Rules for pronunciation of the letter u in English. Letter combinations in English

We have already mastered it. Today we have a difficult topic: reading rules in English. Why complicated? Yes, because in the English language there are open and closed syllables, several types of reading vowels, special reading rules double letters and combinations of letters and many other rules. And there are also exceptions to the rules. Sometimes it is not clear what is more, rules or exceptions. However, you still need to be able to read. First of all, let's look at reading vowels.

Dividing words into syllables

Since reading vowels depends on the type of stressed syllable, this is where you should start. If you understand the types of syllables, then everything will be much easier.

First, let's divide the word into syllables (this applies to polysyllabic words with multiple vowels). The number of syllables depends on the number of vowel sounds in the word. Find all the vowels in the word.

A) If a vowel is followed by one consonant (except – r), then this consonant belongs to the following syllable: сo-lour, fi-nish, e-le-ven.
There is an immediate exception: monosyllabic words with the final unpronounceable vowel e are not divided into syllables: rule, face, take.

B) If a vowel is followed by two consonants, then the first consonant will refer to the first syllable, and the second to the following: doc-tor, sis-ter, fac-to-ry.

C) If a word contains a sonant [l], [m], [n], [r], then the consonant in front of it belongs to the following syllable: ta-ble, cy-cle, no-ble.

D) Combinations of letters ld, nd form a separate syllable: frie-nd, mi-ld, spe-nd.

Syllable types

In English there are four types of stressed syllables.

1. Open syllable. This is a syllable that ends with a vowel: he, no, we.
This also includes words that end in silent - e: time, life, name.

2. Closed syllable. This is the name of a syllable that ends with one or more consonants (except – r):
mend, ten, best.

3. Syllable with letter r. In such a syllable, the letter r, as a rule, is not pronounced: car, mark, start.

4. Syllable with the combination r + e. In it, the letters r and e are also not pronounced: fire, where, cure.

Well, we've sorted out the syllables. Now we mentally divide the word into syllables and learn to read it.

Rules for reading vowels

Depending on the type of stressed syllable, four types of reading vowels are distinguished.

1. First type of reading. In an open syllable, vowels are read in the same way as they are called in the alphabet. This type of reading is also called alphabetic. Let's look at the examples in the table:

2. Second type of reading. Vowels in a closed syllable are read briefly.

3. Third type of reading. The letter r after a stressed vowel is not read, and the vowel sound becomes long.

4. The fourth type of reading. This combination is: stressed vowel + r + vowel

The letter y at the beginning of a word before a vowel is read as the sound [j], for example: yesterday - yesterday.

Reading unstressed vowels

In an unstressed position, vowels are read differently.

The letters e, i, y are read as the sound [i] – elastic elastic distort, distort, heavy [‘hevi] heavy.

The vowels a, o, u are read as the sound [ə] – amaze [ə’meiz] to amaze, develop to develop, successful successful

Combinations of vowels and vowels with consonants

Various combinations of vowel letters, as well as vowels and consonants, have their own reading rules. They will have to be learned separately.

• ee is read as a sound – meet
• ea is also read as – speak [‘spi:k] to speak
  Exception: head head, breakfast [‘brekfəst] breakfast, bread bread
• ai gives sound – main main
• ay is pronounced as a diphthong – day day
• oo before any consonant except k and r is read as – food [‘fu:d] food
  Exception: good good, room room
• oo before the letter k is pronounced as a short sound [u] – book book
• oi is read as [ɔi] – point
• oy also gives a diphthong [ɔi] – boy boy
• oa read as – coat [‘kout] coat
• ou reads like – house
• ou in some words of French origin is read as – group group
• ou before the letter r is pronounced [ɔ:] – four [‘fɔ:] four
  Exception: hour [‘auə] hour, our [‘auə] our
• ea before r gives a diphthong – near
• air sounds like [ɛə] – chair [‘ʧɛə] chair
• eer is read as a diphthong – engineer
• ew in most words is read as – new [‘nju:] new
• ow under stress in monosyllabic words and in the middle of polysyllabic words sounds like – now [‘nau] now, brown brown
• ow at the end of two-syllable words in unstressed position is read as – yellow [‘jelou] yellow
• w + or before a consonant sounds like [ə:] – work work
• wa is read as if it is followed by a final consonant (except r) or combinations of consonants – want [‘wɔnt] want
• al before k sounds like [ɔ:], while l is not pronounced – chalk [ʧɔ:k] chalk
• a + s before a consonant is read as – glass glass
• o before m and n is pronounced [ʌ] – son son
• o + th is read as [ʌ] – mother [‘mʌðə] mother
• ig h is read as , while gh is not pronounced – light light

As you can see, the rules for reading vowels in English are not complicated, but there are a lot of them. Do not forget that there are words - exceptions - that are read differently. There are quite a few of them too. We will look at reading consonant sounds another time.

Digraphs in English are a pair of letters used to represent one phoneme in writing language. The following article provides definitions, information, and ideas for teaching letter combinations in English. This article is suitable for both children and adults, as it is written in simple language. In addition, you can listen to audio and listen to how words and digraphs are read in English. Let's start learning the rules for reading letter combinations in English.

How to learn digraphs

Letter combinations in English are very common and therefore it is necessary to study them at the first stage of learning, for both adults and children. Many sites write that it is difficult even for an adult to understand how digraphs are read. We don't agree with this. Remember, anyone can learn a language, you just need to try hard and pull yourself together. Therefore, we want you to believe in yourself and forget words like: “I am not able to learn a language because I am not inclined towards foreign languages.”

The first thing you need is to read our article to the end. Second, learn several consonant digraphs and practice them by reading words and short stories. In this article you will become familiar with only consonant letter combinations in order to gradually study each digraph, and in the next article we will introduce you to vowel combinations.

