How to read the combination sc in English. Rules for reading vowels

Letter sounds - 44 English phonemes, which are divided into two categories: consonants and vowels. Since sounds cannot be written down, graphemes (letters or combinations of letters) are used to convey sounds in writing.

English alphabet

There are 26 letters in the English language. The standard English alphabet begins with the letter a and ends with the letter z.

When classifying alphabetic characters, the following are distinguished:

  • 5 pure vowels: a, e, i, o, u;
  • 19 pure consonants: b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, x, z;
  • 2 semivowels: y, w.

For studying English alphabet knowledge of both the symbol representing each letter and the phonetic sounds associated with that letter are required. Learning phonetics in English complex. Only a small number of letters have no exceptions in the basic sound.

In most cases, each letter has several phonemes. The letter B sometimes sounds like bat (bat) or does not sound, for example, in the words crumb (cram), dumb (dam). The letter C sounds like the “k” for cat, or the “c” for ceiling, or the “tch” for church. And the list of exceptions is endless.

Vowel sounds

Vowels represent the main category of phonemes in English speech. There are 20 vowel sounds in spoken English. This discrepancy (with respect to letter characters) underlies the difficulty of writing in English.

Short Long Diphthongs
a[æ] A (ā)
e [ɛ] E(ē)
i[ɪ] I(ī) [ɔɪ]
o[ɒ] O(ō) [ɪə]
u [ʌ] U(ū)
[ʊə]
[əʊ]

For short and long vowels, additional vowel sounds are used. For sounds a and e – when the vowel accompanies the sound r. For o the options are varied.

Consonants

Deaf Voiced Other
p b c
t d h
k g j
f v l
s z m
n
q
r
w
x
y

alphabet order

Transcription and stress

Phonetic transcriptions tell about the pronunciation of words. In English dictionaries it is necessary condition, because the spelling does not tell how the word is pronounced.

Phonetic transcriptions are written in the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), in which each English sound is assigned its own symbol. For example, the IPA-based phonetic transcription of the word home is /hoʊm/, the transcription of come is /kʌm/, despite the fact that the spelling of the words is similar (both end in –ome), but transcribed with differences.

Vowels Consonants
ʌ b
ɑ: d
æ f
e g
ə h
ɜ:ʳ j
ɪ k
i: l
ɒ m
ɔ: n
ʊ ŋ
u: p
r
s
ʃ
t
ɔɪ
eəʳ θ
ɪəʳ ð
ʊəʳ v
w
z
ʒ

The rules do not fully cover aspects of stress in English words. The language is characterized by the presence of exceptions, and the British themselves make mistakes, especially in polysyllabic words.

But obviously some basic rules still apply:


Prefixes in two-syllable words are not stressed except in some nouns or adjectives. Two-syllable nouns starting with a prefix are studied individually.

English consonants

There are fewer consonant letters in the English alphabet than consonant sounds. Therefore, to expand the alphabet, digraphs like "ch", "sh", "th" and "zh", and some letters and digraphs represent more than just one consonant. For example, the sound written “th” in this is transcribed as /ð/, and “th” in thin – /θ/.

English consonant sounds are classified according to a combination of functions:

In addition, there is a function "voiceless alveolar stop", /t/ when the airflow mechanism is lowered.

According to the method of formation, consonant sounds are divided into:

  1. Approximant: j, w, r.
  2. Nine fricative consonants: f, v, θ, ð, s, z, ʃ,ʒ,h.
  3. Lateral approximant: l.
  4. Two affricative sounds: tʃ and dʒ.
  5. Six explosive sounds: p,b,t,d,k,g.
  6. Nasal consonants: m, n, ŋ.

The sound – [x] – is a voiceless fricative – non-standard for the English language. Although in some original words, such as ugh (ugh!), it is an additional marker of irritation. IN in writing The fricative is represented as "gh".

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Features of English consonants

A consonant combination is a set of two or three consonant letters that, when pronounced, retain the original sound. Such sets occur either at the beginning or at the end of a word. For example, the word brave, in which both “b” and “r” are pronounced, is the initial combination. In the word bank “-nk” is the final combination.

