How the transcriptions are pronounced. Pronunciation of English letters: rules, features, differences

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

English Sound Table:

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

In accordance with the mechanics of education, English sounds are primarily divided into vowels and consonants phonemes. Pronunciation of vowel sounds is associated with active vibration of the vocal cords and the free passage of exhaled air through all organs of speech. Consonant sounds, on the other hand, are formed by overcoming various obstacles, cracks and passages formed by the muscles of the vocal apparatus when the air jet exits.

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

Consonant sounds of English

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

If the organs of speech close up so that they completely block the passage for air, then we say occlusive consonant... Such consonants are also called explosive, since when the speech organs are opened, a small explosion is heard.

[ p ] , [ b ] , [ t ] , [ d ] , [ k ] , [ g ]
occlusive plosive English sounds

[ p ], [ b ], [ t ], [ d ], [ to ], [ r ]
occlusive explosive Russian sounds

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

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

[ n ], [ m ]
nasal occlusive Russian 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 ]
slit english sounds

[ from ], [ s ], [ f ], [ in ], [ w ], [ u ], [ f ], [ l ]
slit Russian sounds

Among the consonants there are occlusive-slot sounds. They are called so because the opening of the barrier occurs slowly; the complete obstruction passes into the gap.

[ tʃ ] , [ dʒ ]
closure-slit English sounds

[ c ], [ h ]
closure-slit Russian sounds

An obstruction in the path of exhaled air can be formed by various organs of speech. If the lower lip approaches the upper lip, then labial consonants.

[ p ] , [ b ] , [ m ] , [ w ]
labio-labial English sounds

[ p ], [ 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 ], [ in ]
labiodental Russian sounds

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

[ θ ] , [ ð ]
interdental english sounds

Russian consonants [ t ], [ d ], [ n ], [ l ] - dental, as 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 ], [ p ], [ from ], [ t ], [ f ], [ x ], [ h ], [ w ], [ u ]
voiceless consonants of the Russian language

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

[ b ], [ in ], [ r ], [ d ], [ f ], [ s ], [ l ], [ m ], [ n ], [ r ], [ c ]
voiced consonants of the Russian language

English vowel sounds

To classify the vowels of English sounds, various positions of the tongue relative to the hard palate are considered, as well as which 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 close enough to the hard palate: the 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 to the soft palate, we say back vowel sounds: English sound [ a: ] and Russian sounds [ about ], [ at ].

They are distinguished by the position of the lips ruined and unbroken vowel sounds. For example, when pronouncing the Russian sound [ at ] lips are rounded and pushed forward: [ at ] is a rounded vowel. When pronouncing [ and ] lips are slightly stretched, but not pushed forward: sound [ and ] is an uncorrupted vowel.

The quality of a vowel depends on the tension of the muscles of the speech organs: the more intense the articulation, the more distinct and brighter the sound. Vowels are distinguished accordingly tense and relaxed... For example, the English vowel sound [ i: ] is pronounced with more tension than [ i ] .

Pronunciation of English sounds

Referring to the content of our English phonetics reference book, for each of the English sounds you will find a detailed description of the features of its pronunciation and articulation, methods of transmission in writing and sound examples, as well as comparisons with other sounds and their Russian counterparts.

Pronunciation is an important aspect of learning any language. Often, when we hear Russian speech from a foreigner, we hardly understand what they want to say to us, and vice versa, trying to say something to a foreigner in his native language, we find that we are not understood. Therefore, when learning English, it is important to master its pronunciation.

English pronunciation has certain difficulties. Unlike the Russian language, in which the word is both heard and written, in the English language everything is different. The way an English word is pronounced almost always does not match how it looks in writing. Some English words have the same spelling, but are pronounced differently depending on the context, and some words can be pronounced exactly the same, but at the same time they have completely different meanings and are spelled differently. Therefore, in dictionaries, every English word has a corresponding transcription, and every student of English must first of all figure out how the transcriptional signs are read. Without this, he will not be able to move on in learning the language.

Still, there are rules for reading English letters and pronunciation of English sounds that you need to know, and this, of course, is an important aid in reading, although, unfortunately, there are a huge number of exceptions.

These rules are reflected in the table.

Consonants.

