Verbal

Communication:
International
Phonetic
Alphabet
 1.determine the importance of an
International Phonetic Alphabet in
communicating;

Objectives 2.understand the corresponding

symbols of each sound produced;
and

3.practice pronouncing words

guided with the said phonetic
alphabet.
There are 26 letters in the English
Alphabet but represents 44 sounds.
 01 02 03

1. one sound 2. one sound can 3.o n e gra p h e m e

( phoneme ) can be be represented by (letter or letter
represented by one, multiple spelling group) can
two, three or four alternatives represent multiple
letters: e.g. /a/ a in ( graphemes ): e.g. sounds: e.g. ‘ough’:
apple, /f/ ph in /oa/: o, oa, ow, oe, /oa/ though, long
photograph, /igh/ o-e, eau, ough /oo/ through, /ou/
igh in night, /oa/ plough, /u/
ough in dough thorough
What is IPA?
 q These additions are
q is based on the Roman necessary because the
alphabet, which has the variety of sounds in
advantage of being languages is much
widely familiar, but greater than the
also includes letters number of letters in the
and additional symbols Roman alphabet.
from a variety of other
sources. q The use of sequences
of phonetic symbols to
represent speech is
known as transcription.
q Each sound is
represented by a
q Silent letter will not be
symbol; thus, in a word
bless [blꜪs]. transcribed like in the
word, thought [θ t]
q Capital letters will not
q Sound symbol/s should
alter the sound symbol
like in the name Grace be enclosed with
[gres]. brackets [ ].
Classification Symbol Keyword Symbol Keyword

[i] key [˄] country

[I] kit [ə] cola
[ɛ] Ken [ ɝ ] /[ ɚ ] curler
Vowels [e] Kate [ ] caught
[ӕ] cat [o] coat
[a] car [U] cook
[ɒ] cop [u] cool
Classification Symbol Keyword Symbol Keyword

[b] bees
[p] peas
[m] moon
[f] face
[n] noon
[v] vase
[ŋ] long
[d] dear
[l] lose
[t] tear
[k] kick
[θ] thin
Consonant [g] good
[ð] breathe
[r] roar
[s] sue
[j] youth
[z] zoo
[h] heal
[ʃ] shoe
[w] weal
[ tʃ ] chair
[ hw ] wheel
[ dӠ ] jar
[Ӡ] beige
Classification Symbol Keyword Symbol Keyword

[ aI ] Light
Diphtongs [ I] boy
[ aU] house
Sounds of
ENGLISH
VOWELS
 Classifications of Vowels

Tongue Degree of
Position Exertion

1 2 3 4
Jaw Height
Lip
Shape
1
The height of the jaw
production
ü High vowel – part of the tongue is raised
relatively high
ü Mid vowel - part of the tongue is raised
relatively in middle level
ü Low vowel – a part of the tongue is kept low
2
The position of the tongue
during production
ü Front vowel – the front part of the tongue
bunches up
ü Central vowel – the central part of the tongue
bunches up
ü Back vowel – back part of the tongue bunches up
3
The shape of the lips during
production
ü Unrounded – lips are not so positioned as to
form a circular opening
ü Rounded – lips are positioned that they form a
somewhat like circular opening
ü Half-rounded
4
The tension in the tongue
during production
ü Tense –produced with certain degree of effort
ü Lax – produced with ease and relaxation
 Vietor
Triangle
q Created by Wilhelm
Vietor (1850-1918,
German philologist and
phonetician).

qIt shows the position of

the tongue and jaw accord
ing the vowel sound(s)
required when speaking.
 IPA symbols for English vowels
Front Mid Back

High i beet [bit] u boot [but]

Mid- [bɪt]
ɪ bit ʊ book [bʊk]
High

Mid e bait [bet] ə but [bət] o boat [bot]

Mid-
ɛ bet [bɛt] ˄ up [˄p] ɔ bought [bɔt]
Low

Low æ bat [bæt] a father [faðər]

 meet - [mit]

compete- [kəmpit]
[i] feeble - [fibəl]

please - [pliz]
 ill - [Il]

sip - [sIp]
[I] medical - [mɛdIkl]

submit - [səbmIt]
 clay - [kleI]

behave - [bəheIv]
[e]/[eI] meditate- [mɛdIteIt]

facial - [feIʃəl]
 forget - [fɔrgɛt]

brethren- [brɛðrən]
[ɛ]
collect - [kəlɛkt]

celebrate- [sɛləbreIt]
 patty - [pæti]

fascist - [fæʃIst]
[æ] class - [klæs]

abstract - [æbstrækt]
 bottle - [bɑtl]

[ɑ]/[a]/[ɒ] clock - [klɑk]

aunt - [ɑnt]

wash - [wɑʃ]
 o - got

[ɑ]/[a]/[ɒ] a - want

al - calm
 us - [˄s]

