Vowels in English are divided into monophthong, diphthong or triphthong. These are sounds that consist of 1, 2, 3 parts. Vowels are also divided into short and long sounding. They are designated like this: [i:], [ɔ:].

They are also divided into articulatory. So vowels are front-lingual, middle-lingual, back-lingual, closed, open, semi-open. Accordingly, their names speak directly about the position of the lips and tongue during pronunciation.

For example, anterior- sounds are formed through the front of the tongue, etc.

Transcription icons and their pronunciation

Pronunciation of all vowels

It can be understood from the following examples:

[i:] - the sound is similar to our "and" in the word "hurry", etc. Pronounced confidently and for a long time.

[ i ] - the sound is similar to our "and" in the word "at". It's short, not drawn out.

[ei] - the sound is similar to our "e" in the word "tin". Pronounced for a long time.

[æ] - a sound similar to the previous one. It is also pronounced for a long time, but with a mouth that is wide open.

[a:] - the sound is similar to our "a" in the word "beam" in the first case.

[ ɔ ] - the sound is similar to our "o" in the word "difficult". Pronounced briefly.

[ɔ:] - the sound is similar to our "o" in the word "school". Pronounced with a wide open mouth.

[ u ] - the sound is similar to our "u" in the word "ear". Pronounced briefly.

[u:] - a sound similar to the previous one. In the word "rooster" you can see exactly how it is pronounced.

[Λ] - the sound is similar to our "o" and "a" in the words "your", "gardens". Always stands in words with an accent.

[ ə ] - the sound is similar to our "ё" and "o" together in the word "iodine".

[iə] - the sound is similar to our "and" and "e", sounding together.

[ ai ] - the sound is similar to our "ai".

[ aiə ] - the sound is similar to our "ai", pronounced for a long time.

Consonants in English

Subdivided:

• on bowed and slit;
• on the lips, teeth;
• anterior lingual, middle lingual, posterior lingual.

Also, consonants are voiced and deaf.

The last deaf consonants are characterized by powerful articulation, a significant decrease in articulation is characteristic of a sonorous consonant.

Consonants in English are pronounced more actively than the corresponding sounds of the Russian language. Most of them are pronounced with aspiration (aspiration process).

Basic types of vowel reading

1. All vowels are read as they are usually read in the alphabet. Examples: stake, state, cake.
2. All vowels are short. You can read about short sounds above.. Examples: tree, me, be.
3. All vowels are long. You can read about long sounds above. Examples: my, style, why.
4. All vowels can be doubled in pronunciation. Examples: tune, Tuesday, music.

Basic rules for reading in English

Reading vowels

Most sounds can be found in six vowels. These are the main rules English reading. So, depending on the location, combination with other letters and stress, the reading of vowels in a particular word depends.

Consider the rules for reading vowels in combination with other letters, stress and location.

The vowel "A" is divided into sounds:

• [ei] - the words pan, flat. The sound is read here through our letter "e";
• [æ] - the word take. Our sound "e" is read here in short form.
• [a:] - the word far. Our sound “a” is read here in short form.

The vowel "E" is divided into sounds:

• [i] - words meat. The sound "and" is read briefly.
• [e] - the word met. It reads like a short "e".
• [ə] - the word very. It reads like a long "e".
• [iə] - words here, near. A long "and" and "a" are read together

The vowel I is subdivided into sounds:

• [ai], [i], [ə] in the corresponding words mine, in, stir, fire

The vowel O is subdivided into sounds:

• , [O], , [ə], in the corresponding words refuse, but, fur, lure.

The vowel Y is subdivided into sounds:

• , [i], [ ə: ], in the corresponding words type, gym, myrtle, tire.

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Reading consonants in English

Features of reading some consonants

There are features in reading the four consonants:

• "c" (=k=ck) [k],
• "qu",
• "j"
• "X" .

All these sounds have several reading options depending on the location and combination with other letters.

• The consonant "s" is read as our "k" sound and as our "s". In normal cases, "s" should be read as "k", but if they stand after the consonant "e", "i", "y", then "s" is read like the Russian "s" in the words "sit".

For example, the words ice, cinema, cycle are read this way.

• The consonant "g" is usually read as our "ji" sound or as a "g" sound. It is usually customary to read the sound "g", but if they stand after the consonant "e", "i", "y", then "g" is read as "ji".

For example, the words age, gigantic, fridge, inginear are read this way. Special cases of pronunciation are remembered when learning the alphabet.

• The consonant with the double form "s" is read as our sound "ks" after "e", "i", "y". But it should be remembered that the doubled form in consonants is not readable, only one letter is read.
• The consonant "s" is read as our sound "s" and as the sound "z" depending on the voice. Vowels give voice.

In addition to these consonant features, others do not.

All other sixteen are read as spelled out.

• Consonant B reads like our "b". Examples: big, better, bet, biten, brother.
• The consonant D is read like our "d". Examples: door, ded, dog, middle, red.
• Consonant F reads like our "f". Examples: foot, friend, false.
• The consonant G is read as our "g". Examples: get, egg, giggle, google, gazer.
• Consonant H reads like our "x". Examples: him, help, hill, hot.
• The consonant K is read like our "k". Examples: kiss, desk, kitten, kitchen.
• Consonant L reads like our "l". Examples: live, leave, loosen, lost, little.
• The consonant M is read like our "m." Examples: milk, moon, simple, from.
• Consonant N reads like our "n". Examples: note, not, near, nonsense, on.
• The consonant P is read like our "p". Examples: put, plump, pop, stop.
• Consonant R reads like our "r". Examples: rest, roof, berry, bread, rock.
• The consonant S is read like our "s". Examples: sit, west, miss, stress, soul.
• Consonant T reads like our "t". Examples: ten, title, test, true, tree.
• The consonant V is read as our "in". Examples: very, seven, give, vivid.
• Consonant W reads like our "in". Examples: well, twelve, swim, winter.
• The consonant Z is read like our "z". Examples: zip, drizzle, fiz, zigzag, zoom.

