View source for Help:IPA/English

:Manual of Style/Pronunciation#Entering IPA characters}}
{{shortcut|H:IPAE|H:IPAEN}}
Throughout Wikipedia, the pronunciation of words is indicated by means of the '''[[International Phonetic Alphabet]]''' ('''IPA'''). The following tables list the IPA symbols used for English words and pronunciations. Please note that several of these symbols are used in ways that are specific to Wikipedia and differ from those used by dictionaries.

If the IPA symbols are not displayed properly by your browser, see the [[#See also|links below]].

If you are adding a pronunciation using this key, such pronunciations should generally be formatted using the template {{t|IPAc-en}}. The template provides tooltips for each symbol in the pronunciation. See the template page for instructions. 

{{Compact ToC|a=|o=|e=|u=|i=|d=|h=|t=|n=|s=|p=|y=|f=|g=|c=|r=|l=|q=|j=|k=|x=|b=|m=|w=|v=|z=|name=no|center=no|top=no|seealso=yes|notes=yes|extlinks=yes|custom1=Key|custom2=Dialect variation|custom3=Other transcriptions}}

==Key==
If the words given as examples for two different symbols sound the same to you (for example, if you pronounce ''cot'' and ''caught'' the same, or ''do'' and ''dew'', or ''marry'' and ''merry''), you can pronounce those symbols the same in explanations of all words. The footnotes explain some of these mergers. (See also [[#Dialect variation|Dialect variation]] below.)

If there is an IPA symbol you are looking for that you do not see here, see [[Help:IPA]], which is a more complete list. For a table listing all spellings of the sounds on this page, see {{section link|English orthography|Sound-to-spelling correspondences}}. For help converting spelling to pronunciation, see {{section link|English orthography|Spelling-to-sound correspondences}}.

