How words are read. “A” as “house” and “e” as “frog”, or How to spell transcriptions of English words

When you study a foreign language, you learn not only a set of vocabulary and grammar, you in any case come across the culture and mentality of the people who speak this language. The best remedy knowledge of language and culture is reading in original. And to read in a foreign language, you must first learn to read this language .

You don"t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. You can just make people stop reading them.

But, if at school or university you studied German or French languages, or your school base turned out to be smaller than you would like, and now you have decided to learn English, then let's start with the most primary and basic and find out several methods of where to start in order to master the rules of reading.

English alphabet

I think you know that English is different from Russian and German, in which we mainly write and read. IN English language the system is a little more complicated. The very first thing we need to do is learn the alphabet.

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet, including 21 consonants and 5 vowels. Knowledge of letters and the ability to pronounce them correctly is the key to successful and competent reading in English.

English alphabet with transcription of letter names.

Very easy way remembering letters visually and aurally is with the help of a song. Watch the video and sing the song until you remember the letters of the alphabet.

You can use the same method to teach the alphabet to your children and sing the song with your kids.

Reading rules in English

After studying the alphabet, we will begin to study the combination of letters and read short words. There are a number of rules in the English language that you need to learn, practice and remember if you want to read English words correctly.

Rules for reading English consonants

Many consonants are read similarly to Russian consonants, for example the letters m, n, l, b, f, z. You can see this in words like mom, lemon, finger, boy, zebra .

Letters like t And d sound similar, but pronounced with aspirated. For example words table, teacher, dad, dirty.

Letter c has two reading options. Before letters i,e,y it reads like [s]- city, face, cyber. And before other vowels it is read as [k]- cat, cake, factory.

Rule with vowels i,e,y also works with letters g. In front of them it reads like - gym, George, giant. Before other consonants the letter is read as [g].

Letter q always occurs in a combination of letters qu and reads like - quick, queen, square.

Letter j always reads like - jacket, jam, joy.

Table of the relationship between consonants and sounds in English.

How to read vowels in English

In English, a word can end in an open or closed syllable, which affects pronunciation. For example words cat, pot, sit end in a closed syllable and have vowels a, o, i give sounds .

Words such as name, home, five end with an open syllable, since there is a letter at the end of the word e, which is not readable. But, thanks to her, the vowels in the middle of the word are read exactly the same way as they are pronounced in the alphabet, that is, the word name read .

Types of reading English vowels in stressed syllables.

Reading vowel combinations in English

There are certain combinations of letters that have established reading rules, although English tongue-tongue exceptions, and when reading more difficult words you should consult a dictionary. The table below shows combinations of English vowels with examples how they are read and what sound they make.

Table of vowel combinations in English.

And of course, there are exceptions to all rules. However, don't worry and think that you will never be able to learn it. Everything can be understood, you just need to try and practice a little.

Diphthongs of the English language with transcription

When you study the basic rules of reading, you will see that in English there are diphthong sounds that are quite difficult to reproduce, especially if you start learning the language not in childhood, but in adulthood.

Table of English diphthongs with transcription.

Transcription of sounds in English

Practice shows that when children learn a language, they must definitely study transcription, but adults do not want to learn it and it can be difficult for them.

If you still want to learn how to write and read transcriptions, then great! And if not, then you can use online dictionaries, where the word will be pronounced for you. One of the best dictionaries today are Multitran and online dictionary Lingvo.

Important!

Remember that you need to use dictionaries, not translators!

Here is an example of reading short words with transcription:

Table of vowel sounds in English and transcription.

Living in the Internet age has some advantages. While sitting at home, you can master various knowledge online. For your attention video lesson , which explains the basic principles of reading. However, even after gaining knowledge through an online lesson, it needs to be consolidated in order for a skill to be formed.

Learn English tongue twisters

Tongue twisters, which are often aimed at practicing one sound, can help you here. Here are some examples you can use.

Tongue twister in English	Translation into Russian
Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather will not. Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot. We"ll weather the weather whether we like it or not.	The weather will be good or the weather won't be good. The weather will be cold or the weather will be hot. We can withstand any weather whether we like it or not.
Three swiss witch-bitches, which wished to be switched swiss witch-bitches, watch three swiss Swatch watch switches. Which swiss witch-bitch", which wishes to be a switched swiss witch-bitch, wishes to watch which Swiss Swatch switch?	Three Swiss witch bitches those who want to change their gender, looking at the three buttons on the Swatch watch. What a Swiss witch bitch those who want to change their gender, looking at what button on the Swatch watch?