English letters		Phonetic transcription	Examples of
b	"b" bank	[b]	b oy
c	"to" to from from hell	[k] - before vowels e, i, y and "dumb" e [s] - before vowels e, i and "dumb" e [ʃ] - after vowels before unstressed e, i.	c at c ellar oc ean
d	"d" d om	[d]	d esk
f	"f" f utball	[f]	f ine
g (before a, o, u ) (before e, i)	"g" g od "j" j insy		g ame
h (pronounced softly)	"x" x aos	[h]	h ome
j	"j" jin	[ʤ]	j acket
k (before n )	"to" to ino (not pronounced)		k eep k now
l	"l" l imone	[l]	l ife
m	"m" little	[m]	m onth
n	"n" never	[n]	n ever
p	"n" stop	[p]	stop
qu	average between "kv" and "ku"		q uick
r	"r" r uka	[r]	r un
s (in the first and last syllable) (between vowels) (before -ure )	from hell "z" roses a "u" u uka		s ame ris e s ure
t (at the beginning or at the end of a word) (before -ion ) (before -ure )	"t" t un "sh" sh ina "h" h often		respect direct ion nat ure
v	"in" in silts	[v]	v ery
w	average between "b" and "y"	[w]	w elcome
y (in the first syllable before a vowel)	"th"	[j]	y ear
x	"ks"		nex t
z	"z" z ub	[z]	z oo

A combination of consonants.

English letters	Approximate matches in Russian	Phonetic transcription	Examples of
ch	"h" h often	[ʧ]	ch eck
dge	"j"	[ʤ]	knowledge
gh (in the last syllable) (at the beginning of a word)	"f" form (not pronounced) "g" g od		laugh eigh t gh ost
ll	"l" l odka	[l]	cell ar
ph	"f" telefon	[f]	teleph one
sh	"w" w duck	[ʃ]	sh op
th (in verbs, nouns, ..) (in articles, adverbs, ..)	interdental "TC" interdental "z"		th anks th e
wh (before about) (before o, i, e)	"x" x uligan "at" Will (name)		wh ose wh ere

Vowels.

In English, there are only six letters A, E, I, O, U, Y, which denote vowel sounds, but there are many more options for their pronunciation. The letter Y can denote not only vowel sounds, but also the consonant sound "y" (see above).

English letters	Approximate matches in Russian	Phonetic transcription	Examples of
a before the consonant + e at the end	"hey" le th "uh" uh ho		ca r la te tha nks
e at the end of a single syllable before w at the end of a word	"e" gn "and" ki t not pronounced		le t he fe w fine
i in the last syllable	"s" we sew "ah" bark		si ster hi
o between consonants after d, t at the end of a word	"oh" in bowling "ay" in Laura		ho t to fro zen ho w
u before the consonant + e at the end	short "a" in "ra k" muted "yu"		excu se bu t attitu de
y (at the end of a word after a consonant)	"ay" bark		by

Vowel combinations.

English letters	Approximate matches in Russian	Phonetic transcription	Examples of
ai between consonants	"hey" jane		rai n
ea	shorter "and"		ea ch grea t
au	the middle sound between "o" and "oh" po for	[ɑ]	cau se
ee after the consonant	long "and"		bee
ei	"ah" ay zek		ei ther ei ght
ie	"and" blade		fie ld pie
oo	long "y" middle between "y" and "u"		foo d goo d
ou	middle between "y" and "u" "ay" rau nd short "a" cha c		you rou nd enou gh

", Transcription is used by everyone, sometimes, even unconsciously. First, let's brush up on what the phrase "English transcription" means?

English transcription Is a sequence of phonetic symbols that helps us understand how to read a particular sound or word. Often, students are faced with transcription at the beginning of learning a language, when it is still quite difficult to read even fairly simple words, and then they simply do not pay attention to it. However, this will not last forever.

As soon as the student begins to skillfully use complex grammatical constructions, and develops a good vocabulary for free communication, then immediately there is a desire to speak beautifully, like a native speaker, that is, to improve his pronunciation of English words. This is where we remember the good old transcription.

In order not to have to remember the well-forgotten old, we suggest returning from time to time to repetition. Of course, ideally, the transcription should be done together with the teacher, because writing does not convey all the subtleties of pronunciation, but if you are reading this article now, the foundation for beautiful pronunciation and correct reading has already been laid, and you will definitely achieve the desired goal.

Vowel transcription

Vowel sounds are of two types - single sounds and diphthongs.

[ ʌ ] - [a] - short;
[a:] - [a] - deep;
[i] - [and] - short;
[i:] - [and] - long;
[o] - [o] - short;
[o:] - [o] - deep;
[u] - [y] - short;
[u:] - [y] - long;
[e] - as in the word "plaid";
[ ɜ: ] - as in the word "honey".

English diphthongs

Diphthong is a sound that consists of two sounds. Most often, a diphthong can be divided into two sounds, however, this cannot be conveyed in writing. Often, diphthongs are not indicated by a combination of several signs, but by their own sign.

[əu] - [ OU ];
[au] - [ay];
[ei] - [hey];
[oi] - [oh];
[ai] - [ay].

