1999–2018
Justin B Rye
(Real IPA edition)
The function of this page has changed since it was first created in the nineties. Originally, it was a transcription of my accent into Kirshenbaum ASCII‐IPA, the 7‐bit encoding I was using as a substitute for raw phonetic symbols back in the days when web browsers couldn't be trusted to handle Unicode characters like ə and ʃ. Now that (as of 2013) I no longer use ASCII‐IPA on any of my other pages, I have finally been able to retire it here too.
The part that's still applicable is that this page is intended to
complement the rest of my site in two ways: for British
non‐linguists it's a rough guide to phonemic transcription, while
for non‐British linguists it's an introduction to my accent.
If you are already familiar with both the International Phonetic
Alphabet and modern RP you're unlikely to find it very useful; and
on the other hand if you don't know what I mean either by
“O
as in bother
” or by “ɒ as in
ˈbɒðə” then there's no convenient way I'm going to be
able to get the leverage to explain either – or at any
rate, not without knowing whether you're from Auckland, Kingston,
or Chicago.
This page is fairly technical, but that can't be helped: attempts to explain details like this purely in terms of “hard TH” and “long A sounds” just spread confusion. You may imagine that all I would need to do is add some audio examples; and indeed I may some day get round to doing that, but it's not a high priority, because the sad fact is that they wouldn't help much. If you haven't been trained to listen, your ears wouldn't take in the unfamiliar features of my pronunciations any more than your eyes would be likely to notice a trivial typo you're not actively looking for – instead your mother‐tongue perceptual filters automatically reinterpret everything to fit the phonological categories you're used to.
Throughout this essay, example spellings and so forth are as usual marked out as follows… (The brackets won't be visible if your browser is ignoring my CSS.)
Orthodox spellings: | angle‐bracketed | like this |
Phonemic transcriptions: | IPA in slant‐brackets | lɑɪk ðɪs |
Phonetic details: | IPA in square‐brackets | lɑɪk ðɪs |
And before I get started I'll need to explain some of the labels I'm sticking on things:
Kin
keyis usually a palatalised and aspirated kʲʰ, phonetically quite different from the
Kin
ask.
Ks in
key, askhave in common is that both are forms of one English phoneme, k: the phonetic space between them is never used for telling English words apart (so English‐speakers learn to disregard it). The difference between
codand
god, on the other hand, is that the first begins with k and the second with a voiced ɡ – a subtle phonetic distinction that English does recognise as phonemically significant.
insolvencies, Norwich, quarterlisted below.
JBR RP features the following supply of consonants and vowels, here listed in an order which is more or less “systematic” rather than quasi‐alphabetic.
EBB,
BIB
ED,
DID
EDGE,
JUDGE
EGG,
GAG
UP,
PIP
AT,
TOT
ETCH,
CHURCH
OAK,
KICK
OF,
VERVE
EITHER,
THE
AS,
ZOOS
SEIZURE,
VISION
IF,
FIFE
ETHER,
THIRTIETH
US,
SAUCE
ASH,
SURE
AM,
MUM
AN,
NUN
INK,
HANGING
ILL,
LULL
FRY,
RAH‐RAH
QUIT,
WAH‐WAH
VIEW,
YOYO
HUE,
HA‐HA
IT,
BID
EGG,
BED
UP,
BUD
AT,
BAD
HOOD,
BULL
ON,
BOD
HERE,
BEARD
HAIR,
BARED
HER,
BIRD
HEART,
BARD
MOOR,
CURED– uncommon, often replaced by ɔː
HAWK,
BOARD
HEAT,
BE
HATE,
BAY
HEIGHT,
BY
HOIST,
BOY
HOUSE,
BOUGH
HOOT,
BOO
HOSE,
BEAU
glottal. Many US accents prescribe a “flapped D” there, and many UK accents use a “glottal stop”; JBR RP has a clearcut “T” in that particular context, but allows a glottalised t in a more limited family of words.
madand
madeisn't one of stress or length – the two are simply different vowels (mæd, mɛɪd).
bought/bet– I take more time over the former; but other things very rarely are equal.
j(=dʒ) and diphthongs like
oy(=ɔɪ). A case could be made for splitting each of these into subcomponents, but at least for my own accent I find such analyses unnatural.