Don't worry about tongue twisters! At this stage, when you are just learning to read and practicing sounds, it is important to pronounce them correctly, albeit slowly. You can always speed up.

Learn to hear English speech

After learning the basic, basic rules of reading, you can use the method of repeating after the speaker. Your auditory memory will also work and you will hear how words are pronounced correctly and what intonation is in sentences.

For this, you can use short dialogues and audio books for beginners. At this level, it would be ideal if the text is in front of your eyes, you listen, read and repeat at the same time!

You can use such a great resource as Oxford bookworm Library, which features audiobooks for all levels. You can download the library for free

For those who continue to learn English, we recommend learning the language from films, which you can read about in the article

Work on your pronunciation

Learning to read is only the first step towards learning a language. Just like learning grammar and vocabulary, learning to pronounce and hear correctly is very important if you want to understand what is being said to you and say it so that you are understood. Especially if you speak with a native speaker.

As we said a little above, one of the best ways is listen carefully to native speakers and try to copy their pronunciation and intonation .

Particular attention should be paid to sounds that are not in your native language. Often, people learning English have a problem with the ‘r’ sound, since in Russian it is hard, but in English it is more guttural and growling.

There are also difficulties in pronouncing the two sounds that combination of letters 'th'. Students persistently pronounce it as ‘c’ and ‘z’. Although it is worth noting that in words such as this, that, there this sound is spoken as between ‘z’ and ‘d’. And in words like three, think, thief, it is pronounced as a sound between ‘f’ and ‘s’.

This may seem strange to you, since there are no such sounds in the Russian language, but if you listen to native speakers, you will understand that this is how they speak.

Don't worry if you can't say these words correctly the first time, it just takes a little practice. But, try to learn correctly from the very beginning, because it will be more difficult when you are forced to relearn.

Learn to pronounce phrases in English correctly

In English, words in sentences are not pronounced separately; they often merge as if into one whole, especially if it is a combination of a vowel and a consonant. Watch and practice with these transcription examples.

The same applies to phrases where one word ends with the letter ‘r’, and the next word begins with a vowel. In such cases, the sound 'r' is pronounced. Here are some examples.

A graphical recording of how letters of the English alphabet or words sound through a sequence of corresponding symbols is transcription English words .

Table of pronunciation of English consonants
Phonetic transcription
	b ad b ox	ringing sound, corresponding to Russian [b] in the word b rat
	o p en, p et	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [p] in the word P ero, but pronounced aspirated
	d i d, d ay	a voiced sound similar to Russian [d] in the word d ohm, but more energetic, “sharper”; when pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue rests on the alveoli
	t ea, t ake	unvoiced sound corresponding to Russian [t] in the word T hermos, but is pronounced aspirated, with the tip of the tongue resting on the alveoli
	v oice, v isit	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [v] in the word V osk, but more energetic
	f ind, f ine	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [f] in the word f inic, but more energetic
	z oo, ha s	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [z] in the word h ima
	s un, s ee	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [s] in the word With silt, but more energetic; when pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is raised towards the alveoli
	g ive, g o	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [g] in the word G Irya, but pronounced softer
	c at, c an	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [k] in the word To mouth, but pronounced more energetically and aspiratedly
[ ʒ]	vi si on, plea sur e	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [zh] in the word and macaw, but pronounced more tense and softer
[ ʃ]	sh e, Ru ss ia	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [ш] in the word w ina, but pronounced softer, for which you need to raise it to the hard palate middle part dorsum of tongue
	y ellow, y ou	a sound similar to the Russian sound [th] in a word th od, but pronounced more energetically and intensely
	l itt l e, l ike	sound similar to Russian [l] in the word l Isa, but you need the tip of the tongue to touch the alveoli
	m an m erry	sound similar to Russian [m] in the word m ir, but more energetic; when pronouncing it, you need to close your lips more tightly
	n o, n ame	sound similar to Russian [n] in the word n OS, but when pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli, and the soft palate is lowered, and air passes through the nose
	si ng,fi ng er	a sound in which the soft palate is lowered and touches the back of the tongue, and air passes through the nose. Pronounced like Russian [ng] is incorrect; there must be a nasal sound
	r ed, r abbit	a sound, when pronounced with the raised tip of the tongue, you need to touch the middle part of the palate, above the alveoli; tongue doesn't vibrate
	h elp, h ow	sound reminiscent of Russian [х] as in the word X aos, but almost silent (barely audible exhalation), for which it is important not to press the tongue to the palate
	w et, w inter	a sound similar to a very quickly pronounced Russian [ue] in a word Ue ls; in this case, the lips need to be rounded and pushed forward, and then vigorously moved apart
	j ust, j ump	sound similar to [j] in a Russian loanword j inces, but more energetic and softer. You cannot pronounce [d] and [ʒ] separately
	ch eck, mu ch	sound similar to Russian [ch] in a word h ac, but harder and more intense. You cannot pronounce [t] and [ʃ] separately
	th is, th ey	a ringing sound, when pronounced, the tip of the tongue must be placed between the upper and lower teeth and then quickly removed. Do not clamp the flat tongue between your teeth, but slightly push it into the gap between them. This sound (since it is voiced) is pronounced with the participation of the vocal cords. Similar to Russian [z] interdental
	th ink, seven th	a dull sound that is pronounced in the same way as [ð], but without a voice. Similar to Russian [s] interdental

