American English Pronunciation

Simplified American-English
Phonetic Alphabet

International Phonetic Alphabet

<http://dictionary.cambridge.org/>

consonants

<http://www.merriam-webster.com/>

vowels

consonants

vowels

bad, lab

cup, luck

bad, lab

cup, luck

did, lady

hot, rock

did, lady

hot, rock

find, if

cat, black

find, if

cat, black

give, flag

met, bed

give, flag

met, bed

how, hello

away, cinema

how, hello

away, cinema

yes, yellow

hit, sitting

yes, yellow

hit, sitting

cat, back

see, heat

cat, back

see, heat

leg, little

hall, jaw

leg, little

hall, jaw

man, lemon

put, could

man, lemon

put, could

no, ten

blue, food

no, ten

blue, food

sing, finger

five, eye

sing, finger

five, eye

pet, map

now, out

pet, map

au now, out

red, try

go, home

red, try

go, home

sun, miss

say, eight

sun, miss

say, eight

she, crash

boy, join

sh

she, crash

boy, join

tea, getting

pure, uniform

tea, getting

yu pure, uniform

check, church

ch

check, church

think, both

th

think, both

this, mother

th

this, mother

voice, five

voice, five

wet, window

wet, window

zoo, lazy

zoo, lazy

pleasure, vision

zh

pleasure, vision

just, large

just, large

Phonetic animations: http://www.uiowa.edu/~acadtech/phonetics/

Exercise: What is the word? Some have homophones.
1. \wd\
3. \no\
5. \t\
2. \er\
4. \ru\
6. \b\

7. \iz\
8. \dan\

9. \be\
10. \s\

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Answers:
1. would,
wood
2. there,
they're,
their

3. know, no
4. through,
threw

5. ought
6. bath

7. these
8. down

9. bathe
10. this

Exercise: Each of these heterophones has more than one pronunciation and meaning. What are
they?
1. resume
3. bass
5. close
7. record
9. buffet
2. bow
4. live
10. minute
6. contest
8. lead
Syllables and Stress
When a word has many syllables, one of them is always pronounced more strongly. This is called
syllable stress, and we say that the syllable is stressed. The syllable that is stressed is spoken
higher, clearer, louder, and longer. English speakers sometimes can't understand what you're
saying if you use the wrong stress even if all the sounds are pronounced correctly.
Using the dictionary
Dictionaries tell you which syllable is stressed. The most popular system is to put an apostrophe
(') before the primary (main) stress in the phonetic transcription of the word. It is true that there
can be a secondary stress in some words. But a secondary stress is much smaller than the primary
stress and is only used in long words. The symbol for secondary stress is a short vertical line
before and at the foot of the secondarily stressed syllable ().
become \bkm\
distort \dstrt\
pursue \prsu\
hydrate \hdret\
dialog \dl\
lethargic \lrdk\
How many syllables do these words have? Which syllable is stressed?
6. indistinguishable
1. photograph
2. photographic
7. society
3. photography
8. demonstration
4. committee
9. character
10. referee
5. volunteer
Special Sounds
The schwa: \\
The schwa, \\, is the most common sound in English. It is a relaxed vowel sound that sounds like
uh which any vowel can have. A vowel sound that does not have the syllable stress in the word
is often reduced and sounds like \\.
banana \bnn\
contagion \kntedn\
multiply \mltpl\
catastrophe \ktstrfi\
In a sentence, if a word is not stressed, it will be reduced and the vowel in that word may sound
like \\.
The prepositions at, to, and for are usually reduced to [t], [t], and [fr].
I study at night. [t]
I had eggs for breakfast. [fr]
He went to work. [t]