Definition of digraphs

What are digraphs?
Digraphs or in English digraphs are two letters that have the same sound. Digraphs can consist of vowels or consonants. Digraphs are different from blends. While blend is a group of letters in which each letter represents an individual sound such as b-l in the word bloom or s-t-r in the word street. Let's find out what digraphs there are?

Reading and pronunciation of letter combinations in English

In this section you will learn how to read letter combinations in English.

The letters in brackets are sounds written in the International Phonetic Alphabet. First, listen to the audio and pay attention to the transcription and remember the combination of letters.

Combination of consonants in English:

• sh [ш] [ʃ] —

Examples:

1. Sh ed [ʃed] [shed] – Barn
2. Shelf [ʃelf] [shelf] – Shelf
3. Brush [brush] - Brush

• th [SS] [θ]

Listen carefully to how the combination th is read in English.

This sound needs to be given a lot of attention, since there is no such sound in our native language. This phoneme is called interdental [SS]. You need to put your tongue between your teeth and pronounce the unvoiced in English transcription it looks like this [θ] .

Examples:

- Th ick [θɪk] [SSik] - Thick
- Th rust[θrʌst] [SS(r)ast] – To thrust
— Th ug [θʌɡ] [ССаг] – Hooligan

• th [ЗЗ] [ð]– letter combination th in English it is pronounced like the previous one, but it is voiced.

Examples:

- Th is [ðɪs] [ZZis] - This is
- Th ey [ðeɪ] [ZZey] - They
- Weath er [ˈweðə] - Weather

• th – [t]— Sometimes this letter combination is pronounced like [t]:

- Th ailand [ˈtaɪ.lænd] [Thailand] - Thailand

th the combination in English may seem difficult, since there is no such phoneme in the Russian language, but in fact our organs, in this case the tongue, can learn to pronounce such phonemes. You need to listen to foreign speech more. For example, British Radio. Go to the BBC radio 4 Extra website and you'll find plenty interesting stories from comedy to horror. Listen and practice English speech.

• ch [h]

The combination ch in English has several variants, so remember the pronunciation of words written with this digraph.

Examples:

1. Ch ess [chess] – Chess
2. Bench [bench] - Bench
3. Rich [rich] - Rich

• ch – [k] [K]– This letter combination in English is sometimes pronounced with the sound [K], as in the word [Cat]

Examples:

- Ch orus [ˈkɔːrəs] [koores] - Choir
- Ach e [eik] - Pain
- Ch ristmas [ˈkrɪsməs] [krismes] - Christmas

• ch – [ʃ] [w]- In some cases, the same letter combination is read as [w].

- Mach ine [machine] - Mechanism, machine
- Mach ete [masheti] - Machete
- Ch icago [ʃɪˈkɑ.ɡoʊ] [shikagou] – Chicago

• ph [ph] [f]

- Neph ew [ˈnefjuː] [nephew] - Nephew
- Dolph in [ˈdɒlfɪn] [dolphin] - Dolphin
- Phonetics [phonetics] - Phonetics

• wh [ў] [w]

Examples:

- Wh ack [ўek] - Hit
- Wh eel [ўIL] - Wheel
- Wh ite [ўight] - White

• If after the letter combination wh followed by a letter o, then the letter w unreadable:

- Who - Who

• Letter combination ck – [k]– reads like [k]

- Truck [truck] - Truck
- Neck [neck] - Neck
- Puck [pack] - Puck

• dg – [j] [j]

Example:

- Grudg e [ɡrʌdʒ] [graj] - Resentment, anger
- Budg et [ˈbʌdʒɪt] [bajit] - Budget

• gh - [f] [f]

In English the digraph gh is read as [f] in the following words:

- Cough [coff] - Cough
- Laugh [laf] - Laughter
- Rough [rough] - Difficult

• gh – [g] [g]- the same letter combination has a second sound [G]

- Gh ost [ɡəʊst] - Bringing

• gn – [n] [n]

- Gn ome - Gnome
- Gn at - Midge
- Gn aw - Gnaw

• kn – [n] [n] letter combination or digraph kn used in the following words:

- Kn ife [knife] - Knife
- Kn ight [night] - Knight
- Kn ot [notes] - Knot

* Compare: kn ight – n ight [night] - pronounced the same, written differently and translated differently. Night - night.

• lk – [k] [k]– letter L not pronounced.

- Walk [walk] - Walk
- Talk [current] - Talk

In these examples we see another letter combination al before the letter k reads like sound [ɔː] , that is, a long sound [O].

- Chalk - Chalk

• Mn – [m] [m]
  Mb [m] [m]

Words that end with (mn, mb) the last letter in this combination is not pronounced.

In combination mn, 'n' not pronounced.
In combination mb, 'b' not pronounced.

Look at the examples:

- Autumn [ˈɔːtəm] [ootem] - Autumn
- Column [ˈkɒləm] [kolem] - Column
- Hymn [chem] - Anthem

• Read now the examples with letters mb :

- Climb [climb] - Climb
- Thumb [θʌm] [SSam] - Thumb

• ng – [ŋ]

The letter combination ng at the end of a word is read as [ŋ] , but this sound is not pronounced like [n], / ŋ / is a nasal sound made in the same position as / k/ And / g/, so the tongue rises from behind, touching the soft palate, and the noise is released through the nose. Try again!

Example:

- Thing [θɪŋ] [SSin] - Thing
- King [kin] - King

• Letter combination nk reads like a sound combination [ŋk], For example:

- Ink [ɪŋk] [ink] - Ink

• wr – [r] [(р)]

Letter W at the beginning of a word before the letter R unreadable:

- Wr ite [right] - Write
- Wr ap [rap] - Wrap up

— Rh etoric [ˈretərɪk] – Rhetoric
— Rhino [ˈraɪnəʊ] – Rhinoceros

Letter combination table in English

Having carefully studied the combination of English letters, you can save the table and use it as a mini-hint.