Classification:

  1. The starting combinations are classified into sets with "l", "r", and "s". In "l" the combination ends with "l". An example would be the letters “bl” in the word blind. In the same way, the final sound in “r” is combined with “r” when “br” and “cr”, for example, in the words bridge, crane. On the contrary, in “s” it begins with s, “st” and “sn” - stap, snail.
  2. The final combinations are grouped into sets with "s", "l" and "n": -st, -sk, -ld, -nd, -nk. Examples: first, desk, gold, sand, sink.

Digraphs

Consonant digraphs refer to a set of consonants that form a single sound. Some digraphs appear both at the beginning and at the end of a word - “sh”, “ch” and “th”. There are also strict initial and final digraphs – “kn-” and “-ck”.

Examples of digraphs:

Ch- -ch
Kn- —ck
Ph- -sh
Sh- -ss
Th- -th
Wh- -tch
Wr-

Features of digraphs:


Table of pronunciation of English consonants

b b bag, band, cab bag, band, cab
d d dad, did, lady, odd [ɒd] grandfather, did, lady, od
f f, ph, sometimes gh fable , fact , if [ɪf], off [ɒf], photo , glyph fable, fact, if, of, foutou, glyph
g g give, flag giv, flag
h h hold, ham hold, ham
j usually represented by y, but sometimes by other vowels yellow,yes,young,neuron,cube yelow, ees, iyang, n(b)yueron, k(b)yu:b - the sound j is similar to the vowel sound i:.
k k, c, q, que, ck, sometimes ch cat, kill, queen, skin, thick [θɪk], chaos kat, kil, qui:n, sik, keyos
l l lane, clip, bell, milk, sould lane, clip, white, milk, sould – has two sound options: clear /l/ before a vowel, “darkened” /ɫ/ before a consonant or at the end of a word
m m man, them [ðem], moon men, zem, mu:n
n n nest, sun nest, san
ŋ ng ring, sing, finger

[ŋ] is sometimes followed by the sound [g]. [ŋ] if "ng" is at the end of a word or a related word (sing, singer, thing), in "-ing", which translates verbs into participles or gerunds. [ŋg] if "ng" is not at the end of a word or in related words, also in comparative degrees(longer, longest).

/ring/, /sing/, /finge/
p p pen, spin, tip, happy pen, spin, type, happy
r r rat, reply, rainbow, rat, ripple, rainbow -

movement of the tongue close to the alveolar ridge, but without touching it

s s, sometimes c see, city, pass, lesson si:, pa:s, lesn
ʃ sh, si, ti, sometimes s she [ʃi:], crash, sheep [ʃi:p], sure [ʃʊə], session, emotion [ɪməʊʃn], leash shi:, crash, shi:p, shue, session, imeshn, li:sh
t t taste, sting taste, sting
ch, sometimes t chair [ʧɛə], nature teach beach t ch e, ne t ch, ti: t ch, bi: t ch
θ th thing [θɪŋ], teeth, Athens [æθɪnz[ t sing, ti: t s, et t sinz - voiceless fricative
ð th this [ðɪs], mother d zis, ma d ze – voiced fricative
v v, sometimes f voice, five, of [ɔv] voice, five, ov
w w, sometimes u wet, window, queen u in et, u in indeu, ku in i:n – [w] similar to
z z zoo, lazy zu:, lazy
ʒ g, si, z, sometimes s genre [ʒɑːŋr], pleasure, beige, seizure, vision genre e, plezhe, beige, si:zhe, vision
j, sometimes g, dg, d gin [ʤɪn], joy [ʤɔɪ], edge gin, joy, edge

English vowels

Each English vowel is pronounced in three ways:

  1. like a long sound;
  2. like a short sound;
  3. as a neutral vowel sound (schwa).

There are 5 vowels in the English alphabet, but sometimes y becomes a vowel and is pronounced like i, and w replaces u, for example in the digraph ow.

