Pronunciation guide: IPA symbols, stress and word endings
Vowels
| iː | see | ɪ | sit | e / ɛ | bed | æ | cat |
| ɑː | father | ɒ | hot (UK) | ɔː | law | ʊ | put |
| uː | too | ʌ | cup | ɜː | bird | ə | about |
| eɪ | day | aɪ | my | ɔɪ | boy | aʊ | now |
| əʊ / oʊ | go (UK / US) | ɪə | near | eə | hair | ʊə | tour |
Consonants that look unusual
| θ | thin | ð | this | ʃ | she | ʒ | measure |
| tʃ | church | dʒ | judge | ŋ | sing | j | yes |
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
Results for “Chris”
- chrism nounA mixture of oil and balm, consecrated for use as an anointing fluid in certain Christian ceremonies, especially confirmation.
- Christ proper noun, noun, interjection(Christianity) The anointed one, the savior predicted by the Old Testament.
- chrisom noun(historical) A white cloth, anointed with chrism, or a white mantle thrown over a child when baptized or christened.
- christen verb(transitive) To perform the religious rite of baptism upon; to baptize.
- christie noun, proper noun(skiing) A high-speed ski turn in which the skis are kept parallel.
- Christly adjective, adverbChristlike
- Christian noun, proper noun, adjectiveA believer in Christianity.
- Christmas proper noun, noun, adjective, verb, interjection(originally Christianity) A festival or holiday commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ and incorporating various Christian, pre-Christian,…
- christella nounany of several tropical ferns of the genus Christella having thin brittle fronds
- Christless adjectiveWithout Christ or the Christian faith; unchristian.
- Christlike adjectiveCharacteristic of Jesus Christ or his works.
- Christendom nounThe Christian world; Christ's Church on Earth.
- christening nounThe Christian sacrament at which someone, usually a child, is baptized and given a Christian name.
- christiania noun, proper nounSynonym of christie (“skiing turn”).
- Christianly adjective, adverbbefitting a Christian.
- Christology noun(uncountable) A field of study within Christian theology which is concerned with the nature of Jesus Christ, particularly with how the divi…
- Christopher proper nounA male given name from Ancient Greek.
- Christchurch proper nounA city in Canterbury, New Zealand, which is the largest in the South Island.
- Christianise verbNon-Oxford British English standard spelling of Christianize.
- christianity proper nounAn Abrahamic religion originating from the community of the followers of Jesus Christ.
- Christianize verb(transitive) To make Christian.
- Christian Era proper nounThe current date era beginning approximately 2000 years ago in the Gregorian calendar, based on the (assumed) birth of Jesus Christ.
- Christmas box noun(historical) A bonus or gift given by an employer to an employee, by a master/mistress to his/her servants, or by a householder to delivery…
- Christmas Day nounThe day on which Christmas is celebrated. It is December 25 in the West, and January 7 in some Eastern Orthodox churches.
- Christmas Eve proper nounThe evening before Christmas Day.
- Christmastide nounThe Twelve Days of Christmas; the period from Christmas Day to Epiphany.
- Christmastime nounChristmas season; Christmastide; yuletide
- christ's-thorn nounthorny Eurasian shrub with dry woody winged fruit
- christian name noun(Christianity) A first name formally given to a child at a Christian baptism.
- Christian year nounThe annual cycle of liturgical seasons in Christian churches, usually beginning from the Advent.
- Christmas bush nounA small tree or shrub that occurs in all Australian states of species Bursaria spinosa.
- Christmas cake nounA rich fruit cake covered with marzipan and icing, traditionally eaten at Christmas.
- Christmas card nounA greeting card that is decorated in a manner that celebrates Christmas.
- Christmas fern nounAn evergreen fern (Polystichum acrostichoides) of eastern North America.
- Christmas rose nounof various species of Helleborus, especially Helleborus niger.
- Christmas star proper nounThe Star of Bethlehem.
- Christmas tree nounAn evergreen tree (usually a conifer), or an artificial tree made to resemble this, which is typically decorated with lights and ornaments …
- Christmasberry nounAlternative form of Christmas berry.
- Christological adjective(theology) Of or pertaining to Christology.
- Christian Bible proper nounSynonym of Bible (“as a Christian religious text”).
- Christmas bells nounThe plant Sandersonia aurantiaca, native to South Africa.
- Christmas berry nounSynonym of toyon (“plant or its berry”) (Photinia arbutifolia, syn. Heteromeles arbutifolia)
- Christmas carol noun(music) A carol (song or hymn) whose lyrics are on the theme of Christmas.
- Christmas green nounA medium shade of green suggesting the foliage of a Christmas tree.
- Christmas holly nounSynonym of English holly.
- Christianisation nounAlternative spelling of Christianization.
- Christianization nounThe act or process of converting or being converted to Christianity.
- Christmas cactus nounAny of various cacti in the genus Schlumbergera.
- Christmas factor nounOne of the serine proteases of the coagulation system, whose absence leads to hemophilia.
- Christmas flower nounChristmas rose (Helleborus species)
- Christian Science proper noun(religion) A Christian church comprising the members of the Church of Christ, Scientist, founded by Mary Baker Eddy, and teaching that dise…
- Christmas disease nounhaemophilia B
- Christmas present nounUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see Christmas, present.
- Christmas pudding nounA rich dessert traditionally eaten at Christmas, made from dried fruit and nuts.
- Christmas stocking nounA stocking hung up by a child on Christmas Eve to be filled with gifts, ostensibly by Santa Claus; typically above the fireplace.
- Christian Scientist nounA member of the Christian Science denomination.
- antichrist noun, proper nounOne who works against the teachings of Christ.
- unchristian adjectiveNot of the Christian faith.
- Jesus Christ proper noun, noun, interjection(Christianity, Islam, Baháʼí) Jesus of Nazareth in His role as the Messiah of Christians.
- nonchristian adjectivenot believing in Christ