IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) Phonetics

IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) Phonetics

Consonant:

A sound in the production of which the air is completely or partially obstructed.

Plosive:

A consonant sound which is made by closing air passage and then releasing the air that can be heard. Plosives are also called stop sound.

Voice less

Examples

Voiced

Examples

p پھ

Bilabial

Pick=/pɪk/, push=/pʊʃ/

bب

Bilabial

Bat=/bæt/, brought=/ˈbrɔːt/

tٹھ

Alveolar

Tool=/tuːl/, foot=/fʊt/

d ڈ

Alveolar

Dog=/dɒɡ/, doctor=/ˈdɒktə/

kکھ

Velar

Cock=/ˈkɒk/, cook=/kʊk/

gگ

Velar

Gate=/ɡeɪt/, girl=/ɡɜːl/

Fricatives:

Air pressure is narrowed to such an extent that the air gets friction against the wall of the air passage. This friction causes a hissing sound which is called fricatives.

fف

Labiodentals

Fish=/fɪʃ/, foul=/foul/

vو

Labiodentals

Van=/væn/, cave=/keɪv/

sس

Alveolar

Sad=/sæd/, slice=/slaɪs/

zز

Alveolar

Zeal=/ziːl/, rise=/raɪz/

ʃش

Palatal

Shy=/ʃaɪ/, wash=/wɒʃ/

ʒژ

Palatal

Vision=/ˈvɪʒn̩/, pleasure=/ˈpleʒə/

θ تھ

Dental

Tooth=/tuːθ/, both=/ bəʊθ/

ðد

Dental

That=/ ðæt /, there=/ ðeə /

hہ

Glothalic

Hook=/hʊk/, how=/ˈhaʊ/

Affricatives:

Plosives in the beginning and fricatives in the end.

tʃ چ

Palatal

Watch=/wɒtʃ/, chain=/tʃeɪn/

dʒ ج

Palatal

Jug=/dʒʌɡ/, manage=/ˈmænɪdʒ/

Nasals:

The speech sound in which the air comes out of the nose.

m م

Bilabial

Man=/mæn/, missed=/mɪst/

n ن

Alveolar

Nose=/nəʊz/, nice=/naɪs/

ŋ انگ

Velar

Fling=/flɪŋ/, shrink=/ʃrɪŋk/

Approximants:

These are the sounds in which the air is neither obstructed like consonant nor completely let free like vowels.

lل

Palatal

Long=/ˈlɒŋ/, liar=/ˈlaɪə/

rر

Palatal

Wring=/rɪŋ/, roll=/rəʊl/

Semi vowels:

jی

Velar

Yes=/jes/, yolk=/jəʊk/

wو

Bilabial

Where=/weə/, why=/waɪ/

Vowels:

A sound in the production of which the air is not obstructed.

ʌاَ

Strong/ short

Mother=/ˈmʌðə/, other=/ˈʌðə /

ɑː  آ

Strong/ long

Rather=/ˈrɑːðə/, bath=/bɑːθ/

əاَ

Weak

About=/əˈbaʊt/, writer=/ˈraɪtə/

ɜː  اَر

Strong/ long

Bird=/bɜːd/, birth=/bɜːθ/

ɪاِ

Strong/ short

Twin=/twɪn/, rip=/rɪp/

iːاِی

Strong/ long

Niece=/niːs/, seat=/siːt/

ʊاُ

Strong/ short

Put=/ˈpʊt/, hook=/hʊk/

uː  اُو

Strong/ long

Shoot=/ʃuːt/, rude=/ruːd/

eاے

Strong/ short

Pet=/pet/, get=/ˈɡet/

æ اے ے

Strong/ long

Fan=/fæn/, van=/væn/

ɒ اَو

Strong/ short

Wrath=/rɒθ/, moss=/mɒs/

ɔː او

Strong/ long

Fourth=/ˈfɔːθ/, force=/fɔːs/

Diphthongs:

It is a combination of two vowels sound. It is a glideness from one vowel to another vowel. The glideness id very smooth.

eɪ

اے اِ

Late=/leɪt/, place=/ˈpleɪs/

eə

اے اَ

Air=/eə/, there=/ðeə/

ɔɪ

اَو اِ

Oil=/ɔɪl/, annoy=/əˈnɔɪ/

ʊə

اُ اَ

Poor=/pʊə/. tour=/tʊə/

aɪ

آ اِ

Five=/faɪv/, drive=/draɪv/

ɪə

اِ  اَ

Near=/nɪə/, fear=/fɪə/

əʊ

اَ او

Know=/nəʊ/, goal=/ɡəʊl/

aʊ

آ او

Down=/daʊn/, sound=/ˈsaʊnd/

Bilabial

=

Both Lips

Alveolar

=

Tip of the tongue + Alveolar Ridge

Velar

=

Back of the tongue + Velum

Labiodentals

=

Lower lip + upper teeth

Palatal

=

Middle of the tongue + Hard Palate

Dental

=

Blade of the tongue + Upper Teeth

Pharynx:

It is a tube which begins just above the larynx.  It is about 7 cm long in women and 8 cm long in men. At its top end it is divided into two, one part begin the back of the mouth and other being the beginning of the way through the nasal cavity.

Alveolar Ridge:

It is between top front teeth and the hard palate. You can feel its hard surface with your tongue. Its surface is much rough than its feels and is covered with little ridges.

Hard Palate:

It is often called the roof of the mouth. You can feel its smooth and curved surface with your tongue. It is located between soft palate and alveolar ridge.

Soft palate:

It starts from the place where hard palate ends. Its surface is very soft. It can be touched by the tongue. When we make the sound k and g tongue touches the velum.

Vocal Cords:

The larynx contain two small bands of elastic tissues which can be thought of as two flat strips of rubber, lying opposite each other across the air passage.

Linking ‘r’:

In R.P (Received Pronunciation) we don’t pronounce ending ‘r’. If a word finishes with a vowel sound and the next word also starts with the vowel sound we’ve got to add ‘r’. It is called linking ‘r’.    (M.A Eng P.Uee, M.EdMuhammad Awais   ) 0345-4521350

Posted in: English Grammar