SOME BASIC KNOWLEDGE OF ENGLISH SOUNDS
I.VOWELS :
1.Long vowels : (5)

/ i: / in beat , mean , peace
/ / in bird , fern , purse
/ a: / in card , half , past
/ / in board , torn , horse
/ u: / in food , soon , loose

2.Short vowels : (6+1)

/ / in bit , pin , fish
/ e / in bet , men , yes
/ / in bat , man , gas
/ / in but , come , rush
/ / in pot , gone , cross
/ / in put , pull , push
/ / when a vowel isn’t stressed on : alive , system…
*/ / is usually found in “-y” at the end of words : many, happy
*/ u / in actual ,fluctuate, actuate …

3.Diphthongs :
/ / in here , beard , fierce
/ / in air , cairn , scarce
/ / in moored , tour
/ / in paid , pain , face
/ / in tide , time , by
/ / in avoid , loin , boy
/ / in home , most , post
/ / in loud , growl , house
4.Triphthongs : (diphthong + / / )
/ / in layer , player
/ / in fire , liar
/ / in loyal , royal
/ / in lower , mower
/ / in power , hour

5.Semi-vowels :
/ h / in how , home , habit
/ r / in red , race , radio
/ j / in yes , yard , yellow
/w / in wet , wage , wall…

HOW TO RECOGNIZE SOME COMMON VOWELS AND DITHTHONGS

/ i: / in -ea : tea , mean , meat
In -e : be , me , he , she…
in - ee : see, tree
in - e+cons.+ silent e : Pete , concrete, mete…
in - (c)ei : ceiling , receive , deceive
in -ie : chief , field , niece , piece

/ / in – e at the beginning of a word: ensure, endanger…
in - i+cons (+cons) : bit , risk , milk
In - y+cons : mystery , rhythm

/ / in -e+cons (+cons) : bell , rest , let
In -ea(d) : pleasure , measure ,head , bread , ready , dread

/ / in -a + cons. (+cons.) : hat , act , man

/ / in -ew : few , new , pew ….
in – u+cons.+silent e : cube, cute, music ,university…

/ a: / in –aft : after , craft , draft , aft…
In – alf : haft , staff…
In -ar : car , card , artist…
In -ask : ask , mask , bask , task …
In -ass : pass , brass . grass , glass ….
In -ast : fast , wast , last , past…
In -ath : path , bath , father , rather…

/ / in -o + cons. (+cons.) :cost , cloth , long , off …

/ / in -all : all , fall , wall , tall…
In -alk : walk , talk ,
In –au : auto , pause , august , autumn
In –aw : law , saw , dawn , pawn…
In –or+ cons/+ silent e :horse,port,form,short,bore,more…
In –ought : ought , bought , fought , brought…
In –our+ cons. : mourn , course…
In –war__ : war , warm , warn , ward , warden,water….

/ u:/ in –u after /j,l,r/ : june , blue , rule ….
In –oo +l/m/n : fool , doom , pool , noon …
In –oo+(cons.)at the end of a word : bamboo , too , aternoon …
In –oo + voiced sounds : room , food , tool…( but :good/
Hood/ wood…→ / / .
In –ou+ p. : soup, coupon,

/ / in –u +cons.(+cons.) : full , put , push , bush ….
In –oo +k : look , took , rook , mook….
In –oo +voiceless sounds : foot , cook , hook…(but :hoop /
Hoot