Xand
Qdo not correspond to single phonemes (the sounds are transcribed as the sequences ks, kw). Likewise, the sound of
Uas in
unitis just “YOO” – j followed by uː – and needs no separate sign of its own.
ABstractand the verb
abSTRACTis shown in my transcriptions by ˈ marks before stressed syllables: ˈæbstrækt, æbˈstrækt. Secondary stress (not as emphatic as the word's main stress, but stronger than neighbouring syllables) receives a preceding ˌ mark – thus
CHAracteRISticallyis ˌkærəktəˈrɪstɪkliː.
abundance, əˈbəndəns. In phonetic terms, that's əˈbɐ̃ndn̩s; and for many accents it makes sense to consider the three forms as separate entities. However, they don't seem to be used contrastively as phonemes in my own speech: the pronunciation of ə is always predictable from the surrounding context. Accordingly, I am treating them as one phoneme, and standardising my phonemic notation here on the symbol for the neutral vowel known as the “schwa”.
Please remember that this is an attempt at a representative selection of accurately reported spoken forms, not a prescriptive guide to how English should be spoken. These may be what I normally say, but I'm not denying the existence of alternatives (even in BBC English); when people pronounce “nuclear” as “noocular”, that's not the end of the world.
◄ A ► | ||
---|---|---|
A |
ɛɪ | |
Aaron |
ˈɛərɒn | cf Erin |
absorption |
əbˈzɔːbʃən | |
absurd |
əbˈsɜːd | |
accomplished |
əˈkəmplɪʃt | UM, not OM |
actually |
ˈæktʃəliː | but not ˈækʃliː |
advertisement |
ədˈvɜːtɪsmənt | n.b. stress |
albino |
ælˈbiːnəʊ | |
all |
ɔːl | |
almond |
ˈɑːmənd | no l |
alto |
ˈæltəʊ | |
ant |
ænt | cf. aunt |
anxious |
ˈæŋkʃəs | |
apricot |
ˈɛɪprɪkɒt | not like app |
arctic |
ˈɑːktɪk | articis a lorry |
aren't |
ɑːnt | cf. aunt |
Asia |
ˈɛɪʒə | |
asphalt |
ˈæʃfɛlt | unjustifiably |
associated |
əˈsəʊʃiːˌɛɪtɪd | with a SH |
association |
əˌsəʊsiːˈɛɪʃən | n.b. only one SH |
asthma |
ˈæsθmə | cf. isthmus |
aunt |
ɑːnt | cf. taunt |
◄ B ► | ||
B |
biː | |
bachelor |
ˈbætʃələ | three syllables |
bald |
bɔːld | |
balm |
bɑːm | cf. bomb |
band |
bænd | |
basically |
ˈbɛɪsɪkliː | never four syllables |
basil |
ˈbæzəl | like the name |
bath |
bɑːθ | |
beauty |
ˈbjuːtiː | |
been |
biːn | same as bean |
beret |
ˈbɛrɛɪ | |
beta |
ˈbiːtə | same as beater |
bicycle |
ˈbɑɪsɪkəl | like icicle |
bilabial |
bɑɪˈlɛɪbiːəl | |
blancmange |
bləˈmɒnʒ | fake French |
