Klryz
Pronunciation guide: IPA symbols, stress and word endings

Vowels

iːseeɪsite / ɛbedæcat
ɑːfatherɒhot (UK)ɔːlawʊput
uːtooʌcupɜːbirdəabout
eɪdayaɪmyɔɪboyaʊnow
əʊ / oʊgo (UK / US)ɪəneareəhairʊətour

Consonants that look unusual

θthinðthisʃsheʒmeasure
tʃchurchdʒjudgeŋsingjyes

p b t d k g f v s z h m n l r w sound as in ordinary English spelling.

Marks

  • ˈ main stress, before the stressed syllable: /ˈwɔːtə/ water · ˌ lighter (secondary) stress: /ˌʌndəˈstænd/ understand
  • ː a long vowel · (r) an r said only in accents that pronounce it (most American, Scottish, Irish)

Common word endings

  • -s / -es (plurals; he/she form of verbs): /s/ after voiceless sounds (cats), /z/ after voiced (dogs), /ɪz/ after s, z, sh, ch, j sounds (buses, watches). Spelling: -es after s, x, z, ch, sh; consonant + y → -ies (city → cities).
  • -ed (past): /t/ after voiceless sounds (walked), /d/ after voiced (played), /ɪd/ after t or d (wanted). Spelling: love → loved, stop → stopped, carry → carried.
  • -ing: make → making, run → running, see → seeing.
  • Irregular: go, went, gone · be, was, been · see, saw, seen · man → men · child → children · mouse → mice.
  • Older (King James) forms: -eth = -s (he loveth = he loves) · -est with “thou” (thou lovest) · spake = spoke.

English Dictionary · 107,383 entries · Sources & licences

nighthawk

UK /ˈnʌɪthɔːk/ · US /ˈnaɪthɑk/ noun

Forms nighthawks

  1. noun (UK, regional) A nightjar, especially Caprimulgus europaeus (Eurasian nightjar).
  2. noun (US) A New World nightjar of the genus Chordeiles, especially Chordeiles minor.
  3. noun A person whose preference or custom is to remain awake and active during the night and the early morning hours.
  4. noun A nighthawker (metal detectorist who works illegally at night).
  5. noun (Japan, historical) An unlicensed prostitute who worked the roadsides at night.

Synonyms

bullbat nightjar night owl night person nightbird mosquito hawk

Etymology

From night + hawk.

Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 — from the Wiktionary entry “nighthawk”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details