Vowel pronunciation rules in English

• Sound " a"Has four varieties:
  [ ʌ ] - a short sound, as in the words "duck", "cut";
  [ æ ] - soft sound. There is no analogue to it in Russian. It is read as in the word in the word "cat";
  [a:] - a long sound that reads like in the word "car";
  [ ɔ ] - a short sound that sounds like both "o" and "a" at the same time. In British pronunciation, it is more like "o" as in "hot" or "not".

• Sound " e"Can be read in three ways:
  [e] - for example, as in the word "let";
  [ ə: ] - this sound is a bit like the Russian letter "ё", only it is read a little softer. For example, "bird", "fur";
  [ ə ] - one of the most common sounds in English transcription. By sound, this sound is similar to the Russian sound "e". It stands only in unstressed syllables and is practically inaudible or indistinguishable, for example, ["letə]," letter "- a letter.

• Sound " i»Can be long and short:
  [I] - a short sound, for example, as in the word "film";
  [i:] - a long sound, for example, as in "sheep".

• Sound " about»Also has 2 options - long and short:
  [ ɔ ] - a short sound, as in the word "bond";
  [ ɔ: ] - a long sound, as in the word "more".

• Sound " u»Can also be pronounced in two ways. It can be long or short:
  [u] - short sound, as in the word "put";
  [u:] - long sound, as in the word "blue".

Transcription of consonants

In the transcription of consonants, everything is quite simple. Basically they sound like Russian. It is enough to take a thoughtful look at the aforementioned letter combinations a couple of times, and they will remain in your memory.

Consonant sounds
[b] - [b];
[d] - [d];
[f] - [f];
[ 3 ] - [f];
[dʒ] - [j];
[g] - [g];
[h] - [x];
[k] - [k];
[l] - [l];
[m] - [m];
[n] - [n];
[p] - [ P ];
[s] - [ from ];
[t] - [t];
[v] - [ in ];
[z] - [h];
[t∫] - [h];
[ ∫ ] - [w];
[r] - soft [p], as in the word Russian;
[ about ] - a sign of softness as in the Russian letter "ё" (Christmas tree).

Consonants of the English language that are not in Russian and their pronunciation:
[ θ ] - soft letter "c", tongue is between the front teeth of the upper and lower jaw;
[ æ ] - like "eh", only more sharply;
[ ð ] - like "θ", only with the addition of a voice, like a soft letter "z";
[ ŋ ] - nasal, in the French manner, sound [n];
[ ə ] - neutral sound;
[w]-like "v" and "y" together, soft pronunciation.

Features of English transcription

In order to make it easier to navigate in reading words, it is important to know the main features of transcription:

• Feature 1... Transcription is always in square brackets
• Feature 2... In order not to get confused where to stress in a word, it is worth considering that it is always placed before the stressed syllable. ["neim] - transcription of the word name.
• Feature 3... It is important to understand that transcription is not the English letters and sounds that make up a word. Transcription is the sound of words.
• Feature 4... In English, transcription consists of vowels, diphthongs, and consonants.
• Feature 5... To indicate that the sound is long, a colon is used in the transcription.

Of course, knowing only the character sets, it is quite difficult to read everything correctly, because there are many exceptions. In order to read correctly, you must understand that there are closed and open syllables. Open syllable ends with a vowel (game, sunshine), closed - a consonant (ball, dog). Some sounds in English can be pronounced differently, depending on the type of syllable.

Conclusion

It is worth remembering that the main thing in any business is practice (by the way, you can start practicing English remotely right now). Transcribing sounds in English will be easy for you if you work hard on it. Reading the rules once won't be enough. It is important to return to them, work through and regularly repeat until they are worked out to automatism. In the end, the transcription will allow you to deliver the correct pronunciation of sounds in English.

Dictionaries will help you memorize English with transcription and correctly pronounce English letters and words. You can use both English online dictionaries and good old prints. The main thing is not to give up!

Inspiration and success in your studies. May the knowledge be with you!

Big and friendly family EnglishDom

Sounds of English - this is a difficult and rather voluminous topic that will require perseverance and patience from you. In order for you to be able to master this step easier and faster, I suggest you work with english sounds in the table... If you remember, there are 44 sounds in the British pronunciation system, and we will work with them. For more details on American pronunciation, see a separate article. For convenience, the table is divided into separate theoretical blocks, which describe how to pronounce this or that sound correctly.

