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 “at first”
- at first hand adverbSynonym of first-hand.
- at first blush prepositional phrase(idiomatic) Upon first impression or consideration; seemingly, apparently, ostensibly.
- at first sight prepositional phraseSuperficially, without a full inspection.
- at first glance prepositional phrase(modal) After only a superficial examination or review.
- aggressor noun, proper nounThe person or country that first attacks or makes an aggression; that begins hostility or a quarrel; an assailant.
- bingle noun, verb, proper noun(Australia, informal) A minor collision, especially between motor vehicles.
- callus noun, verbA hardened area of the skin (especially on the foot or hand) caused by repeated friction, wear or use.
- catharsis noun(drama) A release of emotional tension after an overwhelming vicarious experience, resulting in the purging or purification of the emotions…
- come around verb(idiomatic) To change one's mind, especially to begin to agree or appreciate what one was reluctant to accept at first.
- cool off verb(intransitive) To decrease in temperature, activity, or temper.
- deconsecrate verbTo remove the holy or sacred status of a place
- dubious adjective(of a statement, matter, or thing) Arousing doubt; questionable; open to suspicion.
- fade away verb, nounTo lose strength, become weaker; to wane; to disappear or reduce slowly.
- fairy circle nounA circular patch barren of vegetation, often encircled by a ring of stimulated grass growth, typically found in regions of arid grassland.
- fielder's choice noun(baseball) A play in which a fielder puts out a baserunner, instead putting out the hitter at first base.
- first adjective, adverb, noun, verb, proper nounPreceding all others of a series or kind; the ordinal of one; earliest.
- genuinely adverbIn a genuine manner; truthfully, truly.
- ginkgoales nouncoextensive with the family Ginkgoaceae: plants that first appeared in the Permian and now represented by a single surviving species; often…
- graveyard shift nounA work shift late at night, especially one from midnight to 8 AM on a three-shift schedule.
- grower nounA farmer; one who grows things.
- icebreaker noun(nautical) A ship designed to break through ice so that it, or other ships coming behind, can navigate on frozen seas.
- impress verb, noun(transitive) To affect (someone) strongly and often favourably; to inspire admiration from (someone).
- just adjective, adverb, interjection, noun, verbFactually right, correct; factual.
- kooky adjective(slang) Eccentric, strange, or foolish; crazy or insane; kookish.
- laced adjectiveFastened with lace or laces (light cordage).
- mischief noun, verb(uncountable) Conduct that playfully causes petty annoyance.
- motor noun, adjective, verbA machine or device that converts other energy forms into mechanical energy, or imparts motion.
- organization noun(uncountable) The quality of being organized.
- originally adverb(not comparable) As it was in the beginning; at first.
- pick off verb, noun(literally) To remove by picking.
- pollard noun, verb, proper noun(often attributive) A pruned tree; the wood of such trees.
- pope noun, verb, proper noun(Roman Catholicism and generally) An honorary title of the Roman Catholic bishop of Rome as father and head of his church, a sovereign of t…
- prima facie adverb, adjective(law) At first sight; on the face of it.
- proscenium noun(in a modern theater) The stage area between the curtain and the orchestra.
- read verb, noun, proper noun(transitive or intransitive) To look at and interpret letters or other information that is written.
- rosary nounPrayer beads, a string of beads used to keep track of repetitions in prayer, particularly of the Roman Catholic Marian prayer "Hail Mary" (…
- sack noun, verbA bag; especially a large bag of strong, coarse material for storage and handling of various commodities, such as potatoes, coal, coffee; o…
- safe adjective, noun, verb, proper nounNot in danger; out of harm's reach.
- second reading noun(politics) In the United Kingdom and various other countries, the second presentation of a bill (proposed legislation) to a parliament or l…
- talk over verb(transitive) To discuss; to converse about a matter or issue.
- to begin with adverbInitially, at first, at the very start.
- wear down verbTo cause (someone) physical or mental fatigue.