Learn English transcription. English transcription, translation and pronunciation of frequently used words

Transcription is the transmission in writing of elements of oral speech using a certain set of written characters. Phonetic transcription– this is the most accurate transmission of oral speech by graphic means (special transcription signs).

Each individual sound and its variants have their own designations. For recording, special characters are used, called transcription marks, which are enclosed in square brackets. Some of these signs repeat the letters of the English alphabet; the designations of others may differ significantly. However, a letter and a sound are completely different things. Letter- these are designations of sound in writing, while sound can be regarded as an independent unit. We write and read letters, we hear and pronounce sounds. The transcription sign indicates the sound and the features of its pronunciation. In writing, one letter can convey several sounds at once, and each transcription sign can convey only one sound.

What is transcription used for?

The spelling of a word and its actual pronunciation may vary significantly. Therefore, for correct pronunciation, only knowledge of the reading rules is not enough, because there are always exceptions to the rules. The same letters/letter combinations under the same conditions can be read differently. Thanks to transcription, if necessary, you will be able to correctly read an unfamiliar word. At the initial stage of learning a language, it is possible to use Russian transcription, but in the English language there are sounds that are absent in the Russian language, so Russian transcription conveys only the approximate sound of a word, which is why you may pronounce a word written in Russian transcription incorrectly. In addition, the quality of pronunciation of the same sounds may differ.

Perfect knowledge of transcription signs is not necessary, because it is unlikely that you will need to convey the sound of a word using these signs. But you may need to look up the correct pronunciation of the word in a dictionary. And for this it is important to be able to correctly read the transcription in the dictionary. In addition, most transcription signs are found in other European languages.

Factors influencing pronunciation

Word stress

The correct pronunciation of vowels in stressed syllables, where vowels are pronounced clearly, and the meaning of the word will depend on the correctness of their sound, can cause difficulties. In an unstressed syllable, vowels are not clearly articulated and may fall out (not be pronounced), so they do not pose any particular difficulties in pronunciation. Unlike the Russian language, where the stress is placed above the stressed syllable, in English the stress is indicated by a vertical stroke before stressed syllable. Monosyllabic words have one stress, long ones can have two. In this case, the main stress is placed at the top, the secondary stress is at the bottom.

English sounds

Consonant sounds and their approximate Russian analogues:

• [b] - [b]
• [d] - [d]
• [f] – [f]
• [g] - [g]
• [k] -[k]
• [l] - [l]
• [m] -[m]
• [n] - [n]
• [p] - [p]
• [s] - [s]
• [t] - [t]
• [v] - [v]
• [z] - [z]
• [ʃ] - [w]
• [ʒ] – soft [zh]
• - [h]
• – absent in the Russian language (represents a very quickly pronounced sound [j]);
• [r] – the tip of the tongue is not tense, does not vibrate, is motionless, raised to the roof of the oral cavity, but does not touch the alveoli (reminiscent of the Russian sound [r], but not as clear);
• [j] - [th];
• [ŋ] – nasal [n];
• [θ] – absent in Russian, interdental (to pronounce it, pronounce [s], sticking the tip of your tongue between your teeth);
• [ð] - absent in Russian, interdental (to pronounce it, pronounce [z], sticking the tip of your tongue between your teeth).

The articulation of a number of English sounds is practically no different from the articulation of Russian sounds, but there are some features:

• English [t], [p], [k] are distinguished from their Russian counterparts [t], [p], [k] by their pronunciation with aspiration (aspiration);
• When pronouncing sounds [d], [l], [n], [t], the tip of the tongue is on the alveoli (tubercles just above the upper teeth);
• [ʃ] [ʒ] – softer than their Russian counterparts, for this you need to slightly raise the back of the tongue;
• [h] – the sound is slightly louder than an exhalation;
• [w] – lips are rounded and tense, the lower lip should not touch the teeth (quickly say [ui]).

