Learning IPA symbols is essential because they bridge the gap between spelling and pronunciation. Spelling alone often doesn’t show us exactly how to pronounce a word, and without IPA, we might get it wrong. By learning IPA, you can confidently match the spelling of a word to its correct pronunciation, which is especially helpful for expanding vocabulary accurately. Plus, IPA is simple to learn in a day, and a bit of practice makes it a powerful tool for language learners! This article will help you become familiar with IPA symbols and their sounds, and includes exercises, solutions, and detailed explanations to reinforce your learning.
Interactive IPA Chart
Electric Blue theme — British pronunciation (click speaker to hear)
Vowels — Monophthongs
Short & long vowels used in Received Pronunciation (RP)
ɪ
ই (short)
kit — /kɪt/
iː
ঈ (long)
fleece — /fliːs/
e
এ
dress — /dres/
æ
অ্য
trap — /træp/
ɑː
আ: (long)
father — /ˈfɑːðə/
ɒ
অ (UK short o)
lot (UK) — /lɒt/
ɔː
ও: (long)
thought — /θɔːt/
ʊ
উ (short)
foot — /fʊt/
uː
ঊ (long)
goose — /guːs/
ɜː
আ: (stressed schwa-like)
nurse — /nɜːs/
ə
অ (schwa)
about — /əˈbaʊt/
ʌ
আ (mid)
strut — /strʌt/
Diphthongs
Two-part vowel sounds — common diphthongs in RP
eɪ
এ + ই
face — /feɪs/
aɪ
আ + ই
price — /praɪs/
ɔɪ
অ + ই
choice — /tʃɔɪs/
əʊ
অ + উ
goat — /ɡəʊt/
aʊ
আ + উ
mouth — /maʊθ/
ɪə
ই+ঔ (RP)
near — /nɪə/
eə
এ+ঔ (RP)
square — /skweə/
ʊə
উ+ঔ (RP)
cure — /kjʊə/
Consonants (24)
Common RP consonant set — unvoiced & voiced, nasals, liquids, glides
p
প
pat — /pæt/
b
ব
bat — /bæt/
t
ট / ত
time — /taɪm/
d
ড / দ
dog — /dɒɡ/
k
ক
cat — /kæt/
g
গ
go — /ɡəʊ/
f
ফ
fat — /fæt/
v
ভ / ভি
vine — /vaɪn/
θ
থ ('th' unvoiced)
think — /θɪŋk/
ð
ধ ('th' voiced)
this — /ðɪs/
s
স
see — /siː/
z
জ (voiced s)
zoo — /zuː/
ʃ
শ
she — /ʃiː/
ʒ
জ় (measure)
measure — /ˈmeʒə/
tʃ
চ (ch)
chip — /tʃɪp/
dʒ
জ (dʒ)
judge — /dʒʌdʒ/
h
হ
hat — /hæt/
m
ম
man — /mæn/
n
ন
no — /nəʊ/
ŋ
ং (ng)
sing — /sɪŋ/
l
ল
let — /let/
r
র
red — /red/
w
ওয় / ও (w)
we — /wiː/
j
য / ইয় (y)
yes — /jes/
IPA Practice Exercise
Test your knowledge of the IPA symbols with these short exercises.
Vowel Transcription
- What is the monophthong in 'ship'? /ɪ/
- What is the long vowel in 'car'? /ɑː/
- What is the diphthong in 'toy'? /ɔɪ/
- What is the vowel sound in 'pen'? /e/
- What is the vowel sound in 'cup'? /ʌ/
- What is the vowel sound in 'father'? /ɑː/
- What is the short vowel in 'cat'? /æ/
- What is the long vowel in 'food'? /uː/
- What is the vowel sound in 'bed'? /e/
- What is the vowel sound in 'bird'? /ɜː/
- What is the diphthong in 'make'? /eɪ/
- What is the diphthong in 'go'? /əʊ/
- What is the diphthong in 'my'? /aɪ/
- What is the diphthong in 'mouth'? /aʊ/
- What is the vowel in 'good'? /ʊ/
- What is the schwa sound in 'about'? /ə/
- What is the vowel in 'see'? /iː/
- What is the vowel in 'door'? /ɔː/
- What is the vowel in 'hair'? /eə/
- What is the vowel in 'pure'? /ʊə/
Consonant Identification
- Which symbol represents the sound in 'vision'? /ʒ/
- What is the initial consonant in 'young'? /j/
- Identify the sound for the 'th' in 'thin'. /θ/
- Identify the sound for the 'th' in 'this'. /ð/
- What is the sound at the end of 'laugh'? /f/
- What is the voiced consonant in 'van'? /v/
- What is the plosive in 'pen'? /p/
- What is the voiced plosive in 'bag'? /b/
- What is the nasal sound in 'man'? /m/
- What is the nasal sound in 'ring'? /ŋ/
- What sound is at the start of 'chip'? /tʃ/
- What sound is at the start of 'jam'? /dʒ/
- What sound does 'shoe' start with? /ʃ/
- What is the first sound in 'cat'? /k/
- What is the voiced equivalent of /s/? /z/
- What is the initial sound in 'think'? /θ/
- What sound is represented by 'r' in 'red'? /r/
- What sound is at the start of 'wet'? /w/
- What is the sound in 'light'? /l/
- What sound do we hear at the end of 'dog'? /ɡ/