vowels and consonants homework

Vowels and Consonants Worksheets

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Kids Fun Vowels and Consonants Worksheets

The two major sounds in phonetics are vowels and consonants. Use these fun and free consonant and vowel sounds worksheets to show your children how vowel and consonant pairs can sound different, and also introduce them to new vowel and consonant sounds. For example, “ough” sounds different from how it looks; as seen in “cough”. These worksheets are the perfect teaching companion as they will expose your children to sounds which they might not have come across before. Help your children feel confident knowing everything about vowel and consonant sounds.

Long Vowel Review Worksheet

Long and Short Vowel Match up Reading Worksheet

Let's Check Long Vowels: Assessment Worksheet

Vowel match Worksheet

Let's Look for Consonants Worksheet

short vowels Worksheet

Reading: Long O Digraphs Worksheet

Vowel and Consonant Sounds: Assessment Worksheet

Short Vowels /e/, /i/, and /u/ Worksheet

Long or Short Vowel Sound? Worksheet

Reading: OW and OU Words Worksheet

Why Vowels? Reading Worksheet

Short Vowel Detective Worksheet

Matching Vowel Sounds Worksheet

Short Vowel Eggs Worksheet

Find the Vowels Reading Worksheet

Enough Is Enough (ough) Worksheet

Reading: AW and AU Words Worksheet

Long «u» Sound Worksheet

Matching Consonant Sounds: Part 3 Worksheet

Reading: AW Words Worksheet

Circle the Consonants Worksheet

Long and Short Vowel Sentences: Assessment Worksheet

Matching Consonant Sounds: Part 2 Worksheet

Related articles, the importance of vowels and consonants worksheets in language development.

Vowels and consonants form the basics of language and their learning is a critical developmental stage for children, often facilitated by worksheets. These are age-suitable, engaging instruments using vibrant illustrations and fun activities to spur creativity and thinking. They help develop phonemic awareness, which is vital for effective reading and writing. Children get to practice identifying and categorizing word sounds. This familiarity with sound representation assists them in decoding and understanding unfamiliar words, enhancing their spelling accuracy. Consequently, language comprehension skills are improved, enabling children to effectively communicate verbally and in writing. In essence, these worksheets make language learning fun and engaging for children.

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Vowels Worksheets

Free vowel worksheets.

The letters A, E, I, O and U are vowels. These phonics worksheets introduce students to short and long vowels, vowel blends and digraphs .  

Sample Kindergarten Vowels Worksheet

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Vowels and consonants

Common Core Standards: Kindergarten Language , Kindergarten Reading: Foundational Skills

CCSS.ELA-Literacy.L.K.2, CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RF.K.2

This worksheet originally published in English Made Easy Key Stage 1 for ages 5 to 6 by © Dorling Kindersley Limited .

Related worksheets

Vowel sounds: u (kindergarten, 1st grade), beginning and ending sounds, rhyming words: ball and wall.

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Vowel and consonants

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Free Printable Vowels Worksheets for 5th Grade

Vowels: Discover a collection of free printable Reading & Writing worksheets for Grade 5 students, curated by Quizizz to enhance your teaching experience and support students' learning journey.

Recommended Topics for you

• Long A/Short A
• Long I/Short I
• R-Controlled Vowels
• Vowel Teams
• Long E/Short E
• Long O/Short O
• Long U/Short U
• Short Vowels
• Long Vowels

Explore Vowels Worksheets by Grades

• kindergarten

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• Social studies
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Explore printable Vowels worksheets for 5th Grade

Vowels worksheets for Grade 5 are an essential tool for teachers to help students improve their reading and writing skills. These worksheets focus on various aspects of grammar, phonics, and letter sounds, ensuring that students have a strong foundation in the English language. By incorporating these worksheets into their lesson plans, teachers can provide students with engaging and interactive activities that will not only enhance their understanding of vowels but also boost their overall language proficiency. With a variety of exercises and activities tailored specifically for Grade 5 students, these vowels worksheets are a valuable resource for any teacher looking to improve their students' reading and writing abilities.