Reading English letter combinations of vowels and consonants

• igh - [ay]

Letter combination igh reads like [ouch] for example, in these words:

- Light t [light] - Light
- Righ t [(r)ayt] - Faithful
- Nigh t [night] - Night

• Wor When pronouncing, you must ensure that [w] did not soften and did not replace the sound with Russian [O] or [e].

Listen to how to pronounce it correctly

— Wor k — Work

• Wa The letter combination wa is read as [oo], if it is followed by either a final consonant (except r), or combinations of consonants:

- Wa nt [want] - Want
- Wash [wash] - Wash

• qu –

- Qu een [queen] - Queen
- Qu ick [quick] - Quick

• ew - [yu]

Letter combination with vowel and consonant ew in most words it is read as a sound combination .

- New [new] - New
- View [view] - Opinion, look

Combinations of consonants in English are an important topic, because if you want to be able to read in English, you definitely need to know how to read a word that has two letters, but is read as one.

In the next topic we will look at vowel letter combinations or digraphs. In the meantime, we suggest downloading a document with sentences that have consonant digraphs in English. Read them carefully several times. First, slowly, pronouncing each word as clearly and clearly as possible, pay attention to the pronunciation, if you don’t know how the word is read, look up the transcription in the dictionary, then after you have learned to pronounce the words, read them faster.

Combination of sounds in English with transcription

In this section we will look at important sound combinations in English.

First sound combination:

• [pl]– Before a stressed vowel it is pronounced together. This sound is pronounced very energetically, that the sound [l] [l] partially stunned:

- Pl ease [please] - Please
- Pl ane [plain] - Airplane

• [kl]– Pronounce this sound combination exactly the same as , before a stressed vowel the sound is pronounced together [l] partially stunned:

- Cl ean [wedge] - Clean

• – When pronouncing these sounds, it is necessary to maintain the quality of pronunciation.

—
—

• Sound combinations [t] [d] [n] [l] with sounds [θ] [ð] . Alveolar sounds [t] [d] [n] [l] before interdental ones they become either dental or interdental, as they lose alveolarity.

- At this [æt ðɪs]
— Read this

• Sound combinations [θr] .

In a combination of sound r with a preceding consonant, both sounds are almost pronounced the same:

— Br ight — Bright

• In sound combinations the tip of the tongue is not on the alveoli, but behind them.

—Tr y
—Dr y

Exercises on letter combinations in English

Skim the table and then take the English digraphs test.

The rules of reading in English cannot be called simple. But you have to understand them at the very beginning of training - otherwise you won’t be able to move forward. Therefore, the reading rules in English for beginners (and for children) are usually presented concisely and clearly - and thank you for that. Transcriptions with examples and others are very helpful auxiliary materials(tables, exercises) and, of course, constant practice (reading aloud and listening).

Transcription- is the transmission of sound in writing using special symbols. In transcription, each sound has its own special sign.

True, there are features of transcription of reading in English that are difficult for Russian-speaking students. These difficulties are due to objective differences in pronunciation in English and Russian. Our language has simply been “different” since childhood, and relearning is always difficult. Especially when you consider that sounds in English are often pronounced differently from how they are written. Historically, this happened due to the large number of dialects in which the same letters and combinations of letters were read differently. But this doesn’t make it any easier for us.

Rules for reading transcriptions in English

Different English teachers solve this problem differently. not an easy task. For example, they use the so-called “ English transcription in Russian”, that is, writing English words in Russian letters. To be honest, we do not support this technique. Because it doesn't allow you to truly learn correctly English pronunciation. It is only possible to very approximately convey the pronunciation of English words in Russian letters. Well, not some English sounds in the Russian language, the seemingly similar pronunciation of English and Russian sounds is still different.

Therefore, we are in favor of trying and learning the phonetic symbols with which transcriptions are written from the very beginning. This will help you understand and remember the rules of reading English for beginners. And in the future, English lessons will be much easier. As for the transmission of English sounds in Russian letters, this technique is needed for transliteration (like), but not for training pronunciation.

Rules for reading vowels in English

As we have already noted, letters and sounds in English often do not match. Moreover, there are many more sounds: 44 sounds for only 26 letters. Linguists even joke about this:

“We write Liverpool and we read Manchester”

There is such a big difference between a written word and its pronunciation in English. Well, let's start in order. From syllables that affect the reading of vowels. Syllables in English (as in any other language) are open and closed:

• Open syllable ends with vowel. It can be in the middle of a word or be the last word. For example: age, blue, bye, fly, go, etc.
• Closed syllable ends with I agree. It can also stand in the middle of a word or be the last one in a word. For example: bed, big, box, hungry, stand, etc.

Here is a table that explains how the same letter is read differently in closed and open syllables and in different positions in a word:

Rules for reading consonants in English

Consonants in English are less challenging than vowels. Only some of them (C, S, T, X and G) are read differently depending on their position in the word and neighboring sounds. And for clarity, here is the table again:

How are letter combinations read in English?

So, after vowels and consonants, we get to letter combinations. Now we will talk about the rules for reading syllables, not individual letters. And this is correct - after all, in words, letters are combined, so we rarely have to read individual sounds. And in syllables, sounds influence each other, so the following table contains the basic rules for reading syllables and combinations of consonant letters:

		look, book, cook, good, foot	[lʊk] [bʊk] [kʊk] [ɡʊd] [fʊt]
	pool, school, Zoo, too	[puːl] [skuːl] [zuː] [tuː]
		see, bee, tree, three, meet	[ ˈsiː ] [ biː ] [ triː ] [ θriː ] [ miːt ]
Exceptions:		tea, meat, eat, read, speak	[ tiː ] [ miːt ] [ iːt ] [ riːd ] [ spiːk ]
	bread, head, breakfast, healthy	[bred] [hed] [ˈbrekfəst] [ˈhelθi]
		away, play, say, may	[əˈweɪ] [pleɪ] [ˈseɪ] [meɪ]
		[ɡreɪ] [ˈðeɪ]
		ink, thank, monkey, sink, bank
		telephone, phonetics, phrase
		she, bush, short, dish, fish, sheep, shook
		catch, kitchen, watch, switch, stretch
		at the beginning of function words; between vowels: these, that, there, mother, they, with, them, then
	in combination th at the beginning and at the end of significant words: thick, thin, thanks, three, think, throw, fifth, tooth
		what, why, when, while, white, where
		who, whom, whose, whole, wholly
		write, wrong, wrist, wrap, wrest, wrap