{| style="background:none"
| style="vertical-align:top" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:90%"
! colspan="2"| [[Consonant|Consonants]]
|-
! style="width:3em" | IPA !! Examples
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|b}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | '''b'''uy, ca'''b'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|d}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''d'''ye, ca'''d''', a'''d'''age{{refn|name=flapping|In varieties with [[flapping]], {{IPA|/t/}} and {{IPA|/d/}} between a vowel and an unstressed or word-initial vowel may be pronounced with a tap {{IPAblink|ɾ}}, making the words ''latter'' and ''ladder'' homophonous. Some dictionaries (such as [[New Oxford American Dictionary|NOAD]]) transcribe those instances as {{angle bracket|{{IPA|d}}}}, {{angle bracket|{{IPA|D}}}}, or {{angle bracket|{{IPA|t̬}}}}, but they are not distinguished from {{IPA|/t/}} or {{IPA|/d/}} in this notation system. In those varieties, the sequence {{IPA|/nt/}} in the same environment may also be realized as [[nasalized]] tap {{IPA|[ɾ̃]}}, which may sound similar or identical to {{IPA|/n/}}. This is also not distinguished on Wikipedia.}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|dʒ}}}}{{#tag:ref|The [[affricate]]s {{IPA|/tʃ, dʒ/}} are more correctly written with [[ligature tie]]s: {{IPA|/t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ/}}. Ties are usually not included in transcriptions on Wikipedia because they do not display correctly in all browsers.|name=tie}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''g'''iant, ba'''dge''', '''j'''am
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ð}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''th'''y, brea'''the''', fa'''th'''er
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|f}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''f'''an, ca'''ff''', '''ph'''i
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ɡ}}}} ({{IPA|ɡ}}){{refn|If the two characters {{angle bracket|{{IPA|ɡ}}}} and {{angle bracket|{{IPA|[[File:Opentail g.svg|6px]]}}}} do not match and if the first looks like a {{angle bracket|{{IPA|γ}}}}, then you have an issue with your default font. See {{section link|Help:IPA|Rendering issues}}.}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''g'''uy, ba'''g'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|h}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''h'''igh, a'''h'''ead
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|hw}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''wh'''y{{refn|The phoneme {{IPA|/hw/}} is not distinguished from {{IPA|/w/}} in the many dialects with the [[Wine–whine merger|''wine''–''whine'' merger]], such as RP and most varieties of General American. For more information on this sound, see [[voiceless labialized velar approximant]].}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|j}}}}{{refn|The IPA value of the letter {{angle bracket|{{IPA|j}}}} is counter-intuitive to many English speakers. However, it does occur with this sound in a few English words: Besides [[hallelujah]], there are [[fjord]], [[Jägermeister]] and [[Jarlsberg cheese]].}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''y'''es, hallelu'''j'''ah
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|k}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |s'''k'''y, '''c'''ra'''ck'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|l}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{Not a typo|'''l'''ie, s'''l'''y, ga'''l'''}}{{refn|{{IPA|/l/}} in the [[syllable coda]], as in the words ''all'', ''cold'', or ''bottle'', is pronounced as {{IPAblink|o}}, {{IPAblink|u}}, {{IPAblink|w}} or a similar sound in many dialects through [[L-vocalization]].}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|m}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''m'''y, s'''m'''ile, ca'''m'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|n}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''n'''igh, s'''n'''ide, ca'''n'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ŋ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |sa'''ng''', si'''n'''k, si'''ng'''er
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|p}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{Not a typo|'''p'''ie, s'''p'''y, ca'''p'''}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|r}}{{refn|In most varieties of English, {{IPA|/r/}} is pronounced as an approximant {{IPA|[ɹ]}}. Although the IPA symbol {{IPA|[r]}} represents a [[alveolar trill|trill]], {{IPA|/r/}} is widely used instead of {{IPA|/ɹ/}} in broad transcriptions of English.}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''r'''ye, t'''r'''y, ve'''r'''y
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|s}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''s'''igh, ma'''ss'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ʃ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''sh'''y, ca'''sh''', emo'''ti'''on
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|t}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{Not a typo|'''t'''ie, s'''t'''y, ca'''t''', a'''t'''om}}{{refn|name=flapping}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|tʃ}}}}<ref name=tie />
| style="text-align: left" |'''Ch'''ina, ca'''tch'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|θ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''th'''igh, ma'''th'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|v}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{Not a typo|'''v'''ie, ha'''ve'''}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|w}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''w'''ye, s'''w'''ine
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|z}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''z'''oo, ha'''s'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ʒ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |plea'''s'''ure, vi'''si'''on, bei'''g'''e{{refn|A number of English words, such as ''genre'' and ''garage'', may be pronounced with either {{IPA|/ʒ/}} or {{IPA|/dʒ/}}.}}
|-
| colspan="4" style="border-left: #fff solid 1px; border-right: #fff solid 1px; background: #fff" | &nbsp;
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Sekmens|Marginal segments]]
|-
! IPA !! Examples
|-
| {{big|{{IPAlink|x}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |u'''gh''', lo'''ch''', '''Ch'''anukah{{refn|In most dialects, {{IPA|/x/}} is replaced by {{IPA|/k/}} in most words, including ''loch''. It is also replaced with {{IPA|/h/}} in some words, such as ''Chanukah''.}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPAlink|ʔ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |uh'''-'''oh {{nowrap|{{IPA|/ˈʔʌʔoː/}}}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPAlink|ɔ̃}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |b'''on''' vivant{{refn|name=nasalvowel|{{IPA|/ɔ̃, ɛ̃/}} are only found in French loanwords and often replaced by another vowel and a nasal consonant: ''bon vivant'' {{nowrap|{{IPA|/ˌbɔn viːˈvɑːnt/}}}}, ''ensemble'' {{nowrap|{{IPA|/ɑːnˈsɑːmbəl/}}}}, ''croissant'' {{nowrap|{{IPA|/ˈkwæs.ɑːŋ/}}}}.<ref group=ref>{{EPD|bon vivant|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bfLXAAAAQBAJ&q=vivant|edition=18th}}</ref><ref group=ref>{{EPD|ensemble|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=bfLXAAAAQBAJ&q=ensemble|edition=18th}}</ref><ref group=ref>{{EPD|French words and phrases|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=jGSXwqTCwpkC&pg=PA202|page=202|edition=17th}}</ref>}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPAlink|ɛ̃}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |f'''in''' de siècle{{refn|name=nasalvowel}}
|}