Pronunciation of vowels

In English, vowel length is very important because it affects the meaning of a word. This means that words with the same vowel of different lengths will differ in meaning, for example: sheep [ʃi:p] - sheep, ship [ʃɪp] - ship, live live - leave - leave, leave.

The length of a vowel in writing is indicated by two dots after it. With 6 vowel letters you can form a wide variety of sounds:

• – long sound [a];
• [æ] - average between [a] and [e], the mouth is wide open, the jaw is lowered down;
• - long [and];
• [i] - short [and];
• [e] – average between [e] and [e], the corners of the lips are stretched to the sides;
• [ɔ] - short [o];
• [ɔ:] - long [o];
• [ə] - unclear, unstressed sound, reminiscent of [e];
• [ʌ] – short [a];
• [z] - resembles the sound [ё];
• [u] - short [y];
• - lingering [y].

Diphthongs

Diphthongs- these are two vowel sounds pronounced together, where the first is stressed, articulated more clearly and clearly, and the second is weaker:

• - [ay];
• - [Hey];
• [ɔi] - [oh];
• - [ay];
• [əu] - [оу];
• - [ie];
• - [ue];
• [ɛə] - vaguely similar to [ea].

Thrifthongs

Triphthong is a combination of three vowel sounds that are pronounced together and are part of one syllable.

- pronounced [aye]. The longest of the three sounds is “a”. The sounds “y” and “e” are pronounced almost simultaneously.
In writing it is expressed using the letter combinations “ire”, “yre”, “iar”, less often “ier” and “ie+t”:

ire - fire [‘faɪə] (fire)
yre - tire [‘taɪə] (tire)
iar - liar [‘laɪə] (liar)
ier - tier [‘taɪə] (binding)
iet - quiet [‘kwaɪət] (quiet)

- pronounced [aue]. In this case, the sound “u” is exactly the sound that is conveyed by the letter “w”.
In writing it is conveyed using the letter combinations “our”, “ower”:

our - sour [‘sauə] (sour)
ower - power [‘pauə] (strength)

- pronounced [yue]. The longest of the three sounds in this triphthong is "u".
In writing it is conveyed using the letter combinations “eur”, “ure”:

eur - European [ˌjuərə’piːən] (European)
ure - pure (pure).

Words in a stream of speech

In addition to the main stress, with the help of which emphasis is placed on a syllable, there is the concept of phrasal stress. Phrase stress- this is the selection in the flow of speech of words on the importance of which the speaker wants to emphasize. The placement of phrasal stress does not significantly change the essence of the sentence. Let's compare using the example of a simple short sentence (emphasis added in bold:) She has gone to the shop just now. She just went to the store (it was she, not someone else). She has gone to the shop just now. She had just gone to the store (walked, not used another means of transportation). She has gone to the shop just now. She just went to the store (namely the store, and not anywhere else). She has gone to the shop just now. She just went to the store (just now).

Accordingly, the stressed word will be pronounced as clearly as possible. As a rule, function words are prepositions, conjunctions, particles, pronouns, etc. are in an unstressed position. It should also be noted that colloquial speech tends to be minimized: it is characterized by the use of abbreviated forms, less clear articulation, sometimes deliberate mispronunciation of words, loss of vowels, etc.

How much time to devote to practice?

The answer is obvious. The more practice in the language, the better. The more time you spend practicing your pronunciation, the more authentic (more natural, as similar to English speech as possible) your speech will sound. Listening to English speech, imitating it, reading aloud will help you with this. Record your speech on a voice recorder, which will help you identify your own mistakes, because your perception of your own speech differs from its perception by others. And remember that when learning a foreign language, regularity of classes is extremely important. With shorter, but regular exercises, you will achieve greater results than with long, “jerky” exercises. We wish you success!

English alphabet with transcription
Reading rules in English

Transcription is a recording of the sound of a letter or word in the form of a sequence of special phonetic symbols.

Transcription may not be of interest to everyone, but it is, without a doubt, useful. Knowing the transcription, you will correctly read an unfamiliar word without outside help. During classes, you can read the transcription of a word yourself (for example, from the blackboard) without asking others, thereby making it easier for yourself to assimilate lexical material, etc.

