The Sounds of English (IPA Basics)

Basic · Getting Started

English spelling is famously unreliable: "through", "though", and "tough" all use "ough" but sound completely different. This is why dictionaries use the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) — a set of symbols where one symbol = one sound, always.

You do not need to master the IPA, but recognizing a few key symbols lets you look up the true pronunciation of any word instead of guessing from the spelling. English has about 44 sounds: roughly 20 vowel sounds and 24 consonant sounds.

Spelling vs sound

1 letter ≠ 1 sound. Use the IPA in a dictionary: /ʃ/ = "sh", /θ/ = "th" (think), /ə/ = the "uh" schwa

Rules & examples

  1. The same letters can spell different sounds.

    Never trust spelling alone — check the pronunciation.

    • through /uː/, though /oʊ/, tough /ʌf/, cough /ɒf/
  2. The same sound can have many spellings.

    For example, the long "ee" sound appears in many forms.

    • see, sea, machine, key, believe (all /iː/)
  3. Learn to read a dictionary's phonetic spelling.

    The little symbols in /slashes/ tell you the real sounds and the stress mark (ˈ) shows the strong syllable.

    • comfortable /ˈkʌmftəbl/
    • Wednesday /ˈwenzdeɪ/

Tips to remember

  • When you learn a new word, check its pronunciation in a dictionary, not just its spelling.
  • The apostrophe-like mark (ˈ) before a syllable in IPA shows where the stress goes.
  • You do not need all 44 symbols — just the handful for sounds your language does not have.

Common mistakes

  • ✗ Pronouncing "comfortable" as com-for-TAY-bul. → ✓ KUMF-tuh-bul (/ˈkʌmftəbl/) — English often "swallows" letters; the spelling is not a reliable guide.