Pronunciation table for simple English vowel sounds
Phonetic transcription		Approximate matches in Russian
	c a t,bl a ck	a short sound, intermediate between the Russian sounds [a] and [e]. To make this sound, when pronouncing Russian [a], you need to open your mouth wide and place your tongue low. Simply pronouncing Russian [e] is wrong
[ ɑ:]	ar m, f a ther	a long sound, similar to Russian [a], but it is much longer and deeper. When pronouncing it, you need to yawn, but do not open your mouth wide, while pulling your tongue back
[ ʌ]	c u p, r u n	a short sound similar to the Russian unstressed [a] in the word WithA yes. To make this sound, when pronouncing Russian [a], you need to almost not open your mouth, while slightly stretching your lips and moving your tongue back a little. Simply pronouncing Russian [a] is wrong
[ ɒ]	n o t, h o t	short sound similar to Russian [o] in the word dO m, but when pronouncing it you need to completely relax your lips; for Russian [o] they are slightly tense
[ ɔ:]	sp o rt, f ou r	a long sound, similar to Russian [o], but it is much longer and deeper. When pronouncing it, you need to yawn, as if with your mouth half-open, and your lips tense and rounded
	a bout, a lias	a sound that is often found in the Russian language is always in an unstressed position. In English, this sound is also always unstressed. It does not have a clear sound and is referred to as an unclear sound (it cannot be replaced by any clear sound)
	m e t, b e d	a short sound similar to Russian [e] under stress in words such as uh you, ple d etc. English consonants before this sound cannot be softened
[ ɜː]	w or k, l ear n	this sound does not exist in the Russian language, and it is very difficult to pronounce. Reminds me of Russian sound in words me d, St.e cla, but you need to pull it out much longer and at the same time stretch your lips strongly without opening your mouth (you get a skeptical smile)
[ ɪ]	i t, p i t	a short sound similar to the Russian vowel in a word wAnd t. You need to pronounce it abruptly
	h e, s ee	a long sound, similar to Russian [i] under stress, but longer, and they pronounce it as if with a smile, stretching their lips. There is a Russian sound close to it in the word poemII
[ ʊ]	l oo k, p u t	a short sound that can be compared with the Russian unstressed [u], but it is pronounced energetically and with completely relaxed lips (lips cannot be pulled forward)
	bl u e, f oo d	a long sound, quite similar to the Russian percussion [u], but still not the same. To make it work, when pronouncing Russian [u], you need not to stretch your lips into a tube, not to push them forward, but to round them and smile slightly. Like other long English vowels, it needs to be drawn out much longer than Russian [u]