Live and other rules of reading in English

All students have different language and listening abilities. If the rules of reading in English are difficult, use one of the following techniques:

• Living rules for reading English. This is a fairly well-known technique for teaching reading and pronunciation in English. It is intended mainly for children, and the rules English reading presented as accessible as possible. Memorization is made easier by funny poems and tongue twisters. It makes sense to try to get your child interested in English from the very beginning of learning.
• Applications for learning English. We recently discussed a whole series. In most of them you can not only read, but also listen to new words. The same function is available in online translators - use it more often.
• Exercises on reading rules. There are many of them, but they all come down to training the skill of distinguishing different sounds. For example:

Given a list of words ( what, who, wrestling, when, why, whose, wrong, where, whom, write, white, which, whole, wrangler). You need to distribute these words into groups with the sound that is pronounced in them: [w], [h] or [r].

Or words from another list ( give, good, cage, ginger, girl, gypsy, gold, grey, grace, beige, gift, gymnastics) distribute into two groups: one with the sound [g], the second - with the sound .

The reading rules exercises may seem complicated, but don't try to do them by memorizing every rule. Better try to understand not the rules, but the principles of reading English sounds. Do several exercises on reading rules to know exactly how to read some of the same type of words. The more you read and listen in English, the easier it will be to remember the correct pronunciation.

So our main advice is universal: practice, practice and once again practice of communicating and reading in English will help you learn the language easily and effectively!

Transcription is a recording of the sound of a letter or word in the form of a sequence of special phonetic symbols.

Transcription may not be of interest to everyone, but it is, without a doubt, useful. Knowing the transcription, you will correctly read an unfamiliar word without outside help. During classes, you can read the transcription of a word yourself (for example, from the blackboard) without asking others, thereby making it easier for yourself to assimilate lexical material, etc.

At first there will be errors in correct reading, because... There are always some subtleties in pronunciation. But this is just a matter of practice. A little later, if necessary, you will be able to transcribe the words yourself.

Transcription is directly related to reading rules. In English, not everything that is seen (letter combinations) is read (as in Russian and Spanish, for example).

When textbooks (mostly domestic ones) talk about reading rules, much attention is paid to the type of syllable. About five such types are usually described. But such a detailed theoretical presentation of the rules of reading does not greatly ease the fate of a beginner, and can even mislead him. It must be remembered that a good knowledge of the rules of reading is a great merit of practice, not theory.

Your attention will be presented to the basic rules for reading individual letters and letter combinations. “Behind the scenes” there will be some phonetic aspects that are difficult to convey in writing.

A little patience! Both transcription and reading rules are easily learned in a short time. Then you will be surprised: “How easy it has become to read and write!”

However, do not forget that, despite its wide distribution, the English language does not cease to be a LANGUAGE, full of exceptions, stylistic and other delights. And at any stage of language learning, and especially at the beginning, look into the dictionary more often.

Transcription icons and their pronunciation

Symbols Consonants	Pronunciation of sound (similar to Russian)	Symbols Vowel sounds	Pronunciation of sound (similar to Russian)
[ b ]	[ b ]	Single sounds
[ d ]	[ d ]	[ Λ ]	[ A] - a short
[ f ]	[ f ]	[ a:]	[ A] - deep
[ 3 ]	[ and ]	[ i ]	[ And] - a short
[ d3 ]	[ j ]	[ i: ]	[ And] - long
[ g ]	[ G ]	[ o ]	[ O] - a short
[ h ]	[ X ]	[ o: ]	[ O] - deep
[ k ]	[ To ]	[ u ]	[ at] - a short
[ l ]	[ l ]	[ u: ]	[ at] - long
[ m ]	[ m ]	[ e ]	as in the word "pl" e d"
[ n ]	[ n ]	[ ε: ]	as in the word "m" e d"
[ p ]	[ P ]	Diphthongs
[ s ]	[ With ]	[ u ]	[ OU ]
[ t ]	[ T ]	[ au ]	[ aw ]
[ v ]	[ V ]	[ ei ]	[ Hey ]
[ z ]	[ h ]	[ oi ]	[ Ouch ]
[ t∫]	[ h ]	[ ai ]	[ ah ]
[∫ ]	[ w ]
[ r ]	Soft [ R] as in the word R Russian
[ O	A sign of softness as in a Russian letter Yo (e lk)
Sounds without analogies in Russian
[ θ ]		[ æ ]
[ ð ]
[ ŋ ]	Nasal, in the French style, sound [ n ]	[ ə ]	[neutral sound]
[ w ]

Notes:

o]. But, in modern English dictionaries This sound is usually designated as shown in the table.

Diphthong is a complex sound that consists of two sounds. In most cases, a diphthong can be "broken" into two sounds, but not in writing. Since in many cases one of the component sounds of a diphthong, if used separately, will have a different designation. For example diphthong [ au]: separately such transcription icon as [ a] - Does not exist. Therefore, most diphthongs are not indicated by a combination of different transcription symbols, but by their own sign.

In many school textbooks and in some domestic dictionaries this sound is designated as [ ou], which is more clear. But, in modern English dictionaries this sound is usually designated as shown in the table.

This sign often denotes unstressed vowel sounds in transcription, regardless of the letters (combinations) that produce this sound.

Reading rules

English words have several types of syllables. However, to understand the entire system, it is necessary to remember and distinguish between the following two types: open And closed.