Silent consonants

Basic Rules.

• In the letters “g”, “k”, you should not read “n” at the beginning and at the end of the word.

Examples: gnat, foreign, knee, knaif, campaign.

• In the letters "b", "n" should not be read after the "m" at the end of the word.

Examples: bomb, autumn, thumb, column.

• The letter “p” should not be read in combinations “pn”, “ps”.

Examples: pneumatic, psychology.

• Do not read the letter "w" before "r".

Examples: wrap, wrong.

To learn English, namely to be able to apply it in life, and in addition to achieve such a speech that will be understandable to foreigners, you need to know how to pronounce this or that word.

To achieve this level of English, you need to use:

1. Books and manuals for learning English. But not those that say "English in three days" or "English in a few months", because, of course, it is impossible to learn and be able to apply the language in life for such short term
2. Audio and video for learning English. More listening English speech and music, you can quickly achieve the desired result, even in a short time. In addition, pronunciation will improve and foreigners will treat a person as if they are talking to a person from the same country.
3. Teacher or tutor. It is desirable that the person has studied abroad or has been abroad for several years.
4. foreigners. Experience in correct pronunciation and reading is acquired directly with practice.

In English class, students moan, "Why are the rules for reading in English so confusing?"

One reason is that English . Sometimes they kept their spelling, sometimes they changed it for themselves. In good old England, words were often spelled the way they were read, so that the same word could be spelled differently. Take at least the manuscripts of Shakespeare - all this chaos is there in full view.

Eventually, the spelling of words was standardized and entered into dictionaries, but... When you study English, you will notice that a word often reads completely differently from how it is spelled. And there are usually historical reasons for that.

There is also good news. Although many English words are written, it would seem, "as God puts it on the soul", there are a number of rules here. But be careful, because for every rule there is an exception.

IN English language over 1100 ways to record 44 individual sounds more than in any other language. But let study be a game for you, not a duty.

Learn with our tips!

1. Write down words that you have problems with in a notebook. Underline the part of the word that is the most difficult for you.
2. Use a dictionary, not a spell checker! Unfortunately, you can not always trust her.
3. Learn words with all kinds of prefixes and suffixes, for example: biography - auto biography, child - child hood and so on.
4. Learn the rules, but don't rely on them. We have already said that every rule has its exception. We will talk about this below.

“i” is written before “e” (except after “c”)

One of the first rules of reading that is taught in English classes. The rule works for words that have a long “ee”, as in shield(shield).

Examples: piece (part), niece (niece), priest (priest), thief (thief).

But after “c”: conceive (comprehend, conceive), receive (receive), receipt (receipt; not to be confused with recipe - recipe).

For words in which the sound “a” or “i” is pronounced, the opposite is true:

“a”: eight (eight), neighbor (neighbor), reign (board), weight (weight)

“i”: either (any; or), height (height), feisty (absurd), sleight (dexterity)

Exceptions: seize (grab), weird (strange), conscience (conscience, consciousness), efficient (effective), etc.

silent letters

The English language is full of unpronounceable letters. The question arises: why do the English insert letters into words, and then they simply do not pronounce them? ..

The Silent Witness, or What is the Unpronounceable Letter

unpronounceable letter ( silent letter) is a letter that should be in a word, even if we do not read it. More than half of the letters of the alphabet can act as unpronounceable. They can be at the beginning of a word, at the end or in the middle - from the sound of the word you will not understand that they are there.

Examples of unpronounceable letters:
a - thread(a thread), bread(bread), thread(step)
b- lamb(lamb), bomb(bomb), womb(womb)
c- scissors(scissors), science(the science), scented(aroma)
d- edge(edge), bridge(bridge), badge(icon)
e - see below
h- honor(honor), honest(honest), school(school)
k - knot(node), knight(knight), knowledge(knowledge)
l - talk(speak), psalms(psalm), balm(balm)
n- hymn(hymn), autumn(autumn), column(column, column)
p- pneumatic(pneumatic), psalms(psalm), psychology(psychology)
s- isle, island(island), aisle(passage, e.g. in the cabin)
t- listen(listen), rustle(rustling) whistle(whistle)
u- biscuit(cookie; not a biscuit!), guess(a guess), guitar(guitar)
w - write(write), wrong(wrong), wrist(wrist)

Unpronounceable "e"

The unpronounceable "e" is the most common unpronounceable letter. There are several strict rules for writing words that end in an unpronounceable “e”.

When you add a suffix to such a word and the suffix begins with a consonant, the word stem does not need to be changed.

force (strength) + ful = forceful (strong)

manage (manage) + ment = management (management)

sincere (sincere) + ly = sincerely (sincerely)

If the suffix begins with a vowel or with “y”, then the “e” before the suffix must be omitted.

fame (fame) + ous = famous (famous)

nerve (nerve) + ous = nervous (nervous)

believable + y = believably

criticise (criticize) + ism = criticism (criticism)

Exceptions: mileage (distance in miles), agreeable (accommodating).