Diphthong pronunciation table
Phonetic transcription		Approximate matches in Russian
	f i ve, ey e	diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in Russian words ah And hah
[ ɔɪ]	n oi se, v oi ce	Somehow. The second element, the sound [ɪ], is very short
	br a ve, afr ai d	a diphthong similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word wto her ka. The second element, the sound [ɪ], is very short
	t ow n, n ow	a diphthong similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word Withaw on. The first element is the same as in ; the second element, the sound [ʊ], is very short
[ə ʊ]	h o me, kn ow	a diphthong similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word clOU n, if you do not pronounce it deliberately syllable by syllable (in this case, the consonance resembles ew ). Pronouncing this diphthong as a pure Russian consonance [ou] is wrong
[ ɪə]	d ea r, h e re	a diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in the Russian word such; consists of short sounds [ɪ] and [ə]
	wh e re, th e re	a diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in the Russian word dlinnosheye, if you do not pronounce it syllable by syllable. Behind the sound resembling Russian [e] in the word uh That, followed by the second element, an unclear short sound [ə]
[ ʊə]	t ou r, p oo r	a diphthong in which [ʊ] is followed by a second element, an unclear short sound [ə]. When pronouncing [ʊ], lips should not be pulled forward

Undoubtedly - being studied English transcription pretty boring. After all, this is a set of symbols that simply need to be memorized, as they say, “by heart.” Therefore, this process does not cause much enthusiasm for most students. Some even prefer to abandon the idea of ​​studying this important aspect– transcription looks very boring and not very popular in practice in the eyes of many.

However, believe me, if you decide and devote some time to this topic, you will understand how right you did. Indeed, in this case, further learning of the English language will be much easier, if only because knowledge of transcription will allow you to more easily perceive new words.

Why is it important to learn the transcription of English words?

The fact is that, unlike the Russian and Ukrainian languages, where most letters in words always denote the same sound, in English the same letters, which may even appear in the same word, will be read differently.

For example, english letter“S” can be read both as “S” and “K” in different situations. And the English letter “U” can be read both as “A” and “U”. The English letter “A” in various words can be expressed as “A”, and as “Hey”, and as “E”. And that’s not all – the situation is approximately the same with other letters of the English language.

Therefore, in order to be able to read a new English word correctly, as well as remember it and be able to apply it in practice, you simply need to learn the rules transcription of English words. Only in this way will teaching English be truly effective and productive.

Learning transcription of English words

Of course, it would be stupid to say that by spending 15 minutes learning the rules of transcription, you will be able to read and learn English words on your own and still have perfect pronunciation. Of course this is not true. And you will have to spend much more time on transcription, and you will not immediately be able to accurately apply the acquired knowledge. At first, difficulties and errors are not excluded, but each time they will become less and less. Some time will pass, and you will even be able to perform (record by ear) transcription of words yourself.

Where and how to learn English and transcription of its words?

Of course, in modern world there are all conditions to obtain any knowledge. You can even engage in self-study, stocking up on a mountain teaching aids. However, as practice shows, the learning process is much easier in the presence of “live” personal contact, a mentor in training and a clearly structured educational process. Therefore, if you want to learn the language most effectively, we recommend enrolling in English courses.

Thus, you will be able to receive data correctly systematized for the best perception and memorization, as well as support at all stages of learning. This approach is also good because it is through courses that people learn English the fastest.

Our English language school in Kyiv (suburb, Vishnevoe, Sofievskaya Borshchagovka, Boyarka, Petrovskoe, Belogorodka) offers to start learning English right now - without putting it off for later. Come and see - everyone can speak English here!

Greetings, my dear readers.

Today we continue to talk about how to learn to read correctly, so the topic of today's article is transcription of English letters.

We have already introduced you to the concept and dealt with the pronunciation of sounds in English. Today we will figure out exactly how they are pronounced in various combinations.

I have a clear table for you. It contains the letters of the English alphabet with transcription, Russian analogue letters and my notes so that you can immediately get the correct pronunciation. I also added examples of words with the sounds being studied and their translation.

What else can you find on the blog:

1. with letters and transcription (you can study them online, download, print and work with them);
2. for children I have a complete one.

Let `s start?

Features of English transcription:

• it is always formatted with square brackets. I can’t say exactly where it came from, but I think it’s just worth taking it for granted;
• to understand where the stress is, the transcription uses the sign [‘] before the stressed syllable;
• It is important to remember that transcription is about the sound, not the spelling of words. Sometimes the spelling can be 90% different from what we pronounce;
• to show that a sound is long we use a colon.

In general, I wrote about English transcription - please!

