Appendix

There are approximately 44 phonemes in English

Vowel phonemes

Phoneme examples

a cat

e peg bread

i pig wanted

o log want

u plug love

ai pain day gate station

ee sweet heat thief these

ie tried light my shine mind

oe road blow bone cold

ue moon blue grew tune

oo look would put

ar cart fast (regional)

ur burn first term heard work

or torn door warn (regional)

au haul law call

er wooden circus sister

ow down shout

oi coin boy

air stairs bear hare

ear fear beer here

Consonant Phonemes

Phoneme examples

b baby

d dog

f field photo

g game

h hat

j judge giant barge

k cook quick mix Chris

l lamb

m monkey comb

n nut knife gnat

p paper

r rabbit wrong

s sun mouse city science

t tap

v van

w was

wh where (regional)

y yes

z zebra please is

th then

th thin

ch chip watch

sh ship mission chef

zh treasure

ng ring sink

The following table shows typical examples of the occurrence of the above consonant phonemes in word:

/p/ pit /b/ bit

/t/ tin /d/ din

/k/ cut /ɡ/ gut

/tʃ/ cheap /dʒ/ jeep

/f/ fat /v/ vat

/θ/ thin /ð/ then

/s/ sap /z/ zap

/ʃ/ she /ʒ/ measure

/h / loch

/w/ we /m/ map

/l/ left /n/ nap

/r/ run /ŋ/ bang

/j/ yes /h/ ham

Practical task

Study articulatory features of RP consonants:

RP Consonant Phonemes /C ph: 24

[p] a labial, bilabial, occlusive, plosive, voiceless, fortis consonant phoneme

(=C ph)

[b] a labial, bilabial, occlusive, plosive, voiced, lenis C ph

[t] a lingual, forelingual, alveolar, occlusive, plosive, voiceless, fortis C ph

[d] a lingual, forelingual, alveolar, occlusive, plosive, voiced, lenis C ph

[k] a lingual, backlingual, occlusive, plosive, voiceless, fortis C ph

[g] a lingual, backlingual, occlusive, plosive, voiced, lenis C ph

[f] a labial, labio-dental, constrictive, fricative, voiceless, fortis C ph

[v] a labial, labio-dental, constrictive, fricative, voiced, lenis C ph

[θ] a foreligual, interdental, constrictive, fricative , voiceless, fortis C ph

[ð] a foreligual, interdental, constrictive, fricative , voiced, lenis C ph

[s] a forelingual, alveolar, constrictive, fricative, voiceless, fortis C ph

[z] a forelingual, alveolar, constrictive, fricative, voiced, lenis C ph

[Ʒ] a foreligual, palato-alveolar, constrictive, fricative, voiced, lenis C ph

[h] a glottal, constrictive, fricative, voiceless, fortis C ph

[ʧ] a voiceless affricate

[ʤ] a voiced affricate

[m] a bilabial, occlusive, plosive nasal sonant (S)

[n] an alveolar-apical, occlusive, plosive nasal S

[ŋ] a backlingual, velar, occlusive, plosive nasal S

[1] an alveolar-apical, constrictive, fricative, lateral S

[w] a bilabial, constrictive, fricative, medial S

[r] a post-alveolar, constrictive, fricative, medial S

[j] a medio-lingual, palatal, constrictive, fricative S

Study articulatory features of RP vowels

RP Vowel Phonemes / Vph: 20

RP Monophthongs / M): 12

[i:] a monophthong , long, tense, unrounded, front, high / close vowel phoneme of the narrow variety (=v.)

[i] a M, short, lax, unrounded, front retracted, high / close V ph of the wide v.

[e] a M, short, lax, unrounded, front, mid / half-open V ph of the narrow v.

[٨] a M, short, lax, unrounded, central / mixed, mid V ph of the wide v.

[a:] a M, long, tense, unrounded, back, low / open V ph of the wide v.

[ɒ] a M, short, lax, rounded, back, low / open V ph. of the wide v.

[u] a M, short, lax, rounded, back advanced, low / open V ph of the wide v.

[u:] a M, long, tense, rounded, back, high / close V ph of the narrow v

[з:] a M, long, tense, unrounded, central / mixed, mid V ph of the narrow v.

[з] a M, short, lax, unrounded, central / mixed, mid V ph of the wide v.

RP Diphthongs = 8

[ei] a closing diphthong (= D) with the i-glide

[ai] a closing D with the i-glide

[oi] a closing D with the i-glide

[зu] a closing D with the u-glide

[au] a closing D with the u-glide

[iə] a centering D with the 3-glide

[eə] a centering D with the 3-glide

[uə] a centering D with the a-glide