Prefixes and suffixes

When you add a prefix to a word, you don't usually need to change the stem of the word.

anti + septic = antiseptic (antiseptic)

auto + biography = autobiography (autobiography)

de + mobilize = demobilize (demobilize)

dis + approve = disapprove (disapprove)

im + possible = impossible (impossible)

inter + national = international (international)

mega + byte = megabyte (megabyte)

mis + fortune = misfortune (failure)

micro + chip = microchip (microchip)

re + used = reused (recycled)

un + available = unavailable (unavailable)

When you add a suffix to a word, it often changes the base of the word. Below are a few rules. As usual, there are exceptions, so if you're not sure how a word is spelled, check the dictionary.

Words that end in a consonant

If the suffix starts with a consonant, just add it to the stem, don't change anything.

Example: treat (treat; treat) + ment = treatment (treatment; attitude).

Doubling a consonant

For most short vowel words ending in a single consonant, that consonant is doubled when you add a vowel-starting suffix (ing, er, ed, est).

mop (wash) + ing = mopping (wash)

big (big) + est = biggest (biggest)

hot (hot) + er = hotter (hotter)

For words that end with an “l” after a vowel, that “l” is doubled.

model (model) + ing = modeling (modeling)

travel (to travel) + er = traveller (traveler)

Exceptions

For some words ending in “r”, “x”, “w”, “y”, the doubling rule does not apply.

fear (to be afraid) + ing \u003d fearing (fear, afraid, afraid)

box (box, not box!) + er = boxer (boxer)

know (to know) + ing = knowing (knowledge, knowing, knowing)

play (play) + ing = playing (game, playing, playing)

And if the word has two consonants at the end or more than one vowel, the consonant is also not doubled.

maintain (maintain) + ing (two vowels a + i) = maintaining (maintenance)

keep (keep) + er (two vowels e + e) ​​= keeper (keeper; owner)

hang (hang) + er (two consonants n + g) = hanger (hook)

Word endings

Words that end in "ce" and "ge"

When you add a suffix that starts with "a" or "o", the "e" remains.

manage (execute) + able = manageable (executable)

notice (notice) + able = noticeable (noticeable)

courage (courage) + ous = courageous (brave)

Exception: prestige (prestige) + ous = prestigious (prestigious)

words ending with "ie"

When you add "ing" to verbs ending in "ie", the "e" is dropped and the "i" is changed to "y".

die (to die) - dying (dying, dying, dying)

lie (lie) - lying (lying, lying, lying)

tie (tie) - tying (tying, tying, tying)

Words that end in "y" after a consonant

When you add suffixes such as “as”, “ed”, “es”, “er”, “eth”, “ly”, “ness”, “ful” and “ous” to a word ending in “y ” after a consonant, “y” changes to “i” before a suffix.

eighty (eighty) + eth = eightieth (eightieth)

duty (duty) + es = duties (duties)

lazy (lazy) + ness = laziness (laziness)

mystery (mystery) + ous = mysterious (mysterious)

beauty (beauty) + ful = beautiful (beautiful)

multiply (multiply) + ed = multiplied (multiplied)

cozy (cozy) + ly = cosily (cozy)

Words that end in "y" after a vowel

"y" is stored before suffixes such as "er", "ing" or "ed".

destroy (destroy) - destroying - destroyed

buy (buy) - buying - buyer

play (play) - playing - player

You may be confused by some discrepancies in the rules of spelling and reading, which are caused by . It's not that one option is better and that one is worse, you just need to settle on one, learn and stick with it. Try not to mix one with the other.

The rules of reading and writing are like a weather forecast: we can rely on them, but we cannot count on them to help us out every time. Therefore, it is very important to read more in English so that the sound of words and their style merge into a single image.

For this purpose, the following method is perfect: listening English books with parallel viewing of the original text.

10 English Classics Voiced by Native English Speakers

Mother Goose by W. W. Denslow Denslow

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", Beatrix Potter

Alice "s Adventures in Wonderland Audiobook by Lewis Carrol - "Alice in Wonderland", Lewis Carroll

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - "A Tale of Two Cities", Charles Dickens

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde - The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", Arthur Conan Doyle

It happens that native English speakers apologize to those who study it ... For the fact that the pronunciation of English words and their spelling are so different. Well, let's accept their apologies. After all, anyone who has firmly decided to learn English can handle any difficulties!

Are you surprised by the English rules of reading? Share with us in the comments :)

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Having studied the Russian alphabet, we can easily read any texts. But for correct reading in English, you will have to make more efforts, because there are many discrepancies between the spelling and pronunciation of words. If you decide to learn this language on your own and cannot understand how to read words in English correctly, then this material is exactly what you need. Today we will analyze the nuances of the pronunciation of English letters and letter combinations, and find out how easy it is to learn to read English from scratch. And it will help to learn the rules of reading English for beginners with a table that shows all the letters and their sound.

First, let's get acquainted with the most important law of reading in English - the rule of open and closed syllables. There is no similar norm in Russian, so let's analyze in detail what it is. Pay attention to transcription.

An open syllable is a syllable that ends in a vowel. As a rule, it occurs in the following cases:

• The word ends in a vowel, so the last syllable is always open: t ake[take].*
• A vowel is followed by a consonant followed by a vowel again: ed uca tion [education].
• Two vowels side by side in a word: cr ue l [cruel].