Quizizz is an excellent platform for teachers to access a wide range of resources, including vowels worksheets for Grade 5, to supplement their classroom instruction. This platform offers various features such as reading and writing exercises, grammar lessons, phonics activities, and letter sounds practice, all designed to help students excel in their language skills. Teachers can easily create quizzes and assessments using Quizizz, making it a convenient and efficient way to monitor students' progress and identify areas that may need additional support. By incorporating Quizizz into their teaching strategies, educators can provide a comprehensive and engaging learning experience for their Grade 5 students, ensuring that they develop strong reading, writing, and language skills.

Understanding Vowels and Consonants (Examples, Definitions, Quiz)

What are vowels and consonants? Since time immemorial, an aspect that relates to vowels and consonants has been acknowledged. There exist dual complementary classes of sounds of speech. These are, broadly, consonants and vowels. While writing or speaking, in principle , certain letters represent consonants and the sounds they make. Others similarly represent vowels. Vowels and consonants have similar relevance and space in writing and speech in the English language.

What are vowels?

The simplest definition of a vowel is that it is a sound of speech, syllabic in nature. The sound of any given vowel is pronounced or made without any constriction of the vocal cords while speaking. Vowels may range in loudness and quality.

Vowels comprise one of the two main categories of sounds of speech, the other being consonants. When voicing vowels, close attention is paid to the variations of stress, tonality, and intonation. The written symbols, in terms of representation by letters of the alphabet, are a , e , i , o , u , and at times, y.

What are consonants?

While on the subject of vowels and consonants, both parts of phonetics and articulation, it is important to define the consonant.

A consonant is a sound of speech that is typically articulated with partial or complete closure with regard to the vocal tract. Consequently, all the letters that consonants represent in the alphabet are the ones that are not represented by vowels.

For instance, “p” and “b” are consonants. The lips are largely involved in their pronunciation. In a similar way, “t” and “d” are said using the frontal part of the tongue.

The sounds of speech

The concepts behind vowels and consonants are important as the number of sounds of speech in English exceeds the number of letters in the alphabet.

This is, in fact, true for many of the world’s languages. In terms of phonetics, vowels and consonants, and their intonations and modalities matter. This is why the IPA, or the International Phonetic Alphabet, exists.

Here, a system to assign an uncomplicated and unique symbol to each vowel and consonant has been devised.

Examples of vowels in words

In the English language, there are several possible vowel sounds, represented by the letters a, e, i, o, u, and y sometimes. There may be as many as 20 sounds of vowels, but in English, only 12 are used extensively. Some examples of vowels in words are below:

• Vowel sound “a” – H a m, a bout, a lso, l a rge, etc.
• Vowel sound “e” – E dge, b e , e agle (with “a”), etc.
• Vowel sound “i” – I n, i ce, a i sle (with “a”), etc.
• Vowel sound “o” – O n, o wl, w o rk, f o al, o ld, etc.
• Vowel sound “u” – U p, u se, etc.

Vowels and how they are pronounced depend on the letters appearing before and after them. It is also clear that some vowels, when used in combination with other vowels, produce a distinct intonation.

Is the letter “y” a consonant or a vowel?

In truth, the letter “y” is almost always used as a vowel. It may fall within the class of consonants, while you differentiate between vowels and consonants, but its purpose varies. Based on the position of the letter “y”, it represents both sounds of speech, that of a vowel or a consonant. For instance:

• “Y” is a vowel in these words – my, gym, story, bicycle, busy, system, etc.
• “Y” is used as a vowel in words that do not contain other vowels (gym). It is also used in words where “y” is at the word’s end (story). Yet other words use “y” as a vowel when the letter is between a syllable (system).

Examples of consonants in words

To reiterate, a consonant differs from a vowel by the fact that, while voicing a consonant, the breadth is completely or partially obstructed. Such is not the case with vowels. This is the main difference between vowels and consonants. Here are some examples of consonants in words:

• “k” – kite, rock, etc.
• “ch” – church, chat, etc.
• “b” – bulb, bat, blab, etc.
• “g” – girl, got , grasp, gem, etc.
• “p” – photo, pen, plasma, pot, etc.

