Vowels
| Respelling symbol(s) | Example | IPA symbol | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | trap | /æ/ | Australian /æ/ or /æː/ | Scottish /a/ |
| ah | palm | /ɑː/ | ||
| air | square | /ɛər/ | ||
| ar | start | /ɑr/ | Scottish /ar/ | |
| arr | marry | /ær/ | ||
| aw | thought | /ɔː/ | American /ɔ/, /ɒ/, or /ɑ/ | |
| ay | face | /eɪ/ | ||
| ə | about | /ə/ or /ɨ/ | Unstressed neutral vowel. (Sometimes i may be used for /ɨ/.) |
|
| ər | letter | /ər/ or /ɚ/ | Unstressed neutral rhotic vowel | |
| e | dress | /ɛ/ | ||
| ee | fleece | /iː/ or /i/ | also the second vowel of city | |
| eer | near | /ɪər/ | ||
| err | merry | /ɛr/ | ||
| ew | ewe, dew | /juː/ | American /u/ or /ju/ | |
| ewr | cure | /jʊər/ | ||
| eye | item | /aɪ/ | Spelled -y after a consonant. The same vowel as the price example below |
|
| i | kit | /ɪ/ | ||
| irr | mirror | /ɪr/ | ||
| o | lot | /ɒ/ | -o- by itself may be /ɵ/ | |
| oh | goat | /oʊ/ | ||
| oo | food | /uː/ | Scottish /ʉ/ | |
| oor | poor | /ʊər/ | ||
| or or ohr | force or wore | /ɔər/ | Australian /oː(ɹ)/ | |
| or or awr | north or war | /ɔr/ | Scottish /ɔr/ | |
| orr | orange | /ɒr/ | ||
| ow | mouth | /aʊ/ | ||
| owr | hour | /aʊər/ | ||
| oy | choice | /ɔɪ/ | ||
| u | strut | /ʌ/ | ||
| ur | nurse | /ɜr/ or /ɝː/ | American /ɜɹ, ɝ/ | Scottish /ʌr, ɛr, ɪr/ |
| urr | hurry | /ʌr/ | ||
| uu | foot | /ʊ/ | Scottish /ʉ/ | |
| y | price, dye | /aɪ/ | with a consonant, otherwise spelled eye. American /aɪ/ or /ʌɪ/ |
|
| yr | fire | /aɪər/ | ||
Read more about this topic: Pronunciation Respelling Key
Famous quotes containing the word vowels:
“Playing “bop” is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.”
—Duke Ellington (1899–1974)
“As no one can tell what was the Roman pronunciation, each nation makes the Latin conform, for the most part, to the rules of its own language; so that with us of the vowels only A has a peculiar sound.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)
“These equal syllables alone require,
Though oft the ear the open vowels tire;”
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744)
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