Using the Phonetic Alphabet

2024-12-14

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1
  • Hello! This week on Ask a Teacher, we answer a question from Mouhammed in Egypt about using the phonetic alphabet.
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  • Dear Teacher,
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  • I want to ask about the most important sources through which I can learn to improve the [pronunciation] of English letters, [for] trying to master the American accent.
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  • Thank you,
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  • Mouhammed
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  • I'm happy to answer this question, Mouhammed.
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  • You can use the phonetic alphabet to help you know each sound of American English.
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  • Let's start by looking at what the phonetic alphabet is.
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  • Each separate sound we make when we talk is called a phoneme. For example, the word "cat" has three phonemes: /k/, /æ/, /t/ --"cat."
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  • For every phoneme we say, in any language, we can show that phoneme by using a special symbol, or sign.
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  • Those symbols are what make The International Phonetic Alphabet, or IPA.
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  • Notice that in the example with "cat," only the phonetic symbol for the letter "t" looks the same as the English letter for that sound.
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  • For many phonemes, the phonetic symbol does not look the same as the letters of the English alphabet that make the sound of the phonemes.
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  • Consider the word "need," for example.
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  • It is spelled N-E-E-D but the phonetic symbol signifying the vowel looks like the English letter "i."
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  • How can you use the phonetic alphabet? Try to identify the phonemes that are difficult for you.
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  • For example, small differences between some vowel sounds in American English may be difficult for some non-native speakers to hear. Consider the following example:
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  • bit bet
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  • Did you clearly hear the difference between the two words?
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  • Hearing the sounds more clearly can help you pronounce them.
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  • The IPA Pronunciation Guide on the website Vocabulary.com has an audio element so you can listen to the sound of each symbol.
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  • It also provides example words that contain the sound of each symbol.
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  • So, you can use the guide to practice hearing and saying any phoneme in American English.
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  • The VOA Learning English video series How to Pronounce has many lessons that use IPA symbols to help learners practice the sounds of American English.
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  • The 21 lessons "Games with Vowel Sounds" and the "Listening Practice" lessons are good places to start.
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  • On the VOA Learning English website, you can play a short piece of audio and listen for phonemes you want to practice.
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  • You can hear words pronounced clearly and look at the way English spelling represents the phonemes you hear.
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  • For our readers and listeners, what are your questions about American English?
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  • We want to hear from you! Send us an email at learningenglish@voanews.com. And please let us know where you are from, too.
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  • And that's Ask a Teacher.
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  • I'm Andrew Smith.