English phonemes

Sounds and their spellings: English phonemes

The bullet (●) represents any consonant.

Vowels and diphthongs

1. /i:/ ê êa êe ê●e êi ìê aê oê ì ỳ êỳ êo ê bê mê récipê catástrophê Penélopê Lêthê hypërbolê mêthane sêrum dêvious mêdia rêtail dêmon Êly mêtre distance, poem

êa sêa water lêave hêat sêat bêat hit nêat êasy mêal drêam têam hêath

êe sêe vision frêe trêe fêel whêel grêed fêed spêed bêet sugar êel rêel

ê●e Pêter scêne êven fêver mêter machine complête compête

êi after c: percêive recêive recêipt (-êit) concêit concêive cêiling after w: wêird wêir (but: wìêld) sêize Shêila Nêil Nêill O´Nêill

ìê before v: belìêve relìêve grìêve

aê stressed, from Greek: Aêschylus encyclopaêdia unstressed in Latin plurals: nébulae nôvae fŏrmulae

oê BrE (AmE has ê alone) from Greek: Oêdipus amoêba foêtus oêstrogen oenólogy subpoêna

ì from French: machìne Christìne magazìne nìche elìte

ỳ normally unstressed: fúnny sílly crâzy lâzy êasy wítty déxterity Yvétte Yvónne Lỳón Lỳse Mervỳna

êỳ unstressed: nôsey pôsey láckey jóckey balôney álley Hàrvey

êo pêople