Vowels – Key aspects

Note the primary takeaways when considering a vowel and its importance in the pronunciation of words:

• The sound of any vowel occurs when the flow of air through the mouth takes place freely, without restriction.
• The vowel sounds in English are represented by the letters a, e, i, o, and u.
• In words, a syllable is one part of the word which typically has a vowel sound.

Consonants – Key aspects

The following aspects should be noted while considering consonants for use and purpose in English:

• In simple terms, a consonant is a sound of speech, formed with the vocal tract partial or total closure.
• Consonants may be represented by letters in the alphabet and distinguished from vowels a, e, i, o, and u.
• Typically, vowels occur between two consonants to form a sound of speech in meaningful words.

The use of vowels and consonants may be complex to some and requires study before effective use. Nonetheless, while reading and writing, it is possible to grasp their understanding better. An important takeaway is that letters, when placed in combination with each other, can sound different and are used in various ways.

There are five vowels represented by the letters a, e, i, o, and u in the English alphabet. Sometimes the letter “y” is considered a vowel, according to its use and purpose.

2. What are the consonants in English, and do they have different sounds?

There are 5 vowels in the alphabet. A, E, I, O, and U.

There are 5 vowels in the alphabet and the rest of the 21 letters in the alphabet are considered consonants.

• Vowels and Consonants – English Medium Learn English with English Medium
• Consonants and Vowels | Pronunciation Guide | Collins Education (collinsdictionary.com)
• Consonantal vowels Definition & Meaning – Merriam-Webster
• Consonants and vowels (Chapter 6) – Writing Systems (cambridge.org)

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Fact checked: Content is rigorously reviewed by a team of qualified and experienced fact checkers. Fact checkers review articles for factual accuracy, relevance, and timeliness. Learn more.

About the author

Dalia Y.: Dalia is an English Major and linguistics expert with an additional degree in Psychology. Dalia has featured articles on Forbes, Inc, Fast Company, Grammarly, and many more. She covers English, ESL, and all things grammar on GrammarBrain.

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Vowels and Consonants Worksheets

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Using Worksheets on Vowels and Consonants

Vowel and consonant worksheets play an essential role in the foundational stages of language learning for kids, particularly for kindergarten and first grade students. Understanding the difference between letters and their sounds is pivotal in mastering phonics, spelling, and pronunciation. These worksheets are designed to make learning fun and interactive for students, offering a variety of engaging activities that help identify a vowel sound or a consonant sound. These tools provide a structured yet flexible approach to education.

Building a Foundation: Early Literacy

Focusing on early literacy skills is crucial, and instructing in consonants is a fundamental part of this journey. By laying a solid foundation in these areas, kids are better prepared for more advanced language skills later on. Here’s how focusing on this topic can contribute to early literacy.

• Phonemic Awareness Development: Early exposure to vowel letters and their relative sound helps in developing phonemic awareness—the ability to hear, identify, and manipulate individual sounds in spoken words. This is a critical step towards learning to read.
• Transition to Reading: Understanding the difference between each letter, and their roles in words, helps kids make the transition from spoken to written language more smoothly. This understanding is key to decoding words in reading and constructing words.
• Vocabulary Expansion: As kids learn to use different vowel letters, they naturally begin to expand their vocabulary, as well as their reading fluency and reading comprehension. This not only aids in language development but also in cognitive development, as they learn to express themselves more clearly.
• Building Confidence in Literacy Skills: Early mastery of basic concepts like letters can boost children’s confidence in their literacy skills. This confidence and increased reading fluency can encourage a more positive attitude towards learning and education in general.
• Preparation for School and Beyond: A strong foundation in letter sounds, from long vowels to short vowel words, sets young learners up for success in school. It prepares them not only for reading but also for the more complex linguistic and cognitive tasks they will encounter in higher grades.
• Individualized Practice Opportunities: Focusing on letter sounds allows educators and parents to cater to individual needs early on. Whether a child is a fast learner or needs more support, early literacy activities can be tailored accordingly.

Incorporating vowels and consonants into early literacy is not just about helping students to learn consonant and vowel sounds; it's about nurturing a love for language, which is vital for a child's academic and personal growth.

