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 “in reference to”
- actinic adjectiveRelated to radiation; used most often in reference to light, especially in the ultraviolet range.
- advice noun(uncountable) An opinion offered to guide behavior in an effort to be helpful.
- all-rounder noun(chiefly UK) A versatile person, able to do many things well; used especially in reference to being good at various sports.
- allied adjectiveJoined as allies.
- anatomy nounThe science that deals with the form and structure of organic bodies; anatomical structure or organization.
- antebellum adjectiveOf the time period prior to a war.
- antique adjective, noun, verb, proper nounHaving existed in ancient times, descended from antiquity; used especially in reference to Greece and Rome.
- apnea noun(pathology) The cessation of breathing, most often in reference to transient instances thereof during sleep.
- avatar noun, proper noun(Hinduism) An incarnation of a deity, particularly Vishnu.
- bacterially adverbIn reference to bacteria
- barn door noun, verbThe large door of a barn.
- better adjective, noun, verbGreater in amount or quantity
- black fox nounSynonym of silver fox, especially in reference to foxskin.
- blue adjective, noun, verb, proper nounOf a blue hue.
- briquet noun(dated) Synonym of lighter in reference to any device used to light cigarettes.
- burgh noun, proper noun(Sussex) a small mound, often used in reference to tumuli (mostly restricted to place names).
- carbon noun, verb, proper noun(chemistry, uncountable) The chemical element (symbol C) with an atomic number of 6. It can be found in pure form for example as graphite, …
- cartilaginous adjectiveRelated to or resembling cartilage.
- chaste adjectiveSexually pure, abstaining from immoral or unlawful sexual intercourse.
- china noun, proper noun(uncountable) Synonym of porcelain, a hard white translucent ceramic made from kaolin, now (chiefly US) sometimes distinguished in referenc…
- CIO proper noun, noun, phrase(US, labor union) Initialism of Congress of Industrial Organizations.
- cockeyed adjectiveHaving both eyes oriented inward, cross-eyed.
- concord noun, verb, proper nounA state of agreement; harmony; union.
- cynical adjectiveOf or relating to the belief that human actions are motivated only or primarily by base desires or selfishness.
- Danzig proper nounGdańsk (especially in reference to the times when it was part of a German-speaking state such as Prussia or Germany).
- dyad nounA set of two elements treated as one; a pair.
- ebony noun, adjective, proper noun(uncountable) A hard, dense, deep black wood from various subtropical and tropical trees, especially of the genus Diospyros.
- epicurean adjective, nounPursuing pleasure, especially in reference to food or comfort.
- eponym nounA person who gave or supposedly gave their name to a people, place, institution, etc.
- fabricate verb(transitive) To form into a whole by uniting its parts; to construct; to build.
- flying saucer noun(informal) A disc-shaped unidentified flying object or UFO; originally in reference to sightings by aviator Kenneth Arnold in Washington in…
- freshwater adjective, noun, proper nounLiving in fresh water.
- full house noun, adjective(poker) A hand that consists of three of a kind and a pair.
- gin noun, verb, conjunctionA colourless non-aged alcoholic liquor made by distilling fermented grains such as barley, corn, oats or rye with juniper berries; the base…
- goer nounOne who, or that which, goes.
- hand over fist adverb(idiomatic) Quickly or in great quantity, especially in reference to earning money.
- haunt verb, noun(transitive) To inhabit or to visit frequently (most often used in reference to ghosts).
- heliocentric adjective(astronomy) Having the sun at the center/centre; usually in reference to a coordinate system or orbit. [from 17th c.]
- hippie noun, adjective(1950s slang) A teenager who imitated the beatniks.
- ice noun, verb, proper nounWater in frozen (solid) form.