English Pronunciation
Explore our collection of English Pronunciation resources, designed to help you enhance your pronunciation skills and communicate confidently in the English language.
Learn About English Pronunciation
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What is Pronunciation?
Pronunciation is the area of language that is concerned with the sounds of speech- how we say words. English pronunciation is not consistent with the writing system- we can often spell the same sound a number of different ways as English is a language that resulted from the merging of various different languages over time. Furthermore, there are regional variations and dialects that add to the complexity. People may also look on different pronunciations from a class perspective, considering that some forms of pronunciation are socially more desirable than others, though these attitudes have no founding in linguistics.
Understanding the Basics of English Pronunciation
There are a few basic concepts which you will need to become familiar with to develop a strong foundation in English pronunciation.
- Phonetics: the linguistic study of the sounds that make up a language.
- Phonology (page coming soon): the study of how sounds function within a language.
- Vowels: speech sounds produced with an open vocal tract.
- Consonants: speech sounds produced with a constriction in airflow.
- Syllables: units of sound that make up words, containing a vowel.
You may also wish to become familiar with the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) (PDF). The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a standardised system of symbols used to represent the sounds of human speech across languages. It provides a consistent and comprehensive way to transcribe and analyse the pronunciation of words, allowing for accurate communication and linguistic research.
Articles on English Pronunciation
Learn about pronunciation by browsing our articles on the topic.
Important words with schwa by level
Words which might be difficult to recognise and/ or pronounce due to an unstressed vowel sound (schwa), at levels from Elementary to Advanced/ Proficiency.
Fun for all the family 1: 22 games to practice numbers
All kinds of number games for all kinds of students
How to improve your pronunciation outside class
Ideas and tips to help you improve your pronunciation outside class
Why does my teacher make me learn the phonemic script?
Good and bad reasons for your teacher wanting you to learn the phonemic script
English Pronunciation Quiz
Test your knowledge of accent reduction
English Pronunciation for the ESL Learner
A look at ways in which learners can improve their pronunciation.
Related Exercises
Test your understanding by taking our language quizzes related to pronunciation.
| Level | Quiz |
|---|---|
| Beginner | Pronunciation of 'th' (10) |
| Intermediate | Phonetics (10) |
| Intermediate | Pronunciation- Syllable Stress (10) |
Related Grammar Topics
The following grammar topics are closely related to pronunciation:
Accent; Creole; Dialect; Idiolect; Jargon; Phonetics; Pidgin; Standard English; Received Pronunciation; Slang
Other Related Grammar Topics:
English Pronunciation Forum
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