Introduction to Jolly Phonics: Learning the Symbols

This chart contains all the sounds (phonemes) used in the English language. For each sound, it gives:

• The symbol from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA), as used in phonetic transcriptions in modern dictionaries for English learners — that is, in A. C. Gimson’s phonemic system with a few additional symbols.
  
  The chart represents British and American phonemes with one symbol. One symbol can mean two different phonemes in American and British English. See the footnotes for British-only and American-only symbols.
  
  
• Two English words which use the sound. The underline shows where the sound is heard. 

• The links labeled Amer and Brit play sound recordings (Flash is required) where the words are pronounced in American and British English. The British version is given only where it is very different from the American version. 

                                     Consonants

vowels IPA examples   ʌ cup, luck   ɑ: arm, father   æ cat, black   e met, bed ə away, cinema ɜ:ʳ turn, learn ɪ hit, sitting i: see, heat ɒ hot, rock ɔ: call, four ʊ put, could u: blue, food   aɪ five, eye   aʊ now, out   eɪ say, eight   oʊ go, home ɔɪ boy, join eəʳ where, air ɪəʳ near, here ʊəʳ pure, tourist

IPA examples   b bad, lab   d did, lady   f find, if   g give, flag   h how, hello   j yes, yellow   k cat, back   l leg, little   m man, lemon   n no, ten   ŋ sing, finger   p pet, map   r red, try s sun, miss ʃ she, crash   t tea, getting tʃ check, church   θ think, both   ð this, mother   v voice, five   w wet, window   z zoo, lazy   ʒ pleasure, vision   dʒ just, large