Before starting work, be sure to read the following information:

British English has 44 sounds:

24 consonants:

• paired, voiced and deaf:
  / b / - / p /, / z / - / s /, / d / - / t /, / v / - / f /, / dʒ / - / tʃ /, / ʒ / - / ʃ /, / ð / - / θ /, / g / - / k /
• unpaired, voiced and voiceless:
  / l /, / m /, / n /, / j /, / r /, / w /, / h /, / ŋ /

With consonant sounds, everything is more or less clear: paired - unpaired, voiced - deaf. From the school course on phonetics of the Russian language, we know about these categories. We also know that in Russian, consonants can be soft and hard. In English, the concept of softness and hardness of consonants is absent. There is the concept of palatalization - the softening of consonants in position in front of some vowels, by raising the back of the tongue to the hard palate. What, in fact, is the difference? The thing is that in Russian, the softness and hardness of consonants affects the semantic meaning of the word. Compare: "empty" - "let", "out" - "stench", "weight" - "all." In English, the softening of consonants does not affect the meaning of words, but is only the result of a mechanical change in sound in the flow of speech.

20 vowels:

• closed, long and short:
  / iː /, / ɪ /, / uː /, / ʊ /
• medium open, long and short:
  / e /, / ɜː /, / ə /, / ɔː /
• open, long and short:
  /æ/, /ʌ/, /ɑː/, /ɒ/
• diphthongs:
  / eɪ /, / aɪ /, / ɔɪ /, / aʊ /, / əʊ /, / ɪə /, / eə /, / ʊə /

With vowels it is a little more difficult: closed, open, medium-open. What is it about? On the position of the tongue in the oral cavity. When pronouncing open vowels, the tongue lies low in the mouth and does not touch the palate. Pronounce the Russian sound / a /, which is open, and notice that the tongue is low in the mouth. When pronouncing closed vowels, the tongue is very close to the palate. Pronounce the Russian sound / and /, which is closed and notice that the tongue bends the back like a kitten and the back almost touches the hard palate. When pronouncing medium-open, the tongue takes an intermediate position. Pronounce the Russian sound / e /, which is medium open and remember the position of the tongue. Long and short vowels. What is it about? About the duration of the pronunciation of the sound. Longer sounds last longer than short ones. The longitude of a sound in English transcription is indicated as a colon sign, followed by a sound sign / iː /, / ɜː /, / ɑː /, / ɔː /. Diphthongs. What is it? This is a sound consisting of two vowels, the first element of the diphthong sounds stressed, and the second weak. Well, now you can start working on english sounds in the table.

/æ/	We open our mouth in order to pronounce the Russian sound / a /, but at the same time we pronounce the sound / e /. To avoid mistakes like the Russian sound / e /, you should open your mouth wider, the tip of the tongue remains at the lower teeth. In case of an error like the Russian sound / a /, you should press the tip of the tongue to the lower teeth and open your mouth wider. (open, short)
/ɪ/	We open our mouth in order to pronounce the Russian sound / and /, but at the same time we try to pronounce the sound / s /. To avoid an error like the Russian sound / and /, you should not raise your tongue too high, you need to slightly pull it back and cut the sound. In case of an error like Russian / s / language, you should move forward, stretch your lips and reduce the sound as much as possible. (closed, short)
/ e /	We pronounce the Russian words "mel", "warmed", "stump", "cedar". We remember how the letter "e" sounds in these words when pronouncing and use it as the sound / e / in English. With an error like Russian / e /, you should open your mouth less, stretch your lips slightly and move your tongue forward. (medium open, short)
/ɒ/	We pronounce the Russian sound / o /, but do not pull our lips forward. In the case of an error like Russian / o /, you should open your mouth wider, lower and push your tongue lower and push back, rounding your lips, not pulling them forward and slightly reducing the sound. (open, short)
/ʊ/	We pronounce the Russian sound / y /, but at the same time we bend the back of the tongue, almost touching it with the hard palate and do not pull our lips forward. The lips are slightly rounded. In case of an error of the type of the Russian vowel / y /, which is an open sound, we follow the position of the language, achieving a closed sound and do not pull our lips forward. (closed, short)
/ b /	Almost correspond to the Russian sound / b /, but when pronounced at the end of a word, unlike the Russian sound, it is practically not stunned. Compare "oak" - / dup / and "Bob" - / bob /.
/ p /	Similar to the Russian sound / p /, but pronounced more muffled. A muffled sound is obtained as a result of aspiration. That is, the opening of the lips seems to be exhaled, and does not happen with an explosion. The sound is a bit like / pf / or / nx /. In addition, at the end of words, English / p / sounds strong, and does not weaken like Russian / p /.
/ g /	It is similar to the Russian sound / r /, but it sounds less loud at the beginning of words and is practically not stunned at the end of words.
/ k /	It is similar to the Russian sound / k /, but sounds more energetic and aspirated. The sound is a bit like / kf / or / kx /.
/ d /	We pronounce the Russian sound / d /, but at the same time we do not touch the upper teeth with the tip of the tongue, but place it on the alveoli (tubercles on the hard palate, behind the upper teeth). Unlike the Russian consonant / d / English / d /, it is partially stunned at the end of words.
/ t /	We pronounce the Russian sound / t /, but at the same time we do not touch the upper teeth with the tip of the tongue, but place it on the alveoli (tubercles on the hard palate, behind the upper teeth). English voiceless consonant / t / is stronger than Russian / t / and is aspirated. As a result, the sound is a bit like / tf / or / tx /.
/ n /	We pronounce the Russian sound / n /, but at the same time we do not touch the upper teeth with the tip of the tongue, but place it on the alveoli (tubercles on the hard palate, behind the upper teeth).
/ h /	It resembles the Russian sound / x /, but it is not pronounced energetically with an explosion, but is only a light exhalation. Occurs only before vowels. With an error like Russian / x /, the consonant should be weakened to a slight exhalation.