At first there will be errors in correct reading, because... There are always some subtleties in pronunciation. But this is just a matter of practice. A little later, if necessary, you will be able to transcribe the words yourself.

Transcription is directly related to reading rules. In English, not everything that is seen (letter combinations) is read (as in Russian and Spanish, for example).

When textbooks (mostly domestic ones) talk about reading rules, much attention is paid to the type of syllable. About five such types are usually described. But such a detailed theoretical presentation of the rules of reading does not greatly ease the fate of a beginner, and can even mislead him. It must be remembered that a good knowledge of the rules of reading is a great merit of practice, not theory.

Your attention will be presented to the basic rules for reading individual letters and letter combinations. “Behind the scenes” there will be some phonetic aspects that are difficult to convey in writing.

A little patience! Both transcription and reading rules are easily learned in a short time. Then you will be surprised: “How easy it has become to read and write!”

However, do not forget that, despite its wide distribution, the English language does not cease to be a LANGUAGE, full of exceptions, stylistic and other delights. And at any stage of language learning, and especially at the beginning, look into the dictionary more often.

Transcription icons and their pronunciation

Notes:

o]. But, in modern English dictionaries this sound is usually designated as shown in the table.

Diphthong is a complex sound that consists of two sounds. In most cases, a diphthong can be "broken" into two sounds, but not in writing. Since in many cases one of the component sounds of a diphthong, if used separately, will have a different designation. For example diphthong [ au]: separately such transcription icon as [ a] - Does not exist. Therefore, most diphthongs are not indicated by a combination of different transcription symbols, but by their own sign.

In many school textbooks and in some domestic dictionaries this sound is designated as [ ou], which is more clear. But, in modern English dictionaries this sound is usually designated as shown in the table.

This sign often denotes unstressed vowel sounds in transcription, regardless of the letters (combinations) that produce this sound.

Reading rules

English words have several types of syllables. However, to understand the entire system, it is necessary to remember and distinguish between the following two types: open And closed.

Open syllable ends with a vowel: game, like, stone- a vowel letter in a word is read the same way as in the alphabet.

Closed syllable ends with a consonant: pen, cat, bus- a vowel in a syllable gives a different sound.

Stress in transcription and words is indicated by a vertical line before the stressed syllable.

Single vowel sounds

Vowel diphthongs

Consonants

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A SET OF GUIDELINES FOR TEACHING PRESCHOOL CHILDREN ENGLISH (AUTHOR - IRINA MURZINOVA) CAN BE PURCHASED IN THE OZONE ONLINE STORE

All sounds of the English language and a description of their pronunciation

Transcription and reading rules in English are two closely related concepts. Reading rules explain how letters and letter combinations are pronounced in different cases, and with the help of transcription we record and read speech sounds.

Reading rules can confuse a beginner. There are many of them, they are confusing, and there are more exceptions than the rules themselves. In fact, these rules are only so scary if you understand them deeply and try to learn them by heart, along with the exceptions. In reality, everything is much simpler: reading rules do not need to be remembered by heart.

While studying English, you will constantly be doing something, and soon you will learn to correlate letters and sounds without thinking, automatically. There is no need to worry about exceptions either. Usually the pronunciation, spelling and meaning of a word are remembered as one whole - you just know that such and such a word is pronounced this way.

Feature of English phonetics: we write “Manchester” - we read “Liverpool”

The phonetics of the English language has a noticeable feature: words are often read differently from how they are written, that is, from the spelling of a word it is not always possible to guess how it is pronounced. As linguists joke: “We write “Manchester”, but read “Liverpool.”

In the history of many languages, the following pattern can be traced: the phonetic structure becomes more complex, but the letters and spelling remain the same or change with great delay. English is no exception. At the dawn of its development, words were read and pronounced more or less similar, but over time this discrepancy became greater and greater, the situation was aggravated by the diversity of dialects, and now we are in words though, thought And through read a combination of letters - ough completely different, although the words themselves differ by one letter.