| style="vertical-align: top" |
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
! colspan="4"| [[Vowel|Vowels]]
|-
! colspan="2" | Full vowels !! colspan="2" | ...followed by R{{refn|In [[Rhotic and non-rhotic accents|non-rhotic accents]] like RP, {{IPA|/r/}} is not pronounced unless followed by a vowel. In some Wikipedia articles, {{IPA|/ɪər/}} ''etc.'' may not be distinguished from {{IPA|/ɪr/}} ''etc.'' These should be fixed to correspond with the chart here.}}
|-
! IPA !! Examples !! IPA !! Examples
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ɑː}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|p'''a'''lm}}, br'''a''', f'''a'''ll
| {{big|{{IPA|ɑːr}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|st'''ar'''t}}, st'''ar'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ɒ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|l'''o'''t}}, p'''o'''d, J'''oh'''n, bl'''o'''ckade{{refn|{{IPA|/ɒ/}} is not distinguished from {{IPA|/ɑː/}} in dialects with the [[Father–bother merger|''father''–''bother'' merger]] such as General American.}}
| {{big|{{IPA|ɒr}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |m'''or'''al, f'''or'''age
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|æ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|tr'''a'''p}}, p'''a'''d, t'''a'''ttoo{{refn|Some regions, such as New York City and Philadelphia, separate this into two phonemes, {{IPA|/æ/}} and {{IPA|/eǝ/}}, so that the vowel in ''crash'' may be closer to that in ''mail'' than that in ''cat''. In other dialects, such as [[General American]], the two sounds are allophones. See [[:/æ/ tensing|{{IPA|/æ/}} tensing]].}}{{refn|In some regions, what would normally be {{IPA|[æŋ]}} or {{IPA|[æɡ]}}<!-- Californian English has raising before /ŋ/ but maybe not before /ɡ/; Upper Midwest has it before both. --> is pronounced as {{IPA|[eŋ]}} or {{IPA|[eːŋ]}}, {{IPA|[eɡ]}} or {{IPA|[eːɡ]}}, so that the ''a'' in ''rang'' and ''rag'' is closer to the ''ai'' in ''rain'' than the ''a'' in ''rat''.}}
| {{big|{{IPA|ær}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |b'''arr'''ow, m'''arr'''y{{refn|{{IPA|/ær/}} is pronounced the same as {{IPA|/ɛr/}} (as in ''merry'') in accents with the [[Mary–marry–merry merger|''Mary''–''marry''–''merry'' merger]].}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{big|{{IPA|aɪ}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left" | {{sc|pr'''i'''ce}}, r'''i'''de, p'''ie'''{{refn|name=CanadianRaising|Many speakers, for example in most of Canada and much of the United States, have a different vowel in ''price'' and ''ride'', and a different vowel in "mouth" and "loud". Generally, an {{IPA|[aɪ]}} or {{IPA|[aʊ]}} is used at the ends of words and before voiced sounds, as in ''ride, pie, loud, how'', while an {{IPA|[ʌɪ]}} or {{IPA|[ʌʊ]}} is used before voiceless sounds, as in ''price'' and ''mouth''. Because {{IPA|/t/}} and {{IPA|/d/}} are often conflated in the middle of words in these dialects, derivatives of these words, such as ''rider'' and ''writer'', may be distinguished only by their vowel: {{IPA|[ˈɹ'''aɪ'''ɾɚ], [ˈɹ'''ʌɪ'''ɾɚ]}}. However, even though the value of {{IPA|/aɪ/}} or {{IPA|/aʊ/}} is not predictable in some words, such as ''spider'' {{IPA|[ˈsp'''ʌɪ'''ɾɚ]}},<ref group=ref>{{cite journal|last=Vance|first=Timothy J.|year=1987|url=https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/46c9/ea58b782a1d39a5b31c2259c8c1c073370d6.pdf|title='Canadian Raising' in Some Dialects of the Northern United States|journal=American Speech|volume=62|issue=3|page=201|issn=1527-2133|jstor=454805}}</ref> dictionaries do not generally record it, so it has not been allocated a separate transcription here.}}
| {{big|{{IPA|aɪər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''Ire'''land, h'''ire'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|aɪ.ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |h'''igher''', b'''uyer'''{{refn|name=hire|Some speakers pronounce ''higher, flower, layer'' (stratum) and ''mayor'' with two syllables, and ''hire, flour, lair'' and ''mare'' with one. Others pronounce them the same.}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{big|{{IPA|aʊ}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left" | {{sc|m'''ou'''th}}, l'''ou'''d, d'''ow'''n, h'''ow''', col'''our'''{{refn|name=CanadianRaising}}
| {{big|{{IPA|aʊər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |fl'''our'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|aʊ.ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |fl'''ower'''{{refn|name=hire}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ɛ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|dr'''e'''ss}}, b'''e'''t, pr'''e'''stige{{refn|name=E|{{IPA|/ɛ/}} is transcribed as {{IPA|/e/}} by many dictionaries.<ref group=ref>{{cite web|last1=Wells|first1=John|title=e and ɛ|url=http://phonetic-blog.blogspot.com.au/2009/03/e-and.html|website=John Wells's phonetic blog|publisher=Blogspot|accessdate=13 March 2015|date=18 March 2009}}</ref>}}
| {{big|{{IPA|ɛr}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |'''err'''or, m'''err'''y{{refn|name=E}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{big|{{IPA|eː}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left" | {{sc|f'''a'''ce}}, m'''a'''de, f'''ai'''l, v'''ei'''n, p'''ay'''