Letters of the English alphabet and their transcription in Russian and English:

English letter	Transcription	Russian equivalent
Aa		Hey
Bb		Bi
Cc		Si
Dd		Di
Ee		AND
Ff	[ɛf]	Eph
Gg		Gee
Hh		H.
II		Ay
Jj		Jay
Kk		Kay
Ll	[ɛl]	Al
mm	[ɛm]	Em
Nn	[ɛn]	En
Oo	[əʊ]	OU
Pp		Pi
Qq		Q
Rr	[ɑː] or [ɑɹ]	A or Ar
Ss	[ɛs]	Es
Tt		Tee
Uu		YU
Vv		In and
Ww	[ˈdʌb(ə)l juː]	Double
Xx	[ɛks]	The ex
Yy		Wye
Zz	,	Zed, zee

But do you know what is the most interesting thing about English?

If different letters are combined, they are pronounced differently!

That's why I prepared for you

Examples of English letter combinations in Russian and English:

Combination	Transcription	How to pronounce	Example
ee	/i:/	AND	bee - bee
ea	/ ı:/	AND	tea - tea
oo	/u/	U	cook - to cook
th	/ ð / / Ѳ /	Z, S (interdental)	thumb - finger
sh	/ ʃ /	Sh	shout - shout
ch	/tʃ/	H	chair - chair
ph	/f/	F	phone - phone
ck	/k/	TO	snack - snack
ng	/ Ƞ /	Ng	song - song
wh	/w/	Ua	why - why
wr	/r/	R	write - write
qu	/kw/	Kua	queen - queen
igh	/aı/	Ay	high - high
all	/Ɔ:l/	Ol	tall - tall
ai	/eı/	Hey	Spain - Spain
ay	/eı/	Hey	May - May
oi	/oı/	Oh	point - point
oh	/oı/	Oh	toy - toy
ow	/oƱ/	OU	grow - grow
ou	/aƱ/	Ay	out - outside
ew	/ju:/	YU	knew - knew
aw	/ Ɔ: /	Ooo	draw - draw
ee+r	/ ıə /	Eeyore	engineer - engineer
ou+r	/aƱə/	Aue	our - ours
oo+r	/ Ɔ: /	Ooo	door - door
wo+r	/ ɜ: /	Y/O	work - work
ai+r	/eə/	Ea	chair - chair
oa+r	/ Ɔ: /	Ooh	roar - scream
might	/Ʊd/	Oud	could - could
ound	/aƱnd/	Aund	round - round
eigh	/eı/	Hey	eight - eight
-y	/ ı /	AND	tiny - tiny
au	/ Ɔ: /	Oo	Paul - Paul
gh	/f/	F	laugh - laugh
aught	/Ɔ:t/	From	taught - taught

I know this table seems huge right now. Surely you think that remembering all this is unrealistic. I'll tell you this: at a certain point, when you have enough, you won't even pay attention to these combinations. Your brain will learn to quickly remember how exactly these letters sound. Moreover, even when you come across a word that is completely unfamiliar to you, you will be able to read it correctly. The only question is the amount of practice on your part.

How to remember combinations of letters?

1. Use cards. Visual perception is better developed in most people.
2. Read. Pay attention to combinations of letters when or just texts.
3. Don't get hung up. It is not necessary to immediately memorize these combinations and only then move directly to English. Learn as you go!
4. Buy paper or download a good one e-book in order to quickly learn to recognize combinations and pronounce them correctly. Even if you, an adult, need it, don’t hesitate to take books for children - everything there is explained in detail and is not without interest.
5. Take the course « English from scratch» . This will make your path easier.

That's all, my dears. I hope you found it useful and understandable. I provide even more similar materials in the blog newsletter - subscribe and receive a dose of useful information regularly.

Good, good, good morning, planet!

I don’t know about you, of course, but on my English planet (called ) it’s morning right now. And I decided to write an important informational and practical article about English transcription on a cheerful morning head. I think you don't mind). Then let's start analyzing this simple, but often raising many questions topic.

Is English transcription necessary at all?

What can I say to this?.. If they teach it in the English language school curriculum and force you to teach it, then of course you can’t get away with it! Speaking globally, its absence when learning English will not affect the results and knowledge in any way.

BUT! Since our children are still learning English, it is a matter of honor to know what transcription is in it. This is about the same as it is important to know that the Russian language has 6 cases (and this, by the way, is what makes it different from English and many others). But we can learn to speak and write words without thinking about which case should be used in them... "AND van R odil D little girl... Well, you understand me, I think.

Therefore, my verdict is that we will study it! But quickly and without any stretching for a year! A lesson or two - and "English transcription" will become the most pleasant phrase in the world...

