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English vowel sounds

By Will SalisburyUpdated

British English has 20 vowel sounds, although it has only five vowel letters. Twelve are single, steady sounds (seven short and five long) and eight are diphthongs, which glide from one sound to another, like /aɪ/ in five. Each one has a symbol and a key word.

1 · Read the problems2 · One lesson a day3 · Review your mistakes4 · Go round again

1 · Pronunciation

Hear it, see it, say it

IELTS tip. Vowel sounds make the difference between many pairs of words you will use, such as live and leave, sit and seat, and full and fool. In Speaking, a listener who cannot tell two words apart has to guess from context. Practise the pairs that your first language does not have.

How to make it

  1. For /iː/ (sheep): lips spread, tongue high and forward, jaw almost closed. Hold it a little longer.
  2. For /ɪ/ (ship): relax the lips and jaw slightly. Make it short.
  3. For /æ/ (cat): open the jaw wide and keep the tongue low at the front.
  4. For /ɑː/ (car): open wide, but pull the tongue back and make it long.

Say it after me

sheep /ʃiːp/

ship, sheep, bed, bad, cut, cat, cart, food, bird, five, boy, here

Quick answers

How many vowel sounds are in English?

British English has 20: 12 pure vowels and 8 diphthongs. Other accents of English use a different number.

What is the difference between a vowel letter and a vowel sound?

Letters are the written symbols a, e, i, o and u. Sounds are what you say, and there are more of them than letters.

What is a diphthong?

A vowel that glides from one sound to another in a single syllable, such as /aɪ/ in five.

Which vowel is the most important to learn first?

Start with the pairs your language does not have, because they change the meaning of words, such as ship and sheep.

Read the full lesson: English vowel sounds