Open syllable ends with a vowel: game, like, stone- a vowel letter in a word is read the same way as in the alphabet.

Closed syllable ends with a consonant: pen, cat, bus- a vowel in a syllable gives a different sound.

Stress in transcription and words is indicated by a vertical line before the stressed syllable.

Single vowel sounds

Sound	Rules
[ e ]	usually gives a letter e in a closed syllable: g e t[g e t ], v e t[v e t ] as well as a letter combination ea:d ea d[d e d ], pl ea sure [´pl e 3 ə ] Note: the same letter combination often produces the sound [ i:] (see below)
[ i ]	usually gives a letter i in a closed syllable: h i t[h i t ], k i ll[k i l ] and also the letter y in a closed syllable: g y m[d3 i m ], c y Linder [´s i lində] Note: the same letters in an open syllable give the sound [ ai] (see below)
[ i: ]	appears in the following letter combinations: e+e(always): m ee t[m i: t ], d ee p ; letter e in an open syllable: tr ee[ tr i:], St e ve[st i: v ]; in letter combination e+a: m ea t[m i: t ], b ea m [ b i: m ] Note: this is the same letter combination ( ea) often produces the sound [ e] (see above)
[ o ]	usually gives a letter o in a closed syllable: p o t[p o t ], l o ttery [´l o təri ], and also the letter a in a closed syllable after w: wa sp[w o sp ], s wa n[sw o n ]
[ o: ]	o + r:c or n[k o: n ], f or tress [´f o: trə s ]; m or e[m o: ] almost always in a+u:f au na[´f o: nə ], t au nt[t o: nt ]; the only exceptions are a few words, for example, au nt Consonant (except w) +a+w:d aw n[d o: n ], h aw k[h o: k]. always in letter combination a+ll:t all[ t o: l ], sm all[sm o: l ] Letter combination a+ld (lk) also produces this sound: b ald[ b o: ld ], t alk[ t o: k ] Not often, but you can find the letter combination ou + r giving this sound :p our[ p o:], m our n.
[ æ ]	usually gives a letter a in a closed syllable: fl a g[fl æ g ], m a rried [´m æ rid ]
[ Λ ]	usually gives a letter u in a closed syllable: d u st[d Λ st ], S u nday ​​[´s Λ ndei]. And: double:d double[d Λ bl ], tr double[ tr Λ bl ] ove:gl ove[gl Λ v ], d ove[d Λ v ] Note: but there are also exceptions: m ove[ m u: v ] - (see below); fl oo d[fl Λ d ], bl oo d[bl Λ d ] - (see above)
[ a: ]	appears in the following letter combinations: a+r:d ar k[d a: k ], f ar m[f a: m ] (see note) regular letter a in a closed syllable: l a st [ l a: st ], f a ther[f a:ðə ] - therefore it is necessary to check the dictionary, because a in a closed syllable it traditionally produces the sound [ æ ] as in c a t[k æ t ]; consonant + alm also produces this sound consistently: p alm[ p a: m ], c alm[k a: m ] + note Note: 1. very rarely a+r gives sound [ o:]w ar m[w o: m ]; 3. Rarely: s al mon[s æ mən ]
[ u ] [ u: ]	The length of this sound varies in most cases for historical reasons rather than for orthographic reasons. That is, for each word it is determined individually. This difference in longitude does not carry a huge semantic load, as in other sounds. And in oral speech it does not need to be specially emphasized. This sound occurs in the following cases: Always o+o:f oo t[f u t ], b oo t [ b u: t ], t oo k[t u k ], m oo n[m u: n ] after pu in a closed syllable sometimes gives a short version: pu t[p u t ], pu sh [ p u∫ ] (the previous letter is always p) - (see note) ou+ consonant: c ou ld[k u: d ], w ou nd[w u: nd ] (but such cases are not frequent). r+u+ consonant + vowel: p ru ne [ pr u: n ], ru mour[r u: mə] Note: 2. But in similar cases with other consonants u almost always produces a sound [ Λ ] : c u t[k Λ t ], pl u s[pl Λ s ], p u nch[p Λ nt∫ ]
[ ε: ]	occurs in closed syllables with the following letter combinations: Always i /e /u + r(in a closed syllable): sk ir t[sk ε: t ], p er son[p ε: sən]t ur n[t ε: n ], b ur st [ b ε: st ] - (see note) ea + r:p ear l[p ε: l ], l ear n[l ε: n ] Note: in some cases a combination o + r after w makes this sound: w or d[w ε: d ], w or k[w ε: k ]
[ ə ]	Most unstressed vowels produce a neutral sound: vowel combinations: fam ou s[ feim ə s ], c o mput er[k ə mpju:t ə ]

