touches or rises to the alveoli.

[ k ] , [ p ] , [ s ] , [ t ] , [ f ] , [ h ] , [ tʃ ] , [ ʃ ] , [ θ ]
voiceless consonants of English

[ To ], [ n ], [ With ], [ T ], [ f ], [ X ], [ h ], [ w ], [ sch ]
voiceless consonants of the Russian language

[ b ] , [ v ] , [ g ] , [ d ] , [ z ] , [ l ] , [ m ] , [ n ] , [ r ] , [ ʒ ] , [ dʒ ] , [ ð ]
voiced consonants in English

[ b ], [ V ], [ G ], [ d ], [ and ], [ h ], [ l ], [ m ], [ n ], [ r ], [ ts ]
voiced consonants of the Russian language

Vowel sounds of English

To classify English vowel sounds, we consider various provisions tongue relative to the hard palate, as well as what part of the tongue is involved in articulation and how high the back of the tongue rises to the hard palate.

Distinguish front vowel sounds when the tip of the tongue rests against the base of the lower teeth, and the back of the tongue comes quite close to the hard palate: English vowel [ i:] and Russian [ And ].

If the tongue is pulled back and the tip of the tongue is lowered, and the back of the tongue is raised towards the soft palate, we pronounce back vowel sounds: English sound [ a:] and Russian sounds [ O ], [ at ].

By the position of the lips they distinguish rounded And unrounded vowel sounds. For example, when pronouncing the Russian sound [ at] lips round and move forward: [ at] is a rounded vowel. When pronouncing [ And] lips are slightly stretched, but not pushed forward: sound [ And] - unrounded vowel.

The quality of the vowel depends on the tension of the muscles of the speech organs: the more tense the articulation, the clearer and brighter the sound. Accordingly, vowels are distinguished tense And relaxed. For example, the English vowel sound [ i:] is pronounced with more tension than [ i ] .

Pronunciation of English sounds

By looking at the contents of our English phonetics guide, for each of the English sounds you will find detailed description features of its pronunciation and articulation, methods of transmission in writing and examples of sound, as well as comparisons with other sounds and their Russian analogues.

Transcription- this is a written representation of the sounds of a language using special signs, with the goal of accurately conveying pronunciation. International transcription is used as the main one. With its help, you can record the sound of any word, regardless of whether it belongs to any language.

International Phonetic Alphabet(English) International Phonetic Alphabet, abbr. IPA; fr. Alphabet telephonique international, abbr. API) - a system of characters for recording transcription based on the Latin alphabet. Developed and maintained by the International Phonetic Association IPA. Symbols for the IPA were chosen to be harmonious with the Latin alphabet. Therefore, most of the characters are Latin letters and greek alphabets or modifications thereof. Many British dictionaries, including educational dictionaries, such as Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary And Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary, now use the international phonetic alphabet to convey the pronunciation of words. However, most American publications (and some British ones) use their own notation, which is considered more intuitive for readers unfamiliar with IPA.
A colon after the sign means that the sound is long and needs to be pronounced a little longer. In English dictionaries there are two types of stress, primary and secondary, and both are placed before the stressed syllable. In transcription, the main emphasis is placed at the top - [... ʹ ...], and the secondary one is below [... ͵ ...]. Both types of stress are used in polysyllabic and compound words. It is also worth mentioning that there are rules under which some sounds and letters are not pronounced. In transcription they are placed in parentheses - [.. (..) ..].

Transcription signs

used in suggested dictionaries and articles with pronunciation examples

Vowel sounds
	Close to yarn And in a word And va	f ee l
[ı]	Close to short And in a word And gla	f i ll
[e]	The transcription sign is similar to uh in a word This	f e ll
[æ]	- average between A And uh. Open your mouth as if to pronounce A, try to pronounce uh.	c a t
[ɑ:]	Long sound ah-ah:d ah-ah th	c a rt
[ɒ]	Brief O in a word T O T	c o t
[ɔ:]	Reminds me of something drawn out O in a word n O full	f a ll
[ɜ:]	Long sound, medium between O And: uh... Reminds me e in a word G e those	c u rt
[ə]	A short, unclear, unimpacted sound. In Russian it is heard in unstressed syllables: five room A T	b a nan a
[ʌ]	Close to unstressed A in a word To A mouse.In English it is usually stressed	c u t
[ʋ]	Close to the sound at in a word T at T	f u ll
	Close to sound at, pronounced in a drawn-out manner: at-smart	f oo l
	Close to Russian ah in a word B ah feces	f i le
	to her in a word w to her ka	f ai l
[ɔı]	Ouch in a word b Ouch nya	f oi l
	aw in a word n aw for	f ou l
[əʋ]		f oa l
[ıə]	Combination [ı] and [ə] with emphasis on [ı]. Approximately Ie	t ie r
[ʋə]	Combination [ʋ] and [ə] with emphasis on [ʋ] Approximately Ue	t ou r
	The first element of the combination is close to uh in a word uh That. It is followed by a quick sound [ə] . The combination is roughly pronounced Ea	t ea r

resp. Russian n

Consonants
[p]	p ier
[t]	resp. Russian T	t ier
[b]	resp. Russian b	b eer
[d]	resp. Russian d	d eer
[m]	resp. Russian m	m here
[n]	resp. Russian n	n ear
[k]	resp. Russian To	ba k e
[l]	resp. Russian l	l eer
[g]	resp. Russian G	g ear
[f]	resp. Russian f	f ear
[v]	resp. Russian V	v eer
[s]	resp. Russian With	ba s e
[z]	resp. Russian h	bai z e
[ʃ]	resp. Russian w	sh eer [ʃıə]
[ʒ]	resp. Russian and	bei g e
	resp. Russian h	ch eer
	resp. Russian j	j eer
[r]	matches the sound r in a word and r fuck	r ear
[h]	exhalation, reminiscent of a faintly pronounced sound X	h ear
[j]	reminds me of Russian sound th before vowels: New Y orc, If[yeasley]. Occurs in combination with vowels.	y ear
	long yu in a word yu gentle
	e in a word e l
	e in a word e lk
	I in a word I ma

The following consonant sounds do not even have approximate correspondences in Russian
[w]	sound V uttered with just lips. In translation it is indicated by letters V or at: W Williams U Ilyama, IN Ilyama	w eir
[ŋ]	Open your mouth slightly and say n without closing your mouth	wro ng
[θ]	Move the slightly spread tip of your tongue between your teeth and say Russian With	wra th
[ð]	With the same tongue position, say h.	th is [ðıs]

In site documents and dictionary entries, it is used as a new version of the international transcription of the English language, that is, the one that has become widespread in lately so is the old version. Both transcription options differ only in the outline of some sounds.

Changes in the new transcription

Old form	For example	New form
	f ee l
[i]	f i ll	[ı]
[e]	f e ll	[e]
[ɔ:]	f a ll	[ɔ:]
[u]	f u ll	[ʋ]
	f oo l
	f ai l
	f oa l	[əʋ]
	f i le
	f ou l
[ɔi]	f oi l	[ɔı]
[æ]	c a t	[æ]
[ɔ]	c o t	[ɒ]
[ʌ]	c u t	[ʌ]
[ə:]	c u rt	[ɜ:]
[ɑ:]	c a rt	[ɑ:]
	t ie r	[ıə]
[ɛə]	t ea r
	t ou r	[ʋə]
[ə]	b a nan a	[ə]