In addition, having the ability to decipher English transcription, any schoolchild and adult will be able to read and pronounce any, even the most “terribly incomprehensible” word in English dictionary!!!

Why was it invented?

It was invented a very, very long time ago, by the British themselves, for themselves - when they realized that they themselves could not always understand how to read this or that word.

The fact is that in the English language there are rules according to which you can read words correctly. For example, this rule: “In a closed syllable, the English letter “a” will be read like this (words ba g, la ptop)» . But at the same time, there are so many exceptions to these rules that sometimes it is impossible to remember them (for example, let’s take the exception to this rule with the word c closed syllable t ask , in which the letter “a” is already read differently).

Well, they came up with such a concept as transcription, so that every English word could be read correctly, even without knowing the rules, but simply owning a set of transcription icons.

Sometimes you may see two variations of the same icon, this is normal. Both of them have their place. My analogies with Russian letters are very conditional. The main thing here is to hear the sound and imitate it as accurately as possible.

Transcription icons for vowel sounds

[i] or [ ı ] a sound similar to “i”, but more abrupt and firm.

[e] a sound similar to “e”, but more abrupt and firm.

[ ӕ ] a sound similar to "e", but wider.

[ ɔ ] or [ ɒ ] a sound similar to “o”, but more abrupt and open.

[ ∧ ] a sound similar to “a”, but more abrupt.

[u] or [ ʋ ] a sound similar to “u”, but more abrupt.

[i:] a sound similar to a long “i”.

[ ɔ: ] a sound similar to a long "o".

[ ɑ: ] a sound similar to a long and deep “a”.

[u:] a sound similar to a long “u”.

[ ə: ] or [ɜ:] a sound reminiscent of something between “o” and “e”.

In English there is one single transcription symbol that denotes an unstressed vowel - [ə] . It is pronounced very briefly and indistinctly. We often hear it at the end of words ending with unstressed vowels. Teacher, computer...

Transcription icons for consonant sounds

[p] sound similar to "p".

[b] sound similar to "b".

[t] sound similar to "t".

[d] sound similar to "d".

[k] sound similar to "k".

[g] sound similar to "g".

[f] sound similar to "f".

[v] sound similar to "v".

[s] sound similar to "s".

[z] sound similar to "z".

[m] sound similar to "m".

[n] sound similar to "n".

[l] sound similar to "l".

[h] a sound similar to an air "x".

[ ʃ ] a sound similar to "sh".

[tʃ] a sound similar to "ch".

[ ʒ ] sound similar to "zh".

[dʒ] sound similar to "j".

[r] sound similar to "r".

[j] a sound similar to "th". Softens vowels, e.g. [jɒ] [je] [ju:]

[w] sound made by lips.

[ ŋ ] a sound similar to “n” pronounced through the nose.

[ θ ] dull interdental sound.

[ ð ] sonorous interdental sound.

Transcription icons for diphthongs (double sounds)

[aı] or [ai] a sound similar to "ouch".

[eı] or [ei] a sound similar to "hey".

[ ɔı ] or [ɔi] a sound similar to "oh".

[aʋ] or [au] a sound similar to "ay".

[ əʋ ] or [ou] a sound similar to "oh".

[ ıə ] or [iə] a sound similar to "ee".

[ ʋə ] or [uə] sound similar to "ue".

[eə] or [ εə ] a sound similar to "ea".

Practice time

Well, we have looked at all the signs of English transcription. Children and adults remember most of them quite easily. Difficulties sometimes arise with icons indicating diphthongs or some sounds that are not at all similar to Russian ones. But this can be quickly corrected if you immediately consolidate everything with good practice and exercises, which is what we will do now.

I recommend buying and going online course English from scratch (from a well-known service LinguaLeo). There, the letters and sounds of the English language are discussed in detail. Transcription can also be well worked out. Register and try the course for free. If you like it, go ahead!..

Exercise 1

The first thing to do is to repeat several times the sound corresponding to a certain sign of English transcription. Go in order (according to the list I gave). Repeat one sound 3-5 times, while trying to associate the complex icon with the image. For example, repeating the sound [ ӕ ] , imagine a cat, a hat, or any other image, but just let this image correspond to a word that is pronounced in English with exactly this sound. For example, I had an image in my head of a bag with such a branded badge.))

So how? Difficult? If yes, then I will share with you my ideas regarding the most “intractable” transcription signs. Please do not judge my clumsy pictures harshly. I swear, in my imagination they look much cuter)).

