TeachingEnglish
Phonemic symbols

Help your own and your students' pronunciation with our pronunciation downloads. There are 44 A4 size classroom posters of phonemic symbols with examples to download. The posters are in Portable Document Format (pdf) and have been attached in a zipped folder.

Long vowel sounds - file size 10k pdf. Click on an image to download the poster.

phoneme phoneme phoneme phoneme phoneme

Vowel sounds - file size 8k pdf. Click on an image to download the poster.

Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme

Diphthongs - file size 8k pdf. Click on an image to download the poster.

Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme

Consonants - Unvoiced and voiced pairs 1 - file size 8k pdf.
Click on an image to download the page.

Unvoiced Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme
Voiced Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme

Consonants - Unvoiced and voiced pairs 2 - file size 8k pdf.
Click on an image to download the page.

Unvoiced Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme
Voiced Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme

Other consonants - file size 8k pdf. Click on an image to download the poster.

Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme Phoneme


These phonemes are part of the phonetic chart that is used to describe the sounds of many languages. They have been established by the International Phonetic Association (IPA). For more information about the IPA and their work visit:- http://www.arts.gla.ac.uk/IPA/ipa.html

The BBC and British Council are not responsible for the content of external sites.

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Comments

shiringhotbi's picture
shiringhotbi
Submitted on 26 September, 2011 - 18:05

Dear sir or madam

I was wondering if there is any choice of downloading the phonetic pronunciation.

thanks

shirin

Sally Trowbridge's picture
Sally Trowbridge
TE Team
Submitted on 28 September, 2011 - 11:25

Hi Shirin

You can listen to the sounds of the phonemic chart (and hear sample words including the sounds) here: http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/activities/phonemic-chart#comment-17303

I'm afraid you can't download it at the moment.

Sally

eduardoz's picture
eduardoz
Submitted on 28 November, 2011 - 23:22

Hi my name is Eduardo, and I love this webpage, but I have a question that it´s very important to me--

You say phonemic symbols or phonetic symbols? or both are ok?  as students of English here in Chile, we are really confused with this matter.

Thank you very much.

and I hope your answer.

Sally Trowbridge's picture
Sally Trowbridge
TE Team
Submitted on 30 November, 2011 - 12:02

Hi Eduardo

That's a good question! The Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics uses the terms 'phonetic symbols' and talks about 'the phonemic system of a language'.

According to The Longman dictionary of language teaching and applied linguistics 'phonemic notation uses only the distinctive sounds of a language (phonemes). It does not show the finer points of pronunciation. It is written with slanting brackets //.' Whereas 'phonetic notation is written in square brackets []'.

I hope that helps!

Sally

joy prokash roy's picture
joy prokash roy
Submitted on 1 March, 2012 - 19:29

thanks British Council.

cyn sotelo's picture
cyn sotelo
Submitted on 9 March, 2012 - 00:11

could you give me a definition of the NLA rule?

Sally Trowbridge's picture
Sally Trowbridge
TE Team
Submitted on 12 March, 2012 - 10:25

Hi Cyn

Could you tell us what NLA stands for so that we can help with a definition?

Thanks

Sally

cyn sotelo's picture
cyn sotelo
Submitted on 13 March, 2012 - 01:59

YES... It´s about phonetics...  (NLA means LATERAL, NASAL AND APPROX. CONSONANTS).

here in Argentina mu phonetics teacher said that it´s a rule where a sound is omited when thre comes a nasal lateral or approximant consonant.. OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT

Sally Trowbridge's picture
Sally Trowbridge
TE Team
Submitted on 16 March, 2012 - 07:53

Hi Cyn

A lateral is 'a speech sound (a consonant) which is produced by partially blocking the airstream from the lungs, usually by the tongue, but letting it escape at one or both sides of the blockage. For example, in English the /l/ in light is a lateral.'From the Longman Dictionary of Language Teaching and Applied Linguistics.

I hope that helps!

thegodfather's picture
thegodfather
Submitted on 23 May, 2012 - 01:02

thanks