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 “be able to”
- able adjective, verb, noun, proper nounHaving the necessary powers or the needed resources to accomplish a task.
- airtight adjectiveImpermeable to air or other gases.
- androgynous adjectivePossessing the sex organs of both sexes.
- aphakic adjective, noun(ophthalmology) Exhibiting aphakia; lacking the lens of the eye.
- athodyd nounA simple jet engine consisting essentially of a tube with a means of delivering fuel and ignition into the tube. The engine can only be sta…
- barring noun, preposition(collective) Bars; an arrangement or pattern of stripes or bars.
- bet noun, verb, interjection, preposition, proper nounA wager, an agreement between two parties that a stake (usually money) will be paid by the loser to the winner (the winner being the one wh…
- can verb, interjection, particle, noun, proper noun(auxiliary verb, defective) To know how to.
- channels nounFormal lines of command and procedure.
- come in verbTo enter.
- connect verb, noun(intransitive, of an object) To join (to another object): to attach, or to be intended to attach or capable of attaching, to another object.
- corner noun, verb, interjection, proper nounThe point where two converging lines meet; an angle, either external or internal.
- cough up verb(transitive) To expel from the lungs, throat, stomach, etc. by coughing.
- depend verb(intransitive) To be contingent or conditioned; to have something as a necessary condition [with on or upon; or (obsolete) with of]
- die down verb(intransitive, idiomatic) To become less virulent or strong; to subside.
- dispose of verb(transitive) To get rid of; to dispense with.
- done adjective, verb, interjection, proper nounHaving completed or finished an activity.
- evil eye nounA wicked look conveying dislike or envy that in many cultures is believed to be able to cause bad luck or injury; also, the ability to caus…
- extremity nounThe most extreme or furthest point of something.
- feral adjective, nounWild; untamed.
- fiddle with verbTo manipulate or toy with (an object), especially in a nervous, restless or aimless manner.
- financial adjectiveRelated to finances.
- fit adjective, verb, nounSuitable; proper
- flightless adjective(usually) Describing kinds of birds that normally cannot fly, such as the penguin, ostrich, and emu.
- for certain prepositional phrasedefinitely, positively, without doubt
- give voice verbTo sing.
- homing pigeon nounA variety of domesticated rock pigeon (Columba livia) that has been selectively bred to be able to find its way home over extremely long di…
- hopeful adjective, nounfeeling hope
- host noun, verbOne which receives or entertains a guest, socially, commercially, or officially.
- hothead noun(idiomatic, derogatory) One who is prone to anger or who actively seeks out conflicts and confrontations.
- huck verb, noun, proper noun(transitive, informal) To throw or chuck.
- idea noun(philosophy) An abstract archetype of a given thing, compared to which real-life examples are seen as imperfect approximations; pure essenc…
- in preposition, verb, adverb, noun, adjectiveContained by; inside.
- keep tabs on verb(idiomatic) To monitor; to keep track of; to watch.
- know-how nounThe knowledge and skill to be able to (do something correctly).
- leg noun, verb(anatomy) A limb or appendage that an animal uses for support or locomotion on land.
- litre nounThe metric unit of fluid measure, equal to one cubic decimetre. Symbol: L, l, or ℓ.
- live down verb(informal) To live so as to subdue or refute.
- load noun, verbA burden; a weight to be carried.
- lose verb, proper noun(transitive) To cease to have (something) in one's possession or capability.