Icon [ ʋ ] — foot-heel image.

The word foot [fʋt].

Icon [ ɜ: ] - image of a bird.

The word bird [ b ɜ: d] .

Icon [ ʃ ] - image of a shoe.

The word shoe [ʃu:].

Icon [tʃ]- image of a chicken.

The word chick [tʃık].

Icon [dʒ]- image of a page in a textbook.

The word page.

Icon [j]- the image of a tick, the correct answer.

The word yes.

Icon [ ŋ ] - an image of a long and uneven road.

The word long.

Icon [ θ ] - image of the number three.

The word three [θri:].

Icon [ ð ] - image of a mother and baby.

The word mother.

Exercise 2

• Now we will read with you simple words with different sounds. Your task is to look at the word, listen to its pronunciation, repeat, and then guess which transcription icon from those presented below corresponds to the sound in the word (the required vowel letters or combinations will be underlined).

[ ı ] [e] [ ӕ ] [ ɒ ] [ ∧ ] [ ʋ ] [i:][ ɔ: ] [ ɑ: ] [u:] [ɜ:]

b ir d	f a mile	c oo l
p i g	b utter	f irst
d oll	ea t	s i t
l a st	b e d	c ar
a pple	cl ock	m e n
d augh ter	p u t	cl ea n
d octor	fr ui t	k i tchen
d ar k	g ir l	d i nner
d oor	trolley-b u s	c a p
f oo t	b oo k	b a ll

• Now you will see other words, which you will also need to listen to and repeat, and then select the required transcription sign from those presented below, which corresponds to a particular sound (the necessary consonant letters or combinations will be underlined in the words).

[p] [b][t] [d][k] [g][f] [v][s] [z][m] [n]

[l][h] [ ʃ ] [tʃ] [ ʒ ] [dʒ] [r][j] [w][ ŋ ] [ θ ] [ ð ]

bet w een	v ery	w indow
v illage	s treet	z oo
th in	th en	tea ch er
sgar	tele pH one	fiv e
hundre d	mus t	nigh t
midd le	nu m ber	p resent
b lack	k itten	g ive
kn ife	h orse	r oom
pi n k	spon ge	ki ng
pa ge	facto r y	y ou

• The following words contain diphthongs. Listen, repeat and choose the right sign transcriptions for underlined letters and letter combinations.

[aı] [eı] [ ɔı ] [aʋ] [ əʋ ] [ ıə ] [ ʋə ] [eə]

f ear	n a me	beh i nd
wardr o be	ch air	t o ne
p oor	c a ke	t ow n
h here	t our	c oi n
br ow n	th o se	h are
July y	b oh	t a ble
tr ou sers	yell ow	b i ke
c are	n ear	s o

• The final exercise in this section is to choose the correct transcription option for a word from the two proposed ones. The scheme of work is the same: we listen, repeat, and then choose.

cup[kʌp] or [kӕp]

twelve[tvelv] or [twelv]

month[mɑ:nθ] or [mʌnθ]

rain[raın] or [reın]

farm[fɜ:m] or [fɑːm]

large[lɑːʒ] or [lɑːdʒ]

spoon[spuːn] or [spɔ:n]

fair[feə] or [fıə]

say[seɪ] or [seə]

now[nəʋ] or [naʊ]

June[tʃ uːn] or [dʒuːn]

Exercise 3

Well, it’s time to write a transcription of the words yourself. I think you will succeed! A day or two - and the topic of English transcription will become so easy for you that you have never even dreamed of it)). Let me remind you once again that unstressed syllables are often designated like this [ ə ] .

after, box, write, with, open,

season, shut, round, tall, number,

shirt, plus, jam, song, yogurt, hate

Exercise 4

This exercise is to practice reading a lot of English words by transcription. For children the most the best option there will be cards with English words and transcriptions for them. Some authors (for example, Nosova, Epanova) specially develop such cards - after all, they help not only to consolidate the learned transcription signs, but also to easily replenish your lexicon. These are the interesting cards I found in the store Labyrinth. Here are the most basic topics and words:

Set “Wild Animals”

Set "Fruits"

Set "Man"

Set "Professions"

Set "School"

Set "Home"

Well, I did it, friends!

And you? Did you manage? If you have any questions, be sure to ask me. I will try to answer them.