Strategies to Teach with Free Printable Vowels and Consonants Worksheets

Introducing letter sounds effectively in the classroom or at home requires a blend of creative teaching methods and practical strategies. The key to this process is understanding that every student learns differently, and incorporating a variety of techniques to learn vowel sounds can cater to diverse learning styles.

• Phonics Games: Interactive games that focus on sound recognition can be extremely effective. These games can range from online interactive tools to simple board games focusing on word formation and letter sounds.
• Storytelling and Reading Aloud: Using stories and books where kids are encouraged to identify sounds, such as consonant sounds or short vowel sounds, as you read can be a captivating way to learn. This not only improves their comprehension of words but also enhances their listening and comprehension skills.
• Visual Aids and Flashcards: Visual cues are essential for memory retention. Flashcards with short vowel sounds, long vowel sounds, consonant sounds, or even digraphs, especially those with pictures representing the sound of the letter, can be a helpful tool.
• Singing and Music: Children often respond well to music and rhythm. Songs that highlight different letter sounds can be a fun and memorable way to learn.
• Letter Practice: Regular exercises where children practice identifying sounds can solidify their comprehension. This could include tracing a letter, having kids write simple words, or even attempting short sentences as they progress.
• Tailored Worksheets: Using a variety of worksheets, from those that focus on knowing sounds like identify vowels and consonants worksheets to more advanced blending consonants and vowels worksheets, can provide structured yet flexible opportunities to learn.

Vowels and Consonants Worksheet Ideas

Here are some worksheet idea types that can be incorporated into the classroom.

• Color-Coded Letter Sorting: Free worksheets can include a color-coding system where children are asked to color a vowel and a consonant in different colors. This visual distinction helps them differentiate between the two sets of letters in the alphabet.
• Word Creation Challenges: Free printable vowel and consonant worksheets feature a template where students can combine letters to form words. This practice helps them understand how different sounds blend to form syllables and complete words.
• Phonetic Pronunciation Guides: Differentiating vowels and consonants worksheets focus on phonics. These include sentences or single words where students must write the phonetic pronunciation, emphasizing the sounds in words and practicing differentiation between short vowels and long vowels.
• Syllable Counting Exercises: Consonants and vowels worksheets encourage students to break words down into syllables. This exercise not only aids in spelling but also in comprehending the rhythmic structure of words.
• Interactive Crosswords and Puzzles: Downloadable or printable consonant and vowel worksheets can include crosswords or puzzles. These not only make school engaging but also help reinforce the difference between these vowels and consonant sounds, or short vowels and long vowels, in a fun way.
• Worksheet Generator Tools: Utilizing a worksheet generator or maker gives teachers the flexibility to design their own worksheets. These tools can be tailored to the specific educational needs and levels of their students.

These worksheets are not only educational but also provide a free and fun way for kids to learn the basics of the English language. They are an excellent resource for teachers looking for creative and effective ideas to enhance their pedagogy.

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Frequently Asked Questions about Vowels and Consonants Worksheets

What is the importance of teaching vowels and consonants to children.

Understanding the distinction between vowels and consonants is fundamental in language development. It aids in the development of phonemic awareness, which is crucial for reading and spelling. Recognizing vowels and consonants helps children in decoding words, improving their pronunciation, and understanding the structure of the English language. It's a foundational skill that supports all aspects of literacy.

How can I make learning vowels and consonants engaging for my child?

To make learning about vowels and consonants more engaging, try incorporating interactive worksheets and activities. For instance, use color-coded worksheets, word puzzles, and phonetic pronunciation guides. You can also include games that involve identifying vowels and consonants in everyday objects or storybooks. The key is to make the learning experience fun and relevant to their interests.

At what age should children start learning about vowels and consonants?

Children can start learning about vowels and consonants as soon as they begin showing interest in letters and sounds, typically around preschool age (3-4 years old). Initially, the focus should be on recognizing and pronouncing letters. As they grow older and enter kindergarten, more structured learning through worksheets and formal lessons can be introduced to consolidate their understanding. Remember, every child is different, so it's important to tailor the learning process to their developmental stage and interest level.

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1.1: Letters and Sounds

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Letters and sounds are two different things: Letters are things you see . Sounds are things you hear .