board |
bɔːd | same as baud |
bomb |
bɒm | cf. balm |
booth |
buːð | like soothe |
broom |
brʊm | |
buckling |
ˈbəklɪŋ | a young buck |
buckling |
ˈbəkəlɪŋ | collapsing |
buddhist |
ˈbʊdɪst | not ˈbuːdɪst |
bumblebee |
ˈbəmbəlˌbiː | |
buoy |
bɔɪ | same as boy |
burglar |
ˈbɜːɡlə | no R |
burial |
ˈbɛriːəl | |
businessman |
ˈbɪznɪsmən | |
butcher |
ˈbʊtʃə | |
◄ C ► | ||
C |
siː | |
caches |
ˈkæʃɪz | |
candidate |
ˈkændɪˌdɛɪt | or ˈkændɪdət |
caramel |
ˈkærəˌmɛl | |
careless |
ˈkɛələs | |
catch |
ˈkætʃ | |
casualty |
ˈkæʒʊltiː | |
caught |
kɔːt | cf. cot |
cautious |
ˈkɔːʃəs | cf. nauseous |
celebratory |
ˌsɛliːˈbrɛɪtəriː | |
centenary |
sɛnˈtiːnəriː | |
centrifugal |
ˌsɛntrɪˈfjuːɡəl | not ‐ˈtrɪf‐ |
chance |
tʃɑːns | |
charade |
ʃəˈrɑːd | |
chassis |
ˈʃæsiː | |
cheese |
tʃiːz | |
children |
ˈtʃʊldrən | or ˈtʃɪldrən |
choice |
tʃɔɪs | |
choir |
ˈkwɑɪə | |
Chomsky |
ˈtʃɒmskiː | not as Belorussian Хомскі |
choral |
ˈkɔːrəl | cf. coral |
chorizo |
tʃɒˈriːsəʊ | not tʃəˈrɪtsəʊ |
chrysanthemum |
krɪˈsænθəməm | |
chthonic |
ˈkθɒnɪk | |
circumstances |
ˈsɜːkəmˌstɑːnsɪz | |
clanger |
ˈklæŋə | |
clangour |
ˈklæŋɡə | |
clerk |
klɑːk | AH not UR |
clique |
kliːk | not click |
cloth |
klɒθ | cf sloth |
colonel |
ˈkɜːnəl | |
colour |
ˈkələ | |
comfortable |
ˈkəmftəbəl | no OR |
comma |
ˈkɒmə | |
congratulate |
kəŋˈɡrætʃʊˌlɛɪt | not kəŋˈɡrædʒəˌlɛɪt |
conjuror |
ˈkəndʒərə | |
controversy |
kənˈtrɒvəsiː | n.b. stress |
cooed |
kuːd | cf. cud |
coral |
ˈkɒrəl | cf. choral |
cot |
kɒt | cf. caught |
could |
kʊd | cf. cooed |
coupon |
ˈkuːpɒn | |
courgette |
kʊəˈʒɛt | or kɔːˈʒɛt |
court |
kɔːt | same as caught |
crass |
kræs | cf. grass |
crayon |
ˈkrɛɪɒn | cf. mayonnaise |
crescent |
ˈkrɛzənt | rhymes with present |
cud |
kəd | cf. could |
culinary |
ˈkəlɪˌnɛriː | |
cumin |
ˈkəmɪn | not ˈkjuːmən |
cupboard |
ˈkəbəd | |
cure |
kjʊə | or kjɔː |
curry |
ˈkəriː | |
cyclically |
ˈsɑɪklɪkliː | |
◄ D ► | ||
D |
diː | |
dachshund |
ˈdæksənt | cf. mustn't |
dahlia |
ˈdɛɪliːə | not like Roald |
data |
ˈdɛɪtə | |
dearly |
ˈdɪəliː | cf. really |
deity |
ˈdɛɪətiː | like gaiety |
delicious |
dɪˈlɪʃəs | |
diamond |
ˈdɑɪəmənd | three syllables |
diarrhoea |
ˌdɑɪəˈriːə | cf. dɑɪə rɪə |
diphthong |
ˈdɪfθɒŋ | not dip |
dissect |
dɪˈsɛkt | not like bisect |
do |
duː | cf. due |
docile |
ˈdəʊsɑɪl | |
doesn't |
ˈdəzənt | |
doll |
dɒl | like loll, not roll |
dress |
drɛs | |
dual |
ˈdjuːəl | cf. jewel |
