English Sound Set for Lyric Diction

IPA Symbol

Description

Example 1

IPA

Example 2

IPA

Vowels

Monophthongs

[i]

Forward/Fronting and closed

weak

[wik]

tree

[tɹi]

[ɨ]

Forward/Front and close (unaccented)

weekly

[wiklɨ]

glory

[glɔɹɨ]

[ɪ]

Forward/Fronting and opened

bit

[bɪt]

pin

[pɪn]

[ɛ]

Forward/Fronting and opened

wed

[wɛd]

melon

[mɛlən]

[æ]

Forward

as

[æz]

than

[ðæn]

[ɑ]

Back and dark 

John

[dʒɑn]

bother

[bɑðɚ]

[ɔ]

Back and opened

water

[wɔdɚ]

author

[ɔθɚ]

[ʊ]

Back and opened

book

[bʊk]

could

[kʊd]

[u]

Back and closed 

boot

[but]

to

[tu]

Schwas

[ə]

unstressed schwa

about

[ə'bɑʊt]

heaven

[hɛvən]

[ɚ]

unstressed r-colored schwa

singer

[sɪŋɚ]

doctor

[dɑktɚ]

[ʌ]

stressed schwa sound

fudge

[fʌdʒ]

love

[lʌv]

[ɜ˞]

stressed r-colored schwa

earth

[ɜ˞θ]

birth

[bɜ˞θ]

[ə]

Possible schwa alternative

righteous

[ɹaɪtʃəs]

taketh

[teɪkəθ]

^(ɛ)(ɪ)(o)

      ^(ɛ)(ʊ)(ɪ)

       ^(ɛ)(ɪ)

Diphthongs

[aɪ]

right

[ɹaɪt]

my

[maɪ]

[eɪ]

ate

[eɪt]

slain

[sleɪn]

[ɔɪ]

boy

[bɔɪ]

spoil

[spɔɪl]

[oʊ]

low

[loʊ]

no

[noʊ]

[ɑʊ]

how

[hɑʊ]

loud

[lɑʊd]

[ɛɚ]

air

[ɛɚ]

there

[ðɛɚ]

[ɪɚ]

ear

[ɪɚ]

here

[hɪɚ]

[ɔɚ]

tore

[tɔɚ]

oar

[ɔɚ]

[ʊɚ]

tour

[tʊɚ]

poor

[pʊɚ]

[ɑɚ]

are

[ɑɚ]

hart

[hɑɚt]

Consonants

Bilabial 

[b]

voiced

bob

[bɑb]

bow

[bɑʊ]

[p]

unvoiced

Praise

[pɹeɪz]

sleep

[slip]

[m]

voiced

mother

[mʌðɚ]

tomb

[tum]

Labiodental

[f]

unvoiced

father

[fɑðɚ]

laugh

[læf]

[v]

voiced

vow

[vɑʊ]

love

[lʌv]

Dental

[z]

voiced

zeal

[zil]

praises

[pɹeɪzəz]

[s]

unvoiced

sing

[sɪŋ]

pass

[pæs]

[l]

voiced

lily

[lɪlɨ]

lost

[lɔst]

[ð]

voiced

there

[ðɛɚ]

father

[fɑðɚ]

[θ]

unvoiced

truth

[tɹuθ]

birth

[bɪɚθ]

Aveolar

[d]

voiced

dead

[dɛd]

plead

[plid]

[t]

unvoiced

Thomas

[tɑməs]

truth

[tɹuθ]

[n]

voiced

none

[nʌn]

vanity

[vænətɨ]

 Prepalatal 

[ʃ]

unvoiced

ship

[ʃɪp]

sure

[ʃʊɚ]

[ʒ]

voiced

measure

[mɛʒɚ]

vision

[ˈvɪʒən]

[tʃ]

unvoiced

church

[tʃɜ˞ʈʃ]

choice

[tʃɔɪs]

Velar

[g]

voiced

grand

[gɹænd]

finger

[fɪŋgɚ]

[k]

unvoiced

kick

[kɪk]

Chaos

[keɪɑs]

[ŋ]

voiced

ring

[rɪŋ]

going

[goʊɪŋ]

Glottal

[ʍ]

where

[ʍɛɚ]

what

[ʍʌt]

[h]

house

[hɑʊs]

here

[hɪɚ]

Semi-consonants/Glides

[j]

yes

[jɛs]

your

[jɔɚ]

[ɹ]

wrong

[ɹɔŋ]

pretty

[pɹɪtɨ]

[w]

were

[wɜ˞]

sweet

[swit]

Other

ˈ

Primary Stress

submissive

[səb'mɪsəv]

fatherly

['fɑðɚlɨ]

ˌ

Secondary Stress

watermelon

watermelon

Hellfire

[ˈhɛlˌfaɪɚ]

|

Separation (formerly Glottal Stop)

her ear

[hɜ˞ |ɪɚ]

love Ann

[lʌv |æn]

/ ͜ 

Implosion 

hot dog

[hɑⱦ ͜ dɔg]

That tellest

[ðæⱦ ͜ tɛləst]

  ͜͡  

Merge

Flesh shall

[flɛʃ ͜͡ ʃæl]

have father

[hæv ͜͡ fɑðɚ]