And one more thing - on the right sidebar of my site you can find a convenient service "Transcription online"— enter any English word into the field and get its transcription. Use it!

In addition, I invite you to my delicious newsletter (you can subscribe to it at the end of this article - after the tutor selection form)! The most useful and interesting things about English and more...

Answers to the exercises:

b ir d [ɜ:]	f a mily [ӕ]	c oo l[u:]
p i g[ı]	b u tter[∧]	f ir st [ɜ:]
d o ll [ɔ:]	ea t[i:]	s i t[ı]
l a st [ɑ:]	b e d[e]	c ar [ ɑ: ]
a pple [ӕ]	cl o ck [ɒ]	m e n[e]
d augh ter [ɔ:]	p u t[ʋ]	cl ea n[i:]
d o ctor [ɒ]	fr ui t[u:]	k i tchen [ı]
d ar k[ɑ:]	g ir l[ɜ:]	d i nner [ı]
d oor [ ɔ: ]	trolley-b u s[∧]	c a p[ӕ]
f oo t[ʋ]	b oo k[ʋ]	b a ll [ɔ:]

bet w een [w]	v ery[v]	w indow [w]
v illa ge[v] [dʒ]	s treet [s]	z oo[z]
th in[θ]	th en [ð]	tea ch er [tʃ]
s ugar [ʃ]	tele ph one [f]	f i v e[f][v]
hundre d[d]	mus t[t]	nigh t[t]
midd le[l]	nu m ber[m]	p resent [p]
b lack [b]	k itten [k]	g ive [g]
kn ife[n]	h orse [h]	r oom [r]
pi n k[ŋ]	spon ge[dʒ]	ki ng [ ŋ ]
pa ge[dʒ]	facto r y[r]	y ou[j]

f ear [ ıə ]	n a me [eı]	beh i nd [aı]
wardr o be [əʋ]	ch air[eə]	t o ne [əʋ]
p oor [ ʋə ]	c a ke[eı]	t ow n[aʋ]
h here [ ıə ]	t our [ ʋə ]	c oi n[ɔı]
br ow n[aʋ]	th o se [əʋ]	h are[eə]
July y[aı]	b oh [ ɔı ]	t a ble [eı]
tr ou sers [aʋ]	yell ow [ əʋ ]	b i ke [aı]
c are[eə]	n ear [ ıə ]	s o [ əʋ ]

[ˈɑːftə], [bɒks], [raɪt], [wɪð], [ˈəʊpən],

[ˈsiːzn], [ʃʌt], [raʊnd],[tɔːl], [ˈnʌmbə],

[ʃɜːt], [plʌs], [dʒæm],[sɒŋ], [ˈjɒɡət], [heɪt]

Now you have already passed the first stage of learning English - you have learned the alphabet. You already know what the letters are called and know how to write them. But this does not mean at all that you can read any word in English correctly. In addition, you need to put the pronunciation using professional teacher or a tutor, so as not to make mistakes at first.

Unlike many others foreign languages(Spanish, Portuguese, Ukrainian), where words are read the same way they are written, you just need to learn how the letters are pronounced. In English, everything is much more complicated and confusing. But remembering the simple laws of reading words in English. Very soon you will realize that things are much simpler.

The thing is that in English the number of sounds predominates over letters, and in order to convey them in writing, it is necessary to combine several letters in a certain order. And this is done different ways. And the pronunciation and recording of some sounds depends on what letters surround them. And all this needs to be remembered!

To make it easier to remember letter combinations, English linguists have developed a number of rules for reading words in English. Even if you know the language well enough, it is still advisable to double-check an unfamiliar word in the dictionary, make sure of its translation and remember the transcription, that is, how it is pronounced.

At school, most teachers only briefly mention how to reproduce words in English or do not talk about them at all. They refer students to dictionaries with transcriptions, citing the fact that “there are many exceptions to the reading rules.” Protect your children from such teachers!

Yes it is. Indeed, there are many exceptions to the rules for reading words in English. But this does not mean at all that we should remain silent about them. Rather, on the contrary, first of all you need to talk about them. Still, most words follow rules.

Knowing the basic rule of how words are read correctly, it will be much more interesting and easier for you to learn the language itself. And exceptions can be remembered as they come during training, repeating the rules that these words do not so stubbornly refuse to obey.

Rule for reading words

Bye! Successes!

Technique of reading English according to Zaitsev’s method