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 “aye”
- aye-aye nounThe lemur Daubentonia madagascariensis, a solitary nocturnal quadruped found in Madagascar and remarkable for their long fingers, sharp nai…
- Paye proper nounA surname.
- bayer proper nounA surname from German [in turn originating as an ethnonym].
- bayes proper nounA surname.
- Hayek proper nounA surname.
- hayes proper nounAn English habitational surname from Old English.
- layer noun, verb, proper nounA single thickness of some material covering a surface.
- Mayer proper nounA surname from German.
- payee nounone to whom money is paid.
- payer noun, proper nounOne who pays; specifically, the person by whom a bill or note has been, or should be, paid.
- clayey adjectiveComposed of clay or containing (much) clay; clayish.
- frayed adjectiveUnravelled; worn at the end or edge.
- mayeng nounThe tree Pterospermum acerifolium.
- payena noungenus of medium to large Malaysian trees yielding gutta-percha
- played verbsimple past and past participle of play
- player noun, proper nounOne who plays any game or sport.
- prayer noun(uncountable) A practice of communicating with one's God, or with some spiritual entity.
- sayers proper nounAn English surname originating as an occupation common in Sussex.
- slayer nounA killer; a murderer; someone who slays.
- spayed verbsimple past and past participle of spay
- stayer noun, proper nounOne who, or that which, upholds or supports; a prop.
- swayer nounOne who or that which sways something.
- allayer nounOne who allays.
- arrayed verbsimple past and past participle of array
- assayer nounOne who assays, or performs chemical tests on metals.
- cayenne noun, proper noun(figurative) Spice or verve.
- D-layer proper nounAlternative spelling of D layer.
- decayed adjectiveHaving undergone decay, rotted.
- delayed adjectiveHappening later than is usual, expected, or desired.
- delayer noun, verbOne who delays.
- essayer noun(obsolete) One who performs an essay; an experimenter.
- F layer proper nounSynonym of F region.
- layered adjectiveFormed of layers.
- layette nounA complete set of clothing, bedding and toilet articles for a new baby.
- Mayenne proper nounA department of Pays de la Loire, France (number 53).
- sayeret nounIsrael's elite secret commando unit responsible for counterterrorist and top secret intelligence gathering and hostage rescue missions
- sprayer nounSynonym of spray bottle.
- strayer noun, proper nounOne who strays.
- bayesian adjective, nounOf or pertaining to Thomas Bayes, English mathematician.
- betrayed adjectiveSuffering from betrayal
- betrayer nounSomeone who betrays, or reveals confidential information; a squealer or informer.
- dismayed adjectiveHaving the emotion of dismay.
- fedayeen nounplural of fedayee
- naysayer nounOne who consistently denies, criticizes, or doubts; a detractor.
- taxpayer nounA person who is subject to, liable for, or pays tax.
- unswayed adjectiveWithout being swayed, unconvinced, not having changed opinion.
- CD player noun(consumer electronics) An electronic device that plays compact discs.
- gainsayer nounOne who contradicts or denies what is alleged; an opposer.
- lafayette noun, proper nounThe dollarfish.
- manslayer nounOne who commits homicide or manslaughter
- mayetiola nouna genus of Cecidomyidae
- minelayer nounA vehicle, device, or person with the purpose of laying (installing) explosive mines (landmines or naval mines).
- overlayer nounA layer of adatoms adsorbed onto a surface, as onto the surface of a single crystal.
- panchayet nouna village council in India or southern Pakistan
- portrayed verbsimple past and past participle of portray
- portrayer nounAgent noun of portray; one who portrays.
- prayerful adjectiveThat prays frequently; characterised by prayer, devout, reverent.
- punchayet nounAlternative form of panchayat.
- ratepayer noun(chiefly Canada, US) Someone who pays for a public utility or service.
- ballplayer nounAlternative form of ball player.