pig, pet, put, pot, pan - / pɪɡ /, / pet /, / ˈpʊt /, / pɒt /, / pæn /

big, ben, book, bog, ban - / bɪɡ /, / ben /, / bʊk /, / bɒɡ /, / bæn /

dig, den, hood, dog, bad - / dɪɡ /, / den /, / hʊd /, / dɒɡ /, / bæd /

tip, ten, took, top, tap - / ˈtɪp /, / ten /, / tʊk /, / tɒp /, / tæp /

get, gig, good, god, gap - / ˈɡet /, / ɡɪɡ /, / ɡʊd /, / ɡɒd /, / ɡæp /

kit, Ken, cook, cod, cap - / kɪt /, / ken /, / kʊk /, / kɒd /, / kæp /

Nick, net, nook, not, Nat - / nɪk /, / net /, / nʊk /, / nɒt /, / næt /

hit, hen, hook, hot, ham - / hɪt /, / hen /, / hʊk /, / hɒt /, / hæm /

Don't try to work it all out at once. You won't be able to do this, since the volume of work with sounds is designed for several astronomical hours, at least. Work out the theory by blocks, be sure to do the exercises at the end of the block. The main thing in learning a language is regularity. It is better to work 15-20 minutes every day than 2-3 hours once a week.

Pay attention to the pronunciation of long vowel sounds and the pronunciation of consonants, which have no analogues in Russian.

/ɑː/	We pronounce the Russian sound / a /, but at the same time we pull the tip of the tongue away from the lower teeth as far back as possible, we do not strain our lips. In case of an error like Russian / a /, you should pull the tongue back and lengthen the vowel somewhat and not open your mouth too wide. (open, long)
/ɔː/	We pronounce the Russian sound / o /, but at the same time we pull the tip of the tongue away from the lower teeth as far back as possible, we do not strain our lips and do not pull it forward. In case of an error like Russian / o /, a more open pronunciation should be sought without pulling the lips forward. Compared to English / ɑː / the sound / ɔː / is less open. (open, long)
/ uː /	We pronounce the Russian sound / y /, but at the same time we do not stretch our lips forward, we round our lips, but do not strain. In the process of pronouncing the sound / u: /, we pull the tip of the tongue from the lower teeth as far back as possible. In the case of an error like Russian / y /, you should first of all ensure that the lips are rounded, but not extended forward. (closed, long)
/ l /	We pronounce the Russian sound / l /, but at the same time we place the tip of the tongue on the alveoli (tubercles on the hard palate). The English sound / l / has two sounds: hard (at the end of words and before consonants) sounds softer than hard Russian / l / soft (before vowels and before consonant / j /) sounds harder than soft Russian / л "/
/ m /	We pronounce the Russian sound / m /, but at the same time we tighten our lips more.
/ r /	We are getting ready to pronounce the Russian sound / w /, but at the same time we are trying to pronounce the Russian sound / p /. To pronounce the sound correctly, we make sure that the tip of the tongue is behind the alveoli (bumps on the hard palate), while not touching them, remains tense and motionless.
/ w /	There is no similar sound in Russian. Distantly similar to the Russian sound / ya /. In order to pronounce this sound correctly, we stretch our lips forward as for pronouncing the Russian sound / u /, while the lips are tense and rounded, in this position we try to quickly pronounce the Russian sound / in /. In case of an error like Russian / v /, make sure that the lower lip does not come into contact with the upper teeth and upper lip. In case of an error like Russian / s / we tighten and round our lips even more.
/ŋ/	There is no similar sound in Russian. To pronounce this sound correctly, we press the back of the tongue against the soft palate and try to pronounce the Russian sound / n /. In case of an error like Russian / n / open our mouth wider and make sure that the tip of the tongue does not touch the upper teeth or alveoli, but is at the roots of the lower teeth.
/ v /	Almost corresponds to the Russian sound / v /. English / v / sounds weaker than Russian / v /, but is practically not stunned at the end of words.
/ f /	Almost corresponds to the English sound / f /. English / f / sounds stronger than Russian / f /, especially at the end of words
/ z /	Almost corresponds to the Russian sound / s /. But it sounds weaker. At the end of words it is almost not stunned.
/ s /	Almost corresponds to the Russian sound / s /. But it sounds much more energetic.
/ð/	There is no similar sound in Russian. In order to pronounce this sound correctly, we place the tip of the tongue between the upper and lower front teeth and try to pronounce the Russian sound / z /. At the end of words, this voiced English consonant is almost never stunned. In case of an error like Russian / s /, make sure that the tip of the tongue is not hidden behind the teeth. In case of an error like Russian / d /, make sure that the tongue does not press against the upper teeth, there should be a small gap between the tip of the tongue and the upper teeth. In case of an error like Russian / v /, make sure that the lower lip is lowered.
/θ/	There is no similar sound in Russian. In order to pronounce this sound correctly, we place the tip of the tongue between the upper and lower front teeth and try to pronounce the Russian sound / s /. In case of an error like Russian / s /, make sure that the tip of the tongue is not hidden behind the teeth. In case of an error like Russian / t /, make sure that the tongue does not press against the upper teeth, there should be a small gap between the tip of the tongue and the upper teeth. In case of an error like Russian / f /, make sure that the lower lip is lowered.

