There have been numerous attempts to simplify spelling in English, with entire books devoted to proposed alphabet systems that would simplify not only one language, but apply universally to all. In English, pronunciation follows rules that aren’t obvious at first glance. So that single letter ( T) does not correlate to only one pronunciation. Furthermore, there is a difference in how the th- sound can be pronounced, such as with this and thin. Pairing T with H creates a new sound: th-. The T takes on a new pronunciation. Well, we all know English is not that simple. When T is used to spell tiger, the letter T is assigned one sound. Phonetic spelling is a system of spelling in which each letter represents one spoken sound. In English, some words are pronounced exactly as they look. Players try to match the phonetic spellings with the corresponding normal spelling of each word.Spelling is how we put words together, but what is phonetic spelling? An alternate way to create words? Well, yes! What is phonetic spelling? Each card has a word written with its standard spelling on the top and a phonetic spelling of a different word on the bottom.

You can also try phonetic matching games, like phonetic dominoes.

The phonetic spelling also shows you the differences between the English spelling and how the word is actually pronounced (e.g., the “d” is actually a combination of 2 sounds, and ).

For example, spells the word “education.” The suprasegmentals ˌ and ' show you which syllables receive the most stress (secondary and primary).

You can also reinforce your knowledge further by writing out familiar words phonetically. Make a list of vocabulary words written in IPA and try to sound out each word, paying attention to both the consonant and vowel symbols and other special symbols, like diacritics and suprasegmentals. Once you’ve spent some time getting familiar with the IPA, try putting it into practice. Practice reading and writing words phonetically.

Some manners of articulation that are less common or nonexistent in English include trills and flaps (which are made by rapidly vibrating or tapping the tongue or lips against a point of articulation), as well as clicks (like the disapproving “tsk” sound you make with your tongue on the roof of your mouth).

Unless they’re at the end of a word, these sounds are always followed by a vowel.

Glides, like (pronounced like “y” as in “yam”) and, involve very little restriction of air flow.

Liquids, like and, involve a slight obstruction of the airflow through the mouth that isn’t enough to cause any friction.

Fricatives, like and, require you to restrict the airflow enough to cause friction.

Stops, like, ,, or, involve briefly blocking the flow of air through the vocal tract.

This refers to the difference between consonants that are made with air moving through just the mouth (such as ) or also through the nose (like ). For example, is the voiceless counterpart to the voiced. Voiced versus voiceless: This refers to whether the voice is used during the articulation of a consonant.There are numerous manners of articulation, including: X Research source This refers to the way you use the flow of air out of (or, in rare cases, into) your vocal tract to change the sound of the consonant.

The other way that consonants are categorized is by manner of articulation. These include and the glottal stop, (which you use in the middle of words like “uh-oh” or “nuh-uh”).įamiliarize yourself with the manners of articulation for consonants. Glottals are made by modifying the flow of air in the glottis, inside your throat.Uvulars are made in the back of the throat by raising the back of the tongue to meet the uvula.These include, , and (the “ng” sound, as in “going”). Velars are made by raising the back part of the tongue to the soft palate, toward the back of the mouth.Palatals, which are not common in English, are made by raising the front part of the tongue to the palate.Alveolars are sounds made by placing the tongue on or near the roof of the mouth, just behind the teeth.The interdentals, and (the unvoiced and voiced “th” sounds), are made by holding the tip of the tongue between the teeth.Labiodentals, like and, are made by pressing the upper teeth to the lower lip.Bilabials, such as, , and, are made by pressing the lips together.Get familiar with major categories of consonants by place of articulation: X Research source Typically, consonants are made by partially or completely blocking the flow of air at some point in the vocal tract, such as the lips, teeth, palate, or throat. Place of articulation refers to where in the mouth a consonant is produced. Learn how to classify consonants by place of articulation.

English phonetic spelling alphabet