| {{big|{{IPA|ɛər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|squ'''are'''}}, m'''are''', sc'''ar'''ce, c'''air'''n, M'''ar'''y{{refn|{{IPA|/ɛər/}} is pronounced the same as {{IPA|/ɛr/}} (as in ''merry'') in accents with the [[Mary–marry–merry merger|''Mary''–''marry''–''merry'' merger]]. It is often transcribed as {{IPA|/eə/}} by British dictionaries and as {{IPA|/er/}} by American ones. The OED uses {{IPA|/ɛː/}} for BrE and {{IPA|/ɛ(ə)r/}} for AmE,<ref name=oed-key group=ref>{{cite web|title=Key to pronunciation|url=http://public.oed.com/how-to-use-the-oed/key-to-pronunciation/|website=Oxford English Dictionary|publisher=Oxford University Press|accessdate=13 March 2015}}</ref> but the Oxford Online Dictionaries apparently always use {{IPA|/er/}} for AmE despite having {{IPA|/e(ə)r/}} in their key to US pronunciations.<ref name=ood group=ref>[http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/us/definition/american_english/square "square"] in Oxford Online Dictionaries</ref><ref name=ood-key group=ref>[https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/key-to-pronunciation-us Key to US pronunciations] in Oxford Online Dictionaries</ref>}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|eː.ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |pl'''ayer'''{{refn|name=hire}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ɪ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|k'''i'''t}}, l'''i'''d, h'''i'''storic
| {{big|{{IPA|ɪr}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |m'''irr'''or, S'''ir'''ius
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{big|{{IPA|iː}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left" | {{sc|fl'''ee'''ce}}, s'''ee'''d, m'''ea'''n, s'''ea'''
| {{big|{{IPA|ɪər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|n'''ear'''}}, b'''ear'''d, f'''ier'''ce, s'''er'''ious{{refn|{{IPA|/ɪər/}} is pronounced the same as {{IPA|/ɪr/}} in accents with the [[mirror–nearer merger|''mirror''–''nearer'' merger]].}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|iː.ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |fr'''eer'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|oː}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|g'''oa'''t}}, c'''o'''de, g'''o''', f'''oa'''l{{refn|{{IPA|/oː/}} is transcribed as {{IPA|/əː/}} in Received Pronunciation.}}
| {{big|{{IPA|oː.ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |m'''ower'''
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{big|{{IPA|ɔː}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left"  | {{sc|th'''ough'''t}}, M'''au'''d, d'''aw'''n, f'''a'''ll, str'''aw'''{{refn|{{IPA|/ɔː/}} is not distinguished from {{IPA|/ɒ/}} (except before {{IPA|/r/}}) in dialects with the [[Cot–caught merger|''cot''–''caught'' merger]] such as many varieties of General American.}}
| {{big|{{IPA|ɔːr}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|n'''or'''th}}, {{sc|f'''or'''ce}}, h'''or'''se, h'''oar'''se, '''or'''al{{refn|Some conservative dialects make a distinction between the vowels in ''horse'' and ''hoarse'', but the number of speakers who make this distinction any longer is very small and many dictionaries do not differentiate between them ([[horse–hoarse merger|''horse–hoarse'' merger]]). The vowel in ''hoarse'' was formerly represented as {{IPA|/ɔər/}} on Wikipedia, but is now represented as {{IPA|/ɔːr/}}, identical to ''horse''.}}{{refn|name=cure-force|{{IPA|/ʊər/}} is not distinguished from {{IPA|/ɔːr/}} in dialects with the [[cure–force merger|''cure''–''force'' merger]], including many younger speakers. In England, the merger may not be fully consistent and may only apply to more common words. In conservative RP and Northern England English {{IPA|/ʊər/}} is much more commonly preserved than in modern RP and Southern England English. In Australia and New Zealand, {{IPA|/ʊər/}} does not exist as a separate phoneme and is replaced either by the sequence {{IPA|/uː.ər/}} ({{IPA|/uːr/}} before vowels within the same word, save for some compounds) or the monophthong {{IPA|/ɔːr/}}.}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ɔː.ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | s'''awer'''
|-
| rowspan="3" | {{big|{{IPA|ɔɪ}}}}
| rowspan="3" style="text-align: left" | {{sc|ch'''oi'''ce}}, v'''oi'''d, b'''oy'''
| {{big|{{IPA|ɔɪər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |c'''oir'''
|-
|ɔɪɘr
|j'''oyer'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ɔɪ.ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |empl'''oyer'''{{refn|name=hire}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ʊ}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|f'''oo'''t}}, g'''oo'''d, f'''u'''ll, w'''o'''man
| {{big|{{IPA|ʊr}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |c'''our'''ier
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{big|{{IPA|uː}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left" | {{sc|g'''oo'''se}}, f'''oo'''d, d'''o'''
| {{big|{{IPA|ʊər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |b'''oor''', m'''oor''', t'''our'''ist{{refn|name=cure-force}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|uː.ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |tr'''uer'''
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{big|{{IPA|juː}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left" |c'''u'''te, m'''u'''le, p'''u'''ny, b'''eau'''ty, h'''u'''ge, t'''u'''ne{{refn|In dialects with [[yod dropping]], {{IPA|/juː/}} is pronounced the same as {{IPA|/uː/}} after [[coronal consonant]]s ({{IPA|/t/}}, {{IPA|/d/}}, {{IPA|/s/}}, {{IPA|/z/}}, {{IPA|/n/}}, {{IPA|/θ/}}, and {{IPA|/l/}}) in the same syllable, so that ''dew'' {{IPA|/djuː/}} is pronounced the same as ''do'' {{IPA|/duː/}}. In dialects with [[yod coalescence]], {{IPA|/tj/}} and {{IPA|/dj/}} mostly merge with {{IPA|/tʃ/}} and {{IPA|/dʒ/}}, so that the first syllable in ''Tuesday'' is pronounced the same as ''choose''. In some dialects {{IPA|/sj/}} and {{IPA|/zj/}} are also affected and they merge with {{IPA|/ʃ/}} and {{IPA|/ʒ/}}.}}
