Different scholars use slightly different symbols when transcribing the sounds of English. The reasons and implications of this variation are not detailed here, but some general guidance for interpreting the transcriptions used in the Pron Planner is given in the table below.
Consonants |
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Example word |
Common UK transcription1 |
Common US transcription2 |
Symbol used in Pron Planner |
| pen, open, hope | p | p | p |
| bid, able, job | b | b | b |
| team, amount, meat | t | t | t |
| do, edit, feed | d | d | d |
| kiss, buckle, back | k | k | k |
| go, again, big | g | g | g |
| food, safer, leaf | f | f | f |
| visit, every, save | v | v | v |
| see, recent, us | s | s | s |
| zoo, these, ease | z | z | z |
| show, nation, wash | ʃ | ʃ | ʃ |
| beige, measure, Asia | ʒ | ʒ | ʒ |
| home, behind | h | h | h |
| choose, kitchen, watch | tʃ | tʃ | tʃ |
| jump, bridge | dʒ | dʒ | dʒ |
| man, plum | m | m | m |
| need, any, down | n | n | n |
| ring, singer, bank | ŋ | ŋ | ŋ |
| road, (card, far)3 | r | r | r |
| load, allow, pool | l | l | l |
| watch, away | w | w | w |
| yes, onion | j | y | j |
Vowels |
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Example word |
Common UK transcription1 |
Common US transcription(s)2 |
Symbol used in Pron Planner |
| kit, is, fish, will | ɪ | ɪ | ɪ |
| dress, ten, red | e | e ɛ |
e |
| trap, pan, hand | æ | æ | æ |
| strut, cup, us, love | ʌ | ʌ | ʌ |
| lot | ɒ | (sound does not occur in US English) | ɒ |
| foot, put, woman | ʊ | ʊ | ʊ |
| fleece, tea, feet, key | iː | iː iy iy |
iː |
| palm | ɑː | ɑː ɑ |
ɑː |
| thought, saw, talk | ɔː | ɔː ɔ |
ɔː |
| goose, blue, school, new | uː | uː uw uw |
uː |
| nurse | ɜː | ɝː ɜʳ |
ɜː(r) |
| face, cake, mail, pay | eɪ | eɪ ey ey |
eɪ |
| price, pie, night | aɪ | aɪ ay ay |
aɪ |
| choice, boy, join | ɔɪ | ɔɪ ɔy ɔy |
ɔɪ |
| goat, road, know | əʊ | oʊ ow ow |
əʊ |
| mouth, our, now | aʊ | aʊ aw aw |
aʊ |
| ear | ɪə | ɪr | ɪə |
| hair | eə | er ɛr |
eə |
| about, open, alone | ə | ə | ə |
| (mother4) | ə | ɚ | ə(r) |
Notes
- These symbols reflect those used in Jones, D. (Roach, P., Setter, J. & Esling, J. (eds.)). (2011). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th edn.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- These symbols reflect those used in:
- Celce-Murcia, M., Brinton, D. M. & Goodwin, J. M. (2010). Teaching pronunciation: A course book and reference guide (2nd edn.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- Gilbert, J. B. (2012). Clear speech: Pronunciation and listening comprehension in North American English (4th edn.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- in Jones, D. (Roach, P., Setter, J. & Esling, J. (eds.)). (2011). Cambridge English Pronouncing Dictionary (18th edn.). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
- In rhotic accents only; in other words, accents in which the letter ‘r’ is always pronounced when it occurs in spelling.
- In non-rhotic accents only.
