Introduction
Phonetics is a component of linguistics that deals with speech sounds. English has 26 letters of the alphabet which represent 44 commonly taught sounds in the traditional English phonics model.
Among these 44 sounds, there are traditionally described as 12 pure vowel sounds (monophthongs), 8 diphthongs, and 24 consonant sounds.
In this complete guide, you will learn the 12 pure vowel sounds and 8 diphthongs with their phonetic symbols, descriptions, spelling patterns, examples and pronunciation videos.
Related: How to Spell the Long and Short Vowel Sounds of the English Language
In this guide:
The English Phonetics
What is a Vowel?
- A vowel is normally a voiced speech sound produced without a significant obstruction of the airflow.
- The air coming from the lungs passes through the vocal tract with relatively free airflow.
- In the traditional 44-sound teaching model, English is commonly described as having 20 vowel sounds: 12 monophthongs and 8 diphthongs.
Note: The exact inventory and classification of English vowel sounds can vary according to accent and phonological analysis. The 12 monophthongs + 8 diphthongs model used in this article is the traditional teaching model followed throughout this English Hub resource.
The Tongue Positions of the English Pure Vowels (Monophthongs)
The 12 Vowel Sounds at a Glance
| Type | IPA Symbols | Example Words |
|---|---|---|
| Close / near-close vowels | /iː/, /ɪ/, /ʊ/, /uː/ | see, sit, put, food |
| Mid vowels | /e/, /ə/, /ɜː/ | bed, about, bird |
| Open / open-mid vowels | /ɔː/, /æ/, /ʌ/, /ɑː/, /ɒ/ | born, cat, cup, car, hot |
The 12 Pure Vowel Sounds
/iː/
Description
- The front of the tongue is raised.
- It is raised to a height slightly below and behind the close position.
- The lips are generally spread or neutrally spread.
Spellings
ee – tree /triː/, cheese /tʃiːz/, canteen /kænˈtiːn/
e – be /biː/, these /ðiːz/
ie – field /fiːld/, piece /piːs/
ea – tea /tiː/, sea /siː/, leaf /liːf/
/ɪ/
Description
- A part of the tongue nearer to the centre than to the front is raised.
- It is raised just above the half-close position.
Spellings
i – sit /sɪt/, with /wɪð/
e – become /bɪˈkʌm/
y – city /ˈsɪti/, sympathy /ˈsɪmpəθi/
a – village /ˈvɪlɪdʒ/, private /ˈpraɪvɪt/, cabbage /ˈkæbɪdʒ/
ie – cities /ˈsɪtiz/, ladies /ˈleɪdiz/
/ʊ/
Description
- A part of the tongue nearer to the centre than to the back is raised.
- It is raised just above the half-close position.
- The lips are weakly rounded.
Spellings
u – put /pʊt/, full /fʊl/
o – wolf /wʊlf/, woman /ˈwʊmən/
oo – nook /nʊk/, foot /fʊt/, good /ɡʊd/
ou – could /kʊd/, courier /ˈkʊəriə/
/uː/
Description
- The back of the tongue is raised.
- It is raised nearly to the close position.
- The lips are rounded.
Spellings
oo – soon /suːn/, food /fuːd/
o – do /duː/, who /huː/
ou – soup /suːp/, through /θruː/
u – rude /ruːd/, June /dʒuːn/
ew – chew /tʃuː/, Jew /dʒuː/
ui – juice /dʒuːs/
ue – blue /bluː/, true /truː/
oe – shoe /ʃuː/
/e/
Description
- The front of the tongue is raised.
- It is raised to a position between half-close and half-open.
Spellings
e – bed /bed/, went /went/
ea – head /hed/, breath /breθ/
ie – friend /frend/
a – any /ˈeni/, many /ˈmeni/
/ə/
Description
- The central part of the tongue is raised.
- The tongue position is relaxed and central.
- This sound commonly occurs in unstressed syllables.