Rules for reading vowels

Short vowels, which are characterized by a “short” sound, occur when a word contains one vowel, either at the beginning of a word or between two consonants. For example, if, elk, hop, fan. The typical short vowel pattern is consonant+vowel+consonant (CGS).

Words are taught in the form of families, which represent groups of words with general pattern, for example in the pattern “-ag” – bag, wag, tag or “-at” – cat, bat, hat.

Sound Letter Examples
[æ] a rag, sag, ram, jam, gap, sap mat
[ɛ] e hen, pen, wet, bet, let
[ɪ] i pig, wig, dig, pin, win, tin, tin, bit
[ɒ] o hop, pop, top, hot, pot, lot
[ʌ] u bug, lug, tug, hut, but, cut

Features of reading vowels:


Sound Writing Examples
A ai, ay, a+consonant+e name, mail, gray, ace
E e, ee, ea, y, ie ,ei, i+consonant+e he, deep, beast, dandy, thief, receive, elite
I i, i+gn, igh, y, i+ld, i+nd mine, sign, high, sky, wild, kind
O o+consonant +e, oa, ow, o+ll, ld tone, road, note, know, roll, bold
U ew, ue, u+consonant+e few, due, tune

The vowel sound in unstressed syllables is expressed with a shortened neutral sound ("schwa"), the phonemic symbol /ə/, especially if no syllabic consonants are used.

For example:

  • a in about, around, approve, above [ə bʌv];
  • e in accident, mother, taken, camera;
  • i in, family, lentil, officer pencil;
  • o in memory, common, freedom, purpose, London;
  • u in supply, industry, suggest, difficult, succeed, minimum;
  • and even y in sibyl;
  • schwa appears in function words: to, from, are.

Features of vowel sounds in English

Vowels are classified as monophthongs, diphthongs or triphthongs. A monophthong is when there is one vowel sound in a syllable, a diphthong is when there are two vowel sounds in a syllable.

Let's take a closer look:

  1. Monophthongs – pure and stable vowels, the acoustic characteristics (timbre) of which do not change during the time they are pronounced.
  2. A diphthong is a sound formed by the combination of two adjacent vowels in one syllable. Technically, the tongue (or other parts of the vocal apparatus) moves when pronouncing a vowel sound - the first position is stronger than the second. In the transcription of a diphthong, the first character represents starting point body of the tongue, the second symbol is the direction of movement. For example, you should be aware that in the letter combination /aj/, the body of the tongue is in the lower central position represented by the symbol /a/, and immediately begins to move up and forward to the position for /i/.
  3. Diphthongs are often formed when individual vowels work together in fast conversation. Usually (in the speaker’s speech) the body of the tongue does not have time to reach the /i/ position. Therefore, the diphthong often ends closer to /ɪ/ or even to /e/. In the diphthong /aw/, the body of the tongue moves from the low central position of /a/, then moves up and back to the position of /u/. Although there are also single diphthongs, which are heard as separate vowel sounds (phonemes).
  4. There are also triphthongs in English.(combinations of three adjacent vowels), including three sound types, for example, fire /fʌɪə/, flower /flaʊər/. But in any case, all diphthongs and triphthongs are formed from monophthongs.

Pronunciation table for simple English vowel sounds

All vowel sounds are formed from only 12 monophthongs. Every word in English, regardless of spelling, is pronounced using some combination of these sounds.

The table shows examples of simple English vowels with pronunciation in Russian:

[ɪ] pit, kiss, busy pete, kitty, bisi
[e] egg, let, red eg, years, ed
[æ] apple, travel, mad apple, travel, med
[ɒ] not, rock, copy note, rock, mine
[ʌ] cup, son, money cap, san, mani
[ʊ] look, foot, could bow, foot, cool
[ə] ago, away hey, hey
be, meet, read bi:, mi:t, ri:d
[ɑ:] arm, car, father a: m, ka:, fa: d ze
[ɔ:] door, saw, pause to:, from:, to:z
[ɜ:] turn, girl, learn te:n, gyo:l, le:n
blue, food, too blue:, fu:d, tu:

Diphthong pronunciation table

day, pain, rein dei, pein, rein
cow, know kou, know
wise, island Visa, Island
now, trout naw, trout
[ɔɪ] noise, coin noiz, coin
[ɪə] near, hear nee, hie
[ɛə] where, air uh, uh, uh
[ʊə] pure, tourist p(b)yue, tu e rist

Learning transcription of English words

Let's look at some features of English transcription:


There are a large number of videos online on the Internet to listen to the pronunciation of sounds, and you can also practice using exercises.

Let's divide the combinations of consonants into groups.

Group Combinations Sounds Examples
1 Regular ck [k] clock - watch, stick - stick, luck - luck
qu queen - queen, quick - quick, question [‘kwest∫(ə)n] - question
(d)g bridge - bridge, edge - edge, lodge - house
2 Hissing sh [∫] ship [∫ıp] - ship, smash - blow, show [∫əʊ] - display, astonish [ə’stɒnı∫] - surprise
ch, tch chat - chat, fetch - effort, such - such
3 Interdental th [Ө] thank [Өæŋk] - gratitude, thin [Өın] - thin, bath - bath, myth - myth, three [Өri:] - three
th [ð] mother [‘mʌðə] - mother, bathe - swim, clothes - clothes, this [ðıs] - this, the [ðə] - article, than [ðæn] - than
4 Greek ph [f] photo [‘fəʊtəʊ] - photograph, telephone [‘telı,fəʊn] - telephone, triumph [‘traıəmf] - triumph
5 Nasals -ng [ŋ] sing - sing, coming [‘kʌmıŋ] - arrival, wing - wing
nk, n+[k] [ŋk] think [Өıŋk] - to think, donkey [‘dɒŋkı] - donkey, uncle [ʌŋkl] - uncle
6 Mute kn- [n] knight - knight, know - know, knee - knee
wr [r] write - write, wrist - wrist, wrong - wrong
wh [w] when - when, why - why, whirl - whirlpool, whale - whale

Ordinary sounds.

The letter combination “ck” replaces the letter “k” according to rule of three letters If a word has one vowel, then the letter combination “ck” is written, but if there are two vowels, then the letter “k” is written. The sound will be the same in both cases. Compare: lock - lock and look - look.

In the combination “qu”, the vowel “u” produces the consonant sound [w]. The combination "qu" is similar to the croaking of a frog.

The letter combination “dg” + silent “e” replaces the letter “g” + silent “e” at the end of a word according to the four-letter rule. If there is a consonant before “g”, then “g” + silent “e” is written, if not, then “dg” + silent “e” is written. The sound will be the same in both cases. Compare: pledge - pledge, plunge - immersion.

Hissing sounds.

Since the English alphabet does not have special letters for hissing sounds, as in Russian: “ch” and “sh”, these hissing sounds are formed by a combination of letters. The sound consists of two letters, but is pronounced together, like the Russian “ch”. It is necessary to remember about the pairs unvoiced - voiced: [∫ - ʒ], as in the Russian alphabet: “sh” - “zh”, “ch” - “j”.

At the end of words, the letter combination “tch” is written instead of “ch” according to the four-letter rule: if there is a consonant sound before it, then “ch” is written, if not, then “tch”. For example: inch [ınt∫] - inch, itch [ıt∫] - thirst. Exceptions: much - very, rich - rich, such - such.

Interdental sounds- deaf and voiced. Voiceless is used in semantic words: nouns, adjectives, verbs, numerals. Therefore, to read the combination “th” you need to know the translation of the word or part of speech. ringing sound used in pronouns and official words: prepositions, conjunctions, in definite article. Between vowels, the interdental sound is always voiced. For example: mother [‘mʌðə] – mother. Exceptions are borrowed from the Greek word, for example: author [ɔ:Өə] - author, method [‘meӨəd] - method.