For example, say the word else . You should hear three sounds in it:

• The first sound is spelled by the letter <e> at the front of the word.
• The second sound is spelled by the letter <l>.
• The third sound is spelled by the letter <s>.

Note that the letter <e> at the end of else does not spell a sound.

So you can see four letters, but you can hear only three sounds.

Here are some examples with the letters and sounds counted out for each word. Note that sometimes two letters work together to spell a single sound and sometimes a letter may not spell any sound, like the final 'e' in else.

Fill in the blanks. First count the letters in each of the words below. Then count the sounds you hear in each one. Be aware of letters that work together or don't spell any sound.

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What Are Vowels and Consonants? The Difference

Vowels and consonants make up the alphabet.

What are the vowels and consonants in the Latin alphabet?

There are 26 letters in the letters of the alphabet. They are usually divided into 5 vowels and 21 consonants.

The Differences between the Vowels and the Consonants

Consonants and vowels make up the syllables in a word.

Vowels and consonants have different sounds.

Vowel sounds are made with our mouth and throat open, while consonants are made by blocking air.

Vowels vary in terms of quality, loudness and in length. The vowels cause different variations, such as stress, tone and intonation.

In the English language, for example, there are only five vowels: A, E, O, I and U.

Y and W sometimes act as a vowel.

For example, ‘ Y ‘ at the beginning of words, like yellow, is a consonant, but ‘y’ at the end of the word is a vowel, like sunny and baby.

There are 20 vowel sounds in English.

We make vowel sounds by opening our mouth more and allowing the flow of air, without closing any parts of the throat or mouth.

When two vowels are put together to make a sound, we call it a vowel digraph. For example, r ea d, b oa t, f oo t, m oo n. and r ai n.

Every English word contains a vowel. These can be pure vowels (short and long vowel sounds) or glide vowels (diphthongs).

The Consonants

The 21 consonants are b, c, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, m, n, p, q, r, s, t, v, w, x, y, z.

There are 24 consonant sounds.

We make consonant sounds by blocking air flow in some kind of way using our tongue, lips, teeth or the roof of our mouth.

Voiced Consonants : voiced sounds are produced with the vocal cords, for example, B, D, G, J, L, M, N, Ng, R, Sz, Th.

Unvoiced or Voiceless Consonants: whispery sound without pitch, for example,   Ch, F, K, P, S, Sh, T, and Th .

When two consonants are put together to make a sound, we call it a consonant digraph. For example, ne ph ew, ch ip. ph one and ba th.

Vowels and Consonants in Primary School

At the nursery and reception years, students learn the alphabet and their sounds.

They then move on to learn CVC words (consonant vowel consonant) words like tap, pat, nap and can.

Students will eventually progress to CVCC words (consonant vowel consonant consonant) such as sink, belt, cold.

Students will also learn how to read words with two vowels together to make a sound, such as b oo k, r ai n, l ie , r ea d. When the two vowels combine to make a different sound it’s called a vowel digraph.

Students will also learn how to read words with two consonants to make a sound, such as th ank, ch art, sh eep, sh op. When the two vowels change to make a different sound it’s called a consonant digraph.

Types of Consonant Sounds

• Stop Consonants: airflow is stopped by the mouth and released, (p, b, t, d).
• Fricative Consonants: airflow has only a small space to travel, making it sound more noisy, ( f, v, s, z etc).
• Nasal Consonants: airflow passes through the noise instead of the mouth, (m, n, ).
• Affricate Consonants: begins like a stop consonant but ends with a fricative, (the ‘ch sound’ /ʧ/ and ‘j sound’ /ʤ/ ).
• Glide Consonants: similar to a vowel sound in which the air is stopped, but not as much as the fricitative or stop consonants, (w, j).

Places of Articulation

The place where the sounds are produced for consonants are as follows:

• Bilabial sounds: sounds made with two lips (p, b, m)
• Labia-dental sounds: sounds (f, v), made with the lower lips and upper front teeth
• Dental sounds: sounds produced with the tips of the tongue and upper front teeth contact ( l, t, d, and n)
• Alveolar sounds: sounds made by the touch of the tip of the tongue to the alveolar ridge (t, n and d)
• Palatal sounds: sounds made when the tongue’s blade strikes the hard palate (j)
• Velar sounds: requires the back of the tongue and soft palate to come into touch with each other (k, g, ŋ)
• Glottal   sounds:  the sound made in the larynx (h)

The International Phonetic Alphabet

It’s often very hard to predict the English pronunciation of words when reading new words.

