The English IPA - Vowels

Let us continue learning the English IPA.

The IPA consonant symbols seemed easy for you, guys! This time, let us explore the IPA vowel symbols. They are typically more difficult to learn, since they seldom represent the sounds that the corresponding English letters usually do.

Vowels

· /i/ - heed, beat - Letters that usually represent it: “ee,” “ea,” “y,” “i”

· /ɪ/ - hid, bit - Letters that usually represent it: “i,” “y”

· /eɪ/ - hate, bait - Letters that usually represent it: “a,” “ay,” “ai,” “ey,” “ei,” “eigh”

· /ɛ/ - head, bet - Letters that usually represent it: “e,” “ea”

· /æ/ - had, bat - Letters that usually represent it: “a”

· /ɑ/ - hot, bought - Letters that usually represent it: “o,” “a”

· /Ɔ/ - all, talk - Letters that usually represent it: “a,” “aw,” “au,” “al”

· /o/ - hoe, boat - Letters that usually represent it: “o,” “oe,” “oa,” “ow”

· /u/ - who, boot - Letters that usually represent it: “oo,” “u,” “ou,” “ew”

· /ʊ/ - hood, book - Letters that usually represent it: “oo,” “oul,” “u”

· /ʌ/ - hut, but - Letters that usually represent it: “u,” “o,” “oo”

· /aj/ -hide, bite - Letters that usually represent it: “i,” “y,” “igh,” “ai”

· /aw/ - how, bout - Letters that usually represent it: “ow,” “ou”

· /oʊ/ - toe, soap - Letters that usually represent it: “o,” “oe,” “oa,” “ow”

· /ɹ̩/ - heard, burn - Letters that usually represent it: “er,” “ear,” “ir,” “or,” “ur,” “eur”

· /ə/ - ahead, lemon - Letters that usually represent it: almost any vowel

The IPA can be puzzling to a beginner, but it’s really an effective tool when learning any language. Trust us, learning it is worth the time investment. It will help you get words right the first time, speak with good pronunciation, and gain a deeper understanding of phonetics. We hope you found this useful!

Next on the TQ Hub: 8 Tips to Sound Natural Written by: Melanie Lawang