Key to pronunciations (British and World English dictionary)
The pronunciations given represent the standard accent of English as spoken in the south of England (sometimes called Received Pronunciation or RP), and the example words given in this key are to be understood as pronounced in such speech.
Consonants
The letters b, d, f, h, k, l, m, n, p, r, s, t, v, w, and z have their usual English values. Other symbols are used as follows:
|
Symbol |
|
Example |
|
ɡ |
as in |
get |
|
tʃ |
|
chip |
|
ʤ |
|
jar |
|
x |
|
loch |
|
ŋ |
|
ring |
|
θ |
|
thin |
|
ð |
|
this |
|
ʃ |
|
she |
|
ʒ |
|
decision |
|
j |
|
yes |
Vowels
|
Symbol |
|
Example |
|
Short vowels |
|
|
|
a |
as in |
cat |
|
ɛ |
|
bed |
|
ə |
|
ago |
|
ɪ |
|
sit |
|
i |
|
cosy |
|
ɒ |
|
hot |
|
ʌ |
|
run |
|
ʊ |
|
put |
|
Long vowels |
|
|
|
ɑː |
|
arm |
|
ɛː |
|
hair |
|
əː |
|
her |
|
iː |
|
see |
|
ɔː |
|
saw |
|
uː |
|
too |
|
Diphthongs |
|
|
|
ʌɪ |
|
my |
|
aʊ |
|
how |
|
eɪ |
|
day |
|
əʊ |
|
no |
|
ɪə |
|
near |
|
ɔɪ |
|
boy |
|
ʊə |
|
poor |
|
Triphthongs |
|
|
|
ʌɪə |
|
fire |
|
aʊə |
|
sour |
In multisyllable words the symbol ˈ is used to show that the following syllable is stressed, as in /kəˈbal/; the symbol ˌ indicates a secondary stress, as in /ˌkaləˈbriːs/.
(ə) before /l/, /m/, or /n/ indicates that the syllable may be realized with a syllabic l, m, or n, rather than with a vowel and consonant, e.g. /ˈbʌt(ə)n/ rather than /ˈbʌtən/.
(r) indicates an r that is sometimes sounded when a vowel follows, as in drawer, cha-chaing.