Phonetics

(based from Cambridge English Dictionary)

* Pronunciations in the American English and Essential American English dictionary do not use the 'long vowel' marker
place of the syllable division marker

/./, they use a raised dot //.

Vowels
Long Vowels Short Vowels

sheep
farm
coo
horse
bird

ship
hat
foot
sock (UK)
cup

e head
above
mother (US)
worm (US)

Consonants
Voiced

Voiceless

b
d

d
jump

l look
r run
j yes
w we
m moon
n name
sing

p
t
k
f

book
day
give
very
the
zoo
vision

Diphthongs

e
a

day
eye
boy
mouth
nose (UK)
nose (US)
ear (UK)
hair (UK)

pen
town
cat
fish
think
say
she
cheese

// and, in

pure (UK)

Other symbols

/hnd/

/kws./

/hp.i/

/bt./

/n.fluen.z/

/lt.l/

hand
croissant (UK)
happy
butter (US)
influenza
little

l, m, n can be pronounced either: l or l etc.:

/leb.l/ = /leb.l/ or /leb.l /
r

linking r is pronounced only before a vowel in British English:

fr + p.lz = frp.lz
four + apples = four apples

main stress
secondary stress
syllable division

/ek.spekte.n/ expectation
/ritell/ retell
/ss.tm/ system

Labels & Codes

Adjectives
adjective

A word that describes a noun or pronoun

[after noun]

An adjective that only follows a noun.

[after verb]

An adjective that only follows a verb.

[before noun]

An adjective that only goes before a noun.

comparative

The form of an adjective or adverb that expresses a difference in

amount, number, degree, or quality.

superlative

The form of an adjective or adverb that expresses that the thing or

person being described has more of the particular quality than
anything or anyone else of the same type.

[not gradable] An adjective that has no comparative or superlative form.

Nouns
noun

A word that refers to a person, place or thing.

[C]

Countable noun: a noun that has a plural.

[U]

Uncountable or singular noun: a noun that has no plural.

[S]
plural

The plural form of a noun.

noun [plural]

A noun that can only be used in the plural.

[usually plural] A noun usually used in the plural.

[usually
singular]

A countable noun usually used in the singular.

[+ sing/pl verb]A noun that refers to a group of people acting collectively. When used
in the singular it can be followed by either a singular or a plural verb in
British English. In American English a singular verb is preferred.
Verbs
verb

A word that describes an action, state or experience.

[T]

Transitive verb: a verb that has an object.

[I]

Intransitive verb: a verb that has no object.

auxiliary verb The verbs be, have and do, which combine with other verbs to make
different forms like passives, questionsand the continuous.
modal verb

Verbs, such as must and can, that add meaning such

as certainty and obligation.

past simple

The past simple form of the verb (eat ate eaten).

past participle The past participle of the verb (eat ate eaten).
present simple The present participle of the verb (tying tied).
phrasal verb

A verb followed by an adverb or a preposition.

[L]

Linking verb: an intransitive verb that is followed by a noun or adjective

that refers back to the subject of the sentence.

[L only +
adjective]

A linking verb only followed by an adjective.

[L only + noun]A linking verb only followed by a noun.

[+ adv/prep]

A verb that must be followed by an adverb or preposition.

[+ that clause] A verb followed by a clause beginning with that.

[+ question
word]

A verb followed by a question word.

[+ speech]

A verb used with direct speech.

[+ to infinitive] A verb followed by the infinitive with to.

[+ infinitive
withoutto]

A verb followed by the infinitive without to.

[+ -ing] verb

A verb followed by the -ing form of the verb.

[+ not or so]

A verb followed immediately by not or so where these replace a clause.

[+ two objects] A verb that has a direct and indirect object.

[+ obj +
adjective]

A verb with an object followed by an adjective.

[+ obj + noun] A verb with an object followed by a noun.

[+ obj + noun
A verb with an object followed by a noun or adjective.
or adjective]
[+ obj
+ as noun or
adjective]

A verb with an object followed by as and a noun or an adjective.

[+ obj + to
benoun or
adjective]

A verb with an object followed by to be and a noun or an adjective.

[+ obj
+ thatclause]

A verb with an object followed by a that clause.

[+ obj
A verb with an object followed by an infinitive with to.
+ toinfinitive]
[+ obj +
infinitive
without to]

A verb with an object followed by an infinitive without to.

[+ obj + past
participle]

A verb with an object followed by a past participle.

[+ obj
+ ing verb]

A verb with an object followed by the -ing form of a verb.

[+ obj +
A verb with an object followed by a question word.
question word]
[usually
passive]

A verb usually used in the passive.

[not
continuous]

A verb not used in the continuous form.

Other labels
adverb

A word that gives information about a verb, adjective, another adverb,

or a sentence.

conjunction

A word such as and or although used to link two parts of a sentence.

determiner

A word such as the or this used before a noun to show which particular
example of a noun is being referred to.

number

A word that refers to a number.

ordinal number

A number such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, that shows the position of
something in a list of things.

preposition

A word that is used before a noun, a noun phrase, or a pronoun,

connecting it to another word.

predeterminer A word such as both or all used before other determiners.

pronoun

A word such as it, or mine used to replace a noun.

prefix

A letter or group of letters such as un-, pre- or anti-added to the

beginning of a word to make a new word.

suffix

A letter or group of letters such as -less or -ment added to the end of a

word to make a new word.

exclamation

A word or expression such as damn! or oh dear! used to express strong

feelings.

[+ ing verb]

A word or phrase followed by the -ing form of the verb.

[+ to infinitive] A word or phrase followed by the infinitive with to.

[+ that]

A word or phrase followed by a clause beginning withthat.

[+ question
word]

A word or phrase followed by a question word.

[as form of
address]

A word or phrase such as Mr or dear used to address someone.