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 “lum”
- lump noun, verbSomething that protrudes, sticks out, or sticks together; a cluster or blob; a mound or mass of no particular shape.
- lumen noun(physics) In the International System of Units, the derived unit of luminous flux; the light that is emitted in a solid angle of one sterad…
- lumma noun100 lumma equal 1 dram in Armenia
- lumpy adjectiveFull of lumps, not smooth, uneven.
- lumbar adjective, nounRelated to the lower back or loin, specifically the five vertebrae between the rib cage and the pelvis.
- lumber noun, verb(Canada, US) Wood sawn into planks or otherwise prepared for sale or use, especially as a building material.
- lumbus noun(anatomy) Synonym of loin.
- lummox noun(informal) A clumsy, stupid person; an awkward bungler.
- lumpen adjective, noun, verbLump-like.
- lumper noun, verbAn extra laborer hired to assist in the loading or unloading of a truck or a ship.
- lumbago noun, verb(uncountable) Backache of the lumbar region or lower back, which can be caused by muscle strain or a slipped disc.
- luminal adjective, noun(biology) of or pertaining to the lumen
- lumpish adjectiveHaving an ill-defined or rough form or shape like a lump; lumplike.
- luminary nounOne who is an inspiration to others; one who has achieved success in one's chosen field; a leading light.
- luminism noun(art) An American artistic style of the 19th century, characterised by effects of light in landscapes.
- luminous adjectiveEmitting light; glowing brightly; shining.
- lump sum nounA relatively large single payment of money often paid and received instead of, or in addition to, a sequence of smaller payments.
- lumpenus nouna genus of Stichaeidae
- lumpfish nounA lumpsucker.
- lumbering noun, adjectiveThe act of one who lumbers; heavy, clumsy movement.
- lumberman nounA man involved in the production or sale of lumber; a lumberjack or logger.
- luminance nounThe quality of being luminous.
- luminesce verb(intransitive) To give off light, including in the invisible electromagnetic radiation frequencies, or become luminescent.
- lumpy jaw nounactinomycosis
- lumberjack noun, verbA person whose work is to fell trees.
- lumbermill nounA mill for processing lumber and logs; a sawmill.
- lumberyard nounA facility dedicated to the preparation and sale of lumber.
- luminosity noun(uncountable) the state of being luminous, or a luminous object; brilliance or radiance
- lumpectomy noun(surgery) The surgical removal of a tumour or cyst from a breast.
- lumpsucker nounAny of the scorpaeniform fish in the family Cyclopteridae, with adhesive pelvic discs.
- lumber room nounstoreroom in a house where odds and ends, especially furniture, can be stored
- lumbosacral adjectiveOf or pertaining to the lumbar and sacral regions of the back; the small of the back and the back portion of the pelvis.
- luminescent adjectiveEmitting light by luminescence.
- luminescence noun(physics) Any emission of light that cannot be attributed merely to the temperature of the emitting body.
- luminousness nounThe quality of being luminous.
- lumber jacket nounAlternative spelling of lumberjacket.
- luminous flux nounIn photometry, the measure of the power of light as perceived by the human eye, in proportion to the power at each wavelength.
- lumbar puncture noun(medicine) A diagnostic and at times therapeutic procedure performed to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid for biochemical, microbiolo…
- lumbar vertebra noun(anatomy) Any of the five vertebrae in the loin or lower back region of the spine.
- luminous energy noun(physics) The radiant energy of the visible portion of a spectrum of light
- lumpenproletariat noun(Marxism) The lowest stratum of the proletariat, whose mental and physical health, mores and morale have deteriorated, through exploitation…
- alum noun, verbAn astringent salt, usually occurring in the form of pale crystals, much used in the dyeing and tanning trade and in certain medicines, and…
- glum adjective, verb, nounDespondent; moody; sullen.
- plum noun, adjective, adverb, verb, proper nounAn edible, fleshy stone fruit of species Prunus domestica (European plum) and Prunus americana American plum, often of a dark red or purple…
- slum noun, verb(countable, derogatory) A dilapidated neighborhood where many people live in a state of poverty.
- clump noun, verbA cluster or lump; an unshaped piece or mass.
- filum noun(anatomy) a filamentous anatomical structure
- flume noun, verbA ravine or gorge, usually one with water running through.
- flump interjection, noun, verbA sound of something moving or falling heavily, or with a dull sound.
- glume noun(botany) A basal, membranous, outer sterile husk or bract in the flowers of grasses (Poaceae) and sedges (Cyperaceae).
- hilum noun(botany) The eye of a bean or other seed, or the center of that eye; the mark or scar at the point of attachment of an ovule or seed to its…
- plumb noun, adjective, adverb, verb, proper nounA little mass of lead, or the like, attached to a line, and used by builders, etc., to indicate a vertical direction.
- plume noun, verb, proper noun(archaic, literary and poetic) A feather of a bird, especially a large or showy one used as a decoration.
- plump adjective, verb, adverb, noun, proper nounHaving a full and rounded shape; chubby, somewhat overweight.
- plumy adjectiveCovered or adorned with plumes, or as with plumes; feathery.
- slump verb, noun(intransitive) To collapse heavily or helplessly.
- velum noun(anatomy) The soft palate.
- alumna nounA female pupil or student (especially of a university or college).
- amylum nounstarch
- asylum noun, verbA place of safety or refuge.