Greek By origin, the letter combination “ph” [f] is often found in international words that are similar in different languages. For example, similar Russian words: telephone [‘telıfəʊn] – telephone, phone – sound, call on the phone, physics [‘fızıks] – physics.

Nasal[ŋ] at the end of a word most often occurs in the ending –ing [ıŋ], although there are other cases. It must be remembered that the letter “g” is not pronounced. This letter is pronounced only in the middle of a word, for example: English [‘ıŋglı∫] – English. The sound combination [ŋk] is formed not only by combining the letters “nk”, but also whenever the letter “n” is followed by the sound [k], for example: anxious [‘æŋk∫əs] – preoccupied.

Mute the consonants are not pronounced and therefore do not require additional explanation. For the letter combination “wh” the rule changes when the letter “o” follows. In this case, the silent letters change places in this letter combination. For example: whole - whole, who - who, whose - whose.

In conclusion, we note that the letter “h” is the most combinable letter in the English alphabet. So, if you come across this letter in a word, see if it appears in some letter combination.

It is not easy to learn to read English correctly, because the rules for reading each individual letter in this language directly depend on its position in the word. For example, the vowel letter “a”, depending on its “neighbors”, can convey two different sounds: a - date or a [ǽ] - bag . Letter combinations can also be pronounced differently. Today we will look at the basic living rules for reading English, including vowel letters and combinations. How to read English correctly There are a lot of words in English, the use of which you just need to remember, since they do not follow the rules. There are also many exceptions, including from the rules of pronunciation, How to pronounce English sounds correctly, which also need to be memorized. Plus, you also need to learn how to pronounce phonemes, which have no analogues in the Russian language. However, for almost a billion people on Earth, English is a foreign language that they have studied and learned.

This huge number of people have learned to read foreign languages ​​correctly and pronounce “foreign” sounds. With persistence and diligence, it is not difficult to acquire any skill. Therefore, tune yourself in to exciting videos or text lessons and interesting exercises, in order to learn not only the living rules of reading English, but also be able to acquire good British or American pronunciation.

As I already said, vowels can convey several phonemes at once, depending on what type of syllable they are included in. It is very difficult to trace these patterns. And yet their reading can be divided into two categories: stressed vowels and unstressed vowels. Drum pronunciation rules:

  • In an open (go) or conventionally open (polea) syllable, vowels are read in the same way as they are called in the alphabet
  • IN closed syllable vowels convey short sounds
  • When a vowel is followed by the letter “r” or “r” and a consonant, a long sound is pronounced
  • When a vowel is followed by “re” or “r” and a vowel, it is read as a triphthong or diphthong

This table will demonstrate these rules to you most clearly:

Letter Open syllable Closed sound "r" or "r"+ acc. "re" or "r"+vowel.
A date [æ] bag car [εə] care
O [əu] nose [ɔ] got [ɔ:] north [ɔ:] more
U tube [ʌ] stuff [ɜ:] purlin ["p∂:®lin] pure
E she [∫i] [e] shelf [∫elf] [ɜ:] her here
I five [i] big [ɜ:] girl fire
Y bye [i] myth [ɜ:] myrtle ["m∂:®tl] tire

Download this worksheet and print it out. It will be a good help for you when doing practical exercises. Reading rules Rules for pronunciation of unstressed words:

  • The letters “e”, “y”, “i” are pronounced as [i] unless they are followed by an “r”: divide
  • The vowels “a”, “u”, “o” without stress, as well as in prefixes and suffixes, are read as the sound [∂]: glorious
  • The letter “i” before a vowel is pronounced [j]: union [`ju:nj∂n]
  • Vowels before “r” convey the sound [∂]: player [`plei∂ ®]

Do not forget to consolidate all acquired knowledge with the help of practical exercises. Watch an educational video demonstrating the position of the tongue and lips when pronouncing various phonemes.

Living rules for reading English

In fact, “Living Rules for Reading the English Language” is one of the best book guides on foreign reading and pronunciation from Yu. A. Ivanova. This tutorial clearly and simply explains the various English laws of pronunciation and reading. After each short lesson Exercises for practical work and self-test with examples immediately follow.

