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 “string instrument”
- arco adverb, noun, proper noun(music) A note in string instrument musical notation indicating that the bow is to be used in the usual way, usually following a passage th…
- bowing nounThe act of bending at the waist, as a sign of respect or greeting.
- brazilwood nounA Brazilian timber tree (Paubrasilia echinata, syn. Caesalpinia echinata), used primarily to make bows for string instruments.
- bridge noun, verb, proper nounA construction spanning a waterway, ravine, or valley from a height, allowing for the passage of vehicles, pedestrians, trains, etc.
- chordophone noun(music) Any musical instrument that produces sound from one or more vibrating strings; a string instrument.
- fret verb, noun(transitive, obsolete or poetic) Especially when describing animals: to consume, devour, or eat.
- frog noun, verbAny of a class of small tailless amphibians of the order Anura that typically hop.
- harmonic adjective, nounPertaining to harmony.
- headstock noun(mining) A headframe.
- lapping nounA kind of machine blanket or wrapping material used by calico printers.
- pluck verb, noun(transitive) To pull something sharply; to pull something out
- pull-off noun, adjectiveAn area by the side of a road where vehicles may stop; a lay-by.
- string quartet noun(music) A group of four musicians playing string instruments, usually two violins, a viola and a cello.
- tar noun, verb, proper nounCoal tar.