| {{big|{{IPA|jʊər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |{{sc|c'''ure'''}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|juː.ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |f'''ewer'''
|-
| rowspan="2" | {{big|{{IPA|ʌ}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left" | {{sc|str'''u'''t}}, b'''u'''d, '''u'''ntidy, j'''u'''sticiable{{refn|Some, particularly American, dictionaries notate {{IPA|/ʌ/}} with the same symbol as {{IPA|/ə/}}, which is found only in unstressed syllables, and distinguish it from {{IPA|/ə/}} only by a stress mark preceding it. Also note that although {{angle bracket|{{IPA|ʌ}}}}, the IPA symbol for the [[open-mid back unrounded vowel|open-mid back vowel]], is used, the typical modern pronunciation is rather close to the [[near-open central unrounded vowel|near-open central vowel]] {{IPA|[ɐ]}} in both Received Pronunciation and General American.}}{{refn|{{IPA|/ʌ/}} is not used in the dialects of the northern half of England, some bordering parts of Wales, and some broad eastern Ireland accents. These words would take the {{IPA|/ʊ/}} vowel: there is no [[Foot–strut split|''foot''–''strut'' split]].}}
| {{big|{{IPA|ɜːr}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|n'''ur'''se}}, w'''or'''d, g'''ir'''l, f'''er'''n, f'''urr'''y, B'''er'''lin{{refn|In Received Pronunciation, {{IPA|/ɜːr/}} is pronounced as a lengthened schwa, {{IPA|[əː]}}. In General American, it is phonetically identical to {{IPA|/ər/}}. Some dictionaries therefore use {{angle bracket|{{IPA|əː, ər}}}} instead of the conventional notations {{angle bracket|{{IPA|ɜː, ɜr}}}}. When {{angle bracket|{{IPA|ər}}}} is used for {{IPA|/ɜːr/}}, it is distinguished from {{IPA|/ər/}} by a stress mark preceding it.}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ʌr}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |h'''urr'''y, n'''our'''ish{{refn|{{IPA|/ʌr/}} is not distinguished from {{IPA|/ɜːr/}} in dialects with the [[Hurry–furry merger|''hurry''–''furry'' merger]] such as some varieties of General American.}}
|-
! colspan="4" | [[Vauwal reduset in Aingglish Languas|Reduced vowels]] and [[Syllabic kaunsounans|syllabic consonants]]
|-
! IPA !! Examples !! IPA !! Examples
|-
| rowspan="5" | {{big|{{IPA|ə}}}}
| rowspan="5" style="text-align: left" | {{sc|comm'''a'''}}, '''a'''go, qui'''e'''t, foc'''u'''s
| {{big|{{IPA|ər}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|lett'''er'''}}, p'''er'''ceive
|-
|{{big|{{IPA|uər}}}}
|Lig'''ature'''
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|əl}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |bott'''le''' <small style="white-space: nowrap">(either {{IPA|[əl]}} or {{IPA|[l̩]}})</small>
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ən}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |butt'''on''' <small style="white-space: nowrap">(either {{IPA|[ən]}} or {{IPA|[n̩]}})</small>
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|əm}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | rhyth'''m''' <small style="white-space: nowrap">(either {{IPA|[əm]}} or {{IPA|[m̩]}})</small>
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|i}}}}
| style="text-align: left" | {{sc|happ'''y'''}}, ser'''i'''ous <small style="white-space: nowrap">(either {{IPA|/iː/}} or {{IPA|/ɪ/}})</small>{{refn|{{IPA|/i/}} is pronounced {{IPA|[i]}} in dialects with the [[Happy tensing|''happy'' tensing]] and {{IPA|[ɪ]}} in others. British convention used to transcribe it with {{angle bracket|{{IPA|ɪ}}}}, but the OED and other influential dictionaries recently converted to {{angle bracket|{{IPA|i}}}}.}}
| {{big|{{IPA|u}}}}
| style="text-align: left" |infl'''u'''ence <small style="white-space: nowrap">(either {{IPA|/ʊ/}} or {{IPA|/uː/}})</small>
|-
| colspan="4" style="border-left: #fff solid 1px; border-right: #fff solid 1px; background:#fff" | &nbsp;
|-
! colspan="2" | [[Stewes (linguistics)|Stress]]
! colspan="2" | [[Sailabificashin|Syllabification]]
|-
! IPA !! Examples
! IPA !! Examples
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ˈ}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left" | {{nowrap|'''in'''to'''na'''tion {{nowrap| {{IPA|/ˌɪntəˈneːʃən/}},}}{{refn|It is arguable that there is no phonemic distinction in English between primary and secondary stress,<ref group=ref>{{citation|last=Ladefoged|first=Peter|year=1993|title=A Course in Phonetics|edition=3rd|location=Orlando |publisher=Harcourt Brace |isbn=0-15-507319-2}}</ref> but it is conventional to notate them as here.}}}}<br />'''bat'''tleship {{IPA|/ˈbætəlʃɪp/}}{{refn|Full vowels following a stressed syllable, such as the ''ship'' in ''battleship,'' are marked with secondary stress in some dictionaries (Merriam-Webster), but not in others (the OED).}}
| rowspan="2" | {{big|{{IPA|.}}}}
| rowspan="2" style="text-align: left" |{{nowrap|{{IPA|/haɪər/}}}} hire, {{nowrap|{{IPA|/ˈhaɪ.ər/}}}} higher{{refn|Syllable divisions are not usually marked, but the IPA dot '.' may be used when it is wished to make explicit where a division between syllables is (or may be) made.}}
|-
| {{big|{{IPA|ˌ}}}}
|}
|}