Nobody is in a hurry to reform English spelling; there are many reasons for this. For example, the English language has long no longer had a single “control center”. Reforms initiated in London may be coolly received in Sydney and rejected in Washington. And in general, spelling reform is always a painful process that meets resistance among a significant part of native speakers. It's much easier to leave it as is.

What is transcription and why is it needed?

Transcription in English is the recording of speech sounds using special characters. She should not be afraid or avoided, because she is a very good assistant in learning the language, which will be great for saving time and helping to avoid mistakes. One glance at the transcription of an English word is enough for you to understand how it is read correctly.

When you memorize or write down a new word that comes across in the text, you definitely need to look at its transcription and/or listen to the pronunciation (for example, in), otherwise you may remember it incorrectly, and then they will not understand you.

Is it possible to write English words in Russian letters?

Sometimes on websites or even in books you can see “English transcription in Russian” or “pronunciation of English words in Russian letters” - that is, writing English words in Russian letters. Like, why learn sophisticated icons if Can convey sounds in Russian letters? Then what it is forbidden. The phonetics of the Russian language differs from the English phonetics so much that the sound can only be conveyed very, very approximately. We simply do not have some sounds of English speech, as well as vice versa.

Transcription and pronunciation of all sounds of the English language separately (video)

With this interesting video table, you can listen to the sound of all sounds separately and see how they are recorded using transcription. Click on play and wait for the video to load completely, then click on the sound you want.

Please note that in the transcription, in addition to the symbols themselves denoting sounds, the following are used:

• Square brackets– traditionally, transcription is always written in [square brackets]. For example: [z].
• Vowel length icon– in English, vowels can be long or short, longitude is indicated by a colon after the vowel. For example: .
• Accent icon– if a word with more than one syllable is transcribed, the stress must be indicated with an apostrophe (comma at the top). It is placed before the stressed syllable. For example: – decision.

In total, there are 44 sounds in the English language, which, like in Russian, are divided into consonants and vowels. Among them there are sounds similar to Russian, for example: [b] - [b], [n] - [n], and sounds that have no analogues in the Russian language: [ ð ], [θ ].

In English phonetics there are no such concepts as softness/hardness of consonants, but there is longitude of vowels (not characteristic of the Russian language) - vowels can be short [a] and long. It should also be noted that vowel sounds in English can be:

• single (monophthongs): [ i: ], [ e ],
• consisting of two sounds (diphtogni): [ ai ], [ ɔi ],
• consisting of three sounds (triphthongs): [ aiə ].

Diphthongs and triphthongs are read and perceived as solid sounds.

Table of English sounds with examples and cards

Having studied how English sounds are pronounced individually, be sure to listen to how they are read whole words. It is often easier for students to understand and hear the pronunciation of English sounds when they are heard as part of a word, rather than separately.

In the tables below, all sounds are given with example words. Using electronic cards you can listen to the pronunciation.

How to learn to pronounce English sounds?

There are two approaches:

1. Theoretical– textbooks usually have a detailed description of how to press your tongue to the roof of your mouth to form a certain sound. With an illustration showing a cross-section of a human head. The method is scientifically correct, but it is difficult to use on your own: not everyone will understand what it means to “slide the upper teeth along the lower lip” and will be able to perform this action.
2. Practical– listen, watch and repeat. I think it's much easier this way. You simply repeat after the announcer, trying to imitate the sound as accurately as possible. Pay attention to articulation, try to repeat all movements of the lips and tongue. Ideally, of course, someone should supervise, but you can simply record yourself on a webcam and watch from the outside.

If you want to repeat after the speaker, imitating his speech, I recommend using the materials on Puzzle English, namely the “Video Puzzles” exercises, which are aimed at developing listening comprehension. In video puzzles, you can slow down your speech and, as in Lingvaleo, watch the translation of words by clicking on them directly in the subtitles.

In video puzzles, you first need to watch a video and then assemble sentences from words.