lark, look, lips, last - / lɑːk /, / lʊk /, / lɪps /, / lɑːst /

mood, moon, mask, mast - / muːd /, / muːn /, / mɑːsk /, / mɑːst /
rude, red, rock, room - / ruːd /, / red /, / rɒk /, / ruːm /
what, when, well, wool - / ˈwɒt /, / wen /, / wel /, / wʊl /
sing, sink, wink, pink - / sɪŋ /, / sɪŋk /, / wɪŋk /, / pɪŋk /
zip, zink, zing, zoo - / zɪp /, / ˈzɪŋk /, / zɪŋ /, / zuː /
silky, swim, sick, soon - / ˈsɪlki /, / swɪm /, / sɪk /, / suːn /
vase, voodoo, vest, vast - / vɑːz /, /ˈvuː.duː/, / vest /, / vɑːst /
farm, fool, food, fast - / fɑːm /, / fuːl /, / fuːd /, / fɑːst /
thin, think, threat, theft - / θɪn /, / ˈθɪŋk /, / θret /, / θeft /
this, the, then, them - / ðɪs /, / ði: /, / ðen /, / ðəm /
four, store, fork, door - / fɔː /, / stɔː /, / fɔːk /, / dɔː /

If you are reading these lines, then you have worked through the first two blocks and as much as 50% of this difficult topic you have successfully mastered. Please accept my congratulations and let me praise you for your diligence, hard work and patience! After all, these are exactly the qualities that will lead you to triumph on the path of mastering the English language. Getting started on the third block english sounds in the tabledo not forget that "repetition is the mother of learning." Therefore, be sure to return to the passed blocks and do not be lazy to repeat them!

Pay attention to the pronunciation of a neutral sound / ə /, long vowels, diphthongs.

/ə/	There is no similar sound in Russian. We pronounce the Russian words "mint", "guys", "Volodya", the sound of the letter "I" in these words vaguely resembles the English sound / ə /, only it sounds unstressed, weak, indistinct, almost imperceptible. In case of an error like Russian unstressed / a / as in the word "summer" - / l "et and/, we raise the tongue entirely to the hard palate. (medium open, short)
/ɜː/	There is no similar sound in Russian. We pronounce the Russian words "wove", "bloom", "mel", the sound of the letter "e" in these words vaguely resembles the English sound / s: /. When pronouncing this sound, we make sure that the tip of the tongue is at the lower teeth, the distance between the upper and lower teeth remains small, we do not stretch the lips, we achieve their neutral position. (medium open, long)
/ iː /	It distantly resembles the Russian sounding "iy" in the words "strong", "apt", "rare". Two-level audio, i.e. sounds inconsistent in the start position and the end position. In the initial position, 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. In the process of pronouncing, the tongue moves from a lower and pushed back position to a higher and forward position. (closed, long)
/ eɪ /	A bit like the Russian sound "hey" in the words "bolder", "more fun", "warm up". The core of the diphthong is a medium-open, short vowel sound / e /. After pronouncing the nucleus, the tongue makes a slight upward movement in the direction of the sound / ɪ /, however, without reaching its full formation. The pronunciation of a sound like Russian / y / should not be allowed. (diphthong)
/ aʊ /	A bit like the Russian sounding "ay" in the words "round", "bounty". In case of an error like Russian / ay / make sure that the second element sounds unstressed and weakened. (diphthong)
/ eə /	The core of the diphthong is an English mid-open short vowel / e /, the second element is an unstressed English vowel / ə /. (diphthong)
/ʒ/	We pronounce the Russian sound / w / but at the same time we soften its sound.
/ʃ/	We pronounce the Russian sound / sh / but at the same time we soften its sound.
/ j /	It is similar to the Russian sound / d /, but differs in a weaker pronunciation.