*Ultimate e in most cases it is considered "dumb", that is, it is not pronounced, but appears at the base of the word precisely for the formation of an open syllable.

In open syllables, the vowel is always pronounced smoothly and extended. Accordingly, closed syllables are all those syllables in which the vowel sound is closed by a consonant and therefore sounds short and abrupt: c ut[cat].

Besides, special rules readings in English are typical for syllables in which the vowel is closed by the letter r. The fact is that in the British version of the pronunciation of such syllables, the letter r is often completely skipped, i.e. not pronounced. Therefore, there are two options for reading such letter combinations:

1. In an open syllable, when r is surrounded by vowels, only both vowels are read: c are[keea]. In such cases, the last e won't be dumb.
2. In a closed syllable ( voice + r + acc.), r is also not readable, but affects the sound of the vowel sound, making it more drawn out: start [staat]

The rule of open and closed syllables is the basic law of reading in English, although there are many exceptions to it. But it is too early to learn exceptions without knowing the main rules. Therefore, now we will consider the sound options for all letters and letter combinations.

Rules for reading English for beginners - a table of correspondence of letters and sounds

Even if you started learning English and reading it from scratch, you probably already know the spelling and sound of all the letters of the English alphabet. But, as we already learned from the previous section, when reading, the pronunciation of letters depends on the type of syllable or letter combination. Therefore, in the tables below you can find several variants of the sound of the same letter at once. But do not be alarmed, for each case an accessible explanation will be given. So, let's continue to learn English for beginners and learn the rules of reading in English.

Consonants

Let's start with the easiest: with a table of consonants, the pronunciation of which is similar to the Russian sound.

Letter	Transcription	Russian pronunciation
B	[b]	b
D	[d]	d*
F	[f]	f
K	[k]	To
L	[l]	l
M	[m]	m
N	[n]	n
P	[p]	P
R	[r]	R
S	[s]	With
	[z]	h (only in special positions: after voiced consonants, between two vowels and in the -ism suffix.)
T	[t]	T*
V	[v]	V
W	[w]	V**
Z	[z]	h

*English d and t are more aspirated than their Russian counterparts.

**w is pronounced with lips extended into a tube, resulting in something between the Russian sounds в and у.

Now let's deal with more complex letters.

Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation and explanation
C	[s]	c (before vowels i, e, y)
	[k]	to (in other cases)
G		j (before vowels i, e, y)
	[g]	g (in other cases)
H	[h]	Very weakly pronounced Russian X (almost just a strong exhalation)
Q		sq.
X		ks (before a consonant or at the end of a word)
		z (between two vowels)
	[z]	h (at the beginning of a word before a vowel)

And also we will study the letter combinations of consonants in English.

Combination	Transcription	Pronunciation
ck	[k]	To
ch		h
tch
ng	[ŋ]	nasal n
ph	[f]	f
sh	[ʃ]	w
th	[θ]	1) middle sound between s and f (tongue between teeth) 2) the sound is average between h and v (tongue between teeth)
wr	[r]	R
wh	[w]	at / in x (only before o)
qu		sq.

In addition, it is worth considering that the consonants at the very end of the word, the English language never allows you to stun. Otherwise, you may say something completely different from what you wanted to say. For example: back [back] - behind, behind; bag [bag] - bag, bag.

Vowels

It is much more difficult to cope with reading English vowels, but the already familiar rules of open and closed syllables will help us figure it out. We take them into service and learn how to read the vowels of the English language correctly.

Closed syllable
Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation	Examples
A	[æ]	uh	bat, track, sad
E	[e]	uh	pet, red, check
I	[ɪ]	And	pit, fill, tin, system, myth, lynx
Y
O	[ɒ]	O	spot, not, cross
U	[ʌ]	A	spun, truck, butter

Do not forget that in a closed syllable all letters are pronounced briefly.

open syllable
Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation	Examples
A		Hey	game, flame, lake
E		And	he, be, Pete
I		ah	mine, like, nine, cry, bye, type
Y
O	[əʊ]	OU	bone, tone, rose
U		Yu	pupil, music, cube

And the vowels of an open syllable are always smooth and drawn out.

Open syllable with r
Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation	Examples
A		ea	square
E	[ɪə]	ie	here
I		aye	tired
Y
O	[ɔː]	oo	more
U		yue	cure

Remember that the letter r after a vowel, as a rule, is not pronounced.

Behindcovered syllable with r
Letter	Transcription	Pronunciation	Examples
A	[ɑː]	aa	dark
O	[ɔː]	oo	sports
E	[ɜː]	yo	pert, bird, myrtle, burn
I
Y
U

Now we know how to read vowels in English words. But for perfect reading in English, one more point needs to be studied.

Diphthongs and triphthongs in English

An important aspect of English for beginners is diphthongs and triphthongs, i.e. combinations of two or three letters that have a special sound. Their pronunciation is called sliding, because. first, the main sound is pronounced intensely, and then it is smoothly translated into a secondary sound. Diphthongs are a kind of exception and do not obey the general grammatical laws, so they can only be learned by heart. The table below will help us learn the rules for reading English diphthongs for beginners.

