Appendix 2 English Vowels

letters

types

of reading

a

[eɪ]

o

[əʊ]

e

[i:]

i y

[aɪ] [waɪ]

u

[ju:]

I

[eɪ]

name

[əʊ]

note

[i:]

be

[aɪ]

fine my

[ju:]

tune

II

[æ]

flat

[ɒ]

not

[e]

pen

[ɪ]

sit myth

[ʌ]

mug

III

[ɑ:]

large

(exception – are [a:])

[כ:]

port

[з:]

term first myrtle fur

IV

[eə]

fare

[כ:]

more

[ɪə]

here

(exception –

there [ðeə]

where[weə]

were [wз:])

[aɪə]

fire tyre

[ju:ə]

Pure

1 group

2 group

3 group

1^st letter of the digraph is pronounced as in the alphabet

2^d letter of the digraph is pronounced as in the alphabet

e i

ey [eɪ]

o

[

oy [ɔɪ]

o o in terminal position

oo + consonant [u:]

(except k)

oo + k [ʊ]

a u

aw [ɔ:]

o u

ow [aʊ]

a i

ay [eɪ]

i e

ye [aɪ]

o a

oe [əʊ]

ow

u e

ui [ju:]

e e

ea [i:]

e u

ew [ju:]

in some words ei is read [i:]

e.g. receive, ceiling

good, wood, stood (oo + consonant) – [ʊ]

in some words ou is read [ʌ] – country, cousin or [u:] – group, soup

in some words ie is read as [i:] – field, believe

in terminal unstressed syllable ow is not reduced

after [r, l, ʤ] ui, ue are read [u:] – blue, fruit, juice

before d and th ea is read [e] – bread, death

after [r, l, ʤ] eu, ew are read [u:] – blew, drew