It is useful to show the English language through a set of symbols called the international phonetic alphabet (IPA).

An international phonetic alphabet is a useful tool for learning vowels and consonants in any language. The benefit of using this is that it can be applied to many languages.

This can help you improve your pronunciation but doesn’t necessarily provide a fix for the various nuances and tonality in languages like Mandarin and Vietnamese.

You can find the full International Phonetic Alphabet Chart here.

You may also be interested in: 15 Best Online English Courses Free & Paid (2022)

International Phonetic Alphabet: Consonants Description

The /P/ sound is a voiceless bilabial stop.

It is usually represented as the letter p.

We make the sound by using both of our lips to block the mouth.

It is found in words like place, play, help and happy.

The /B/ sound is a voiced stop made by a quick puff of air forced through the mouth.

It is usually represented as the letter b.

It is found in words like boy, baby, bed and web.

The /T/ sound is an unvoiced stop made with the tip of the tongue on the alveolar ridge.

It is usually represented by the letter t.

It is found in words like toy, late, top and sting.

The /D/ sound is a voiced stop made by a quick puff of air forced through the mouth. Touch the tip of the tongue on the alveolar ridge to make this sound.

It is usually represented by the letter d.

It is found in words like sad, dad, do and made.

The /K/ sound is a voiceless stop made by blocking the airflow from the throat with the back of the throat.

It is usually represented by a number of different consonant letters, such as C, CC, K, CK, QU and sometimes CH.

It is found in words like can, kid, cat and chaos.

The /G/ sound is a voiced stop made by positioning the back of the tongue on the roof of the mouth.

It is usually represented by the letter g.

It is found in words like go, girl, get and big.

The /F/ sound is an unvoiced fricative made by placing the upper front teeth on the lips and blowing out.

It is represented by the letters f, ph and sometimes gh.

It is found in words like friend, laugh, stuff and phone.

Th e /V/ sound is a voiced fricative made by also placing your upper front teeth on your lips and blowing out.

It is represented by the letter “v” and rarely spelled with the letter “f.”

It is found in words like very, never and of.

This /Θ/ sound is an unvoiced fricative that is made by blowing air between the tip of the tongue and the top teeth. You have to stick your tongue out a bit to make this sound.

It is represented by the letters “th.”

It is found in the words three, something and month .

The /Ð/ sound is a voiced fricative that is made by blowing air between the tip of the tongue and the top teeth. You have to stick out your tongue to make this sound, just like the /Θ/ sound.

It is also represented by the letter cluster “th.”

It is found in words like this, that and other.

It is a voiceless fricative made by directing air with the tongue towards the edge of your teeth. Put your tongue near the alveolar ridge and blow out.

It is represented by the ‘s’ or sometimes ‘c’ letter.

It is found in words like see, once, sell and city.

This is a voiced fricative made by directing air with the tongue towards the edge of your teeth. Put your tongue near the alveolar ridge and blow out.

It is represented by ‘z’ and sometimes ‘s’ and ‘th.’

It is found in words like as, his, rose and clothes.

This is a voiceless fricative made by placing the tongue a little bit past the alveolar ridge. It is the sound we make when we ask for everyone to be quiet: “Shh!”

It is represented by the letters “sh,” “si” and “ti.”

It is found in words like she, sure, leash, national, information and should.

This is a voiced fricative that is made by placing the tongue a little bit past the alveolar ridge. It is the voiced counterpart of /ʃ/ .

It is represented by the letters “g,” “s,” “z,” “ti” and “si.”

It is found in words like “conclusion,” “vision,” “ decision ,” “visual” and “genre.

This is a voiceless affricate made by touching the alveolar ridge with the tip of the tongue,

It is represented by the letters “ch” or sometimes “t.”