English diphthongs
Combinations	Transcription	Pronunciation
air, ear, are		uh*
ye, igh, uy, ie		ah
ea, ey, ai, ei, ei		Hey
ere, eer, ier, ear	[ɪə]	ie
oy, oi	[ɔɪ]	Ouch
ou, ow		aow
ou, ow, oa, ol	[əu]	ooh
ure, ue, our, oor		uue
English triphthongs
ower, our		aue
eur, ure		yuyue
iet, ire, ier, iar, yre		aaye

* doubling the letter indicates the length of the first sound, in relation to the second.

So, we have considered the main nuances of reading in English. Take these rules responsibly: conduct reading lessons more often and be sure to learn to distinguish between types of syllables in English. Otherwise, you will make gross mistakes in pronunciation, which will lead to a complete misunderstanding by the interlocutor of your words. Good luck in learning English and see you soon!

Sounds expressed by letters are transmitted using transcription marks. How to read the transcription is described on the page: Transcription

What is an open and closed type of syllable: Open and closed syllable

Vowel sounds.

stressed vowels

eɪ]-c a se - [keɪs]- case.

æ ] -t ank - [tæŋk]- cistern, tank.

Vowel + r - [ ɑː ] -c a r - [kɑː]- car, car.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ ɑː ] -p a rk - [pɑːk]- a park.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ eə]-v a ry - [ˈveəri]- vary.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ iː ]-sh e - [ʃiː]- she.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ e]-b e t - [bet]- bet, bet

Vowel + r - [ zː ]- h er - [hɜː]- her, her.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ zː ]-t e rm - [tɜːm]- term.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ ɪə ] -m e re - [mɪə]- only.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ aɪ]-l i ne - [laɪn]- line.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ɪ ] -b i t - [bɪt]- a bit, a little.

Vowel + r - [ zː ]-s i r - [sɜː]- sir.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ zː ]-th i rd - [θɜːd]- third.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ aɪə]- h i re - [haɪə]- to rent.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ əʊ ] -z oh ne - [zəʊn] zone, region.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ɒ ] -l o t - [lɒt]- a lot of.

Vowel + r - [ ɔː ] - or - [ɔː ] - or.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ ɔː ] -b orn - [bɔːn]- was born.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ ɔː ] -st o ry - [ˈstɔːri]- story.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ jʊː]-n u de - [njʊːd]- naked.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ʌ ] -c u t - [kʌt]- a cut.

Vowel + r - [ zː ]-f u r - [fɜː]- wool, skin.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ zː ]-b urn - [bɜːn]- burn.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ jʊə]-p u re - [pjʊə]- clean.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ aɪ]-m y - [maɪ]- my.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ɪ ] -m yth - [mɪθ]- myth.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ aɪə]-t y re - [taɪə]- tire.

Vowel combinations

[iː ]

ee-s ee - [ˈsiː]- see

ea-s ea - [si]- sea

ie-bel ie ve - [bɪˈliːv]- believe

[ɑː ]

a+ss-gr ass - [ɡrɑːs]- grass

a + st - l ast - [lɑːst]- last

a + sk - t ask - [tɑːsk]- task

a+sp-gr asp - [ɡrɑːsp]- grasping

a + lm - c alm - [kɑːm]- calm

ea + r - h ear t - [hɑːt]- heart

[ɔː ]

au- au thor - [ˈɔːθə ] - author

aw-s aw - [ˈsɔː]- saw, saw

oo + r - d oor - [dɔː]- door

aught-t aught - [tɔːt]- learned

ought-th ought - [θɔːt]- thought

a + l - w all l - [wɔːl]- wall

a + lk - t alk - [ˈtɔːk]- conversation, conversation

wa+r- war m - [wɔːm]- warm

[ɒ ]

wa- want - [wɒnt]- want

[uː]

oo-t oo - [tuː]- too, too

ou-gr oup - [ɡruːp]- group

[juː]

ew-n ew - [njuː]- new

[ʊ ]

oo-b oo k - [b'k]- book

[zː ]

ea + r - l earn - [lɜːn]- teach, study

wo+r- wor k - [ˈwɜːk]- Job

[ʌ ]

o-s o n - [sʌn]- son

ou-c ou try - [ˈkʌntri]- a country

oo-fl ood - [flʌd]- flood

[eɪ]

ai - r ai n - [reɪn]- rain

ay-d ay - [deɪ]- day

ey-th ey - [ˈðeɪ]- They

eigh- eigh-t - [eɪt]- eight

[aɪ]

i + gn - s ign - [saɪn]- sign

i + ld-ch ild - [tʃaɪld]- child

i + nd - bl ind - [bland]- blind

igh-n high-t - [naɪt]- night

[ɔɪ ]

oi- oi l - [ɔɪl]- oil, oil

oy-t oy - [tɔɪ]- toy

[aʊ]

ou- ou t - [aʊt]- from, outside

ow-d ow n - [daʊn]- down

[əʊ ]

oa-c oa t - [ˈkəʊt]- coat

ow-kn ow - [nəʊ]- know

o + ll - t all - [təʊl]- losses

o+ld-c old - [kəʊld]- cold

[ɪə ]

ea + r - n ear - [nɪə]- near, about

ee + r - engine eer - [ɛndʒɪˈnɪə]- engineer

[eə]

ai + r - ch air - [tʃeə]- chair

e + re - th ere - [ðeə]- there, there

ea + r - b ear - [beə]- bear

[ʊə ]

oo + r - p oor - [pʊə]- poor

our-t our - [tʊə]- tour, travel

consonant sounds.