Detailed review of this service:

In addition, many kind people have made many videos for practical training that are available on YouTube. For example, these two videos examine in detail the sounds of English speech in the American and British versions:

British pronunciation

American pronunciation

When you start learning English, you shouldn’t strive to achieve “perfect” pronunciation. Firstly, there are a lot of varieties of pronunciation (the “generalized” British and American versions are presented above), and secondly, even native speakers who speak professionally (for example, actors) often take lessons from special trainers in order to master the features of or another version of pronunciation - practicing speech is not an easy task.

Just try to speak in a way that 1) is understandable and 2) doesn’t hurt your ears too much.

Reading rules in English: table and cards

Reading rules in English are, rather, not even rules, but generalized recommendations that are not particularly accurate. Not only can, say, the letter “o” in different combinations and syllable types be read in nine different ways, but there are also exceptions. For example, in the words food, too it is read as , and in the words good, look – as [u]. There is no pattern here, you just need to remember this.

If you look in different books, it turns out that the rules of reading, and indeed phonetics in general, can be told differently by different authors with varying degrees of immersion in detail. I think that there is no point in delving into the jungle of phonetic science (you can dive into it ad infinitum), and the easiest way is to take as a basis the most simplified version of the reading rules, that is reading rules in English for children.

For this article, I took as a basis the rules given in the textbook “English. Grades 1 – 4 in diagrams and tables” N. Vakulenko. Believe me, this is more than enough for both children and adults!

What is an open and closed syllable?

In English, there are open and closed syllables; it also matters whether it ends with the letter “r” and whether it is stressed.

A syllable is called open if:

• the syllable ends with a vowel and is the last in the word,
• a vowel is followed by another vowel,
• a vowel is followed by a consonant, and followed by one or more vowels.

A syllable is closed if:

• it is the last in the word, and ends with a consonant,
• A vowel is followed by two or more consonants.

In these cards and the table below you can see how different letters are pronounced in different combinations and syllable types.

The most important reading rules

The table above looks very busy, even intimidating. From it we can highlight several of the most important rules, which have almost no exceptions.

Basic rules for reading consonants

• The combination ph is read as [f]: photo, Morpheus.
• The combination th is read as [ð] or [θ]: think there. These sounds do not exist in the Russian language; their pronunciation requires some practice. Do not confuse them with the sounds [s], [z].
• The combination ng at the end of a word is read as [ŋ] - this is a nasal (that is, pronounced as if in the nose) version of the sound [n]. A common mistake is to read it as . There is no “g” in this sound. Examples: strong, King Kong, wrong.
• The combination sh is read as [ʃ]: ship, show, shop.
• The letter “c” before i, e, y is read as [s]: celebrity, cent, pencil.
• The letter “g” before i, e, y is read as: age, magic, gym.
• The combination ch is read as: match, catch.

Basic rules for reading vowels

• In an open stressed syllable, vowels are usually read as in: no, go, name, face, pupil, he, five. These can be monophthongs and diphthongs.
• In a closed syllable, vowels are read as short monophthongs: nut, got, ten.

How to remember reading rules?

Most people who are fluent in English as a foreign language will not be able to immediately name even a few basic reading rules. Rules readings do not need to be memorized, you need to be able to use them. But is it possible to use what you don’t know? As much as possible! Thanks to frequent practice, knowledge turns into skills and actions begin to be performed automatically, unconsciously.

In order for the reading rules to quickly reach the automatic stage, I recommend:

• Study the rules themselves - read, comprehend, speak examples out loud.
• Practicing reading aloud will help develop pronunciation skills, and at the same time, the rules of reading will be reinforced. Take the text with audio, video with subtitles so that you have something to compare it with.
• Do small written works - writing practice is useful for developing vocabulary, consolidating knowledge of grammar and, of course, improving spelling.

It consists of 26 letters, with 44 sounds. Therefore, you need to clearly know how to pronounce this or that sound, because the sound of the same letter may differ. This happens according to a certain system; such pronunciation rules are universal. To know them means to know the language.

