Phonemic symbols

Support your pronunciation activities with our 44 A4 size downloadable pronunciation posters.

Click on each image to download the individual poster or download them all at once in the zipped folder below.

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

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

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

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

Unvoiced
Voiced

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

Unvoiced
Voiced

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

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:
www.internationalphoneticassociation.org/

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

Downloads

Phonemic symbols168.65 KB

Language Level

Beginner: A1

Comments

Download phonetic pronunciation

Dear sir or madam

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

thanks

shirin

Pronunciation

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

question

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.

Phonemic symbols or phonetic symbols?

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

thanks British Council.

NLA rule

could you give me a definition of the NLA rule?

Definition

Hi Cyn

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

Thanks

Sally

NLA rule

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

Lateral

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!

Thanks

thanks

Thanks

Superb British Council,

You are a real learning partner. We are so much benifitted from your effort.How can we develop spoken fluency in our students?

Hope you are with us.

Spoken fluency

Hi Upendra,
In our ‘Teaching resources’ section you’ll find lots of lesson plans and activities that include fluency practice.
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/teaching-resources
There are a range of articles on speaking skills in the ‘Articles on speaking’ section.
http://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/articles/speaking
Best wishes,
Sally

English Phonology help

Please answer, Fill in the gap please . words beginning with s+stops are so odd from the sonority pint of view [s is more sonorous than the stop] that is best to regard the /s/ as forming a separate ____________________syllable.

hi sally

hi my name is jamal and live in iran.i have a question! how i can speak english? how i should start? i dont know. please help me my dear sally. thanks

Help with English

Hi Jamal
You'll find lots of activities to help you with your English on our LearnEnglish website: http://learnenglish.britishcouncil.org/en/
Sally

Phonemic Symbols

Please provide MS Word files to download

PHONEMIC SYMBOLS

Hi Khizer Sorry we only have them in PDF format. Best wishes Del

Phonemic symbols

In your home page for the above is a teacher with a phonemics symbols teaching aid. As this is now the class teaching for the next two months can you tell me if this aid is available to us teachers and where from?

Phonemic symbols

Hi If you click on the link above, you can download a zip file with flashcards for all the phonetic symbols, which are great for use in class. I would also recommend using this: https://www.teachingenglish.org.uk/article/phonemic-chart if you have internet access in the class, as students will be able to hear the sounds as you click on the symbol. Hope that helps, Cath

Phonemic symbols

Comments

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