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The disappearing H
The H sound at the beginning of a pronoun or helping verb can disappear. (This does not happen
if the H is at the beginning of a sentence.)
Tell (h)im.
Jane (h)as gone.
Call (h)er.
The students (h)ave arrived.
Isn't (h)e?
John (h)ad had a good time.
Pronounce the following:
1. Why has she sold her house?
2. The lawyer said to meet him at his office with the papers.
3. Why doesnt she tell him herself?
4. Put the books I bought him on the bottom shelf.
5. The sailor agreed to sail her boat in the race.
The American T
The pronunciation of the American T depends on its position in a word or phrase. There are four
basic rules: T is T, T is D, T is silent, T is held.
T is T
1. If the T is at the beginning of a word or a stressed syllable, it is a strong, clear T sound:
table, take, tomorrow, teach, ten, turn, photography, Italian.. Thomas tried two times. It
took Tim ten times to try the telephone.
2. The T sounds like a T if it is in the following combinations: ST, TS, TR, STR, CT, LT and
sometimes NT. first, pets, trick, instruct, fault, tent. They control the contents.
3. In the past tense, D sounds like T after an unvoiced consonant sound f, k, p, s, ch, sh
(but not t): picked [pkt], hoped [hopt], raced [rest], watched [wtt], washed [wt]
T is D
Stress can change how you pronounce a sound. T becomes D if it does not begin the syllable that
has the stress. Most dictionaries do not show this change in sound; however, the Cambridge
Dictionary of American English uses the symbol [t ]: photo [fot o], water [wt r], Italy
[t li], city [st i]
Pronounce the following words:
1. letter
2. daughter
3. later
4. meeting
5. better

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

bottle
heater
data
computer
matter

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T is silent
T and N are so close in the mouth that the T can disappear: interview [nrvju], international
[nrnnl], advantage [dvnd], percentage [prsend], twenty [tweni], printer
[prnr], winter [wnr], enter [enr].
Pronounce the following sentences:
1. He had a great interview.
2. Try to enter the information.
3. Turn the printer on.
4. Finish the printing.
5. She's at the international center.
6. It's twenty degrees in Toronto.
7. I don't understand it.
8. She invented it in Santa
Monica.

9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.

He can't even do it.

They don't even want it.
They won't ever try.
What's the point of it?
She's the intercontinental representative.
Hasn't she?
Isn't she?
Aren't I?

T is a glottal stop
A glottal stop is a speech sound made by a momentary, complete closing of the glottis in the back
of the throat. It's the sound we make when we say 'uh-oh.' In English, it is sometimes used as a
kind of t-sound. You hear it in words and syllables that end in t + a vowel + n. We don't say the
vowel at all, so we say the t + n: written, certain, forgotten. button, cotton, kitten, continent,
sentence. He's forgotten the carton of satin mittens. She's certain that he has written it. Martin
has gotten a kitten. The glottal stop is also heard when the t is followed by consonants: football,
outside, atmospheric, that name, quite well.
If the T is at the end of a word, you almost don't hear it at all: put, what, lot, set, hot, sit, shot,
brought, light. That's quite right, isn't it?
Word Pronunciation
Rules for syllable stress
Long words with no prefix or suffix often have stress on the first syllable.
beautiful \bjut fl\
functional
algebra \ldbr\
segment
library \lbreri\
climate
Prefixes and suffixes
Most words with prefixes and suffixes have stress on the main part of the word.
investment \nvestmnt\
disqualify
remember
uncover
Words with a suffix starting with I (-ic, -ion, -ive, -iar, -iant, -ify, -ial, -ily, -ish, -io, -iate, -iable, iary except -ist and -ite), -graphy, and -logy usually have stress on the syllable before the suffix.
familiar \fmljr\
economic
opinion \pnjn\
activity
historic \hstrk\
economist
Bostonian
creation
catastrophic
biographical
For some words with the suffixes -ee, -eer, -ier, -ese, stress the suffix.
engineer \endnr\
employee
Japanese
financier

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For words with prepositional prefixes, the verbs have the stress on the root, and the nouns have
the stress on the prefix.
outdo (v)
oversight (n)
foresee (v)
underdog (n)
overlook (v)
insult (n)
understand (v)
upstart (n)
upstage (v)
outcome (n)
Initialisms
Initialisms have stress on the last sound.
CD
UNC
MBA
DIY
ATM

Acronyms
Acronyms have stress on the first syllable.
NATO
ASAP
OPEC
NASA
SARS

Compound words
Compound words (two words together that make a new word) usually have the stress on the first
word.
newspaper
bookmark
grapefruit
grasshopper
classroom
snowboard
summertime
wallpaper
Shifting stress
Stress can move from one sound to another. As nouns or adjectives, these words have stress on
the first syllable. As verbs, the stress is on the second syllable. In some cases, the spelling
changes when the accent moves to another syllable.
How can these words be pronounced?
1. present
2. perfect
3. increase
4. permit
5. insult

