Chart of English Vowel SoundsAlthough there are only 5 vowel letters in English, there are actually 15 unique vowel sounds. This chart shows all those vowel sounds according to theirstandard North American pronunciation.

North AmericanDictionary Symbol

InternationalPhonetic Alphabet

Example wordwith main spelling

Example word(s)with alternate spellings

Short a a æ hat

Long a ā ei hate rain, say, steak, they, eight, vein, straight

Short e e ɛ pet bread, said

Long e ē i: Pete meet, meat, chief, he, key, sunny

Short i i ɪ kit myth

Long i ī ɑi kite lied, wild, night, height, fly

Short o o ɑ hop fraud, law, talk, father, fought, taught

Long o ō ou hope toe, boat, most, grow, though, soul

Short u u u cut touch, some, about

Long u ū ɪu: cute cue, pupil, few

Short oo oo ʊ book would, bush

Long oo ōō u: boot blue, new, suit, flute, soup, shoe, do,through

oy oy oi boy boil

ow ow ɑu cow out, drought

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ir ir ɹ bird turn, work, syrup, dollar, faster, learn

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Chart of English Vowel Sounds | UsefulCharts.com http://www.usefulcharts.com/english/english-vowel-sounds-char...

2 of 2 7/27/12 11:23 PM