Vowel diphthongs

Sound	Rules
[ ei ]	a in an open syllable: g a me [g ei m], p a le[p ei l ] ai in a closed syllable: p ai n[p ei n ], r ai l[r ei l ] ay(usually at the end): pr ay[ pr ei], h ay[ h ei ] ey(rarely, but aptly) usually at the end: gr ey[ gr ei], surv ey[´sε:v ei ] Note: 4. the same letter combination sometimes produces the sound [ i:]: key [ k i: ]
[ ai ]	usually occurs in the following cases: letter i in an open syllable: f i ne[f ai n ], pr i ce [ pr ai s ] ie at the end of a word: p ie[ p ai], d ie[d ai ] letter y in an open syllable: rh y me[r ai m ], s y ce[s ai s ] and at the end of the word: m y[ m ai], cr y[kr ai ] ye at the end of a word: d ye[d ai], r ye[r ai ]
[ oi ]	usually occurs in the following cases: oi(usually in the middle of a word) - p oi son [´p oi zən ], n oi se[n oi z ] oh(usually at the end) - b oh[ b oi], all oh[´æl oi ]
[ au ]	appears in the following letter combinations: o+w:h ow[ h au], d ow n[d au n ] - (see note) o + u:r ou nd[r au nd ], p ou t[p au t ] Note: 1. the same letter combination often produces the sound [ u] (see below)
[ u ]	usually gives a letter o in an open syllable: st o ne[st u n ], l o nely [´l u nli] letter combinations o+w(usually at the end of a word): bl ow[bl u], cr ow[kr u] - (see note) ou before l:s ou l[s əul], f ou l[f u l ] oa+ vowel: c oa ch[k ut∫], t oa d[t u d] old(as in open syllable): c old[k u ld ], g old[g u ld]. Note: 1. exception word: b o th[ b uθ ]; 2. the same letter combination often produces the sound [ au] (see above)
[ iə ]	ea + r:h ear[ h iə], n ear[ n iə] - (see note) e + r + e:h here[ h iə] , s here[s iə ] ee + r:d eer[d iə], p eer[ p iə ] Note: 1. if this letter combination is followed by a consonant, then the sound [ ε: ] - d ear th[d ε: θ]. Exception - b ear d[b iə d]
[ eə ]	give the following letter combinations: a+r+e:d are[d eə], fl are[ fl eə ] ai + r:h air[ h eə], f air[ f eə ]
[ aiə ]	give the following letter combinations: i+r+e:f ire[ f aiə], h ire[ h aiə ] y + r + e:t yre[ t aiə], p yre[ p aiə ]

Consonants

Sound	Rules
[∫ ]	There are several letter combinations that always produce this sound (among others): tion [∫ə n]: celebra tion[´seli´brei∫n], tui tion[tju:´i∫n] cious [∫ə s]: deli cious[dil´∫əs], vi cious[´vi∫əs] cian [∫ə n]: musi cian[mju:´zi∫ən], politi cian[poli´ti∫ən] and, of course, the letter combination sh: sh eep [∫i:p], sh oot [ ∫u:t ]
[ t∫]	always occurs in: ch: ch air [t∫eə], ch ild [t∫aild] t+ure:crea ture[´kri:t∫ə], fu ture[ ´fju:t∫ə ]
[ ð ] [ θ ]	These two sounds are given by the same letter combination th. Usually, if this letter combination is in the middle of a word (between two vowels), then the sound [ ð ]: wi th out [wi´ ð aut ] And, if it is at the beginning or end of a word, then the sound [ θ ]: th anks [ θ ænks ], fai th[ fei θ ]
[ ŋ ]	the nasal sound occurs in the letter combination vowel + ng: s ing[ si ŋ ], h ung ry [´hΛ ŋ gri ], wr ong[wro ŋ ], h ang[hæ ŋ ]
[ j ]	softness in sound may occur in some cases, and not manifest itself in other similar cases, for example s u per [´s u: p ə ] (see dictionary): u in an open syllable: m u te[m j u:t ], h u ge[h j u:d3 ] ew:f ew[ f j u: ], l ew d[l j u:d ] if the word starts with y + vowel: ya rd [ j a:d ], yo ung[ jΛŋ ]

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Sounds expressed by letters are conveyed using transcription signs. How to read the transcription is described on the page: Transcription

What is open and closed type syllable: Open and closed syllable

Vowel sounds.

Stressed vowels

eɪ ]-c a se - [keɪs ]- case.

æ ] -t a nk - [tæŋk ]- tank, tank.

Vowel + r - [ ɑː ] -c a r - [kɑː ]- car, car.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ ɑː ] - p a rk - [pɑːk ]- a park.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ eə ]- v a ry - [ˈveəri]- vary.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ iː ]- sh e - [ʃiː ]- she.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ e ]- b e t - [bet]- bet, bet.

Vowel + r - [ zː ]-h e r - [hɜː ]- her, her.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ zː ]-t e rm - [tɜːm ]- term.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ ɪə ] -m ere - [mɪə]- only.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ aɪ]-l i ne - [laɪn ]- line.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ɪ ] - b i t - [bɪt ]- bit, a little.

Vowel + r - [ zː ]-s i r - [sɜː ]- sir.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ zː ]- th i rd - [θɜːd ]- third.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ aɪə ]-h i re - [haɪə ]- rent.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ əʊ ] - z o ne - [zəʊn ]- zone, district.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ɒ ] -l o t - [lɒt]- a lot of.

Vowel + r - [ ɔː ] - o r - [ɔː ] - or.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ ɔː ] - b orn - [bɔːn ]- was born.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ ɔː ] - st o ry - [ˈstɔːri ]- story.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ jʊː ]- n u de - [njʊːd ]- naked.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ʌ ] -c u t - [kʌt ]- a cut.

Vowel + r - [ zː ]-f u r - [fɜː ]- wool, skin.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ zː ]- b urn - [bɜːn ]- burn.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ jʊə ]- p u re - [pjʊə ]- clean.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ aɪ]-m y - [maɪ]- my.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ɪ ] -m yth - [mɪθ ]- myth.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ aɪə ]-t y re - [taɪə ]- tire.

Vowel combinations

[iː ]

ee-s ee - [ˈsiː ]- see

ea-s ea - [siː ]- sea

ie-bel ie ve - [bɪˈliːv]- believe

[ɑː ]

a + ss - gr ass - [ɡrɑːs]- grass

a + st - l ast - [lɑːst]- last

a + sk - t ask - [tɑːsk ]- task

a + sp - gr asp - [ɡrɑːsp]- grasping

a + lm - c alm - [kɑːm ]- calm

ea + r - h ear t - [hɑːt ]- heart

[ɔː ]

au- au thor - [ˈɔːθə ] - author

aw-s aw - [ˈsɔː ]- saw, saw

oo + r - d oor - [dɔː ]- door

aught-t aught - [tɔːt ]- learned

ought-th ought - [θɔːt ]- thought

a + l - w al l - [wɔːl ]- wall

a + lk - t alk - [ˈtɔːk ]- conversation, conversation

wa + r - war m - [wɔːm ]- warm

[ɒ ]