In the text and exercises you will see tasks that you need to listen to or watch a video, and at the end of each page there is a link where you can get these additional materials. To make the exercises more interesting and exciting, the author diluted the rules with funny rhymes and funny tongue twisters to practice pronunciation, which not only adults, but also children will be able to do.

The book contains many practical, exciting and varied exercises designed to teach a beginner or child the basic laws of reading and to distinguish by ear sounds that are not characteristic of the Russian language. The self-instruction manual can be used by students who have just begun to master the language and want to comprehend its basic postulates. The publication is recommended for both group classes and self-study.

For a comfortable further study foreign language, it is very important to acquire reading skills, basic pronunciation laws, know the foreign alphabet and

The combination of letters in English is a phenomenon that is closely related to phonetics, since often the reading of consonants or vowels changes if another letter appears next to them. It is important not only to navigate various options such combinations, but also to understand how certain methods of connecting individual letters differ and what pronunciation features will arise. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the main letter combinations in the English language and provide a special classification of this phenomenon so that it is somewhat easier to understand the entire algorithm of actions.

Basic principles of combinations of English letters

The norms of the English language allow the letters of the alphabet to be combined in such a way that new variants of sounds are subsequently formed. It must be remembered that sometimes such combinations are pronounced completely differently than it seems at first glance, and the phonetics of both letters used in a particular combination may be lost.

Methods of letter combinations in the English language allow the formation of new sounds by combining two consonant letters, two vowels, as well as a combined version of vowels and consonants. In this case, a certain combination can be formed by connecting three letters; they are called triphthongs and differ from diphthongs in that they consist of three rather than two elements. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the basic rules for reading English letter combinations, and you can start with the vowel + vowel options.

Letter combinations vowels + vowels

When reading English letter combinations that include consonants, it is necessary to take into account both letters that are part of a particular construction. The options may be as follows:

ai –– pain, rain;
ay-– game, pay;
ei –– deceive, weight, height;
ea – [e]– head, read, break;
ey –– key, grey, eye;
ee –– tree, screen;
ew –– new, few;
eu –– neutral, feudalism;
oo – [u] [ɔ:] [ʌ]– wool, pool, door, blood;
oa – [əu]– road, soap;
ou –– house, mouse;
ie – [e]– friend, field, diet.

All these variants with vowels are quite common and in English are read only in accordance with the specified reading rules. Their sound conveys only vowel sounds, however, it is important not to confuse the letter combinations, otherwise there is a risk of incorrect spelling of words and constructions.

Letter combinations consonants + consonants

It is necessary to remember very well how one or another combination of consonant letters is read, since there are significantly more such types of combinations than with vowel letters. Below are the most common ways to pronounce English consonants in combination with each other:

ch – [k] [ʃ]– chair, character, machine;
ck – [k]– stock, shock;
tch– the combination tch – is consonant with the sound ch – – match, catch; the sound h in English is characterized by two variants of consonant combinations;
bt at the end of a word - [t]– doubt, debt;
gh– after combinations ou, au [f], [–]– cough, slight;
dg-– hedgehog, edge;
th – The interdental sound th is read in two ways. In auxiliary parts of speech and between vowel sounds, the th sound in English gives [ð] – brother, the, and at the beginning or end of words, as well as before consonants, it sounds like [θ] – throw, bath;
sh – the sound sh can be read as [ʃ] – shrimp, shell;
gn – [n]– sign, reign;
mb- in the middle of a word – remember, at the end of a word [m]– thumb;
mn – in the middle of a word – insomnia, at the end of a word [m]– column;
kn – in the middle of a word – sickness, at the beginning of a word [n]– knock;
wh – [w]– what, wheel;
ng- in the middle of a word [ŋg]– singer, at the end of a word [ŋ] – ring;
ph – [f]– philosopher, photo;
wr – [r]– write, wrong.

