SOUNDS & STRESS

SOME BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH SOUNDS

I.VOWELS :
1.Long vowels : (5)
/ i: / in beat , mean , peace
/ / in bird , fern , purse
/ a: / in card , half , past
/ / in board , torn , horse
/ u: / in food , soon , loose
2.Short vowels : (6+1)
/ / in bit , pin , fish
/ e / in bet , men , yes
/ / in bat , man , gas
/ / in but , come , rush
/ / in pot , gone , cross
/ / in put , pull , push
/ / when a vowel isn’t stressed on : alive , system…
*/ / is usually found in “-y” at the end of words : many, happy
*/ u / in actual ,fluctuate, actuate …
3.Diphthongs :
/ / in here , beard , fierce
/ / in air , cairn , scarce
/ / in moored , tour
/ / in paid , pain , face
/ / in tide , time , by
/ / in avoid , loin , boy
/ / in home , most , post
/ / in loud , growl , house
4.Triphthongs : (diphthong + / / )
/ / in layer , player
/ / in fire , liar

/ a: / in –aft : after , craft , draft , aft…
In – alf : haft , staff…
In -ar : car , card , artist…
In -ask : ask , mask , bask , task …
In -ass : pass , brass . grass , glass ….
In -ast : fast , wast , last , past…
In -ath : path , bath , father , rather…

/ / in -o + cons. (+cons.) :cost , cloth , long , off …

/ / in -all : all , fall , wall , tall…
In -alk : walk , talk ,
In –au : auto , pause , august , autumn
In –aw : law , saw , dawn , pawn…
In –or+ cons/+ silent e :horse,port,form,short,bore,more…
In –ought : ought , bought , fought , brought…
In –our+ cons. : mourn , course…
In –war__ : war , warm , warn , ward , warden,water….

/ u:/ in –u after /j,l,r/ : june , blue , rule ….
In –oo +l/m/n : fool , doom , pool , noon …
In –oo+(cons.)at the end of a word : bamboo , too , ater-
noon …
In –oo + voiced sounds : room , food , tool…( but :good/
Hood/ wood…→ / / .
In –ou+p. : soup, coupon,

/ / in –u +cons.(+cons.) : full , put , push , bush ….
In –oo +k : look , took , rook , mook….
In –oo +voiceless sounds : foot , cook , hook…(but :hoop /
Hoot / hoof…→ / / .


/ / in –oi : voice, noise, boil, choice, coin, toilet, avoid…
In –oy : toy, boy, enjoy, destroy, annoy…

/ / in –ou+cons(+cons.) : out, house, loud, round…
In –ow+cons. : owl, down, brown, town, now,how…

/ / in –ow : know, show, slow, snow…
in –o (at the end of a syllable or a word) : so, no, solo…
in oa+cons. : coat, boat, foal, foam, goal, poach…
In –o+cons.+silent e : phone, bone, hope, note, close…
In –old : old, bold, fold, told …
In –ost (in some words) : post, most, ghost … (but : cost / / , lost / / ) .

/ / in -ear : clear, dear, year, tear, ear …
In –eer : beer, cheer, engineer, steer, …
In –ere : here, mere,atmosphere, …
In –se(ri-) : serious, series, serial, …

/ / in –ear : bear, wear, …
In –air : fair, chair, air,