due |
djuː | cf. do |
dully |
ˈdəlliː | cf. sully |
during |
ˈdjʊərɪŋ | or dʒɔːrɪŋ |
duty |
ˈdjuːtiː | |
dynasty |
ˈdɪnəstiː | |
◄ E ► | ||
E |
iː | |
ecosystem |
ˈiːkəʊˌsɪstəm | eek! |
Edinburgh |
ˈɛdɪnbərə | or ˈɛdəmbrə |
eighth |
ɛɪtθ | |
either |
ˈiːðə | or ˈɑɪðə |
electric |
ɪˈlɛktrɪk | |
English |
ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ | |
entire |
ɛnˈtɑɪə | |
envelope |
ˈɛnvəˌləʊp | (noun) |
ephemeral |
ɪˈfiːmərəl | |
epitome |
ɪˈpɪtəmiː | |
equinox |
ˈɛkwɪˌnɒks | |
erase |
ɪˈrɛɪz | |
erin |
ˈɛrɪn | cf. Aaron |
ether |
ˈiːθə | cf. either |
evolution |
ˌiːvəˈluːʃən | |
example |
ɛɡˈzɑːmpəl | |
exit |
ˈɛksɪt | no eggs |
extraordinary |
ɛkˈstrɔːdɪnˌɛriː | |
◄ F ► | ||
F |
ɛf | |
face |
fɛɪs | |
falcon |
ˈfɔːlkən | |
false |
ˈfɔːls | |
February |
ˈfɛbrəriː | or ˈfɛbruːˌɛriː |
figure |
ˈfɪɡə | |
financial |
fɑɪˈnænʃəl | |
finger |
ˈfɪŋɡə | cf. ginger |
fleece |
fliːs | |
flourish |
ˈflərɪʃ | |
foot |
fʊt | |
force |
fɔːs | |
forehead |
ˈfɔːhɛd | |
from |
frɒm | reduces to frəm |
fully |
ˈfʊliː | cf. dully |
fungicide |
ˈfəŋɡɪˌsɑɪd | “hard” G, “soft” C |
◄ G ► | ||
G |
dʒiː | |
gala |
ˈɡɑːlə | cf. parlour |
garage |
ˈɡærɪdʒ | or ˈɡærɑːdʒ |
gibberish |
ˈdʒɪbərɪʃ | “soft” G |
GIF |
ɡɪf | not JIF |
gigabyte |
ˈɡɪɡəbɑɪt | not jig |
ginger |
ˈdʒɪndʒə | cf. singer |
Glasgow |
ˈɡlɑːzɡəʊ | |
gnomonic |
nɒˈmɒnɪk | cf. mnemonic |
goat |
ɡəʊt | |
goose |
ɡuːs | |
gradually |
ˈɡrædʒəliː | |
grass |
ɡrɑːs | cf. crass |
grievous |
ˈɡriːvəs | not grevious |
grocery |
ˈɡrəʊsəriː | |
◄ H ► | ||
H |
ɛɪtʃ | not hɛɪtʃ |
half‐mirrored |
ˌhɑːfˈmɪrəd | |
Hallowe'en |
ˌhæləʊˈiːn | not hollow |
halt |
hɔːlt | |
hanging |
ˈhæŋɪŋ | no ɡ |
happiness |
ˈhæpɪnɛs | cf. merriness |
happy |
ˈhæpiː | |
herb |
hɜːb | initial consonant |
historic |
hɪsˈtɒrɪk | initial consonant |
hovercraft |
ˈhɒvəˌkrɑːft | |
huge |
hjuːdʒ | |
human |
ˈhjuːmən | |
◄ I ► | ||
I |
ɑɪ | |
ideology |
ˌɑɪdiːˈɒlədʒiː | |
insolvencies |
ɪnˈsɒlvənˌsiːz | |
interadministrative |
ˌɪntərədˈmɪnɪstrətɪv | |
inventory |
ˈɪnvəntriː | infantrywith a v |
ion |
ˈɑɪɒn | |
IPA |
ˌɑɪpiːˈɛɪ | |
iron |
ˈɑɪən | |
isthmus |
ˈɪsθməs | cf. asthma |
◄ J ► | ||
J |
dʒɛɪ | not (Scots) dʒɑɪ |
jaguar |
ˈdʒæɡjuːə | not as Spanish |
jewel |
ˈdʒuːəl | two syllables |
jewellery |
ˈdʒuːlriː | two syllables |
joule |
dʒuːl | one syllable |
jumped |
ˈdʒəmpt | |
jury |
ˈdʒʊəriː | or ˈdʒɔːriː |
◄ K ► | ||
K |
kɛɪ | |
kebab |