'''Notes'''
* The IPA stress mark ({{IPA|ˈ}}) comes ''before'' the syllable that has the stress, in contrast to stress marking in [[Pronunciation respelling for English|pronunciation keys of some dictionaries published in the United States]].
* Words in {{sc|small capitals}} are the standard [[Lexical set#Wells Standard Lexical Sets for English|lexical sets]]. Words in the lexical sets {{sc|bath}} and {{sc|cloth}} may be given two transcriptions, either with {{IPA|/ɑː/}} and {{IPA|/ɔː/}}, or with {{IPA|/æ/}} and {{IPA|/ɒ/}}, respectively.

==Dialect variation==
{{main|International Phonetic Alphabet chart for English dialects|List of Latin-script letters|List of Latin-script digraphs|List of Latin-script trigraphs|List of Latin-script tetrgraphs}}
This key represents [[diaphoneme]]s, abstractions of speech sounds that accommodate <!--"standard ... English ... pronunciations" is not OK, so "English" alone is not OK-->[[General American]], [[Received Pronunciation]] (RP) and [[New Zealand English|New Zealand]] (and to a large extent also [[Australian English|Australian]], [[Canadian English|Canadian]], [[Irish English|Irish]] (including [[Ulster English|Ulster]]), [[Scottish English|Scottish]], [[South African English|South African]] and [[Welsh English|Welsh]], but see below) pronunciations. Therefore, not all of the distinctions shown here are relevant to a particular dialect:
* Many speakers of American and Canadian English pronounce ''cot'' {{IPA|/kɒt/}} and ''caught'' {{IPA|/kɔːt/}} the same. You may simply ignore the difference between the symbols {{IPA|/ɒ/}} and {{IPA|/ɔː/}}, just as you ignore the distinction between the written vowels ''o'' and ''au'' when pronouncing them.
* Some speakers from Northern England do not distinguish the vowel of ''square'' {{IPA|/ˈskwɛər/}} and ''nurse'' {{IPA|/nɜːrs/}}. If you speak such a dialect, ignore the difference between the symbols {{IPA|/ɛər/}} and {{IPA|/ɜːr/}}.
* In New Zealand English, the vowels of ''kit'' {{IPA|/kɪt/}} and ''foc'''u'''s'' {{IPA|/ˈfoʊkəs/}} have the same [[schwa]]-like quality. If you are from New Zealand, ignore the difference between the symbols {{IPA|/ɪ/}} and {{IPA|/ə/}}.
* In New Zealand English and some other dialects, the vowels of ''near'' {{IPA|/nɪər/}} and ''square'' {{IPA|/ˈskwɛər/}} are not distinguished. If you speak such a dialect, ignore the difference between the symbols {{IPA|/ɪər/}} and {{IPA|/ɛər/}}.
* In Scottish English and [[Ulster English]], the vowels of ''foot'' {{IPA|/fʊt/}} and ''goose'' {{IPA|/ɡuːs/}} are not distinguished. If you speak either of those dialects, ignore the difference between the symbols {{IPA|/ʊ/}} and {{IPA|/uː/}}.
* In Northern England English, the vowels of ''foot'' {{IPA|/fʊt/}} and ''strut'' {{IPA|/strʌt/}} are not distinguished. If you are from Northern England, ignore the difference between the symbols {{IPA|/ʊ/}} and {{IPA|/ʌ/}}.
* In Welsh English and some other dialects, the vowels of ''strut'' {{IPA|/strʌt/}} and ''foc'''u'''s'' {{IPA|/ˈfoʊkəs/}} are not distinguished. If you speak such a dialect, ignore the difference between the symbols {{IPA|/ʌ/}} and {{IPA|/ə/}}.
* In many dialects, {{IPA|/r/}} occurs only before a vowel; if you speak such a dialect, simply ignore {{IPA|/r/}} in the pronunciation guides where you would not pronounce it, as in ''cart'' {{IPA|/kɑːrt/}}.
* In other dialects, {{IPA|/j/}} ('''y'''es) cannot occur after {{IPA|/t, d, n/}}, etc., within the same syllable; if you speak such a dialect, then ignore the {{IPA|/j/}} in transcriptions such as ''new'' {{IPA|/njuː/}}. For example, ''New York'' is transcribed {{IPA|/njuː ˈjɔːrk/}}. For most people from England and for some New Yorkers, the {{IPA|/r/}} in {{IPA|/jɔːrk/}} is not pronounced; for most people from the United States, including some New Yorkers, the {{IPA|/j/}} in {{IPA|/njuː/}} is not pronounced and may be ignored. (See ''[[yod-dropping]]''.)

