english phonemic transcription-1-


nasals:
(2
p, b, t, d1
, k, m, n, l, r, f2
, v, z, h, w (1
except certain past and past part.- ending
except in <of> / Pu / )
stops: /p/ as in 'pea' /b/ as in 'bee'
/t/ as in 'tea' /d/ as in 'do'
/k/ as in 'key' /g/ as in 'go'
/m/ as in 'map'
/n/ as in 'nap'
/ M/ as in 'hang'
fricatives: /f/ as in 'fat' /v/ as in 'vat'
/ S/ as in 'thin' /C/ as in 'that'
affricates: /sR/ as in 'chin' /cY/ as in 'gym'
approximants:
/s/ as in 'sip' /z/ as in 'zip'
/ R/ as in 'ship' /Y/ as in 'measure'
/ g/ as in 'hat'
Some hints for transcribing consonants:
glides: /i/ as in 'yet'
/w/ as in 'wet'
/q/ as in 'red'
liquids: /k/ as in 'led'
English Phonemic Transcription
It is important to understand the difference between a narrow transcription and a broad one.
The term narrow is applied to a transcription which contains a certain amount of phonetic
detail: the narrower a transcription is, the more phonetic detail it contains and the more
diacritic signs and special symbols it requires. This kind of transcription is a phonetic
transcription and is placed between square brackets ( [...] ).
A broad transcription shows an absence of phonetic detail. The broadest transcription
contains only phonemes. It is referred to as a phonemic transcription and is written between
slants ( /.../ ).
In dictionaries (and in dictations) it is common usage to use a phonemic transcription with the
added symbols for vowel length ( 9 ) , primary stress ( ! ) and secondary stress ( $ ), and the
diacritic for syllabic consonants (as in mÿ and k ÿ ).
Transcription of consonants:
English has the following consonant phonemes:
Voiceless Voiced