kɪˈbæb | doner, not shish |
Kirshenbaum |
ˈkɜːʃənˌbɔːm | not as German |
kit |
kɪt | |
◄ L ► | ||
L |
ɛl | |
labiovelar |
ˌlɛɪbiːəʊˈviːlə | rhymes with tequila |
laboratory |
ləˈbɒrətriː | |
language |
ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ | |
lather |
ˈlɑːðə | |
laugh |
lɑːf | |
lava |
ˈlɑːvə | same as larva |
lawyer |
ˈlɔɪə | or (oddly) ˈlɔɪjə |
leisure |
ˈlɛʒə | |
length |
lɛŋkθ | or lɛŋθ |
letter |
ˈlɛtə | |
lever |
ˈliːvə | |
library |
ˈlɑɪbriː | two syllables |
lichen |
ˈlɑɪkən | same as liken |
lieutenant |
lɛfˈtɛnənt | army only! |
lightships |
ˈlɑɪt ʃɪps | compare lye‐chips |
Linux |
ˈlɪnəks | |
loath |
ləʊθ | adjective |
loathe |
ləʊð | verb |
loch |
lɒh | on loan from Scots |
longitude |
ˈlɒŋɡɪˌtjuːd | yes, wrongly |
lorry |
ˈlɒriː | |
lot |
lɒt | |
lure |
ljɔː | |
luxury yacht |
ˈləkʃəriːˌjɒt | |
lye‐chips |
ˈlɑɪ tʃɪps | compare lightships |
◄ M ► | ||
M |
ɛm | |
machismo |
məˈtʃɪzməʊ | |
mahjongg |
mɑːˈdʒɒŋ | |
mall |
mɔːl | |
marry |
ˈmæriː | |
Mary |
ˈmɛəriː | |
matrix |
ˈmɛɪtrɪks | |
mayonnaise |
ˌmɛɪəˈnɛɪz | cf. crayon |
mediaeval |
ˈmɛdiːˌiːvəl | |
meringue |
məˈræŋ | |
merriness |
ˈmɛriːnɛs | cf. happiness |
merry |
ˈmɛriː | |
methane |
ˈmiːθɛɪn | |
mischievous |
ˈmɪstʃəvəs | not mischevious |
miscible |
ˈmɪsɪbəl | cf. below |
missable |
ˈmɪsəbəl | cf. above |
missile |
ˈmɪsɑɪl | |
mnemonic |
nəˈmɒnɪk | cf. pneumonic |
moustache |
məˈstɑːʃ | |
mouth |
mæʊð | verb |
mouth |
mæʊθ | noun |
mum |
məm | |
muslim |
ˈmʊzlɪm | not mooselimb |
mustn't |
ˈməsənt | |
◄ N ► | ||
N |
ɛn | |
nauseous |
ˈnɔːziːəs | cf. cautious |
neanderthal |
niːˈændəˌtɑːl | no θ |
near |
nɪə | |
necessary |
ˈnɛsəˌsɛriː | |
nephew |
ˈnɛfjuː | never ˈnɛvjuː |
Newcastle |
ˈnjuːkɑːsəl | |
newspaper |
ˈnjuːspɛɪpə | |
niche |
niːʃ | like leash |
nodule |
ˈnɒdjuːl | |
north |
nɔːθ | |
Norwich |
ˈnɒrɪdʒ | like porridge |
nubile |
ˈnjuːbɑɪl | |
nuclear |
ˈnjuːkliːə | |
nurse |
nɜːs | |
◄ O ► | ||
O |
əʊ | |
of |
ɒv | reduces to əv, ə |
often |
ˈɒfən | |
ogle |
ˈəʊɡəl | like mogul, not goggle |
ominous |
ˈɒmɪnəs | |
omniscience |
ɒmˈnɪsiːəns | |
one |
wən | same as won |
onerous |
ˈəʊnərəs | |
ongoing |
ˈɒnɡəʊɪŋ | jocularly ˈɒŋˌɔɪŋ |
oral |
ˈɔːrəl | same as aural |
orange |
ˈɒrɪndʒ | doesn't rhyme with silver |
ordinary |
ˈɔːdɪnəriː | or ˈɔːdnəriː |
oregano |
ˌɒrɪˈɡɑːnəʊ | rhymes with Arno |
◄ P ► | ||
P |
piː | |
palm |
pɑːm | |
paprika |
pəˈpriːkə | rhymes with Eureka |