It is found in words like “China,” “teacher,” “chat” and “chair.”

This is a voiced affricate made by touching the alveolar ridge with the tip of the tongue.

It is represented by the letters “j,” “g,” and “dj.”

It is found in words like “ j u dg e,” “ g in g er,” “su gg est” and “a dj ust.”

This is a voiceless fricative which is made by constricting the throat and breathing out. The mouth does not take a particular shape .

It is represented by the letters “h” and “wh.”

It is found in words like “who,” “ham,” “behind” and “help.”

This is known as a glottal stop. It is a voiceless fricative made by stopping the airflow through the glottis.

It is represented by the letters “t” or “-.”

It is found in words like “Manha tt an,” “ki tt en” button, and “uh – oh.” This stop is more common in American accents. Most Americans don’t use a harsh “t” sound to pronounce “Manhattan” but use a /ʔ/ sound instead.

This is a voiced nasal sound made when the lips are shut. This sound is like a vowel sound but made in the nasal cavity.

It is represented by the letter “m,” “mn” and “mb.”

It is found in words like cli mb , m ovie, m an and colu mn .

This is a voiced nasal sound made by placing the tip of the tongue on the alveolar ridge.

It is represented by the letter “n,” “ne,” “kn,” and “gn.”

It is found in words like now, resign, knight and dinner .

This is a nasal sound made by touching the tongue against the back of the mouth so it blocks the throat.

It is represented by the letters “ng” and sometimes “nk.”

It is found in words like sing, something, drink and young.

The /Ŋ/ sound is not found in every “ng” word. For example, the word finger has the /g/ sound. If the word ends in ng, then it should be /Ŋ/ sound.

This is an alveolar tap whereby the tip of the tongue lightly throws itself against the alveolar ridge.

It is usually represented by a “t” or “d.” It is more likely to be heard in American English.

It is found in words like water, better, party and odor.

The /ɾ/ sound is also pronounced as the letter “r” in many languages.

The /X/ sound is a voiceless fricative made by putting the back of your tongue near the soft palate.

It is usually represented by the letters “gh.”

This does not occur in English, except for the Scottish word “loch.” It can also be found occasionally in words like “ugh” to make it sound more exasperated.

International Phonetic Alphabet: Approximants Description

Approximants are sounds that lie somewhere between consonants and vowels. They are vowel-like consonants that occur as “glides” or “liquids.”

This liquid is made by keeping the tip of the tongue on the upper teeth.

It is represented by the letter “l.”

When it is followed by a vowel, it is called a “clear l,” for example, late, land, elegant.

Otherwise, it can be known as a “late l,” when it is followed by a consonant or a pause. It is found in words like full, milk, illness and bull.

This is one of the more awkward English sounds and one of the least common “r” sounds in English.

The /ɹ/ is made by curling the tongue into itself, to the back of the mouth.

It is found in words like real, wrong, run and earnest.

The English sound is often written as /r/ for simplicity, but the actual symbol /r/ is a trill style R in Spanish and Italian, like in the Spanish word “perro.”

This is a voiced palatal approximate made by bringing your tongue close to the roof of your mouth and releasing it.

It is usually represented by the letter “y” or some vowels.

It can be found in words like y ear, v i ew, be y ond and bill i on.

It can also be heard in words with the letter “u,” like c u te and p u re.

International Phonetic Alphabet: Vowels Description

Vowels are moreso approximations in the IPA as vowels are often pronounced differently depending on the accent.

• Close vowel: produced if the mouth is more closed.
• Mid vowel: produced when the mouth is open slightly.
• Open vowel: occurs when the mouth is more open.

Here is a chart that shows the placement of the vowels on the IPA graph. For example, a close or high front vowel like the vowel /i/ is produced with a tongue elevation in the front of the mouth while the low back vowels like /ɑ/ is produced with the lowest tongue elevation with the tongue positioned in the back.

The vowel length is marked as long by adding a colon-like symbol to the word. For example, clean is written as [kliːn].

Here are some of the pure vowels:

This is a voiced sound created by putting your tongue low in your mouth and stretch your lips.

This is usually represented by the letter “a.”

It is found in words like mat, have, sad.