6.
7.
8.
9.
10.

record
conflict
envelop/envelope
unit/unite
desert

Some words ending in ate are spelled the same and have the same stress, but are pronounced
differently.
A recent graduate (noun)
\rdut\
She's going to graduate. (verb)
\rduet\
How can these words be pronounced?
1. advocate (n. and v.)
2. alternate (n., adj., and v.)
3. intimate (n., adj., and v.)
4. duplicate (n., adj., and v.)

5.
6.
7.

associate (n., adj., and v.)

estimate (n. and v.)
separate (adj., and v.)

Confusion between numbers can be lessened if the stress is put on the proper syllable:
fifty \fft i\
seventy \sevnt i\
fifteen \fftin\
seventeen \sevntin\

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Stressing word phrases

An adjective that is used to describe a specific thing is stressed. If the adjective is just a
description, the noun is stressed.
BLUE jeans (a category of pants)
blue PANTS (pants that are the color blue)
the WHITE House (where the U.S. president lives)
a white HOUSE (the house is the color white)
a HOT dog (something you eat)
a hot DOG (a panting dog)
Which element should be stressed?
a dark room / a darkroom
the main street / Main Street
a convenient store / a convenience store
a six-year-old / six years old
a green berry / a blueberry

a high school / a local school

a black bird / a blackbird
an empty room / a living room
a greenhouse / a green house
a cheap skate / a cheapskate

Words for streets have stress, except for the word street.
Park ROAD
Fifth AVENUE
FRANKLIN Street
MAIN Street

Rodeo DRIVE

Names of places usually have the stress on the second word.

Chapel HILL
New YORK
Central PARK
Myrtle BEACH

Grand CANYON

Phrasal verbs usually have the stress on the second word.

to pick UP

to look IN on

to hand OUT

to drop OUT

to hand OVER
to crack DOWN
to follow THROUGH
to be made UP of

Phrasal nouns usually have the stress on the first word.

a PICKup

a HANDout

a DROPout

a RIP-off
a DOWNfall
an ONlooker

Restructuring syllables
Why do English speakers pronounce interest as intrest? CV(C) syllables are the more
preferred in English. If there are too many consonants or too few consonants, the array of sounds
is restructured and/or reduced.
This is why syllables in some long words (with the stress on the first syllable) can disappear:
vegetable [vedtbl], chocolate [tklt], camera [kmr].
Pronounce the following words:
1. every
5. separate (adj)
2. broccoli
6. Barbara
3. family
7. general
4. different
8. practically

9. temperature
10. federal
11. evening

12. favorite
13. Wednesday
14. miserable

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Sentence Pronunciation
Connected speech
One of the most important aspects of pronunciation and listening is to understand that Americans
dont just speak fast but that they connect their words and change the sounds of words.
When you learn English by reading (as most people do) you tend to speak it word by
word. However, in English, words are not pronounced one by one. Usually, the end of one word
attaches to the beginning of the next word. This is also true for initials, numbers, and spelling.
This connected speech makes sentences have an underlying hum or drone that only breaks when
you come to a period. Each sentence sounds like one long word.
Connected speech allows us to speak efficiently (say the most in the shortest amount of time) and
with rhythm (with flow and music).
Consonant-to-vowel connections
When a word ends in a consonant sound, we often move the consonant sound to the beginning of
the next word if the next word starts with a vowel sound.
Examples:
Stop it.
I need it.
This is old.
Read a book.

Sto pit [st pt]

I nee dit [ ni dt]
Thi si sold [ s zold]
Rea da book [ri d bk]

You also use connections in spelling and numbers:

LA


[e le]
909-5068


[n no nn - f vo sk set]
Similar consonant connections
When a word ends in a consonant sound and the following word begins in the same or similar
consonant sound, you will only pronounce that sound once by lengthening or holding the sound.
You do not say the consonant sound twice.
Examples:
best time
big grape
good day
sit down

bes time [bes tm]

bi grape [b grep]
goo day [g de]
si down [s dn]

Connect the following words that end in a consonant sound with the words that begin with a
vowel sound. How should these sentences be pronounced?
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

Pick it up.
Line up.
40502
My dog is a poodle.
Would you like an orange?
Take a book over there.
Life is like a box of chocolates. -- Forrest Gump
Can I have a bit of egg?

