Pronunciation
English pronunciation is notoriously irregular — the same letters can represent different sounds, and the same sounds can be spelled different ways. This is a legacy of English absorbing words from dozens of languages over centuries. However, patterns do exist, and mastering them significantly improves comprehension and clarity. This page covers the core sounds of American English.
Vowel sounds
American English has approximately 15 distinct vowel sounds — far more than languages like Spanish or Japanese. Distinguishing between similar sounds (like /ɪ/ in "sit" vs /iː/ in "seat") is essential for being understood. Many non-native speakers struggle with vowels because their native language may not distinguish between sounds that English treats as different:
| Symbol | As in | Example words |
|---|---|---|
| /iː/ | ee | see, team, receive |
| /ɪ/ | i | sit, give, myth |
| /eɪ/ | ay | say, main, weight |
| /ɛ/ | e | bed, said, friend |
| /æ/ | a | cat, bad, have |
| /ɑː/ | ah | father, car (US) |
| /ɔː/ | aw | law, all, caught |
| /oʊ/ | oh | go, own, soul |
| /ʊ/ | oo (short) | book, put, could |
| /uː/ | oo (long) | moon, true, through |
| /ʌ/ | uh | cup, love, money |
| /ə/ | schwa | about, taken, pencil |
| /ɜːr/ | er | bird, word, learn |
| /aɪ/ | i | time, buy, eye |
| /aʊ/ | ow | now, house, loud |
The schwa /ə/
The schwa is the most common vowel sound in English, yet many learners don't even know it exists. It's the weak, neutral "uh" sound that appears in unstressed syllables. Mastering the schwa is one of the biggest steps toward natural-sounding English — overemphasising unstressed syllables is a telltale sign of non-native speech:
- about → /əˈbaʊt/
- photograph → /ˈfoʊtəˌɡræf/
- the (unstressed) → /ðə/
Consonant sounds
English consonants are more regular than vowels, but several sounds challenge speakers of other languages. The "th" sounds (/θ/ and /ð/) don't exist in most languages. The distinction between /v/ and /w/, or /l/ and /r/, causes problems for speakers of certain languages. Focus on sounds that your native language doesn't have:
| Sound | Spelling variations | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| /θ/ | th | think, method |
| /ð/ | th | this, mother |
| /ʃ/ | sh, ti, ci | ship, nation, special |
| /ʒ/ | s, si | measure, vision |
| /tʃ/ | ch, tch | church, match |
| /dʒ/ | j, g, dge | judge, giant, edge |
| /ŋ/ | ng, n(k) | sing, think |
Word stress
English is a stress-timed language — stressed syllables are longer, louder, and higher in pitch, while unstressed syllables are reduced. This rhythm is fundamental to English and can completely change meaning. Compare "REcord" (noun: a vinyl record) with "reCORD" (verb: to record something). Getting stress wrong can make you unintelligible even if your sounds are perfect:
| Pattern | Examples |
|---|---|
| First syllable | ANswer, TAble, WAter |
| Second syllable | deCIDE, beGIN, toDAY |
| Third syllable | underSTAND, indePENdent |
Stress shifts meaning
| Noun (first stress) | Verb (second stress) |
|---|---|
| REcord | reCORD |
| PREsent | preSENT |
| OBject | obJECT |
| CONtract | conTRACT |
Sentence stress
Content words are stressed; function words are not:
- "I WENT to the STORE to BUY some BREAD."
- Not: "I WENT TO THE STORE TO BUY SOME BREAD."
Intonation
| Pattern | Use | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Rising ↗ | Yes/no questions | "Are you coming?" ↗ |
| Falling ↘ | Statements, Wh-questions | "I'm ready." ↘ |
| Rise-fall | Lists | "I need eggs, ↗ milk, ↗ and bread. ↘" |
Common pronunciation challenges
| Sound | Challenge | Tip |
|---|---|---|
| /θ/ and /ð/ | Not in many languages | Tongue between teeth |
| /r/ | American r is unique | Tongue doesn't touch palate |
| /l/ vs /r/ | Distinguished in English | Practice minimal pairs |
| /v/ vs /w/ | Different mouth positions | /v/ = teeth on lip, /w/ = rounded lips |