Consonant combinations

[k]-lu ck - [l'k]- luck, chance

[ʃ ] - sh ip - [ʃɪp]- ship

[tʃ] - ch ip - [tʃɪp]- chip

[tʃ]-ca tch - [kætʃ]- catch, catch

[ɵ ] - thick - [θɪk]- thick

[ð ] - th is - [ðɪs]- this, this, this

[f] - Ph one - [fəʊn]- telephone

[kw] - Quite - [kwaɪt]- enough

[n] - knife - [naɪf]- knife

[ƞ ] -thi ng - [θɪŋ ] -

[ƞk]-si nk - [sɪŋk]- sink, drain

wh + o - [h] - who - [hu]- Who

wh + other vowels - [w] - what - [wɒt]- What

wr at the beginning of a word before vowels - [r] - wr iter - [raɪtə]- writer

Consonant sounds that have two reading options.

Reads like [ s] before: e, i, y. ni c e - [naɪs]- good, city - [ˈsɪti]- city.

And How [ k] in other cases: with ome - [kʌm]- come, catch - [kætʃ]- catch.

Reads like [ ʤ ] before: e, i, y. lar g e - [lɑːdʒ]- big, en gine - [ˈendʒɪn]- engine.

Exceptions: get - [et]- receive, be gin - [bɪˈɡɪn]- start, give - [ɡɪv]- to give.

And How [ g] in other cases: g ood - [ɡʊd]- good, nice goo - [ɡəʊ ] - go, go.

Types of reading

Additional material, partially duplicating the previous one. Taken from another source and given for a deeper understanding of this topic.

The tables show how to pronounce diphthongs, vowels and consonants correctly in English. The sound transmitted by a letter or combination of letters is indicated using transcription marks, and the pronunciation of English sounds indicated by Russian letters should be understood as a hint for transcription, and not as the exact pronunciation of English sounds.

Rules for reading vowels

	Phonetic symbols	Approximate Russian sound
			Word	Transcription
Table. Types of reading in English. Vowel sounds.
I,Y	ɪ	And Short, open "and"	i t it	ɪt	(it)
			si x six	seks	(six)
			empty	ˈɛm(p)ti	(empty)
E	e	e How "e" in "this"	e mpty empty	ˈɛm(p)ti	(empty)
			te n ten	ten	(ten)
A	æ	uh Open sound "e" (between "e" and "a")	a nt ant	ænt	(ent)
			map map	map	(map)
O	ɒ	O Short sound "o"	hot hot	hɒt	(hot)
			o range orange	ˈɒrɪn(d)ʒ	(orinch)
U	ʌ	A Short sound "a"	under	ˈʌndə	(ande)
			su n sun	sʌn	(san)
U, OO	u	u short "y" lips are rounded	pu t put	ˈput	(put)
			boo k book	book	(beech)
A, E, ER	ə	uh Short sound "e" (between "e" and "a")	a bout	əˈbaʊt	(about)
			silence	ˈsʌɪləns	(silence)
			lawyer	ˈlɔːjə	(l o´ ye)
EE, EA	i:	And Long sound "and"	ea sy easy	ˈiːzi	(i:zi)
			Queen n queen	kwiːn	(kui:n)
			see see	siː	(si: )
A, AR	ɑ:	A Long and deep "a" sound	ha l half	hɑːf	(ha:f)
			car a car	kɑː	(ka:)
OO	u:	at Long “y” sound without rounding the lips	foo d food	fuːd	(fu:d)
			too, too	tuː	(that: )
ER, IR	w:	yo Reminds me of the "yo" sound in the word "beetroot"	bir d bird	bзːd	(byo:d)
OR, AW	ɔ:	O Long "o" sound	or	ɔː	(O: )
			for m form	ˈfɔːm	(fo:m)
			law	lɔː	(lo:)

