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 “eek”
- geek noun, verb(dated) A carnival performer specializing in bizarre and unappetizing behavior.
- leek noun, proper nounA vegetable of variety Allium ampeloprasum, having edible leaves and an onion-like bulb but with a milder flavour than the onion.
- meek adjective, verb, proper nounHumble, non-boastful, modest, meager, or self-effacing.
- peek verb, noun, proper nounTo look slyly, or with the eyes half closed, or through a crevice; to peep.
- reek noun, verbA strong unpleasant smell.
- seek verb, noun, proper noun(ambitransitive) To try to find; to look for; to search for.
- week noun, interjectionAny period of seven consecutive days.
- cheek noun, verb, proper noun(anatomy) The soft skin on each side of the face, below the eyes; the outer surface of the sides of the oral cavity.
- creek noun, proper noun, adjective(UK) A small inlet, often saltwater, leading to the sea or to the main channel of a river, especially a river estuary.
- Greek adjective, proper noun, noun, verbOf or relating to Greece, its people, its language, or its culture.
- kweek nountrailing grass native to Europe now cosmopolitan in warm regions; used for lawns and pastures especially in southern United States and India
- sleek adjective, adverb, verb, nounHaving an even, smooth surface; smooth
- cheeky adjective(informal) Impudent; impertinent; impertinently bold, often in a way that is regarded as endearing or amusing.
- Greeks noun(finance) The quantities representing the sensitivity of the price of derivatives to a change in underlying parameters on which the value o…
- meekly adverbIn a meek manner; quietly and humbly.
- seeker nounOne who seeks.
- weekly adverb, adjective, noun, proper nounOnce every week.
- midweek noun, adjective, adverbThe middle of the week.
- reeking adjectiveTotally stinking.
- seeking noun, adjectiveThe act of one who seeks; a search or quest to find something.
- sleekly adverb(rare) In a sleek manner.
- weekday nounMonday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday or Friday, but not Saturday or Sunday.
- weekend noun, verb, adjectiveThe break in the working week, usually two days including the traditional holy or sabbath day. Thus in Western countries, Saturday and Sund…
- biweekly adjective, adverb, nounOccurring once every two weeks; fortnightly.
- cheekily adverbIn a cheeky or impudent manner.
- meekness nounThe state or quality of being meek.
- peekaboo noun, adjective, verb, interjection(games) A game for a small child in which one covers one's face, then suddenly reveals it, saying "Boo!" or "Peekaboo!".
- rag week noun(chiefly UK and Ireland, university slang) An annual event in many universities where students engage in unusual activities to raise money …
- seek out verb(transitive) To try to locate; to search for.
- weeklong adjectiveLasting for (approximately) one week.
- Whitweek nounThe week that begins with Whitsunday.
- workweek noun(US) The range of days of the week that are normally worked.
- beekeeper nounA person who maintains hives and keeps bees, especially for the production of honey.
- cheekbone nounThe small prominent bone of the cheek.
- creek bed nounThe bed of a creek.
- fenugreek nounAny of the species leguminous plant, Trigonella foenum-graecum, eaten as a vegetable and with seeds used as a spice.
- Greek key noun(art) A decorative border constructed from a continuous line, shaped into a repeated motif, that is commonly found in Greek art.
- Holy Week proper nounThe week preceding Easter; each of its days is a holy day.
- midweekly adjectiveOccurring midweek.
- New Greek proper nounSynonym of Modern Greek.
- rose leek nounSynonym of Canada onion.
- sand leek nounA wild onion of species Allium scorodoprasum.
- seek time noun(computing, computer hardware) The measurement of time required for the head assembly on the actuator arm of a hard drive to travel to the …
- sleekness nounThe quality of being sleek.
- weekender nounSomeone who visits a place for a weekend break.
- weeknight nounThe evening of a weekday.
- wild leek noun(US) A perennial wild onion native to eastern North America, Allium tricoccum, with a cluster of ovoid bulbs and large oblong elliptical le…
- beekeeping nounThe practice or profession of keeping and caring for bees.
- cheekiness nounthe state of being cheeky
- cheekpiece nounA piece of armour, or the bridle of a horse, that protects the cheek.
- Greek fire noun(historical) A highly flammable substance of unknown composition first used by the Greeks of Constantinople in the 7th century ce to set fi…
- Greek fret nounSynonym of Greek key (“a decorative border constructed from a continuous line”).
- Late Greek proper nounThe Greek language as written in Late Antiquity and the Early Byzantine period, i.e. from about the late 2nd century AD until about the lat…
- semiweekly nounA periodical published twice a week.
- cheek pouch noun(anatomy, zoology) A pouch in the cheek of some animals, usually used to carry food.
- cocky-leeky nounsoup made from chicken boiled with leeks
- Greek cross noun(heraldry) A cross with orthogonal arms of equal length.
- meadow leek nounSynonym of Canada onion.
- placeseeker nouna disparaging term for an appointee
- self-seeker nounA self-seeking person.