pleasure, treasure, measure, leisure - / ˈpleʒə /, / ˈtreʒə /, / ˈmeʒə /, / ˈleʒə /
should, shake, shame, shirt - / ʃʊd /, / ʃeɪk /, / ʃeɪm /, / ʃɜːt /
yes, yet, you, your - / jes /, / jet /, / ju /, / jə /
world, work, heard, word, bird - / wɜːld /, / ˈwɜːk /, / hɜːd /, / ˈwɜːd /, / bɜːd /
never, ever, fever, river - / ˈnevə /, / ˈevə /, / ˈfiːvə /, /ˈr.və/
sea, eat, beef, these, beans - / siː /, / iːt /, / biːf /, / ðiːz /, / biːnz /
stay, hey, play, hate, game - / steɪ /, / heɪ /, / ˈpleɪ /, / heɪt /, / ɡeɪm /
how, now, about, round, ground - / ˈhaʊ /, / naʊ /, / əˈbaʊt /, / ˈraʊnd /, / ɡraʊnd /
wear, hair, player, repair, theirs - / weə /, / heə /, / ˈpleɪə /, / rɪˈpeə /, / ðeəz /

Hooray! You have to master the last block english sounds in the table... And this means that very soon you will start to easily read the transcription of English words in the dictionary and start independent work with them in our word library, which was created so that you develop and expand your vocabulary.

Pay attention to the pronunciation of a short sound / ʌ /, diphthongs, consonants that have no analogues in Russian.

/ dʒ /	There is no similar sound in Russian. A bit like the Russian sound "dzh". In order to avoid mistakes like the Russian "j", we make sure that both components sound together, and not separately as in the words "jam", "jazz". Get ready to pronounce the Russian sound / h /, but at the same time say "dzh".
/ tʃ /	It resembles the Russian sound / ch /, but sounds harder.
/ʌ/	Pronounce the Russian sound / a /, but pull your tongue back, keep your mouth half-open and your lips neutral. In case of an error like Russian / a /, the language follows back. English / ʌ / sounds shorter than Russian / a /. (open, short)
/ aɪ /	A bit like the Russian sounding "ai" in the words "paradise", "baykot". In case of an error like Russian / ay /, make sure that the second element sounds unstressed and weakened. (diphthong)
/ɔɪ/	A bit like the Russian sounding "oh" in the words "fight", "hero". The diphthong kernel is a cross between a long / ɔː / and short / ɒ /. In case of an error like / oops /, the first element of the diphthong should be made more open, and the second element should be weakened. (diphthong)
/əʊ/	There is no similar sound in Russian. The diphthong kernel is close in sound to English / s: /. After pronouncing the core, the tongue makes a slight upward movement and moves back in the direction of articulation [ʊ]. In case of an error like Russian / oh / do not pull the lips forward. With an error like Russian / eu / do not stretch the lips, round them. (diphthong)
/ɪə/	There is no similar sound in Russian. The core of the diphthong is a short vowel / ɪ /. After pronouncing the nucleus, the tongue moves towards the center in the direction / ə /. To avoid mistakes like Russian / ia /, we make sure that the second element of the diphthong sounds weakened. (diphthong)
/ʊə/	There is no similar sound in Russian. The core of the diphthong is a short vowel / ʊ /. After pronouncing the nucleus, the tongue moves towards the center in the direction / ə /. To avoid mistakes like Russian / ya / we do not round or protrude our lips forward, make sure that the second element of the diphthong sounds weakened. (diphthong)

jug, jog, gem, general, jeep - / dʒʌɡ /, / dʒɒɡ /, / dʒem /, / ˈdʒenrəl /, / dʒiːp /
chest, chair, chain, choose, cheap - / tʃest /, / tʃeə /, / tʃeɪn /, / tʃuːz /, / tʃiːp /
why, tie, buy, fly - / waɪ /, / taɪ /, / baɪ /, / flaɪ /
boy, toy, joy, voice, employ - / ˌbɔɪ /, / tɔɪ /, / dʒɔɪ /, / vɔɪs /, /ɪmˈplo.ɪ/
near, dear, beer, here, gear - / nɪə /, / dɪə /, / bɪə /, / hɪə /, / ɡɪə /
pure, sure, tour, cure, lure - / pjʊə /, / ʃʊə /, / tʊə /, / kjʊə /, / lʊə /
cup, nut, mug, sun, bud - / kʌp /, / nʌt /, / mʌɡ /, / sʌn /, / bʌd /