[˄] buckle - [b˄kl]

It's used in stressed sysllables and blood - [bl˄d]

is a relaxed sound.
country - [k˄ntrI]
 u - but

[˄] o - come

ou - young

oo - flood
 Try this:
Schwa
[ə]
ü also known as lazy vowel; in
Seven balloons above the
producing the schwa, the
sound produced must be very
short ocean
ü the weak version of [˄].
ü It's used in unstressed
sysllables making it more
relaxed.
 above - [əb˄v]

person - [pɝsən]
[ə] action - [ækʃən]

ability - [əbIlIti]
 a - above
o - today
e - even
[ə] io - nation
i - pencil
u - product
 on - [ɔn]

cause - [kɔz]

[ɔ] all - [ɔl]

saw - [sɔ]
 bone - [boʊn]

clothes - [cloʊz]

[o]/[oʊ] bowl - [boʊl

chose - [tʃoʊz]
 o - go

ow - snow

[o]/[oʊ] oa - coat

ou - though

ew - sew
 push - [pʊʃ]

book - [bʊk]

[ʊ] wolf - [wʊlf]

could - [kʊd]
 rule - [rul]

too - [tu]

[u] do - [du]

new - [nu]

soup - [sup]
 [ɝ]
[ɚ]
The R-colored [ Ir ]
vowels
[ ɛr ]
a vowel followed by [r] in the
same syllable [ ɑr ]
[ ɔr ]
[ aIr ]
 girl - [gɝl]
[ɝ]
certain - [sɝt'n]
It's used in stressed sysllables and
is a tensed sound. word - [wɝd]

learn - [lɝn]

her - [hɝ]
 enter - [ɛntɚ]
[ɚ]
dollar - [dɑlɚ]
It's used in unstressed sysllables
and is a relaxed sound. It is the answer - [ænsɚ]
weaker verion of [ɝ]

eager - [igɚ]

butler - [b˄tlɚ]
 [Ir] here - [hIr]

clear - [klIr]
It's called as an R-colored
dipthong.
deer - [dIr]

zero - [zIro]
 [ɛr] there - [ðɛr]

bear - [bɛr]
It's called as an R-colored
dipthong.
share - [ʃɛr]

marry - [mɛri]
 [ɑr] park - [pɑrk]

torrent - [tɑrənt]
It's called as an R-colored
dipthong.
heart - [hɑrt]

alarm - [əlɑrm]
 [ɔr] orange - [ɔr(I)ndʒ]

four - [fɔr]
It's called as an R-colored
dipthong.
door - [dɔr]

course - [kɔrs]
 [aIr] hire - [haIr]

wire - [waIr]
It's called as an R-colored
tripthong.
flyer - [flaIr]

liar - [laIr]
CONSONANTS
 Classifications of Consonants

Place of
Articulation

1 2 3
Voicing
Manner of
Articulation
 Now take the following pairs of phonemes
Voicing (you may need to look at your copy of the
phonetic alphabet). In each pair, one
refers to the presence or sound is voiced and one sound is
absence of vocal vibration unvoiced. Which is which?
during speech sound
production. In a voiced /p/ and /b/
sound, there is vocal fold /t/ and /d/
vibration and an audible /ʤ/ and /tʃ/
'b u z z i n g' sou n d . I n a n /g/ and /k/
unvoiced sound, there is no /f/ and /v/
vocal fold vibration. /z/ and /s/
/ʃ/ and /ʒ/
 The place of articulation is the
physical location in the vocal
Place of tract that a phoneme is
Articulation produced in, and the kinds of
articulatory movements that are
involved in producing a sound.
 Place of
Articulation
ü Bilabial consonants are
produced at the lips (e.g. /b/).

ü Bilabial consonants occur

when you block/constrict
airflow out of the mouth by
bringing your lips together.

ü English contains the following

three bilabial consonants:

/p/ as in “purse”
/b/ as in “back”
/m/ as in “mad”
ü Labio-dental consonants are
produced with the lower lip
and the upper teeth (e.g. /f/).

ü Labio-dental consonants
occur when you
block/constrict airflow by
curling your lower lip back
and raising it to touch your
upper row of teeth.

ü English contains the following

two labio-dental sounds:
/f/ as in “fro”
/v/ as in “vine”
ü Dental consonants are
produced when the tongue is
placed between the teeth (e.g.
/θ/, /ð/).

ü Dental consonants occur

when you block/constrict
airflow by placing your slimy
tongue against your upper
teeth.

ü English contains the following

two labio-dental sounds:

/θ/ as is “thick” and “bath“

/ð/ as in “the” and “rather”
ü You create Alveolar
consonants when you raise
your tongue to the alveolar
ridge to block or constrict
airflow.

