Key to the pronunciation

The pronunciations given are those in use in the educated speech of southern England (The so-called ‘Received Standard’), and the keywords given are to be understood as pronounced in such speech.

I. Consonants

b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, t, v, z have their usual English values.

g	as in	go (g)
h	...	ho! (h)
r	...	run (rn), terrier (tr(r))
(r)	...	her (h(r))
s	...	see (si), success (skss)
w	...	wear (w(r))
hw	...	when (hwn)
j	...	yes (js)
	...	thin (n), bath (b)
	...	then (n), bathe (be)
	...	shop (p), dish (d)
t	...	chop (tp), ditch (dt)
	...	vision (vn), déjeuner (dene)
d	...	judge (dd)
	...	singing (s), think (k)
g	...	finger (fg(r))

FOREIGN AND NON-SOUTHERN

	as in	It. serraglio (serao)
	...	Fr. cognac (kak)
x	...	Ger. ach (ax), Sc. loch (lx), Sp. frijoles (frixoles)
ç	...	Ger. ich (ç), Sc. nicht (nçt)
	...	North Ger. sagen (zan)
c	...	Afrikaans baardmannetjie (bartmanci)
	...	Fr. cuisine (kizin)

Symbols in parentheses are used to denote elements that may be omitted either by individual speakers or in particular phonetic contexts: e.g. bottle (bt()l), Mercian (m()n), suit (s(j)ut), impromptu (mprm(p)tju), father (f(r)).

II. Vowels and Diphthongs

SHORT

	as in	pit (pt), -ness (ns)
	...	pet (pt), Fr. sept (st)
æ	...	pat (pæt)
	...	putt (pt)
	...	pot (pt)
	...	put (pt)
	...	another (n(r))
()	...	beaten (bit()n)
i	...	Fr. si (si)
e	...	Fr. bébé (bebe)
a	...	Fr. mari (mari)
	...	Fr. bâtiment (btim)
	...	Fr. homme (m)
o	...	Fr. eau (o)
ø	...	Fr. peu (pø)
	...	Fr. boeuf (bf), coeur (kr)
u	...	Fr. douce (dus)
Y	...	Ger. Müller (mYlr)
y	...	Fr. du (dy)

LONG

i	as in	bean (bin)
	...	barn (bn)
	...	born (bn)
u	...	boon (bun)
	...	burn (bn)
e	...	Ger. Schnee (ne)
	...	Ger. Fähre (fr)
a	...	Ger. Tag (tak)
o	...	Ger. Sohn (zon)
ø	...	Ger. Goethe (gøt)
y	...	Ger. grün (gryn)

NASAL

,	as in	Fr. fin (f, f)
	...	Fr. franc (fr)
	...	Fr. bon (b)
	...	Fr. un ()

DIPHTHONGS, etc.

e	as in	bay (be)
a	...	buy (ba)
	...	boy (b)
	...	no (n)
a	...	now (na)
	...	peer (p(r))
	...	pair (p(r))
	...	tour (t(r))
	...	boar (b(r))
a	...	fiery (far)
a	...	sour (sa(r))

The incidence of main stress is shown by a superior stress mark () preceding the stressed syllable, and a secondary stress by an inferior stress mark (), e.g. pronunciation (prnnse()n).

For further explanation of the transcription used, see the General Explanations in Volume I of the Oxford English Dictionary.