Monophthongs (Single Vowel Sounds)
* i: as in *machine*, *see*, *feel* (pronounced like the "ee" in "see")
* ɪ: as in *bit*, *sit*, *win* (pronounced like the "i" in "bit")
* e: as in *bed*, *set*, *ten* (pronounced like the "e" in "bed")
* ɛ: as in *bet*, *get*, *pen* (pronounced like the "e" in "bet")
* æ: as in *cat*, *hat*, *map* (pronounced like the "a" in "cat")
* a: as in *father*, *car*, *calm* (pronounced like the "a" in "father")
* ɒ: as in *hot*, *cot*, *mop* (pronounced like the "o" in "hot")
* ɔ: as in *caught*, *thought*, *law* (pronounced like the "aw" in "caught")
* ʊ: as in *put*, *pull*, *book* (pronounced like the "u" in "put")
* u: as in *moon*, *food*, *flute* (pronounced like the "oo" in "moon")
Diphthongs (Vowel Combinations with a Glide)
* eɪ: as in *say*, *day*, *pay* (pronounced like the "ay" in "say")
* aɪ: as in *buy*, *my*, *pie* (pronounced like the "i" in "buy")
* ɔɪ: as in *boy*, *toy*, *joy* (pronounced like the "oy" in "boy")
* əʊ: as in *go*, *no*, *so* (pronounced like the "ow" in "go")
* aʊ: as in *house*, *mouth*, *about* (pronounced like the "ow" in "house")
* ɪə: as in *here*, *near*, *fear* (pronounced like the "eer" in "here")
* ʊə: as in *poor*, *tour*, *sure* (pronounced like the "ure" in "pure")
Important Notes:
* Schwa (ə): This is a very common vowel sound in English. It's the sound you hear in the unstressed syllables of words like "about," "again," and "the."
* Stress: The stress placed on a syllable can influence the sound of a vowel. For example, the "a" in "about" sounds different than the "a" in "father."
* Regional Variation: Vowel sounds can vary significantly depending on the region where someone is from.
Resources for Pronunciation:
* Online Dictionaries: Dictionaries like Merriam-Webster and Oxford Dictionary offer audio pronunciations.
* Pronunciation Websites: Websites like Howjsay.com and Forvo.com have recordings of words spoken by native speakers.
* Pronunciation Apps: Apps like Pronunciation Pro and EasyPronunciation can provide detailed pronunciation guides.