wa- wa nt - [wɒnt]- want

[uː ]

oo-t oo - [tuː ]- too, too

ou - gr ou p - [ɡruːp ]- group

[juː ]

ew-n ew - [njuː ]- new

[ʊ ]

oo-b oo k - [bʊk ]- book

[zː ]

ea + r - l ear n - [lɜːn]- teach, study

wo + r - wor k - [ˈwɜːk ]- Job

[ʌ ]

o-s o n - [sʌn ]- son

ou-c ou ntry - [ˈkʌntri ]- a country

oo-fl oo d - [flʌd ]- flood

[eɪ ]

ai-r ai n - [reɪn ]- rain

ay-d ay - [deɪ]- day

ey-th ey - [ˈðeɪ ]- They

eigh- eigh t - [eɪt]- eight

[aɪ]

i + gn - s ign - [saɪn ]- sign

i + ld - ch ild - [tʃaɪld ]- child

i + nd - bl ind - [blaɪnd]- blind

igh-n high t - [naɪt ]- night

[ɔɪ ]

oi- oi l - [ɔɪl ]- oil, petroleum

oy-t oh - [tɔɪ ]- toy

[aʊ ]

ou - ou t - [aʊt ]- from, outside

ow-d ow n - [daʊn ]- down

[əʊ ]

oa-c oa t - [ˈkəʊt ]- coat

ow-kn ow - [nəʊ ]- know

o + ll - t oll - [təʊl ]- losses

o + ld - c old - [kəʊld ]- cold

[ɪə ]

ea + r - n ear - [nɪə]- near, about

ee + r - engin eer - [ɛndʒɪˈnɪə ]- engineer

[eə ]

ai + r - ch air - [tʃeə ]- chair

e + re - th here - [ðeə]- there, there

ea + r - b ear - [beə ]- bear

[ʊə ]

oo + r - p oor - [pʊə ]- poor

our-t our - [tʊə ]- tour, travel

Consonant sounds.

Consonant combinations

[k ]-lu ck - [lʌk ]- luck, chance

[ʃ ] - sh ip - [ʃɪp ]- ship

[tʃ ] - ch ip - [tʃɪp ]- chip

[tʃ ]-ca tch - [kætʃ ]- catch, catch

[ɵ ] - th ick - [θɪk ]- thick

[ð ] - th is - [ðɪs]- this, this, this

[f] - pH one - [fəʊn ]- telephone

[kw] - qu ite - [kwaɪt ]- enough

[n ] - kn ife - [naɪf ]- knife

[ƞ ] -thi ng - [θɪŋ ] -

[ƞk ]- si nk - [sɪŋk]- sink, drain

wh + o - [h ] - wh o - [huː ]- Who

wh + other vowels - [w ] - wh at - [wɒt ]- What

wr at the beginning of a word before vowels - [r ] - wr iter - [ˈraɪtə ]- writer

Consonants with two reading options.

Reads like [ s ] before: e, i, y. ni c e - [naɪs ]- good, city - [ˈsɪti ]- city.

And How [ k ] in other cases: with ome - [kʌm ]- come, c atch - [kætʃ ]- catch.

Reads like [ ʤ ] before: e, i, y. lar g e - [lɑːdʒ ]- big, en gine - [ˈendʒɪn ]- engine.

Exceptions: g et - [ɡet ]- receive, be g in - [bɪˈɡɪn ]- start, g ive - [ɡɪv]- give.

And How [ g ] in other cases: g ood - [ɡʊd ]- good, pleasant, g o - [ɡəʊ ] - go, go.

Reading types

Additional material, partially duplicating the previous one. Taken from another source and given for a deeper understanding of this topic.

The tables show how to correctly pronounce diphthongs, vowels and consonants in the English language.. The sound conveyed by a letter or letter combination is indicated using transcription signs, and the pronunciation of English sounds indicated in Russian letters should be understood as a hint to transcription, and not as an exact pronunciation of English sounds.

Rules for reading vowel sounds

	Phonetic symbols	Approximate Russian sound
			Word	Transcription
Table. Types of reading in English. Vowel sounds.
I,Y	ɪ	And Short, open "and"	i t it	ɪt	(it)
			si x six	sɪks	(six)
			empty	ˈɛm(p)ti	(empty)
E	e	uh How "uh" in the word "this"	e mpty empty	ˈɛm(p)ti	(empty)
			ten ten	ten	(ten)
A	æ	uh Open sound "e" (between "e" and "a")	a nt ant	ænt	(ent)
			ma p card	mæp	(map)
O	ɒ	O Short "o" sound	ho t hot	hɒt	(hot)
			o range orange	ˈɒrɪn(d)ʒ	(orinch)
U	ʌ	A Short sound "a"	under	ˈʌndə	(ande)
			su n sun	sʌn	(san)
U,OO	u	y short "y" lips are rounded	put it down	ˈput	(put)
			boo k book	buk	(beech)
A, E, ER	ə	uh Short sound "e" (between "e" and "a")	a bout oh, oh, oh	əˈbaʊt	(about)
			sile nce silence	ˈsʌɪləns	(silence)
			lawyer	ˈlɔːjə	(l oh yeah)
EE, EA	i:	And Long "i" sound	ea sy easy	ˈiːzi	(i:zi)
			Queen n queen	kwiːn	(kui:n)
			see see	ˈsiː	(si: )
A, AR	ɑ:	A Long and deep "a" sound	ha lf half	hɑːf	(ha:f)
			car a car	kɑː	(ka: )
O.O.	u:	at Long “u” sound without rounding the lips	foo d food	fuːd	(ugh:d)
			too too, too	tuː	(that: )
ER, IR	h:	e Reminds me of the “e” sound in the word “beet”	bir d bird	bзːd	(byo:d)
OR,AW	ɔ:	O Long "o" sound	or or	ɔː	(O: )
			for m form	ˈfɔːm	(fo:m)
			law law	lɔː	(lo: )

