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 “pian”
- piano noun, verb, adverb, adjective, proper noun(music) A percussive keyboard musical instrument, usually ranging over seven octaves, with white and black colored keys, played by pressing…
- pianism noun(music) One's way of playing the piano.
- pianist noun(music) A person who plays the piano, particularly with skill or as part of an orchestra.
- pianola noun(music) A mechanical piano which uses a roll of perforated paper to operate its keys, instead of being played by a pianist.
- pianistic adjectiveOf or pertaining to piano playing.
- pianissimo adverb, noun(music) Indicating that the piece is to be played very softly.
- piano wire nounA type of stiff but relatively thin solid wire that is used for piano strings.
- pianoforte noun(music, dated) A piano.
- piano maker nounMaker of pianos.
- piano stool nounA round wooden stool used by piano players. It is less stable than the rectangular piano bench. The height can be adjusted by simply spinni…
- piano player nounOne who plays the piano (to make music); a pianist.
- piano accordion noun(music) an accordion with a keyboard similar to that of a piano.
- apian adjective, nounRelating to bees.
- Caspian adjective, noun, proper nounOf or pertaining to the Caspian Sea or the region around it.
- utopian adjective, noun, proper nounOf or pertaining to or resembling a utopia.
- Olympian adjective, noun(not comparable) Of or relating to Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece; or (Greek mythology) the Greek gods and goddesses who wer…
- thespian adjective, nounOf, or relating to drama and acting; dramatic, theatrical.
- dystopian adjectiveOf or pertaining to a dystopia.
- Ethiopian noun, adjectiveA person from Ethiopia or of Ethiopian descent.
- Philippian adjective, nounOf, from, or pertaining to, Philippi.
- utopianism nounThe belief in a system for an ideal society, usually regarded as unrealistic.
- Aesculapian adjective(literally) Of or relating to Aesculapius, the Greco-Roman god of medicine.
- Caspian Sea proper nounA landlocked sea (properly a saline lake) between Eastern Europe and Asia, and the Earth’s largest inland body of water.
- forte-piano nouna keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
- grand piano noun(music) A large piano in which the strings are strung horizontally in a heavy frame shaped like a harp.
- Philippians proper noun(biblical) The eleventh book of the New Testament of the Bible, the epistle of St Paul to the Philippians.
- player piano noun(music) An acoustic piano that is played automatically by mechanical means.
- callithumpian adjective(US, colloquial, dated) Of, relating to, or resembling a callithump; riotous.
- Mississippian adjective, proper noun, noun(geology) Of a geologic epoch within the Carboniferous period from about 359 to 318 million years ago; marked by glaciation and the appeara…
- upright piano noun(music) A type of piano with vertically mounted strings.
- fallopian tube noun(anatomy) Either of the two ducts through which ova pass from the ovaries to the uterus.
- baby grand piano nounA small grand piano.
- utopian socialism noun(history, socialism) Socialism that is focussed on planning and building a flawless and egalitarian society, but has little to no concern w…