The phonemic chart is a table of the 44 sounds of British English, each shown with its own symbol: 20 sounds and 24 sounds. It is based on the . Learning it lets you read the pronunciation of any word in a dictionary.
What the chart shows
English spelling does not tell you how a word sounds. The words through, though, tough and cough all end in -ough, and all four sound different. The phonemic chart solves this by giving one symbol to each sound, so a word can be written exactly as it is said.
A phoneme is a sound that can change the meaning of a word. Ship and sheep differ by one sound, so and are different phonemes. In standard British English there are 44 of them. The chart groups them: vowels, and .
The 12 pure vowels
A pure keeps one steady shape. Seven are short and five are long. The sign ː shows length.
- ship, bed, cat, cup, hot, book, about.
- sheep, car, door, food, bird.
The 8 diphthongs
A glides from one sound to another in one . Together with the 12 pure vowels, they make the 20 vowel sounds.
- day, five, boy, go.
- now, here, there, tour.
The 24 consonants
Many come in pairs. In each pair the mouth makes the same shape, but one sound is (no vibration in your throat) and the other is (with vibration). Touch your throat to feel the difference.
- Pairs, voiceless then voiced: pen and bed; ten and day; cat and go; fan and van; think and this; see and zoo; she and measure; chair and jam.
- Single consonants: more, no, sing, light, right, wet, yes, hat.
Symbols that look unfamiliar
Most symbols look like the letters you know. A few do not, and these are the ones to learn first. The symbol is the sound at the start of yes, not the letter j. The sound at the start of jam is . The symbol is the th in think. The symbol is the th in this. The symbol is sh, is the middle of measure, and is the ng in sing.
Also note that one sound can be written with two letters and one letter can stand for two sounds. The word box has three letters and four sounds: /bɒks/. The word night has five letters and only three sounds: /naɪt/.
Other marks you will see in a dictionary
Besides the 44 symbols, dictionaries use a few extra marks. Learn these as well, because they tell you about the rhythm of the word.
Two symbols, and , are written with two characters but each is one sound. They are called affricates: a or that is released into a or sound. Count them as one .
- Slashes: /kæt/ show that the word is written in phonemic symbols.
- The mark ˈ before a shows the main : /əˈbaʊt/.
- The mark ˌ before a syllable shows a weaker, secondary stress: /ˌɪnfəˈmeɪʃn/.
- The mark ː after a shows that it is long: .
- A small raised or bracketed symbol shows a sound that is sometimes said and sometimes left out.
How to use the chart
Do not try to memorise all 44 sounds in one session. Learn them as you meet them. Start with the sounds that are new for you, say the example word aloud and find three more words with the same sound.
When you look up a word in a dictionary, read the symbols between the slashes. The sign ˈ comes before the strong . Spend a minute on every new word.
- Check which sounds in the chart do not exist in your first language.
- Learn each new sound with its key word and say it aloud.
- Read the of five new words each day and say them.
- Write the IPA of a short phrase and ask a teacher to check it.
How to make the sound
- For and : touch the back of your top front teeth with the tip of your tongue (when you practise slowly, the tip can show a little between your teeth). Blow for and add voice for .
- For : shape your mouth for , then add voice, as in the middle of measure.
- For : raise the back of your tongue to the and let the sound come through your nose, as in sing.
- Place your fingers on your throat to check which sounds have voice.
IELTS tip
You do not need the chart in the test, but it helps you prepare. Use it to check the sounds in the words you find hard, and to see which two words you are making sound the same. Knowing the symbols also helps you read the pronunciation of new vocabulary from your reading.
Frequently asked questions
How many sounds are in the phonemic chart?
The chart for British English has 44: 12 pure , 8 and 24 .
Is the phonemic chart the same as the IPA?
It is based on the but uses only the symbols that matter for English words.
Do I need to learn all the symbols?
It is helpful but not required. Start with the sounds that are new for you and the symbols you meet in a dictionary.
Why do some sounds come in pairs?
Because many consonants are made with the same mouth shape, with one and one , such as and .
Sources
- Roach, P. (2009). English Phonetics and Phonology: A Practical Course (4th ed.). Cambridge University Press.
- International Phonetic Association (1999). Handbook of the International Phonetic Association: A Guide to the Use of the International Phonetic Alphabet. Cambridge University Press.