parallelepiped |
ˌpærəlɛˈlɛpɪpɛd | no pipe |
parlour |
ˈpɑːlə | cf. gala |
pasta |
ˈpæstə | |
patriot |
ˈpɛɪtriːət | |
patronise |
ˈpɛɪtrəˌnɑɪz | |
pen |
pɛn | |
perpetual |
ˌpɜːˈpɛtʃuːəl | |
phlegm |
flɛm | no ɡ |
phoneme |
ˈfəʊniːm | not like phone me |
phonemic |
fəˈnɛmɪk | like academic |
pidgin |
ˈpɪdʒɪn | |
pin |
pɪn | |
plaits |
plæts | = US braids |
plastic |
ˈplæstɪk | |
plosive |
ˈpləʊzɪv | less often ˈpləʊsɪv |
pneumonic |
njuːˈmɒnɪk | cf. gnomonic |
Polynesia |
ˌpɒliːˈniːʒə | or ˌpɒliːˈniːziːə |
poor |
pɔː | not usually pʊə |
pore |
pɔː | same as paw |
postalveolar |
ˌpəʊstælˈviːələ | |
potato |
pəˈtɛɪtəʊ | nobody says poTAHto |
pour |
pɔː | like the rest! |
preferably |
ˈprɛfrəbliː | |
premiere |
ˈprɛmiːɛə | |
prestigious |
prəˈstɪdʒəs | |
pretty |
ˈprɪtiː | |
price |
prɑɪs | |
primarily |
prɑɪˈmɛrɪliː | n.b. stress |
privacy |
ˈprɪvəsiː | not PRY |
process |
ˈprəʊsɛs | |
produce |
ˈprɒdjuːs | noun |
produce |
prəˈdʒuːs | verb |
project |
ˈprɒdʒɛkt | noun |
pronunciation |
prəˌnənsiːˈɛɪʃən | not pronounciation |
pumice |
ˈpəmɪs | |
puncture |
ˈpəŋktʃə | |
purchase |
ˈpɜːtʃɪs | |
pursuit |
pəˈsjuːt | |
put |
pʊt | cf. putt |
putt |
pət | cf. put |
pyjamas |
pɪˈdʒɑːməz | |
◄ Q ► | ||
Q |
kjuː | cf. queue |
quagmire |
ˈkwɒɡmɑɪə | |
quarter |
ˈkɔːtə | no w |
question |
ˈkwɛstʃən | |
questionnaire |
kwɛstʃəˈnɛə | |
queue |
kjuː | |
◄ R ► | ||
R |
ɑː | |
raspberry |
ˈrɑːzbriː | |
real |
ˈriːəl | same as reel |
really |
ˈriːəliː | cf. steely |
reliquary |
ˈrɛlɪkwəriː | |
reservoir |
ˈrɛzəvˌwɑː | |
restaurant |
ˈrɛstəˌrɒnt | or ˈrɛstrənt |
rhythm |
ˈrɪðəm | |
rigmarole |
ˈrɪɡmərəʊl | not rigamarole |
room |
rʊm | not ruːm |
route |
ruːt | rootnot rout |
◄ S ► | ||
S |
ɛs | |
salmon |
ˈsæmən | no l |
sausage |
ˈsɒsɪdʒ | |
says |
sɛz | |
scallop |
ˈskæləp | like gallop |
scarce |
skɛəs | |
schedule |
ˈʃɛdjuːl | |
schism |
ˈskɪzəm | |
schwa |
ʃwɑː | |
scone |
skɒn | cf. shone |
scythed |
sɑɪðd | |
sentient |
ˈsɛnʃiːənt | or ˈsɛnʃənt |
shared |
ʃɛəd | very like shed |
shibboleth |
ˈʃɪbəlɛθ | not as in Ancient Hebrew |
shone |
ʃɒn | like gone, not shown |
shore |
ʃɔː | same as Shaw |
Sikh |
siːk | (sic) |
simultaneous |
ˌsɪməlˈtɛɪniːəs | |
singer |
ˈsɪŋə | cf. finger |
situation |
ˌsɪtʃuːˈɛɪʃən | |
sixths |
sɪksθs | |
slanted |
ˈslɑːntɪd | |
sloth |
sləʊθ | cf. cloth |
software |
ˈsɒftwɛə | |
solder |
ˈsəʊldə | |
soldier |
ˈsəʊldʒə | cf. above |
source |
