How many phonetic sounds of English?

This is a bit of a tricky question because there isn't a single, universally agreed upon answer. It depends on how you define "phonetic sound" and how you count them.

Here's a breakdown:

* Traditional view: The traditional view says there are 44 phonemes in English. This is based on the idea that phonemes are the smallest units of sound that can change the meaning of a word. This system accounts for both vowels and consonants and considers some sounds like "th" as a single phoneme.

* More detailed approach: Linguists sometimes use a more detailed system that considers variations in pronunciation based on things like stress or neighboring sounds. This can lead to over 100 distinct phonetic sounds. This approach might distinguish between different allophones of the same phoneme, like the different ways "t" is pronounced in words like "stop" and "train".

* Regional variation: The number of sounds can also vary based on the accent or dialect of a speaker.

So, in short, there's no single definitive answer. The traditional view of 44 phonemes is a common starting point, but depending on how you approach it, the number can be significantly higher.