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:
“These equal syllables alone require,
Though oft the ear the open vowels tire;”
—Alexander Pope (1688–1744)
“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)
“Playing “bop” is like playing Scrabble with all the vowels missing.”
—Duke Ellington (1899–1974)
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