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 “set to”
- set to music verb(music) To adapt a literary work by adding music (and often song)
- attack noun, verb, adjectiveAn attempt to cause damage, injury to, or death of an opponent or enemy.
- attribute noun, verbA characteristic or quality of a thing.
- birr noun, verb, proper noun(Scotland) Strength, vigor, energy.
- busk verb, noun, proper noun(intransitive, especially UK) To solicit money by entertaining the public in the street or in public transport.
- catch one's breath verbto take a break, or rest while doing a strenuous activity, so that one's breathing becomes easier
- class noun, verb, adjective(countable) A group, collection, category or set sharing characteristics or attributes.
- come out of the closet verb(intransitive, idiomatic, LGBTQ) To disclose to others about one's sexual orientation, romantic orientation, or gender identity, where prev…
- duration nounAn amount of time or a particular time interval.
- egg timer nounA small version of an hourglass used to time the boiling of an egg.
- electricity nounOriginally, a property of amber and certain other nonconducting substances to attract lightweight material when rubbed, or the cause of thi…
- embed verb, noun(transitive) To lay (something) as in a bed; to lay in surrounding matter; to bed.
- epoch noun, verbA particular period of history, or of a person's life, especially one considered noteworthy or remarkable.
- flatter verb, nounTo compliment someone, often (but not necessarily) insincerely and sometimes to win favour.
- floored adjectiveCovered or furnished with a floor.
- FTP adjective, noun, verb(video games) free-to-play
- giant noun, adjectiveA mythical human or humanoid of very great size.
- home page noun(Internet) The main or first page of a website or set of hyperlinked documents.
- honeypot nounA pot of honey.
- house of correction noun(UK, historical) A kind of residential penitentiary facility, built after the passing of the Elizabethan Poor Law (1601), where those who w…
- inset verb, noun, adjective(transitive) To set in; infix or implant.
- madrigal noun(music) A song for a small number of unaccompanied voices; from 13th century Italy.
- mass noun, verb, adjectiveA quantity of matter cohering so as to make one body, or an aggregation of particles or things which collectively make one body or quantity…
- montage noun, verb(countable) A composite work, particularly an artwork, created by assembling or putting together other elements such as pieces of music, pi…
- nullified adjectiveThat has been declared null.
- ode noun, proper nounA short poetical composition proper to be set to music or sung; a lyric poem; especially, now, a poem characterized by sustained noble sent…
- offset noun, verb, adverb, adjectiveAnything that acts as counterbalance; a compensating equivalent.
- parcel bomb nounA bomb, disguised as a parcel, set to explode when unwrapped.
- parking brake nounA brake in a vehicle that can be set to avoid the vehicle rolling down a hill or being pushed away.
- permutation nounOne of the ways something exists, or the ways a set of objects can be ordered.
- pivot noun, verbA thing on which something turns; specifically a metal pointed pin or short shaft in machinery, such as the end of an axle or spindle.
- prep noun, verb(countable) Preparation.
- prop noun, verbAn object placed against or under another, to support it; anything that supports.
- reset verb, nounTo set back to the initial state.
- safety valve nounA valve set to open at a pressure below that at which a container holding a gas, vapour, etc. (such as a boiler or pressure cooker), would …
- setback nounAn obstacle, delay, disadvantage, or blow (an adverse event which slows down, or prevents progress towards a desired outcome).
- setting noun, adjectiveThe time, place and circumstance in which something (such as a story or picture) is set; context; scenario.
- sheet noun, verb, proper nounA thin bed cloth used as a covering for a mattress or as a layer over the sleeper.
- short sale noun(real estate) A property sale negotiated with a mortgage company in which a lender takes less than the total amount due.
- shotgun noun, verb(firearms) A gun which fires loads typically consisting of small metal balls, called shot, from a cartridge.
- showtime noun, interjectionThe time at which an entertainment event is set to begin.