E P Tips

English Pronunciation Tips

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    • <-se> Episode 1
    • <-se> Episode 2
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    • <a> is not ʌ
    • <ai>
    • <al>
    • <au>
    • <bt>
    • <cc>
    • <ch> = k
    • <ch> = ʃ
    • <ea> = e
    • <eak>
    • <ear> = ɜː
    • <ease>
    • <ei> = eɪ
    • <eigh>
    • <eo>
    • <g> = ʒ
    • <gain>
    • <ge> and <gi>
    • <gn>
    • <i> = iː
    • <mb>
    • <ng>
    • <ng> again
    • <o> = uː
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    • <ou> = uː
    • <ou> = ʌ
    • <ough>
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    • <oup>
    • <our> = ɜː
    • <ove> = ʌv
    • <ove> does not = ʌv
    • <qu> = k
    • <s> = ʒ
    • <ss>
    • <th> = t
    • <ui>
    • <w(h)a> and <qua(w)>
    • <wor> = wɜː
    • Initial <th> = ð
    • Silent <h>
    • Silent <s>
    • Silent <w>
  • Stress
    • -aire
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  • Transcriptions
    • Transcription 1
  • Vowels
    • No schwa!
    • Vowel alternation: aɪ ~ ɪ
    • Vowel alternation: eɪ ~ æ
    • Vowel alternation: iː ~ e
    • Vowel alternation: əʊ ~ ɒ
    • ə elision in the first syllable
  • Word endings
    • -(m)ony = (m)əni
    • -(n)gue
    • -ac
    • -ade
    • -age = ɑːʒ
    • -ance
    • -ane
    • -ary and -ory
    • -ate
    • -chief
    • -cious
    • -eous
    • -et
    • -ex(e)
    • -ful(ly)
    • -gm
    • -i = aɪ
    • -ice
    • -ine
    • -ious
    • -ique
    • -ite = ɪt
    • -less
    • -ment
    • -mn
    • -ngle
    • -nomy & -tomy
    • -olic
    • -on
    • -oose
    • -oric(al)
    • -our
    • -our = aʊə
    • -path
    • -pathy
    • -re
    • -sis
    • -sten & -stle
    • -ture
    • -ward(s)
    • Non-silent <e>

Vowel alternation: aɪ ~ ɪ

The table below lists pairs of related words. Those in the left column have a letter <i> or <y> which represents the vowel aɪ. In the related word in the right column the vowel represented is ɪ. There are many more pairs of words like this.

Notice that the vowel alternations in these pairs are not triggered by differences in stress. The alternating vowels are always in the syllable which bears the main stress of the word.

aɪ ɪ
apply applicable
bile bilious
child children
Christ Christmas
conspire conspiracy
crime criminal
cycle cyclical
decisive decision
define definitive
despise despicable
divide divisible
divine divinity
ignite ignition
line lineage
malign malignant
precise precision
private privacy
rite ritual
sign signature
type typical
vice vicious
vile vilify
wild wilderness
wise wisdom

Note:
applicable can be pronounced as əˈplɪkəbl or ˈæplɪkəbl
cyclical can be pronounced as ˈsɪklɪkl or ˈsaɪklɪkl
privacy can be pronounced as ˈprɪvəsi or ˈpraɪvəsi


Thanks to Petr Rösel for comments on this tip.
2014_04_02
Updated: 2014_05_04

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    Latest update: 2015_04_18
    Number of tips: 246
    Number of tips with sound: 42

    Latest changes:

    Updated and added sound to -ese

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