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Vowel-to-Vowel connections
When one word ends with a vowel sound and the next word begins with a vowel sound, we link
the words with a W or Y (international j) sound.
If our lips are round at the end of the first word, we insert a W sound:
too often


tu [w]fn
so I


so [w]a
If our lips are wide at the end of the first word, we insert a Y sound:
I am


a [j]m
Kay is


ke [j]z
she asked


i [j]skt
Can you find the vowel-to-vowel connections? What are the sounds that connect them?
1. Go away!
2. Ill do it the next day, I promise.
3. Jamie is a teacher.
4. I ordered two eggs.
5. Are you a happy or sad person?
6. Play a song.
Combining T, D, S or Z + Y
When the letter or sound of T, D, S or Z is followed by a word that starts with Y, or its sound,
both sounds are connected. These letters and sounds connect not only with Y, but they do so as
well with the initial unwritten [y] sound of syllables and words. They form a combination that
changes the pronunciation.
T + Y = CH [t]
Can't you do it?

kn t du wt

Don't you like it? don t l kt

actually

ktuli

nature

netr

D + Y = J [d]
Whered you go?

hwer d o

Would you help me? w d help mi

Did you like it?

d d l kt

graduation

rduen

S + Y = SH []
insurance

nrns

sugar

Yes, you are.

je u wr

I miss you.

m u

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Z + Y = ZH []
How's your family? h r fmli
Who's your friend?

hu r frend

casual

kul

usual

juul

Can you find the combinations that connect T, D, S, or Z with Y?

1. Where's your mom?
8. Who's your friend?
2. I'll let you know.
9. I wont let you go.
3. Bless you!
10. soldier
4. It's gradual.
11. issue
5. Haven't you done it?
12. anxious
6. Let me guess your age.
13. amateur
14. efficient
7. Could you tell?
Elisions
An elision is the complete disappearance of one or more sounds in a word or phrase, making the
word or phrase easier for the speaker to pronounce. One of the most common elisions in spoken
English is t and d.
Examples:
next please \neks pli:z\
I dont know \ do no\
post the letter \pos let r\
old man \ol mn\
you and me \ju n mi\
stand there \stn er\
Changing the sounds at the end of unstressed words
Some sounds at the ends of unstressed words change depending on the beginning sound of the
word that follows.
Of can be pronounced [] before a consonant sound and pronounced [v] before a vowel sound.
a cup of coffee []
the end of August [v]
To can be pronounced [t] before a consonant sound and pronounced [tuw] before a vowel sound.
He went to work. [t]
He went to a restaurant [tuw]
The is often pronounced [] before a consonant sound and pronounced [i] before a vowel
sound.
the book []
the air [i]
The letter n is added to the article a if it is followed by vowel sound. Reduce the vowel of a/an to
[].
a car []
an island [n]
If T is followed by an unstressed vowel sound, T may become D [t ]: bought a [b t ], caught a
[c t ], lot of [l t v], got a [g t ]

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Pronounce the following sentences:

1. What a good idea.
2. Put it there.
3. You ought to get a new car.

Rhythm
In general, a language is either syllable-timed or stressed-timed. The duration of every syllable in
a syllable-timed language is equal. Examples of syllable-timed languages are Cantonese Chinese,
French, Italian, Turkish, and Spanish. In a stressed-timed language, the time duration between
two stressed syllables is equal. Examples of stress-timed languages are English, German, Russian,
Portuguese, and Persian.
Since English is a stress-timed language, good pronunciation depends a lot on the ability to stress
the correct words and successfully use rhythm to make sure you are understood. Simply put,
spoken English stresses the principal (main) elements in a sentence - content words - and quickly
glides over the less important words - function words. Nouns, principal verbs, adjectives and
adverbs are all content words. Pronouns, articles, auxiliary verbs, prepositions, conjunctions are
function words and are pronounced quickly moving towards the more important words.
CONTENT WORDS are stressed. Examples are:
Nouns: kitchen, Peter
Demonstratives: that, those
Principal verbs: visit, construct
Negatives: dont, hardly
Adjectives: beautiful, interesting
Interrogatives: who, why, where
Adverbs: often, carefully
FUNCTION WORDS are not stressed. Examples are:
Articles: the, a, some
Conjunctions: but, while, as
Auxiliary verbs: do, am, can, were
Pronouns: they, she, us, who, that
Prepositions: before, next to, opposite
Are these words content or function words?
for
exacting
information
in front of
in order to
Jack
difficult
he
much
however

