UNIT I
PHONETIC SYMBOLS AND TRANSCRIPTION
Introduction to phonetics:
Phonetics is defined as the scientific study of speech
sounds.‗ It is a branch of linguistics that deals with
pronunciation. Every language has a set of sounds
produced with the air that we breathe out. Different
sounds are produced with different parts of the mouth.
The throat takes different positions and the air (breath)
comes out through these positions. Phonology is the study
of sounds within a language system.
Sounds of English Language:
In the English alphabet there are 26 letters, but these letters
produce 44 sounds. For this reason, one letter is used to
produce more than one sound.
In order to know the correct pronunciation certain symbols denotin
1.Vowel sounds in English:
Short vowels
A vowel sound is unobstructed in articulation as it is produced
without friction. Of the 20 vowel sounds, 12 are pure vowel
sounds or single sounds and are called monophthongs; while 8
are vowel glides from an initial sound to a final sound and are
called diphthongs.
/ɪ/ – fit /fiːt/, pick /piːk/, difficult /ˈdɪ.fɪ.kəlt/
/e/ – pet /pet/, sent /sent/, attention /əˈten.ʃən/
/æ/ – pat /pæt/, flat /flæt/, family /ˈfæ.mə.li/
/ʌ/ – cut /kʌt/ jump /dʒʌmp/, cover /ˈkʌ.vər/
/ʊ/ – put /pʊt/, book /bʊk/, cushion /ˈkʊ.ʃən/
/ɒ/ – pot /pɒt/, dog /dɒg/, hospital /ˈhɒs.pɪ.təl/
/ə/ – about /əˈbaʊt/, system /ˈsɪs.təm/, complete /kəmˈpliːt/.
Long vowels
/i:/ week /wi:k/, feet /fi:t/, media /ˈmiː.di.jə/
/ɑ:/ hard /ha:/, park /pa:k/, article /ɑː.tɪ.kəl/
/ɔ:/ fork /fɔ:k/, walk /wɔ:k/, August /ɔːˈɡʌst/
/ɜ:/ heard /hɜ:d/, word /wɜ:d/, surface /ˈsɜː.fɪs/
/u:/ boot /bu:t/, group /gru:p/, beautiful /ˈbjuː.tɪ.fəl/
Diphthong vowels (double)
/eɪ/ place /pleɪs/, late /leɪt/, dangerous /ˈdeɪn.dʒə.rəs/
/oʊ/ home /hoʊm/, phone /foʊn/, global /ˈɡloʊ.bəl/
/aʊ/ mouse /maʊs/, brown /braʊn/, accountant /əˈkaʊn.t̬ənt/
/ɪə/ clear /klɪə/, fear /fɪə/, career /kəˈrɪə/
/eə/ care /keə/, wear /weə/, declare /dɪˈkleə/
/ɔɪ/ boy /bɔɪ/, toy /tɔɪ/, enjoyable /ɪnˈdʒɔɪ.jə.bəl/
/aɪ/ find /faɪnd/, bite /baɪt/, tiger /ˈtaɪ.ɡə/
/ʊə/ tour /tʊə/, pure /pʊə/, mature /məˈtʃʊə/
2.Consonant sounds in English
Consonant sounds are the sounds which are produced with obstruction of
air. There are 24 consonant sounds in English according to the RP of
England and production of them involves some friction. They are given
below with examples.
/p/ pet /pet/ paper /ˈpeɪ.pə/ top /tɒp/
/b/ bet /bet/ trouble /ˈtrʌ.bəl/ rub /rʌb/
/t/ Tim /tɪm/ better /ˈbe.tə/ hot /hɒt/
/d/ dim /dɪm/ order /ˈɔː.də/ bad /bæd/
/k/ came /keɪm/ talking /ˈtɔː.kɪŋ/ back /bæk/
/g/ game /geɪm/ bigger /ˈbɪ.gə/ bag /bæg/
/f/ fine /faɪn/ offer /ˈɒf.ə/ off /ɒf/
/v/ vine /vaɪn/ saving /ˈseɪ.vɪŋ/ of /ɒv/
/s/ seal /si:l/ missing /ˈmɪ.sɪŋ/ face /feɪs/
/z/ zeal /zi:l/ crazy /ˈkreɪ.zi/ phase /feɪz/
/ʃ/ show /ʃoʊ/ pushing /ˈpʊ.ʃɪŋ/ rush /rʌʃ/
/ʒ/ measure /ˈme.ʒə/ vision /ˈvɪ.ʒən/ asia /ˈeɪ.ʒə/
/ʧ/ choke /ʧoʊk/ watching /wɒ.tʃɪŋ/ catch /kætʃ/
/ʤ/ joke /ʤoʊk/ damage /ˈdæ.mɪdʒ/ large /lɑːdʒ/
/θ/ thin /θɪn/ method /ˈme.θəd/ both /boʊθ/
/ð / then /ðen/ other /ˈʌ.ðə/ with /wɪð/
/l/ love /lʌv/ follow /ˈfɒː.loʊ/ well /wel/
/m/ mail /meɪl/ humour /ˈhjuː.mə/ some /sʌm/
/n/ nail /neɪl/ funny /ˈfʌ.ni/ fine /faɪn/
/ŋ/ sing /sɪŋ/ singer /ˈsɪ.ŋə/
/h/ heal /hi:l/ perhaps /pəˈhæps/
/r/ real /ri:l/ correct /kəˈrekt/
/j/ you /ju:/ beyond /biˈjɒnd/
/w/ we /wi/ showing /ˈʃoʊ.wɪŋ/