Congratulations on your successful development english sounds in the table! Now you can proceed to mastering the second step in the study of English phonetics. Namely, to learn the rules of word stress, the rules for the connection and reduction of sounds, which will be discussed in our next article

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

International phonetic alphabet(eng. International Phonetic Alphabet, abbr. IPA; fr. Alphabet phonetique international, abbr. API) - a system of characters for recording transcription based on the Latin alphabet. Designed and maintained by the International Phonetic Association IPA. The characters for the IPA were chosen to harmonize with the Latin alphabet. Therefore, most of the characters are letters of the Latin and Greek alphabets or their modifications. Many British dictionaries, among which are 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 designations, which are considered more intuitive for readers unfamiliar with IPA.
The colon after the sign means that the sound is long and you need to pronounce it a little longer. In English dictionaries, there are two types of stress, the main and the secondary, and both are placed before the stressed syllable. In the transcription, the main stress is placed at the top - [... ʹ ...], and the secondary 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 the transcription, they are placed in parentheses - [.. (..) ..].

Transcription signs

used in suggested dictionaries and articles with examples of pronunciation

Vowel sounds
	Close to spinner and in a word andwa	f eel
[ı]	Close to short and in a word andgla	f ill
[e]	The transcription mark is similar to ehin a word this is	f ell
[æ]	- average between and and eh... Open your mouth as for utterance and, try to pronounce eh.	c at
[ɑ:]	Long sound ah: d ahth	c art
[ɒ]	Brief about in a word t aboutt	c ot
[ɔ:]	Reminds of a drawn out about in a word p aboutwell	f all
[ɜ:]	Long sound, in between about and: uh... Reminds e in a word D ethose	c urt
[ə]	Short, indistinct, unstressed sound. In Russian, it is heard in unstressed syllables: five room andt	b anan a
[ʌ]	Close to unstressed and in a word to andmouse.In English, it is usually under stress	c ut
[ʋ]	Close to sound at in a word t att	f ull
	Close to sound at, pronounced lingeringly: at-smart	f ool
	Close to Russian ah in a word B ahfeces	f ile
	her in a word w herka	f ail
[ɔı]	oh in a word b ohnya	f oil
	ay in a word p aybehind	f oul
[əʋ]		f oal
[ıə]	Combination [ı] and [ə] with emphasis on [ı]. About Ie	t ier
[ʋə]	Combination [ʋ] and [ə] with emphasis on [ʋ] Approx. Ue	t our
	The first element of the combination is close to eh in a word ehthat one... It is followed by a fluent sound [ə] ... The combination is roughly pronounced Ea	t ear

corresponding. Russian p

Consonant sounds
[p]	pier
[t]	corresponding. Russian t	tier
[b]	corresponding. Russian b	beer
[d]	corresponding. Russian d	deer
[m]	corresponding. Russian m	mere
[n]	corresponding. Russian n	near
[k]	corresponding. Russian to	ba ke
[l]	corresponding. Russian l	leer
[g]	corresponding. Russian r	gear
[f]	corresponding. Russian f	fear
[v]	corresponding. Russian in	veer
[s]	corresponding. Russian from	ba se
[z]	corresponding. Russian s	bai ze
[ʃ]	corresponding. Russian w	sheer [ʃıə]
[ʒ]	corresponding. Russian f	bei ge
	corresponding. Russian h	cheer
	corresponding. Russian j	jeer
[r]	matches the sound r in a word f rfucking	rear
[h]	exhalation resembling a weakly pronounced sound x	hear
[j]	reminds of Russian sound th before vowel sounds: New Thorc, if a [yesley]. Occurs in combination with vowels.	year
	long yu in a word yutight
	e in a word eeh
	e in a word elka
	i am in a word i amma

The following consonants do not even have an approximate correspondence in Russian
[w]	sound inuttered with lips alone. In translation it is indicated by letters in or at: Williams Haveilyama, INilyama	weir
[ŋ]	Open your mouth and say nwithout closing your mouth	wro ng
[θ]	Pull out the slightly spread tip of your tongue between your teeth and pronounce Russian from	wra th
[ð]	With the same tongue position, say s.	this [ðıs]

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

Changes in the new version of the transcription

Old form	for example	New form
	f eel
[i]	f ill	[ı]
[e]	f ell	[e]
[ɔ:]	f all	[ɔ:]
[u]	f ull	[ʋ]
	f ool
	f ail
	f oal	[əʋ]
	f ile
	f oul
[ɔi]	f oil	[ɔı]
[æ]	c at	[æ]
[ɔ]	c ot	[ɒ]
[ʌ]	c ut	[ʌ]
[ə:]	c urt	[ɜ:]
[ɑ:]	c art	[ɑ:]
	t ier	[ıə]
[ɛə]	t ear
	t our	[ʋə]
[ə]	b anan a	[ə]