English Phonetics: IPA Vowels and Consonants Explained

English Vowels

Short Vowels

• /ɪ/ (as in: sit): Front, unrounded, between close and half-close.
• /ɛ/ (as in: dead): Front, unrounded, between half-close and half-open.
• /æ/ (as in: cat): Front, unrounded, between half-open and open.
• /ʌ/ (as in: does): Between front and central, unrounded, half-open.
• /ɒ/ (as in: dog): Back, rounded, between half-open and open.
• /ʊ/ (as in: good): Between back and central, rounded, near-close.

Long Vowels

• /i:/ (as in: sweet): Unrounded, almost fully closed.
• /ɜ:/ (as in: bird): Central, unrounded, between half-close and half-open.
• /ɑ:/ (as in: fast): Almost fully back, unrounded, fully open.
• /ɔ:/ (as in: hawk): Back, rounded, between half-close and half-open.
• /u:/ (as in: shoe): Almost fully back, rounded, almost fully closed.
• /ə/ (the schwa): Mid-central, unrounded.

Diphthongs

• /ɪə/ (as in: fear)
• /eə/ (as in: hair)
• /ʊə/ (as in: tour)
• /eɪ/ (as in: day)
• /aɪ/ (as in: bye)
• /ɔɪ/ (as in: boy)
• /əʊ/ (as in: road)

Triphthongs

• /eɪə/ (as in: player)
• /aɪə/ (as in: fire)
• /ɔɪə/ (as in: loyal)
• /əʊə/ (as in: lower)
• /aʊə/ (as in: hour)

English Consonants

• /p/ (as in: please, help): Bilabial, plosive, voiceless.
• /b/ (as in: book): Bilabial, plosive, voiced.
• /t/ (as in: ten): Alveolar, plosive, voiceless.
• /d/ (as in: dish): Alveolar, plosive, voiced.
• /k/ (as in: pink): Velar, plosive, voiceless.
• /g/ (as in: good): Velar, plosive, voiced.
• /f/ (as in: five): Labiodental, fricative, voiceless.
• /v/ (as in: seven): Labiodental, fricative, voiced.
• /θ/ (as in: path): Dental, fricative, voiceless.
• /ð/ (as in: they): Dental, fricative, voiced.
• /s/ (as in: sir): Alveolar, fricative, voiceless.
• /z/ (as in: zero): Alveolar, fricative, voiced.
• /r/ (as in: red): Post-alveolar, approximant, voiced.
• /ʃ/ (as in: she): Palato-alveolar, fricative, voiceless.
• /ʒ/ (as in: vision): Palato-alveolar, fricative, voiced.
• /h/ (as in: hot): Glottal, fricative, voiceless.
• /tʃ/ (as in: March): Palato-alveolar, affricate, voiceless.
• /dʒ/ (as in: major): Palato-alveolar, affricate, voiced.
• /m/ (as in: May): Bilabial, nasal, voiced.
• /n/ (as in: no): Alveolar, nasal, voiced.
• /ŋ/ (as in: spring): Velar, nasal, voiced.
• /l/ (as in: look): Alveolar, lateral, voiced.
• /w/ (as in: winter): Bilabial, approximant, voiced.
• /j/ (as in: yellow): Palatal, approximant, voiced.