© Samuel Haldane 2005-2006
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BAST ENGLISH | Free language learning resources. © Samuel Haldane 2005-2006 |
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This website uses symbols to transcribe phonemes (sounds). For an explanation of
what these symbols represent, click here:
vowels,
consonants.
The following special symbols are used:
Note: an apostrophe ' is placed before the accented vowel. |
| Symbol | Examples in English | Similar pronunciations |
| /ə/ | about, away, pizza, bottom, protect, golden, action | German genau, Begriff, Mode, French dessous |
| /a/ | hat, pan, active, handbag | German dann, alle, French sac, chatte, Castilian paso, barrio, Italian basta, alto |
| /e/ | get, pen, lesson, edge, head, realm | German wenn, denken, French chef, chevre, Castilian jefe, hielo, Italian stesso, meglio |
| /i/ | fit, pin, little, whistle, quick | German ist, bestimmt. Like a reduced form of the vowel in French piste, chic, Castilian mismo, listo, Italian figlio, incolto |
| /o/ | pot, rock, nod, module, quality, swan, wasp | German von, Glock, French proche, bloc, Italian sto, troppo, Castilian once, postre |
| /u/ | bull, full, look, put, bush, foot, wolf | German Strumpf, unter, French le, de. Like a reduced form of Italian giunto, Castilian cumplir |
| /Λ/ | luck, putt, gully, hunch, sponge, honey, month, rough, courage | German bl�d, m�chte, French yeux, veut |
| /ā/ | father, ma, calm, Chalmers | German Rahm, haben. Like a lengthened form of French chat, moi, Italian sta, andiamo, Castilian verano, ya |
| /ē/ | make, razor, hay, astray, maiden, pain, they, beige, break, sleigh | German Spesen, eben, Italian prego, Castilian quer�is, ella, something between French pres and vieille |
| /ī/ | concede, even, steep, indeed, me, berry, receive, belief | German zwiebel, mieten, French prix, mise, Italian figlio, riso, Castilian mi, piso |
| /ō/ | go, rose, host, ghost, moat, loan, low | German Boden, Monat, or lengthened form of French trop, Italian Peroni, Castilian lomo |
| /ū/ | truth, prune, you, soup, too, moon, clue, crew | German Jude, Bruder, French vous, ouvre, Italian tu, musica, Castilian brujo, luz |
| /oa/ | all, ball, raw, dawn taut, August, taught, thought | Pronunciations vary:
In North America and Ireland, typically pronounced as /ā/. In non-rhotic dialects of England, Wales and Australia, pronounced as /or/. In rhotic dialects of Scotland, pronounced like /or/ but without rhotism (the r-sound); the Scots also pronounce /o/ this way. |
| /ai/ | violet, rice, eye, sky, why, lie, tries, sign, light | German weiss, Ei, French ail, travailler, Italian maiale, hai, Castilian hay, Maio |
| /au/ | now, cow, pout, house, plough | German Haus, auch, French Raoul, Italian nautico, Claudia, Castilian gaucho, Mauricio |
| /oi/ | boy, toys, noise, foist, royal, toying | German Zeug, treu, Italian boia, Castilian soy, hoy |
| /ű/ | fuse, tune, new, lewd, fuel, beauty, Hugh, impugn | German Küche, Kühlschrank, French dessus, sucre (many speakers pronounce this as /jū/, like the word you) |
| /ər/ | lager, berserk, hammer, comfort, rotor, beggar | German Lager, Hammer |
| /ar/ | car, pardon, art, charm, heart | German hart, stark, French car, argent, Italian largo, arte, Castilian Martes, arma |
| /or/ | for, horn, organ, ward, core, bored, door, quarter, swarm | German horn, forschen, French or, Orly, Italian porta, giorno, Castilian morcilla, horno |
| /œr/ | turn, fur, blurred, fir, learn, bird, world, alert, her, work | German h�ren, st�rt, French leur, coeur |
| /ēr/ | there, their, they're wear, rare, prayer, scary, caring, hair | /ē/ + /r/: German Meer, Speer, French cher, hier, Italian certo, erba, Castilian placer, cerca |
| /īr/ | here, mere, we're, fear, beer, weird, weary, cheering | /ī/ + /r/: German hier, wir, French venir, fournir, Italian Irlanda, Castilian abrir, ir |
| /air/ | wire, hire, higher, pyre, liar, flier, admiring | /ai/ + /r/: German Eier, Feier, Castilian aire |
| /aur/ | our, hour, power, flour, flower, shower, scour, towering | /au/ + /r/: German saur, Bauer, Castilian Laura |
| /ūr/ | tour, poor, moor, you're, truer, brewer, boor | /ū/ + /r/: German Schwur, Urheimat, French tour, bourgeois, Italian urbano, urna, Castilian urgente, muro (many speakers pronounce this as /or/) |
| /űr/ | pure, lure, allure alluring, newer, endure, cure | /ű/ + /r/: German würden, würfel, French sûr, pur (many speakers pronounce this as /jūr/ or /jor/) |
