Simplified English IPA chart

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The daunting IPA charts can be simplified by listing only sounds that occur in common English (General American and British RP) and translating linguistic terms to plain English.

Consonants

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Vocal cords are normally vibrated while making consonant sounds (voiced). The exceptions are the left symbol in a halved cell, and glottal consonants. These consonants are unvoiced and are white to denote that. By coupling the voiced/unvoiced aspect, and refering to the column and row of a consonant, one may find its phonological name.

For example, the "b" sound is called voiced bilabial plosive, because you voice your vocal cords while using both your lips to make a pop.

Bilabial Labio­dental Dental Alveolar Postalveolar Palatal Velar Labial-velar Glottal
both lips touch bottom lip touches top teeth tongue tip touches top teeth tongue touches inner gums tongue behind gums mid-tongue touches hard palate mid-tongue touches soft palate lips pursed, then retracted throaty
Plosive

(pop)

p b t d k ɡ ʔ
Nasal

(air thru nose)

m n ŋ
Tap or Flap ɾ
Fricative

(turbulent exhale)

f v θ ð s z ʃ ʒ ʍ h
Approximant

(smooth exhale)

ɹ j w
Lateral Approximant

(side-tongue exhale)

l

IPA vowel trapezia

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Unlike consonants, a vowel is a sustainable sound that occurs when the oral cavity is unrestricted and the vocal chords are vibrated. The IPA vowel chart is a trapezoid. Upwards, the oral cavity is narrowed; downwards it is opened. Leftwards, the top of the tongue is moved toothwards; rightwards it is moved towards the back of the throat. In the rightmost row, vowels right of the line indicate that the lips are rounded.

🇺🇸 General American
                       
i
geek








u
ghoul
ɪ
gill
ʊ
good
eɪ
gay







oʊ
goal
ə
gum
ɛ
get





ʌ
gull
ɔ
gore
æ
gal



ɑ
god
🇬🇧 Received Pronunciation
                       

see









use
ɪ
if
ʊ
good
eɪ
gay







ə
ɛː
bear





ʌ
gum
ɔː
gore

a
gal



ɑː
start
ɒ
god