This is a voiced sound created by opening your mouth wide and flattening the tongue in the mouth. Your lips should be relaxed. The tip of your tongue should be touching the back of your lower front teeth.

This is usually represented by the letter “o” or “a.”

It is found in words like top, off and cloth.

/Ɔ/ is an open-mid back rounded vowel. Open your mouth wide as possible and round your lips. Flatten your tongue low in your mouth. The tip of your tongue should be touching the back of your teeth.

This is usually represented by letters such as “aw,” “a,” “au” and “al.”

It is found in words like law, father, talk and all.

This sound is less popular nowadays as more people with a general English American accent are starting to pronounce words like “cot” and “caught” with the /a/ sound, and disregarding the /Ɔ/ sound altogether.

This is known as the “schwa.” It is used for unstressed vowels. Place tongue in the middle and center of the mouth and make a short guttural noise to produce the sound.

It is often represented by the letters u, er and ou and even l. It is a very common sound and almost any vowel letter can make the “schwa” sound. It is used for unstressed vowels whereas stressed vowels with a similar sound are represented by the

It is found in words like u s, ev e n, th e , j u st, peop l e and o ther.

The /Ɪ/ sound can be made by placing the tongue close to the top and front of the mouth. The lips are stretched out as if you are smiling. It is similar to the “e” sound but shorter. Make the sound with your mouth slightly opened.

It is represented by the letter “i” and sometimes “e.”

It is found in words like it, give, enough, become and amiss.

To make the /i/ sound, raise the tongue high and push it to the front of the mouth, lowered behind the bottom front teeth.

It is represented by the letters “ee,” “ea,”

It is found in words like each, see, be, city and people.

To make the /Ɛ/ sound, push the tongue to the front of the mouth with the tip of the tongue lowered behind the bottom front teeth.

This sound is represented by the letters “e” and “ea.”

It is found in words like bed, best , get and friend.

This sound is entirely replaced by the /e/ sound in Australian English and other accents.

/ɹ̩/ Or /ɚ/

These are represented by the letters “er,” “ear,” “eur,” “or,” “ur” and “ir.”

It is found in words like burn, earth, worm, winner , after and amateur.

The markings on these sounds indicate they can constitute their own syllable without any help from the vowels.

This is the open mid-central unrounded vowel. The tongue is low in the center of the mouth. It is a long sound.

This sound is represented by the letters “er,” “ear,” “ir,” “eur,” “ur,” and “or.”

This sound is found in words like person, word, turn, earth, worm and bird.

The /Ʌ/ sound is made when the tongue is low and in the middle and back of the mouth. Place the tongue low in the middle and back of the mouth. Make a short voiced sound with the mouth open.

It is found in words like b u t, u p, an o ther, other and come.

To make this sound, the front of the tongue stays down but pulled slightly pulled back so it is not quite touching the back of the front teeth.

This is similar to the “shwa” sound but it is usually reserved for stressed vowels.

It is represented by the letters “oo,” “u” and “oul.”

It is found in words like “push,” “up,” and “took.”

This is a close back rounded vowel. Put the tongue high, at the back of the mouth and lightly push the lips together while making a voiced sound.

It is represented by the letters “oo,” “u,” “ou,” “ugh,” “ew,”

This is found in the words like to, you, who, issue, through and threw.

This is usually used to represent the “u” in Spanish words like “luna” and “tu.”

To make this sound, pull the tongue back and tense it. The jaw should be partially lowered and the lips should be rounded and tensed, making a tighter circle.

This is found in words like go, foe, throw, soap and though.

This is usually used to represent the “o” in Spanish words like “hola” and “gato.”

In Conclusion

We make vowel sounds by opening our mouth and allowing the flow of air, without closing any parts of the throat or mouth.

The IPA can help improve the pronunciation of the vowels and consonants.

Caitriona Maria is an education writer and founder of TPR Teaching, crafting inspiring pieces that promote the importance of developing new skills. For 7 years, she has been committed to providing students with the best learning opportunities possible, both domestically and abroad. Dedicated to unlocking students' potential, Caitriona has taught English in several countries and continues to explore new cultures through her travels.

Caitriona Maria

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