On the other hand, there are some distinctions which you might make but which this key does not encode, as they are seldom reflected in the dictionaries used as sources for Wikipedia articles:
* The vowels of ''kit'' and ''bit'', distinguished in South Africa. Both of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/ɪ/}} in stressed syllables and as {{IPA|/ɪ/}} or {{IPA|/ə/}} in unstressed syllables.
* The difference between the vowels of ''fir'', ''fur'' and ''fern'', maintained in [[Scottish English|Scottish]] and [[Hiberno-English|Irish English]] but lost elsewhere. All of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/ɜːr/}}.
* The vowels of ''north'' and ''force'', distinguished in Scottish English, Irish English and by a minority of American speakers. Both of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/ɔːr/}}.
* The vowels of ''pause'' and ''paws'', distinguished in Cockney and by some Estuary English speakers. Both of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/ɔː/}} or {{IPA|/ɔːr/}}, depending on the word.
* The vowels of ''bad'' and ''had'', distinguished in many parts of [[Australian English|Australia]] and the Eastern United States.{{citation needed}} Both of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/æ/}}.
* The difference between the vowels of ''pain'' and ''pane'' found in some English, Welsh, and Newfoundland dialects. Both of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/eɪ/}}.
* The difference between the vowels of ''holy'' and ''wholly'' found in Cockney and many Estuary English speakers. Both of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/oʊ/}}.
* The vowels of ''spider'' and ''spied her'', distinguished in Scotland. Both of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/aɪ/}}.
* The vowels of ''rider'' and ''writer'', distinguished in many parts of Canada and some parts of the United States. Both of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/aɪ/}}.
* The vowels of ''powder'' and ''pouter'' distinguished in many parts of Canada and some parts of the United States. Both of them are transcribed as {{IPA|/aʊ/}}.