sɔːs | same as sauce |
southerners |
ˈsəðənəz | |
species |
ˈspiːʃiːz | |
square |
skwɛə | |
squirrel |
ˈskwɪrəl | two syllables |
start |
stɑːt | |
status |
ˈstɛɪtəs | |
steely |
ˈstiːliː | cf. dearly |
story |
ˈstɔːriː | |
strut |
strət | |
strychnine |
ˈstrɪkniːn | |
succinct |
səkˈsɪŋkt | |
suet |
ˈsuːɪt | |
suggest |
səˈdʒɛst | no ɡ |
suit |
suːt | |
sully |
ˈsəliː | cf. fully |
surprise |
səˈprɑɪz | |
◄ T ► | ||
T |
tiː | |
taunt |
tɔːnt | cf. aunt |
taxes |
ˈtæksɪz | cf. taxis |
taxis |
ˈtæksiːz | cf. taxes |
than |
ðæn | or unstressed ðən |
theatre |
ˈθiːətə | |
then |
ðɛn | or unstressed ðən |
thither |
ˈðɪðə | twice ð |
thorough |
ˈθərə | |
thought |
θɔːt | |
tomato |
təˈmɑːtəʊ | |
tongue |
təŋ | |
topically |
ˈtɒpɪkəliː | always four syllables |
tortoise |
ˈtɔːtəs | like porpoise |
tourniquet |
ˈtɔːnɪˌkɛɪ | no final t |
toward |
təˈwɔːd | |
trap |
træp | |
trauma |
ˈtrɔːmə | not ˈtræʊmə |
truer |
ˈtruːə | |
tuna |
tjuːnə | as below |
tuner |
tjuːnə | as above |
turmeric |
ˈtɜːmərɪk | not ˈtjuːmərɪk |
◄ U ► | ||
U |
juː | |
unctuous |
ˈəŋktʃuːəs | three syllables |
unknown |
ənˈnəʊn | double n |
URL |
ˈjuːɑːrɛl | not like earl |
used |
juːzd | i.e. “utilised” |
used |
juːst | i.e. “was accustomed” |
uvula |
ˈjuːvjuːlə | and likewise uvular |
◄ V ► | ||
V |
viː | |
vacation |
vɛɪˈkɛɪʃən | |
valid |
ˈvælɪd | |
valleyed |
ˈvæliːd | |
vase |
vɑːz | |
vehicle |
ˈviːɪkəl | no h |
version |
ˈvɜːʃən | |
virgin |
ˈvɜːdʒɪn | |
vitamin |
ˈvɪtəmɪn | |
voltage |
ˈvəʊltɪdʒ | |
voluntarily |
ˌvɒlənˈtɛrɪliː | |
◄ W ► | ||
W |
ˈdəbəljuː | |
walk |
wɔːk | |
warrior |
ˈwɒriːə | cf. worrier |
wash |
wɒʃ | like posh |
Wednesday |
ˈwɛnzdɛɪ | |
were |
wɜː | reduces to wə |
we're |
wɪə |
cf. were, where |
where |
wɛə | likewise there |
whine |
wɑɪn | same as wine |
width |
wɪtθ | |
with |
wɪð | |
worrier |
ˈwəriːə | cf. warrior |
wrongly |
ˈrɒŋliː | |
◄ X ► | ||
X |
ɛks | |
xylophone |
ˈzɑɪləˌfəʊn | |
◄ Y ► | ||
Y |
wɑɪ | |
yoghurt |
ˈjɒɡət | |
your |
jɔː | same as yaw |
you're |
jɔː | or jʊə |
youths |
juːðz | |
◄ Z ► | ||
Z |
zɛd | not ziː |
zebra |
ˈziːbrə | less often ˈzɛbrə |
zoology |
zuːˈɒlədʒiː |
Some full‐length case‐studies – they may not be phrases that come up frequently in conversation, but all of them have been used before, and “The North Wind and the Sun” often turns up as a sample text in comparative studies. In each case, I am speaking with normal levels of emphasis at ordinary conversational speeds.