Spellings
a – about /əˈbaʊt/, woman /ˈwʊmən/
ar – particularly /pəˈtɪkjələli/, forward /ˈfɔːwəd/
e – pavement /ˈpeɪvmənt/, gentleman /ˈdʒentlmən/
er – modern /ˈmɒdən/, mother /ˈmʌðə/
i – possible /ˈpɒsəbəl/, horrible /ˈhɒrəbəl/
o – method /ˈmeθəd/
or – doctor /ˈdɒktə/
ou – famous /ˈfeɪməs/
u – column /ˈkɒləm/
oar – cupboard /ˈkʌbəd/
our – colour /ˈkʌlə/
ure – figure /ˈfɪɡə/
/ɜː/
Description
- The centre of the tongue is raised.
- It is raised to a point between a half-close and half-open position.
- The lips are generally neutral.
Spellings
ir – bird /bɜːd/, girl /ɡɜːl/
er – her /hɜː/, serve /sɜːv/
ear – heard /hɜːd/, earth /ɜːθ/
or – word /wɜːd/, work /wɜːk/
our – journey /ˈdʒɜːni/, courtesy /ˈkɜːtəsi/
/ɔː/
Description
- The back of the tongue is raised.
- It is raised between the half-open and half-close positions.
- The lips are rounded.
Spellings
or – born /bɔːn/, cord /kɔːd/
aw – saw /sɔː/, yawn /jɔːn/
au – fault /fɔːlt/, cause /kɔːz/
ou – bought /bɔːt/, ought /ɔːt/
a – all /ɔːl/, talk /tɔːk/
/æ/
Description
- The front of the tongue is raised.
- It is raised just below the half-open position.
Spellings
a – pat /pæt/, hand /hænd/, lamp /læmp/
ai – plaid /plæd/
Examples
bad /bæd/
bat /bæt/
sacks /sæks/
bag /bæɡ/
back /bæk/
/ʌ/
Description
- The centre of the tongue is raised.
- It is raised just above the fully open position.
Spellings
u – sun /sʌn/, cut /kʌt/
o – come /kʌm/, front /frʌnt/
ou – country /ˈkʌntri/, couple /ˈkʌpəl/
oo – blood /blʌd/, flood /flʌd/
oe – does /dʌz/
/ɑː/
Description
- A part of the tongue between the centre and the back is raised.
- It is raised to the open position.
Spellings
a – pass /pɑːs/, branch /brɑːntʃ/
ar – part /pɑːt/, car /kɑː/
ear – heart /hɑːt/, hearth /hɑːθ/
er – clerk /klɑːk/, sergeant /ˈsɑːdʒənt/
/ɒ/
Description
- The back of the tongue is raised.
- It is in a fully open position.
- The lips are slightly rounded.
Spellings
o – hot /hɒt/, dog /dɒɡ/
a – watch /wɒtʃ/, what /wɒt/
ou – cough /kɒf/
ow – knowledge /ˈnɒlɪdʒ/
au – because /bɪˈkɒz/
The 8 English Diphthongs
A diphthong is a vowel sound with a deliberate glide. It is represented in phonetic transcription by a sequence of two vowel elements. The first element shows the position of the organs of speech at the beginning of the glide, and the glide terminates on the second element.
A diphthong consists of a single syllable. The vowel glide is performed within one syllable. In traditional descriptions, the length and stress are concentrated more strongly on the first element, while the second element is less prominent.
The 8 Diphthongs at a Glance
| Diphthong | Glide | Example |
|---|---|---|
| /ɪə/ | /ɪ/ → /ə/ | ear, fear |
| /ʊə/ | /ʊ/ → /ə/ | poor, sure |
| /eə/ | /e/ → /ə/ | air, hair |
| /eɪ/ | /e/ → /ɪ/ | day, late |
| /ɔɪ/ | /ɔː/ → /ɪ/ | boy, voice |
| /aɪ/ | /a/ → /ɪ/ | five, fly |
| /əʊ/ | /ə/ → /ʊ/ | go, home |
| /aʊ/ | /a/ → /ʊ/ | house, cow |
/ɪə/
Description
- The glide begins from /ɪ/ and moves towards /ə/.
- The lips are neutral.