/n/ as in “no” and “man“

/t/ as in “tab” and “rat“
/d/ as in “dip” and “bad“
/s/ as in “suit” and “bus“
/z/ as in “zit” and “jazz“
/l/ as in “luck” and “fully”
ü Post-alveolar sounds are
produced with the tip of the
tongue and the roof of the
mouth (specifically, the area
in between the alveolar ridge
and the soft palate). (e.g. /ʃ/,
/ʒ/).

ü The post-alveolar english

consonants are as follows:

/ʃ/ as in “shot” or “brash”

/ʒ/ as in “vision” or “measure”
/tʃ/ as in “chick” or “match”
/dʒ/ as in “jam” or “badge“
ü Palatal sounds are produced
between the tongue and the
hard palate (e.g. /j/).

ü The roof of your mouth is the

hard palate. You may know it
as “the place that burns like
hell when I eat pizza that is
too hot.”

ü English has only one palatal

consonant:

/j/ as in “yes” and “bayou”

ü Velar sounds are produced
between the back of the
tongue and the velum

ü Behind your hard palate you

have the velum or soft palate.
Unlike the bony hard palate
in front of it, the this consists
of soft, mucousy tissue.
ü English has the following
velar consonants:

/ŋ/ as in “going” and “uncle”

/k/ as in “kite” and “back“
/g/ as in “good” and “bug“
/w/ as in “wet” and “howard”
ü The glottis is actually two
vocal folds (i.e. vocal cords).
It acts as a sort of bottle cap
to your windpipe.

ü Glottal consonants aren’t

actually consonants; they just
play consonant roles in the
language.
ü In English, the following
things happen at the glottis:

/h/ as in “hi” and “Bahamas.”

/?/ – “wha(t) time is it?”

/t/ in “what”
ü You can’t see your speech organ

ü You’ve been using the muscles of your speech

organ every day of your life since your first
breath.

Remember that whether you see it or not, the muscles of the

speech organ can be controlled.
Manner of This is related to the degree of closure

Articulation
(complete closure → close approximation →
open approximation).
Plosives involve a
complete closure, where
the vocal articulators fully
meet and air flow is
s t o p p e d .

This creates the 'explosion'

of sound when the closure
is released, hence the
name 'plosive'. The plosive
sounds in English are: /p
b t d k g / .
Fricatives involve a close
approximation, where the
vocal articulators do not
fully meet and air flow is
forced through a narrow
p a s s a g e .

This creates the friction

sound, hence the name
'fricative'. The fricative
sounds in English are: /f v
s z θ ð ʃ ʒ / .
“Sounds in whose
articulation the airstream
is stopped as for a plosive
and then released slowly
and partially with friction”
(Finch, 1999).

There are two affricate

phonemes in English: /tʃ/
a n d / d ʒ / .
“Sounds in whose
articulation two speech
organs approach each
other and air flows
continuously between
them without friction”
(Finch, 1999).
The key feature of laterals
is that the airflow passes
to the sides (of the tongue,
u s u a l l y ) w h e n
pronouncing them.
 Nasal sounds are
produced by air coming
out through the nose and
mouth. The nasal sounds
in English are /m n ŋ/.
 ü A trill involves bringing the
articulators together and vibrating
them rapidly. North American English
doesn’t have any trills, but Scottish
English often has a trilled [r]. You also
hear trills in Spanish, French and
Manner of Italian.

Articulation ü A flap (or tap) is a very short sound

that is a bit like a stop because it has a
complete obstruction of the vocal tract,
but the obstruction is so short that air
pressure doesn’t build up. You can
hear it in the middle of these words:
metal and medal.
International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
symbols for English Consonants
Palato-
Bilabial Labio-dental (Inter-)dental Alveolar Velar Glottal
alveolar

Stop p b t d k g
Fricative f v θ ð s z ʃ ʒ h
Affricate ʧ ʤ
Nasal m n ŋ
Lateral l
Approximant w r j
DIPTHONGS
 There are only 3 diphthongs:
Dipthongs 1.a + I = ay[ aI ]- sign, climb, delight
2.a + u = aw [ aU] - cloud, bough, frown

These are vowel sou n ds; 3.o + I = oy [ I ] - oil, choice, boy, noise
formed by combining two
vowels and pronounced in a
single continuous gliding
sound
Remember:
Through IPA, you will be able to pronounce the words,
autonomously. If you start familiarizing the symbols, very
well, then you’ll get better in enunciating words, in no time.
All you have to remember is that IPA doesn’t transcribe letter
thus, it focuses on sounds. Focus on sounds, and you’ll
provide a correct transcription.
Thanks !
Do you have any questions?

CREDITS: This presentation template was created by

Slidesgo, including icons by Flaticon, and infographics &
images by Freepik.

Please keep this slide for attribution.