With tenure, Suzie'd have all the more leisure for yachting, but her publications are no good.
For certain US accents and phonological analyses, that's a “quick
brown fox” sentence, providing a full inventory of phonemes; for
me, even if we ignore the somewhat marginal ʊə, it would
require the addition of air thigh rear chow joy
.
Eventually I found myself a perfect JBR‐RP pangram, with exactly
one use of each phoneme in my inventory:
Are those shy Eurasian footwear, cowboy chaps, or jolly earthmoving headgear?
Yes, I know there are far too many R
s in that for it to
work for all you rhotic types! Honestly, for me there's only
one – I've increased the spaces between segments to
make it easier if you want to double‐check. Now for some
less elaborately contrived example sentences:
Bother, father caught hot coffee in the carpark
I teach Ferdinand the calm cat to fetch cold cups of coffee. Who knows more about tasting things? He's used the book.
The North Wind and the Sun were disputing which was the stronger, when a traveller came along wrapped in a warm cloak. They agreed that the one who first succeeded in making the traveller take his cloak off should be considered stronger than the other.
Then the North Wind blew as hard as he could, but the more he blew the more closely did the traveller fold his cloak around him, and at last the North Wind gave up the attempt; then the Sun shone out warmly, and immediately the traveller took off his cloak.
And so the North Wind was obliged to confess that the Sun was the stronger of the two.
Recently, the people who write to me asking for audio versions have also started insisting I should answer the following list of questions, which apparently are part of a YouTube fad for amateur dialectology.
You may have gathered that I'm not hugely impressed by these questions. I grew up surrounded by people who spoke a genuinely obscure rural English dialect – one that gets so little media exposure that I can't think of a single celebrity or well‐known fictional character that I could suggest as an example of a Norfolk accent (or even of the dilute version common in Norwich). But there's only one question in this survey that would be answered interestingly by the broadest of East Anglian regional dialect speakers: that toype o' creepy‐crawly wut cull up in a ball, thass a “chaarleypig”.