It is important to pay attention to how th, kn and other combinations are read, which have two pronunciation options and sound differently depending on their position in the word. The rule for reading all the above combinations must always be observed, otherwise errors in the reading process and, accordingly, pronunciation will be inevitable.

Letter combinations vowels + consonants

Another option for combinations is vowels and consonants. Some letters in the alphabet can form certain ways of pronunciation, and this phonetic variation is also quite common. Here are the methods:

er- in an unstressed position [ə] – worker, looker;
or- in an unstressed position [ə] – doctor, traitor;
an- before consonants – swan, plant;
al[ɔ:] – chat, talk. Another reading option is – half, calf;
wa –– was, water;
wor -– word, work;
war –– war, ward;
igh –– right, night;
qu –– quiet, sequence;
ild –– wild, mild;
ind -– find, bind.

All these options, presented with transcription, must be taken into account when pronouncing and reading the corresponding combinations. To display a combination of letters in English, a table can become an element that can group all the main options and present information in the most concise form. Here's what it might look like:

All these methods of combining letters of the English alphabet are very actively used in the language and are taken into account when studying phonetics and reading rules. All possible options should be memorized gradually, but it is necessary to know them, since, judging by the examples, some of them can be read differently. By focusing on all reading methods, you will be able to avoid many mistakes, and the interlocutor will be able to assess the level of preparation of the speaker, who, in turn, will correctly use the rules of letter combinations and not take liberties in pronunciation.