Other words may have different vowels depending on the speaker.

The pronunciation of the {{IPA|/æ/}} vowel in most dialects of Scotland, Northern Ireland, northern England and Wales has always been closer to {{IPAblink|a}}. BBC English has moved away from the traditional near-open front realization {{IPAblink|æ}} towards almost fully open front realization {{IPAblink|a}}, and both the Oxford English Dictionary and the 2014 edition of Gimson's Pronunciation of English transcribe the vowel in ''lad'', ''bad'', ''cat'', ''trap'' with {{IPA|/a/}}.<ref group=ref>{{citation|last=Gimson|first=Alfred Charles|editor-last=Cruttenden|editor-first=Alan|year=2014|title=Gimson's Pronunciation of English|pages=119–120|publisher=Routledge|edition=8th|isbn=9781444183092}}</ref>

For more extensive information on dialect variations, you may wish to see the [[International Phonetic Alphabet chart for English dialects|IPA chart for English dialects]].

Note that place names are not generally exempted from being transcribed in this abstracted system, so rules such as the above must be applied in order to recover the local pronunciation. Examples include place names in much of England ending ''&#8209;ford'', which although locally pronounced {{IPA|[&#8209;fəd]}} are transcribed {{IPA|/&#8209;fərd/}}. This is best practice for editors. However, readers should be aware that not all editors may have followed this consistently, so for example if {{IPA|/&#8209;fəd/}} is encountered for such a place name, it should not be interpreted as a claim that the {{IPA|/r/}} would be absent even in a [[rhoticity in English|rhotic]] dialect.

==Other transcriptions==
If you feel it is necessary to add a pronunciation respelling using another convention, then please use the conventions of [[Help:Pronunciation respelling key|Wikipedia's pronunciation respelling key]].
* To compare the following IPA symbols with non-IPA American dictionary conventions that may be more familiar, see [[Pronunciation respelling for English]], which lists the pronunciation guides of fourteen English dictionaries published in the United States.
* To compare the following IPA symbols with other IPA conventions that may be more familiar, see [[Help:IPA/Conventions for English]], which lists the conventions of eight English dictionaries published in Britain, Australia, and the United States.

==See also==
* If your browser does not display IPA symbols, you probably need to install a font that includes the IPA. Good free IPA fonts include [[Gentium]] and [[Charis SIL]] (more complete); a monospaced font is [[Everson Mono]] which is complete; download links can be found on those pages.
* For a guide to adding pronunciations to Wikipedia articles, see the {{tl|IPA}} template.
* For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation|Entering IPA characters}}.
* [[Help:IPA/Conventions for English]]
* [[Help:Pronunciation respelling key]]
* [[Pronunciation respelling for English]]

==Notes==
{{Reflist}}

==References==
{{Reflist|35em|group=ref}}

==External links==
* [http://www.personal.psu.edu/ejp10/blogs/gotunicode/2008/09/getting-jaws-61-to-recognize-e.html Getting JAWS 6.1 to recognize "exotic" Unicode symbols]—For help on getting the [[screen reader]] [[JAWS (screen reader)|JAWS]] to read IPA symbols
* [http://www.johntantalo.com/blog/ipa-tts-bookmarklet/ IPA TTS (text-to-speech) bookmarklet]

[[Category:International Phonetic Alphabet help|English]]