Rules for reading consonant sounds

English letters and letter combinations	Phonetic symbols	Approximate Russian sound	Examples of pronunciation of English sounds
			Word	Transcription	Pronunciation in Russian letters
Table. Types of reading in English. Consonant sounds.
P	p	P	pen pen	pen	(pen)
			pap er paper	ˈpeɪpə	(P e´ ypa)
			cup cup	kʌp	(cap)
B	b	b	b oy boy	ˌbɔɪ	(the battle )
			tab le table	ˈteɪb(ə)l	(T e´ybl)
			pub beer	pʌb	(Pub )
T	t	t Sound “T” but the tongue is not at the teeth, but at the gums.	t en ten	ten	(ten)
			sixteen sixteen	ˌsɪkˈsti:n	(sykstin)
			eight eight	eɪt	(eith)
D	d	d	d og dog	dɒɡ	(dane)
			ladd er staircase	ˈladə	(l a´ta)
			bed bed	bed	(trouble)
C, K, CK	k	To	c at cat	kæt	(ket)
			tick and ticket	ˈtɪkɪt	(T and´ whale)
			cake	keɪk	(cake)
G	g	G	g irl girl	ɡɜ:l	(gel)
			tiger tiger	ˈtʌɪɡə	(T a´yga)
			big big	bɪɡ	(big)
CH, TCH	ʧ	h	ch air chair	tʃɛ	(h e´)
			watch ing	ˈwɒtʃɪŋ	(V rank)
			match match	matʃ	(match)
J, G, DGE	ʤ	j	j ump jump	dʒʌmp	(jump)
			log ic logic	ˈlɒdʒɪk	(l o´jik)
			fridg e refrigerator	frɪdʒ	(fridge)
F, PH	f	f	ph oto photography	ˈfəʊtəʊ	(f o´utau)
			coff ee coffee	ˈkɒfi	(To o´fi)
			cliff	klɪf	(cleave)
V	v	V	v iew view	vju:	(ugh)
			lov er favorite	ˈlʌvə	(l a´va)
			five e five	faɪv	(five)
T.H.	θ	c Like the sound "s" but tongue between teeth	th in thin	θɪn	(syn)
			Cath erine Catherine	ˈkæθrɪn	(To eh´srin)
			month month	mʌnθ	(mons)
T.H.	ð	h Like sound "z" but tongue between teeth	th is this	ðɪs	(zys)
			moth er mother	ˈmʌðə	(m a´ze)
			breathe e breathe	bri:ð	(bri:z)
S, C	s	With	six six	sɪks	(syks)
			parc el package	ˈpɑ:s(ə)l	(P a´ sl)
			class	klɑ:s	(cla:s)
S, Z	z	h	z oo zoo	zu:	(zu)
			laz y lazy	ˈleɪzi	(l e´zi)
			dogs dogs	dɒɡz	(dogz)
SH	ʃ	w	sh e she	ʃi	(shi)
			fish fishing	ˈfɪʃɪŋ	(f and´ tires)
			wash	wɒʃ	(fosh)
S	ʒ	and	vis ion vision	ˈvɪʒ(ə)n	(V i´zhen)
			beige beige	beɪʒ	(beizh)
H	h	X Short exhalation - “x”	have to have	hæv	(hav)
M	m	m	m e me, me	mi:	(mi: )
			farmer	ˈfɑ:mə	(f a´ma)
			hom e house	həʊm	(home)
N	n	n	name name	ˈneɪm	(n e´ im)
			runn er runner	ˈrʌnə	(R a´ on)
			son son	sʌn	(san)
NG	ƞ	n Nasal sound "n" using the back of the tongue	singer singer	ˈsɪŋə	(With and´nya)
			boxing	ˈbɒksɪŋ	(b o´ xin)
L	l	l	I like it	ˈlaɪk	(l a´ yk)
			ball et ballet	ˈbaleɪ	(b a´lay)
			football football	ˈfʊtbɔ:l	(f u´ solid waste:l)
R	r	R “r” - without vibration	red red	red	(ed)
			lorr y truck	ˈlɒri	(l o´ri)
Y	j	th	y ou you	ju	(Yu )
			lawy er lawyer	ˈlɔ:jə	(l oh yeah)
W	w	at the sound is similar to “u”; the lips are stretched and rounded	w in to win	wɪn	(vin)
			flow er flower	ˈflaʊə	(ow a´ ua)

Diphthongs. Reading rules.

English letters and letter combinations	Phonetic symbols	Approximate Russian sound	Examples of pronunciation of English sounds
			Word	Transcription	Pronunciation in Russian letters
Table. Types of reading in English. Diphthongs.
A,AY,AI	eɪ	Hey	ai m goal	eɪm	(eym)
			say	ˈseɪ	(With Hey)
I, UY, Y	ai	ah	I I	ai	(ay)
			buy	baɪ	(bye)
OY, OI	ɔɪ	Ouch	oi l oil	ɔɪl	(oil)
			toy toy	tɔɪ	(that one)
O.O.W.	əu	OU	ow n own	əʊn	(oun)
			ho me home	həʊm	(home)
			low low	ləʊ	(low)
OW, OU	au	aw	out out	ˈaʊt	(out)
			cow	kaʊ	(kaw)
EA, EAR, ERE	ɪə	ie “and” + between “e” and “a”	ear ear	ɪə	(ie)
			bear d beard	bɪəd	(beed)
			here here	hɪə	(hie)
AIR, ARE	eə	ea "e" + between "e" and "a"	care	keə	(kee)
			hair hair	heə	(heh ´ )
URE, OUR	uə	uh "y" + between "e" and "a"	tour travel	tʊə	(tue)
			insure	ɪnˈʃuə	(inshue ´ )

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