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

What are open and closed syllable types: 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 ere - [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 indicate 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 symbolsApproximate Russian sound
WordTranscription
Table. Types of reading in English. Vowel sounds.
I,Yɪ And Short, open "and" i t itɪt(it)
si x sixsɪks(six)
emptyˈɛm(p)ti(empty)
Eeuh How "uh" in the word "this" e mpty emptyˈɛm(p)ti(empty)
ten tenten(ten)
Aæ uh Open sound"e" (between "e" and "a") a nt antænt(ent)
ma p cardmæp(map)
Oɒ O Short "o" sound ho t hothɒt(hot)
o range orangeˈɒrɪn(d)ʒ(orinch)
Uʌ A Short sound "a" underˈʌndə(ande)
su n sunsʌn(san)
U,OOuy short "y" lips are rounded put it downˈput(put)
boo k bookbuk(beech)
A, E, ERə uh Short sound "e" (between "e" and "a") a bout oh, oh, ohəˈbaʊt(about)
sile nce silenceˈsʌɪləns(silence)
lawyerˈlɔːjə(l o´ye)
EE, EAi:And Long "i" sound ea sy easyˈiːzi(i:zi)
Queen n queenkwiːn(kui:n)
see seeˈsiː(si: )
A, ARɑ: A Long and deep "a" sound ha lf halfhɑːf(ha:f)
car a car kɑː(ka: )
O.O.u:at Long “u” sound without rounding the lips foo d foodfuːd(fu:d)
too too, tootuː(that: )
ER, IRh:e Reminds me of the “e” sound in the word “beet” bir d birdbзːd(byo:d)
OR,AWɔ: O Long "o" sound or orɔː (O: )
for m formˈfɔːm(fo:m)
law lawlɔː(lo: )
Rules for reading consonant sounds
English letters and letter combinationsPhonetic symbolsApproximate Russian soundExamples of pronunciation of English sounds
WordTranscriptionPronunciation in Russian letters
Table. Types of reading in English. Consonant sounds.
PpPpen penpen(pen)
pap er paperˈpeɪpə(P e´ ypa)
cup cupkʌp(cap)
Bbbb oy boyˌbɔɪ(the battle )
tab le tableˈteɪb(ə)l(T e´ybl)
pub beerpʌb(Pub )
Ttt Sound “T” but the tongue is not at the teeth, but at the gums. t en tenten(ten)
sixteen sixteenˌsɪkˈsti:n(sykstin)
eight eighteɪt(eith)
Dddd og dogdɒɡ(great dane)
ladd er staircaseˈladə(l a´ta)
bed bedbed(trouble)
C, K, CKkToc at catkæt(ket)
tick and ticketˈtɪkɪt(T and´ whale)
cakekeɪk(cake)
GgGg irl girlɡɜ:l(gel)
tiger tigerˈtʌɪɡə(T a´yga)
big bigbɪɡ(big)
CH, TCHʧ hch air chairtʃɛ(h )
watch ingˈwɒtʃɪŋ(V rank)
match matchmatʃ(match)
J, G, DGEʤ jj ump jumpdʒʌmp(jump)
log ic logicˈlɒdʒɪk(l o´jik)
fridg e refrigeratorfrɪdʒ(fridge)
F, PHffph oto photographyˈfəʊtəʊ(f o´utau)
coff ee coffeeˈkɒfi(To o´fi)
cliffklɪf(cleave)
VvVv iew viewvju:(ugh)
lov er favoriteˈlʌvə(l a´va)
five e fivefaɪv(five)
T.H.θ c Like the sound "s" but tongue between teeth th in thinθɪn(syn)
Cath erine Catherineˈkæθrɪn(To eh´srin)
month monthmʌnθ(mons)
T.H.ð h Like sound "z" but tongue between teeth th is thisðɪs(zys)
moth er motherˈmʌðə(m a´ze)
breathe e breathebri:ð(bri:z)
S, CsWithsix sixsɪks(syks)
parc el packageˈpɑ:s(ə)l(P a´ sl)
classklɑ:s(cla:s)
S, Zzhz oo zoozu:(zu)
laz y lazyˈleɪzi(l e´zi)
dogs dogsdɒɡz(dogz)
SHʃ wsh e sheʃi(shi)
fish fishingˈfɪʃɪŋ(f and´ tires)
washwɒʃ(fosh)
Sʒ andvis ion visionˈvɪʒ(ə)n(V i´zhen)
beige beigebeɪʒ(beizh)
HhX Short exhalation - “x” have to havehæv(hav)
Mmmm e me, memi:(mi: )
farmerˈfɑ:mə(f a´ma)
hom e househəʊm(home)
Nnnname nameˈneɪm(n e´ im)
runn er runnerˈrʌnə(R a´ on)
son sonsʌn(san)
NGƞ n Nasal sound "n" using the back of the tongue singer singerˈsɪŋə(With and´nya)
boxingˈbɒksɪŋ(b o´ xin)
LllI like itˈlaɪk(l a´ yk)
ball et balletˈbaleɪ(b a´lay)
football footballˈfʊtbɔ:l(f u´ solid waste:l)
RrR “r” - without vibration red redred(ed)
lorr y truckˈlɒri(l o´ri)
Yjthy ou youju(Yu )
lawy er lawyerˈlɔ:jə(l o´ye)
Wwat the sound is similar to “u”; the lips are stretched and rounded w in to winwɪn(vin)
flow er flowerˈflaʊə(ow a´ ua)
Diphthongs. Reading rules.
English letters and letter combinationsPhonetic symbolsApproximate Russian soundExamples of pronunciation of English sounds
WordTranscriptionPronunciation in Russian letters
Table. Types of reading in English. Diphthongs.
A,AY,AIHeyai m goaleɪm(eym)
sayˈseɪ(With Hey)
I, UY, YaiahI Iai(ay)
buybaɪ(bye)
OY, OIɔɪ Ouchoi l oilɔɪl(oil)
toy toytɔɪ(that one)
O.O.W.əuOUow n ownəʊn(oun)
ho me homehəʊm(home)
low lowləʊ(low)
OW, OUauawout outˈaʊt(out)
cowkaʊ(kaw)
EA, EAR, EREɪə ie “and” + between “e” and “a” ear earɪə (ie)
bear d beardbɪəd(beed)
here herehɪə(hie)
AIR, AREea "e" + between "e" and "a" carekeə(kee)
hair hairheə(heh ´ )
URE, OURuh "y" + between "e" and "a" tour traveltʊə(tue)
insureɪnˈʃuə(inshue ´ )
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