went
with
just
quickly
the

hard
next to
CD ROM
open
had

Now, practice reading the following sentences stressing the content words:
The beautiful mountain appeared transfixed in the distance. (14 syllables)
He can come on Sundays as long as he doesn't have to do any homework in the evening.
(22 syllables)
Mark the words that should be stressed. Then, read the sentences, stressing the content words.
1. Jack went to the shop to grab some drinks.
2. He had finished breakfast before I arrived.
3. Phillip ordered a huge steak for dinner.
4. They will have to stay up late if they are going to finish their homework.
5. It must have been something in the air that caused Jack to shout.
6. Could you please be more quiet?
7. Unfortunately, Jack wasn't able to finish on time.
8. As soon as he has collected the results he will post them to his website.
9. Peter bought shoes today.

10

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10. There should have been some replies by now.

11. Knowledge creates opportunities where none have existed before.
12. He said that that one wasnt working.
Sentence Timing
The time it takes to say a sentence depends on the number of stressed syllables, not on the total
number of syllables. The time between stressed syllables is equal.
Kids make noise.
Buy new toys.
The kids make noise.
Buy us new toys.
The kids will make noise.
Buy us some new toys.
The kids are making noise.
You should buy us some new toys.
The kids have been making noise.
Tips in using sentence intonation:
Always focus on pronouncing stressed words well, non-stressed words can be glided
over.
Don't focus on pronouncing each word. Focus on the stressed words in each sentence.
Stressed words are usually spoken with a regular rhythm.
Can vs. cant
Because the t in cant is not clearly pronounced in American English, it sounds similar to can.
How can we determine the difference? When we use the positive form of can, we quickly glide
over can and it is hardly pronounced. Since can is unstressed, it is pronounced \kn\.
They can come on Friday.
On the other hand, when we use the negative form can't, we tend to stress the fact that it is the
negative form by stressing can't. Since cant is stressed, it is pronounced \kn(t)\. Note that the t
may be silent in the nt combination.
They can't come on Friday .
As you can see from the above example the sentence, "They can't come on Friday" is longer than
"They can come on Friday" because both the modal can't and the verb come are stressed.

11

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Question intonation
Yes/No questions usually end with a rising intonation. (Although most short answer verbs are
helping verbs, they are stressed.)
Was it expensive? Yes, it was.
Were the people friendly?
Did you go to the park?
Are you going to go fishing this weekend?
Are you studying English right now?
Do you like to play soccer?
Will your team win the game?
Are you a lawyer?
Wh- questions (Who? Whom? What? Why? When? Where? How?) usually end with a falling
intonation.
Where did you spend your vacation?
What was you best vacation ever?
How often do you come to class?
What kind of music do you like?
Whose book is that?
Who likes sports?
Whom did you go to the movies with?
Whom did you write to?
Questions with a choice have rising intonation on the first choices and falling intonation on the
last choice.
Would you like coffee or tea?
Are you married or single?
Would you like?
Is it?
Do you want?
Are you?
Intonation in Lists
In saying a list of items, the intonation often rises on each item before the last item. On the last
item, the intonation falls to a low note to show that the list is finished.
I have a pencil, some stamps, an envelope, and some pennies.
Heres a cup, an apple, a paper plate, some presents, and a newspaper.
I have a pen, a postcard, a map, a spoon, and some pictures.
Exercise:
In pairs, one student will hum the intonation patterns for a random sentence or question (1-4). The
other student will guess the sentence or question hummed. Then switch.
1.
2.
3.
4.

I like pizza, pickles, and chips.

Would you prefer coffee or tea?
Next week we are flying to Rome.
Is he going to the dentist?

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