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 “bab”
- baba noun, proper noun(also uncountable) A kind of sponge cake soaked in rum-flavoured syrup.
- babe noun, proper noun(now literary or poetic) A baby or infant; a very young human or animal. [from 14th c.]
- babu noun, proper noun(Hinglish, North India) A Hindu title of respect, equivalent to Mr., usually appended to the surname of a Hindu man.
- baby noun, adjective, verb, proper nounA very young human, particularly from birth to a couple of years old or until walking is fully mastered.
- Babar proper nounA surname.
- babel noun, proper nounA confused noise made by a number of voices.
- babka nounA Central and Eastern European coffee cake flavored with orange rind, rum, almonds, and raisins; or with some single flavoring, such as cho…
- baboo nounArchaic spelling of babu.
- babble verb, noun(intransitive) To utter words indistinctly or unintelligibly; to utter inarticulate sounds
- baboon nounAn Old World monkey of the genus Papio, having dog-like muzzles and large canine teeth, cheek pouches, a short tail, and naked callosities …
- babassu nounA tall Brazilian feather palm, Attalea speciosa, having hard-shelled nuts that yield an edible oil.
- babbitt verb, proper noun, noun(transitive) To line (something) with babbitt metal to reduce friction.
- babbler nounSomeone who babbles.
- babyish adjectiveLike or suitable for a baby or a young child; childish
- Babylon proper noun, noun(historical) An ancient city, the ancient capital of Babylonia in modern Iraq, built on the banks of the Euphrates.
- babbling noun, adjective(uncountable) a stage in child language acquisition, during which an infant appears to be experimenting with uttering sounds of language, b…
- babelike adjectiveResembling or characteristic of a babe or infant.
- Babinski proper nounA surname.
- babirusa nounAny mammal in the genus Babyrousa in the pig family Suidae, in which the upper tusk grows upward.
- babushka nounAn Eastern European old woman.
- Baby Doc proper nounNickname for Jean-Claude Duvalier, Haitian politician and 35th President of Haiti
- baby oil nounA mineral oil used primarily to moisten the skin of babies after bathing.
- baby-sit verbAlternative spelling of babysit.
- babyhood nounThe state or period of infancy.
- babytalk verbTo speak in baby talk (form of speech used by adults in talking to very young children).
- babirussa nounAlternative form of babiroussa.
- baboonish adjectiveLike a baboon.
- baby boom noun(demography) A period marked by a signifiant increase in the birth rate.
- baby rose nounA species of rose, Rosa multiflora, from eastern Asia, noted for its multiple small buds on each stem.
- baby talk noun(linguistics) The form of speech used by adults in talking to very young children.
- baby-like adverblike a baby
- baby-wise adverbIn the manner of a baby.
- Babylonia proper noun(historical) An ancient empire and geographic region of Mesopotamia, existing from 1850 BCE to 539 BCE, based around the city of Babylon; a…
- babyrousa nouna genus of Suidae
- babbitting verbpresent participle and gerund of babbitt
- babesiidae nounpiroplasms and cattle pathogens
- babiroussa nounAlternative form of babirusa.
- baby buggy nounA wheeled chair for the transport of a baby or infant.
- baby grand nounA baby grand piano.
- baby tooth nounA tooth which will be replaced as a child ages, as opposed to an adult permanent tooth; a milk tooth.
- baby-faced adjectiveHaving a face that appears childlike, innocent, or youthful.
- Babylonian adjective, noun, proper noun(historical) Pertaining to the city of Babylon, or the Babylonian Empire.
- babyminder nounSomeone who takes care of another person's baby
- babysitter nounA person who cares for one or more babies or children for a short period of time in place of their legal guardians.
- baby boomer noun(sometimes capitalized, US, Canada) A person born in the postwar years, generally considered in the United States and other Allied countrie…
- baby buster nounSomeone born between the baby boom and the baby boomlet; a Gen-Xer.
- baby farmer nounOne who keeps a baby farm or does baby farming
- baby powder nounAn astringent powder used for preventing diaper rash, as a deodorant, and for other cosmetic purposes.
- baby-sitter nounAlternative spelling of babysitter.
- baby-walker nounAlternative spelling of baby walker.
- babysitting nounThe work of a babysitter; the care of children in the temporary absence of their parents or guardians.
- baba au rhum nounA yeast cake soaked in a syrup containing rum.
- baby sitting nounAlternative spelling of babysitting.
- baby's tears nounAny of various plants having parts (such as leaves or spots on leaves, petals, etc.) resembling teardrops; specifically, angel's tears (Sol…
- babbitt metal nounA soft white alloy of variable composition (for example, nine parts of tin to one of copper, or fifty parts of tin to five of antimony and …
- baby carriage noun(US) A cart that is designed for moving a baby around in a lying position.
- baby's breath nounA genus, Gypsophila, of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe, Asia and north Africa.
- babies'-breath nountall plant with small lance-shaped leaves and numerous tiny white or pink flowers
- Babinski reflex noun(medicine) An abnormal plantar reflex in which the hallux moves upwards, indicative of motor neuron damage.
- baby grand piano nounA small grand piano.