Rules for reading consonants

English letters and letter combinations	Phonetic symbols	Approximate Russian sound	Examples of pronunciation of English sounds
			Word	Transcription	Pronunciation in Russian letters
Table. Types of reading in English. consonant sounds.
P	p	P	p en pen	pen	(pen)
			paper	ˈpeɪpə	(P e´ yapa)
			cup	kʌp	(cap)
B	b	b	b oy boy	ˌbɔɪ	(the battle )
			table	ˈteɪb(ə)l	(T ubl)
			pub beer	pʌb	(Pub )
T	t	t Sound "T" but the tongue is not at the teeth, but at the gums.	t en ten	ten	(ten)
			sixteen sixteen	ˌsɪkˈsti:n	(sykstin)
			eight	eɪt	(eyt)
D	d	d	dog dog	dɒɡ	(dog)
			stairs	ˈladə	(l a´ ta)
			bed	bed	(bad)
C, K, CK	k	To	cat cat	kaet	(ket)
			tick ticket	ˈtɪkɪt	(T i´ whale)
			cake	keɪk	(cake)
G	g	G	girl girl	ɡɜ:l	(gyol)
			tiger tiger	ˈtʌɪɡə	(T a´ yoga)
			big	bɪɡ	(big)
CH, TCH	ʧ	h	ch air chair	tʃɛ	(h e´)
			watching ing	ˈwɒtʃɪŋ	(V o´ rank)
			match match	matʃ	(match)
J, G, DGE	ʤ	j	j ump jump	dʒʌmp	(jump)
			log ic logic	ˈlɒdʒɪk	(l o´ jik)
			fridg e refrigerator	fredʒ	(frij)
F, PH	f	f	ph oto photography	ˈfəʊtəʊ	(f o´ utau)
			coffee coffee	ˈkɒfi	(To o´ fi)
			cliff	klɪf	(cleve)
V	v	V	v iew view	vju:	(fuu)
			lover's favorite	ˈlʌvə	(l a´ va)
			fiv e five	faɪv	(five)
TH	θ	with how to sound "with" but the tongue between the teeth	thin	θɪn	(syn)
			Cath erine Katherine	ˈkæθrɪn	(To e´ srin)
			month	mʌnθ	(mons)
TH	ð	h Like the sound "h" but the tongue between the teeth	th is	ðɪs	(zys)
			mother mother	ˈmʌðə	(m a´ ze)
			breath e breathe	bri:ð	(bri:z)
S, C	s	With	s ix six	seks	(syks)
			parc el package	ˈpɑ:s(ə)l	(P a´ sl)
			class class	klɑ:s	(cla:s)
S, Z	z	h	zoo zoo	zu:	(zoo)
			laz y lazy	ˈleɪzi	(l e´ zi)
			dog dogs	dɒɡz	(dogz)
SH	ʃ	w	sh e she	ʃi	(shi)
			fish fishing	ˈfɪʃɪŋ	(f and´ tires)
			wash wash	wɒʃ	(fosh)
S	ʒ	and	vision vision	ˈvɪʒ(ə)n	(V i´ jeng)
			beig e beige	beɪʒ	(beizh)
H	h	X Short exhalation - "x"	h ave to have	haev	(have)
M	m	m	m e me, me	mi:	(mi: )
			farmer farmer	ˈfɑ:mə	(f a´ ma)
			hom e house	həʊm	(home)
N	n	n	name name	ˈneɪm	(n e´ im)
			runn er runner	rʌnə	(R a´ on)
			son son	sʌn	(san)
NG	ƞ	n Nasal sound "n" using the back of the tongue	singer singer	ˈsɪŋə	(With and´ nya)
			boxing	ˈbɒksɪŋ	(b o´ xin)
L	l	l	like like it	ˈlaɪk	(l a´ yk)
			ballet ballet	baleɪ	(b a´ lay)
			football football	ˈfʊtbɔ:l	(f u´ tbo:l)
R	r	R "r" - no vibration	red red	red	(ed)
			lorr y truck	ˈlɒri	(l oh ri)
Y	j	th	y ou you	ju	(Yu )
			lawyer lawyer	ˈlɔ:jə	(l o´ ye)
W	w	at the sound is similar to "y" lips are stretched and rounded	w in win	wɪn	(wine)
			flower flower	ˈflaʊə	(ow a´ ya)

Diphthongs. Reading rules.

English letters and letter combinations	Phonetic symbols	Approximate Russian sound	Examples of pronunciation of English sounds
			Word	Transcription	Pronunciation in Russian letters
Table. Types of reading in English. Diphthongs.
A, AY, AI	eɪ	Hey	ai m target	eɪm	(eim)
			say to speak	ˈseɪ	(With Hey)
I, UY, Y	ai	ah	I am	ai	(ay)
			buy buy	baɪ	(bay)
OY, OI	ɔɪ	Ouch	oi l oil	ɔɪl	(oil)
			toy toy	tɔɪ	(toy)
Oh, OW	əu	OU	ow n own	əʊn	(oun)
			ho me house	həʊm	(home)
			low	ləʊ	(low)
OW, OU	au	ay	out out	ˈaʊt	(out)
			cow cow	kaʊ	(kau)
EA, EAR, ER	ɪə	ie "and" + between "e" and "a"	ear	ɪə	(ie)
			bear d beard	bɪəd	(bied)
			here	hɪə	(hie)
AIR, ARE	eə	ea "e" + between "e" and "a"	care	keə	(kee)
			hair hair	heə	(hehe ´ )
URE, OUR	uə	ue "y" + between "e" and "a"	travel tour	tʊə	(tue)
			insure	ɪnˈʃuə	(yingshue ´ )

The first thing a person who starts learning English faces is the difficulty in reading most words. On this score, there are many jokes even among the native speakers of this language, to say nothing of those for whom it is not native. One Dutch linguist even wrote a poem containing the most difficult and controversial cases English phonetics- it is difficult to read it without errors even for those who know the language well.

But jokes are jokes, but you need to learn how to pronounce words correctly. The rules for reading in English help with this. For beginners, they will be a little difficult, but this is only out of habit. Having understood them and well fixed the theory with examples, you will see how much they will make your life easier.

What are these rules for?

Without knowing them, it will be difficult to learn to read. Of course, you can memorize the transcription of those words that you come across. But in this case, your ability to read will be very limited. And if there is a word with a familiar root, but a suffix or prefix that is incomprehensible for reading? Or In such cases, mistakes are inevitable if you do not know the rules for reading in English. For beginners, they are especially important, because they allow you to feel and understand the logic of building a language at all levels, starting with phonetics.

Reading consonants

• always firmly pronounced;
• voiced sounds are not deafened at the ends of words;
• after the sounds there is aspiration, because the lips open faster than in pronunciation in Russian;
• the sound [w] is pronounced with two lips;
• when pronouncing the sound [v], on the contrary, only the lower lip is involved;
• many sounds are pronounced with the tip of the tongue touching the alveoli, and not the teeth (as in Russian pronunciation).