Spellings
eer – deer /dɪə/
ear – dear /dɪə/, fear /fɪə/
ere – here /hɪə/
eir – weird /wɪəd/
ier – fierce /fɪəs/
ea – idea /aɪˈdɪə/
Examples
ear /ɪə/
feared /fɪəd/
severe /sɪˈvɪə/
/ʊə/
Description
- The glide begins from /ʊ/ and moves towards /ə/.
- The lips are weakly rounded at the beginning of the glide and become more neutral.
Spellings
oor – poor /pʊə/
ure – pure /pjʊə/, sure /ʃʊə/
ur – curious /ˈkjʊəriəs/, during /ˈdjʊərɪŋ/
our – tour /tʊə/
ewer – fewer /fjʊə/
Examples
sure /ʃʊə/
fluent /ˈfluːənt/
tourist /ˈtʊərɪst/
/eə/
Description
- The glide begins from /e/ and moves in the direction of /ə/.
- The lips are neutral.
Spellings
are – care /keə/, rare /reə/
air – fair /feə/, chair /tʃeə/
ear – bear /beə/, wear /weə/
ere – there /ðeə/, where /weə/
eir – their /ðeə/, heir /eə/
Examples
air /eə/
hair /heə/
rare /reə/
/eɪ/
Description
- The glide begins from /e/ and moves in the direction of /ɪ/.
- The lips are spread.
Spellings
a – late /leɪt/, game /ɡeɪm/
ay – day /deɪ/, may /meɪ/
ai – aim /eɪm/, waist /weɪst/
ei – eight /eɪt/, vein /veɪn/
ey – they /ðeɪ/
ea – great /ɡreɪt/, break /breɪk/
/ɔɪ/
Description
- The glide begins from /ɔː/ and moves in the direction of /ɪ/.
- The lips change from rounded towards a more spread position.
Spellings
oy – boy /bɔɪ/, joy /dʒɔɪ/
oi – voice /vɔɪs/, point /pɔɪnt/
Examples
oil /ɔɪl/
coin /kɔɪn/
annoy /əˈnɔɪ/
ointment /ˈɔɪntmənt/
join /dʒɔɪn/
destroy /dɪˈstrɔɪ/
/aɪ/
Description
- The glide begins from an open position and moves towards /ɪ/.
- The lips are spread towards the end of the glide.
Spellings
i – five /faɪv/, mine /maɪn/, file /faɪl/
u – buy /baɪ/, guy /ɡaɪ/
ie – tie /taɪ/, die /daɪ/
y – fly /flaɪ/
Examples
right /raɪt/
lie /laɪ/
fly /flaɪ/
/əʊ/
Description
- The glide begins at a central position /ə/ and moves in the direction of /ʊ/.
- The lips are neutral for the first element and become rounded for the second element.
Spellings
o – so /səʊ/, old /əʊld/, home /həʊm/
oa – road /rəʊd/, soap /səʊp/
oe – toe /təʊ/, foe /fəʊ/
ou – soul /səʊl/, though /ðəʊ/
ow – know /nəʊ/, blow /bləʊ/
Examples
old /əʊld/
go /ɡəʊ/
nose /nəʊz/
/aʊ/
Description
- The glide begins at an open position and moves towards /ʊ/.
- The lips change from a relatively neutral open position towards rounding.
Spellings
ou – house /haʊs/, out /aʊt/, loud /laʊd/
ow – cow /kaʊ/, brown /braʊn/
our – sour /saʊə/, hour /ˈaʊə/
Examples
owl /aʊl/
loud /laʊd/
allow /əˈlaʊ/
Conclusion
The 12 pure vowel sounds and 8 diphthongs form an important part of English pronunciation. Learning the phonetic symbols, understanding the position of the tongue and lips, and practising the sounds regularly can help learners improve their pronunciation and spoken English.
Do not try to learn all the sounds at once. Practise each sound carefully, listen to the pronunciation, repeat the examples, and use the sounds in your everyday English conversations. Regular practice is the key to developing clearer pronunciation and greater confidence in spoken English.
You May Also Like 👇
Loading...