Phonetic symbols table

This table shows the symbols used in phonetic transcription. With the phonetic symbols, you can read and write the sounds of the English language.

The IPA column of the table gives phonetic symbols in the IPA alphabet. The ASCII column gives symbols in the ASCII phonetic alphabet. The examples column gives words which use the phonetic sound. The sound is heard where the underline is. The AM link lets you listen to the words in American English. If a sound is pronounced differently in British English, there is also a BR link.

vowels
IPA	ASCII	examples	listen
`ʌ`	`^`	cup, luck	AM
`ɑ:`	`a:`	arm, father	AM BR
`æ`	`@`	cat, black	AM
`e`	`e`	met, bed	AM
`ə`	`..`	away, cinema	AM
`ɜ:ʳ`	`e:(r)`	turn, learn	AM BR
`ɪ`	`i`	hit, sitting	AM
`i:`	`i:`	see, heat	AM
`ɒ`	`o`	hot, rock	AM BR
`ɔ:`	`o:`	call, four	AM BR
`ʊ`	`u`	put, could	AM
`u:`	`u:`	blue, food	AM
`aɪ`	`ai`	five, eye	AM
`aʊ`	`au`	now, out	AM
`eɪ`	`ei`	say, eight	AM
`oʊ`	`Ou`	go, home	AM
`ɔɪ`	`oi`	boy, join	AM
`eəʳ`	`e..(r)`	where, air	AM BR
`ɪəʳ`	`i..(r)`	near, here	AM BR
`ʊəʳ`	`u..(r)`	pure, tourist	AM BR

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

special symbols
IPA	ASCII	what it means
`ˈ`	`'`	`'` is placed before the stressed syllable in a word. For example, `['kon tr@kt]` is pronounced like this, and `[k..n 'tr@kt]` like that. More about word stress.
`ʳ`	`(r)`	`(r)` means that `r` is always pronounced in American English, but not in British English. For example, if we say that far is pronounced `[fa:(r)]`, we mean that it is pronounced `[fa:r]` in American English, and `[fa:]` in British English. However, in BrE, `r` will be heard if `(r)` is followed by a vowel. For example, far gone is pronounced `['fa: 'gon]` in BrE, but far out is pronounced `['fa:r 'aut]`.
`i`	`i(:)`	`i(:)` is simply a shorter version of `i:` – examples: very `['veri(:)]`, ability `[.. 'biliti(:)]`, create `[kri(:) 'eit]`, previous `['pri:vi(:)..s]`.
`^əl`	`.l`	`.l` represents either a syllabic l or, less commonly, `[..l]`. Syllabic l is an `l` which acts as a vowel and forms a syllable, as in little `['lit.l]`, uncle `['^Nk.l]`.
`^ən`	`.n`	`.n` represents either a syllabic n or, less commonly, `[..n]`. Syllabic n is an `n` which acts as a vowel and forms a syllable, as in written `['rit.n]`, listen `['lis.n]`.