Reading vowels: 4 types of syllable

We continue to analyze the rules of reading in English. For beginners with examples, it is better to submit material. Then it will be clearer how to pronounce this or that sound.

There are only six in the English alphabet, but the difficulty in reading them is due to the presence of four different types of syllables:

• open;
• closed;
• vowel + r;
• vowel + r + vowel.

Let's consider them all in order, not forgetting about the examples.

In an open syllable, the vowel is read as it is called in the alphabet: O is read as “ou (eu)”, U is read as a long “yu”, etc. The only exception is the letter Y, which is pronounced as “ai”. How can you tell if a syllable is open? It must end in a vowel, which can be:

• at the end of a monosyllabic word (me, go);
• at the beginning or middle (game, time, music);
• next to another vowel (suit).

In a closed syllable that ends in a consonant (sometimes doubled), the vowels are truncated:

• Aa [æ] turns into a cross between Russian sounds [a] and [e], for example: cat, apple.
• Uu [ʌ] is similar to the Russian sound [a], for example: rubber, jump.
• Ii is read as a short Russian sound [and], for example: sit, finger.
• Ee [e] is read with the sound [e], for example: pen, egg.
• Oo [ɔ] is read with a short sound [o], for example: shop, fox.
• Yy [i] under stress must be read as a short sound [and], for example: mystery, myth.

This is the minimum that the rules for reading in English for beginners include. With exercises for all 4 types, it is better not to rush, but first, it is good to learn the differences between closed and open syllables. Then you can move on to more complex cases.

The type of syllable "vowel + r" reads as follows:

• -ar pronounce with a long sound [aaa];
• -or reads like a long [ooh];
• -ur, -ir, -er are similar to the sound [o], but only pronounced by the throat.

The type of syllable "vowel + r + vowel" turns the sound into a special two-part phenomenon of English phonetics - a diphthong:

• Aa reads [ɛə], example: dare.
• Ee is read, example: mere.
• Ii is read, example: fire.
• Uu is read, example: cure.
• Yy is read, example: tire.

The exception is the letter Oo, which in the fourth type of syllable is not read as a diphthong, but simply as a long [ɔ:]. For example: more.

Reading letter combinations

Reading rules in English (for beginners and continuing students) cannot do without an explanation of the various combinations of consonants and vowels. Let's start with the first.

The combination of wr at the beginning of a word: the sound [w] is not pronounced. Examples: write, wrist, wrong.

The combination of wh at the beginning of a word: the sound [h] is not pronounced. Examples: why, what, white. But there is an exception here: if -wh is followed by the letter -o, then the sound [w] “falls out” when reading. This is how the words sound: who, whole, whose and others.

In letter combinations kn and gn at the beginning of a word: only the sound [n] is read. Examples: knot, gnat.

The combination ng at the end of the word sounds like the sound [ŋ] pronounced through the nose (going), and in the middle of the word - just [ŋg], for example: hungry, singer.

The combination ch reads like a Russian sound [h ’], soft. For example: cheese, coach.

The combination of sh gives the sound [ʃ], similar to Russian [sh] in a soft pronunciation. For example: she, push.

The combination of letters qu is read, for example: queen, quite.

The unstressed combination -our reads [ə]: colour, favourite.

The combination of letters -sion after a consonant is pronounced [ʃn], for example: mission. And then there is a voicing to [ʒn], example: decision.

Before the letters e, i, y: the consonant C is pronounced with the sound [s], G is pronounced. In other cases, it reads like this: C - [k], G - [g]. Compare: cell - cat, gym - game.

Vowel combinations: -ee, as well as -ea give a long sound, the combination -ai is read, the combination -oo conveys a long sound. For example: bee, seal, moon.

True, there are sometimes exceptions. For example, blood: in this word, the double O is read as the sound [ʌ]. But there are few such cases. They are easy to remember and do not over complicate the rules of reading in English.

For beginners

For children and adults, the explanation of the rules will be different. Young "English" will learn knowledge well if they are presented with elements of a game and a fairy tale. For example, one can explain types 1 and 2 of reading as “open” and “closed” doors, where in the first case the letters feel free and shout their name (from the alphabet) loudly, and in the second they are almost inaudible. In a similar way, you can compose a kind of grammatical fairy tale and tell it to your child. An interactive element can be a task: to “disenchant” the words by reading them correctly. It is much easier and more interesting to memorize the rules of reading in English.

For elementary school

The little table below includes the rules for reading vowels in two types of syllables. For the convenience of a child who is not familiar with transcription, next to the sound is placed approximately his reading, written in Russian letters. In any case, the table must be read aloud with an adult, those who know the language: you need to pay attention to how the same letter behaves in different types of syllables, and understand the suggested word examples.

Students are often asked to learn transcription icons at home. You can make a set of cards and work out like this: you read a short word where there is a certain sound, and the child shows a card with its designation. In group work, everyone should have their own set.

Read without hesitation

How can I quickly and better remember the rules of reading in English? For beginners, the exercises will be the most the best option. It is great if you can combine 2 types of activities: listening to samples and reading on your own. However, this approach can soon get boring, so it would be nice to include elements of the game and competition. For example, take two different lists of words for different rules - one for you, the other for a friend - and check who will read faster and with fewer errors. The game option may be as follows: using mixed cards with single words and with transcription icons, find and lay out matches.

Who needs reading rules in English? For beginners to study it (it goes without saying), for those who continue - to test themselves, and for those who have forgotten - to remember knowledge that has not been used for a long time.