Correct pronunciation of vowels

The sounds of the English language can be divided into vowel sounds and consonant sounds. There are several rules for reading and pronouncing vowel sounds, such as E, A, Y, U, I, O.

To better remember and understand how to correctly read the sounds of the English language, a table with examples and transcription for convenience in Russian letters will help you quickly remember the rules of reading.

• the type of pronunciation is associated with the presence of an open syllable in a word. Any syllable that ends with a vowel is considered open, including if the vowel is unreadable.
• type of pronunciation - consonant syllable.
• type of pronunciation - vowel with the letter “r”. The letter G determines the prolonged sound of the vowel, which is at the root of the word.
• reading type - 2 vowels and the letter G between them. In this case, the letter G is not readable. And vowels have a special pronunciation.

How to read consonants in English

The pronunciation of consonants in English also has its own characteristics. To understand how to correctly read the consonants of the English language, transcription in Russian letters will help you.

The letters sh are read as sh, ch as h, tch - h, ck - k, wh as uo (for example, what) or x (for example, xy), ng as n, q as kv, nk- as nc and wr as p , th is pronounced as with interdental vowels if they are at the beginning of a word, and as z in pronoun words, function words, between vowels.

Diphthongs in English: pronunciation rules

There are also vowel sounds that go together. They're called diphthongs and are pronounced according to special rules. Vowel sounds in English and their pronunciation often depend on whether they appear at the beginning, middle or end of a word.

The diphthong is pronounced "ay". It is expressed in writing by the vowels “i” and “y” in an open syllable with stress, the letter combination “ie” and “ye” at the end of the word, as well as “uy”, “eye”, “igh”.

i - line [line]
y - fly [fly]
ie - tie [tai]
ye - dye [give]
uy - guy [guy]
eye - eyebrow [eyebrov]
igh - knight [night]

[ɔɪ] is read like the Russian "oh". In writing it is expressed through "oi", "oy".

oi - noisy [noisy]
oy - annoy [enoy]
reads like "hey".

In writing it is conveyed by the letter “a” in an open stressed syllable, and by the letter combinations “ai”, “ay”, “ey”, “ea”, “ei”.

a - save [save]
ai - main [main]
ay - tray [tray]
ey - gray [gray]
ea - great [great]
ei-eight

It's read as "ay". The sound "a" is longer than "u". In writing it is conveyed through the letter combinations “ow”, “ou”.

ow - town [town]
ou - pound [pound]

[əu] is read as the average between the sound combinations “ou” and “eu”. The letter contains the letter “o” in an open stressed syllable, and letter combinations “ow”, “ou”, “oa”, “o+ld”, “o+ll”

o - bone [bone]
ow - snow [snow]
ou - soul [soul]
oa - coat [coat]
old - cold [cold]
oll - roller [roller]

[ɪə] is read as “ee”, “i” is long, and “e” is short. In writing it is conveyed by the letter combinations “ear”, “eer”, “ere”, “ier”.

ear - gear [gie]
eer - deer [die]
ere - severe [sivie]
ier - fierce [fies]

[ɛə] is read "ea" or "ee". The sound is a clear “e” and an intermediate between “e” and “a”. In writing it is conveyed using the letter combinations “are”, “ear”, “air”.

are - care [kee]
Bear - bear [bae]]
air - repair [repeer]]

It is read as "ue", while the "u" is longer than the "e". It is expressed by the letters "ue", "ure", "ou+r".

ue - cruel [cruel]
ure - sure [shue]
our - tour [tuer]]

Combination of vowels and consonants

In the English language, there is such a pattern when certain vowels are combined with consonants. For example, the combination al, if it is before the letter k, and after it there are other consonants. The combination of letters wo, if the previous syllable has consonants. Wa - if this combination comes before vowels at the end, the exception is r or if it is combined with consonants, for example, warm. We have already described the combination igh among diphthongs, as well as the combination qua, if it is found before consonants other than r.

And go through listening exercises. You will only listen to the correct pronunciation of real American English!