Demonstration of phonetic transcription

This page shows you how to read and write the phonetic transcriptions of English words. Dictionaries use phonetic transcriptions to tell you how you should pronounce words.

All the transcriptions on this page are written in the phonemic system used in most dictionaries for English learners. They use symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). All the pronunciations are written with “universal” (British-American) symbols, but are spoken in American English. For example, their is transcribed as /ðeəʳ/, and the r sound is heard in the recording.

For more information, look at the table with English sounds and IPA symbols.

Instructions: Play the sound samples, listen to the words, and read the transcriptions.

that	`ðæt`
difficult	`ˈdɪfɪk^əlt`
you	`ju:`
which	`wɪtʃ`
their	`ðeəʳ`
about	`əˈbaʊt`
photo	`ˈfoʊtoʊ`
should	`ʃʊd`
people	`ˈpi:p^əl`
also	`ˈɔ:lsoʊ`
between	`bɪˈtwi:n`
many	`ˈmeni`
thicker	`ˈθɪkəʳ`
child	`tʃaɪld`
hear	`hɪəʳ`
system	`ˈsɪstəm`
group	`gru:p`
number	`ˈnʌmbəʳ`

however	`haʊˈevəʳ`
another	`əˈnʌðəʳ`
again	`əˈgen`
world	`wɜ:ʳld`
area	`ˈeəriə`
psychology	`saɪˈkɒlədʒi`
course	`kɔ:ʳs`
company	`ˈkʌmpəni`
under	`ˈʌndəʳ`
problem	`ˈprɒbləm`
never	`ˈnevəʳ`
service	`ˈsɜ:ʳvɪs`
something	`ˈsʌmθɪŋ`
place	`pleɪs`
point	`pɔɪnt`
provide	`prəˈvaɪd`
large	`lɑ:ʳdʒ`
general	`ˈdʒenərəl`

always	`ˈɔ:lweɪz`
next	`nekst`
quick	`kwɪk`
nervous	`ˈnɜ:ʳvəs`
local	`ˈloʊk^əl`
during	`ˈdjʊərɪŋ`
although	`ɔ:lˈðoʊ`
who	`hu:`
example	`ɪgˈzæmp^əl`
rather	`ˈræðəʳ`
social	`ˈsoʊʃ^əl`
write	`raɪt`
percent	`pəʳ ˈsent`
guest	`gest`
both	`boʊθ`
every	`ˈevri`
month	`mʌnθ`
important	`ɪmˈpɔ:ʳt^ənt`

head	`hed`
information	`ɪnfəʳ ˈmeɪʃ^ən`
question	`ˈkwestʃ^ən`
business	`ˈbɪznɪs`
power	`ˈpaʊəʳ`
change	`tʃeɪndʒ`
move	`mu:v`
book	`bʊk`
development	`dɪˈveləpmənt`
young	`jʌŋ`
national	`ˈnæʃən^əl`
water	`ˈwɔ:təʳ`
yet	`jet`
perhaps	`pəʳ ˈhæps`
until	`ʌnˈtɪl`
control	`kənˈtroʊl`
include	`ɪnˈklu:d`
believe	`bɪˈli:v`

allow	`əˈlaʊ`
stand	`stænd`
idea	`aɪˈdi:ə`
character	`ˈkærɪktəʳ`
result	`rɪˈzʌlt`
happen	`ˈhæp^ən`
friend	`frend`
carry	`ˈkæri`
awful	`ˈɔ:f^əl`
early	`ˈɜ:ʳli`
view	`vju:`
himself	`hɪmˈself`
xerox	`ˈzɪərɒks`
report	`rɪˈpɔ:ʳt`
political	`pəˈlɪtɪk^əl`
law	`lɔ:`
ghost	`goʊst`
modest	`ˈmɒdɪst`

person	`ˈpɜ:ʳs^ən`
once	`wʌns`
police	`pəˈli:s`
lose	`lu:z`
position	`pəˈzɪʃ^ən`
industry	`ˈɪndəstri`
major	`ˈmeɪdʒəʳ`
build	`bɪld`
language	`ˈlæŋgwɪdʒ`
international	`ɪntəʳ ˈnæʃ^ən^əl`
else	`els`
yeah	`jeə`
center	`ˈsentəʳ`
enough	`ɪˈnʌf`
calm	`kɑ:m`
color	`ˈkʌləʳ`
lure	`lʊəʳ`
knife	`naɪf`