IPA

IPA Sounds

International Phonetic Alphabet

Vowels

Put your tongue forward and up a little to make the target sound /ɜː/

Put your tongue up and back a little to make the long target sound /uː/

The back of your tongue goes forward and up a little to make the target sound /ʊ/

Put your tongue back and down to make the long target sound /ɑː/

Open your mouth a little to make the target sound /æ/

Put your tongue slightly back and bring your lips slightly forward to make the target sound /ɒ/

Make a very very short sound to make the target sound /ə/

Open your mouth a little to make the short the target sound /e/

Open your mouth a little to make the short target sound /ɪ/

Open your mouth very little to make the long target sound /iː/

The back of your tongue goes up a little to make the long target sound /ɔː/

Put your tongue back a little to make the short target sound /ʌ/

au

ei

Diphthongs

ai

Consonants

UNVOICED CONSONANTS

VOICED CONSONANTS

ng

sz

th

ch

sh

th

Unvoiced

To make the target sound /t/, first put your tongue behind your top teeth. Then push air forward inside your mouth. **Then quickly move the tip of your tongue away from your teeth to release the air suddenly.** Don't use your voice.

To make the target sound /tʃ/, begin to make /t/. Then slowly move your tongue from the roof of your mouth. Do it again more quickly. Don't use your voice.

To make the target sound /f/, touch your top teeth with your bottom lip. Blow out air between your lip and your teeth. Don't use your voice.

To make the target sound /h/, push a lot of air out very quickly. Do not touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue.

To make the target sound /k/, first touch the back of the roof of your mouth with the back of your tongue. Then push air forward behind your tongue.**Then quickly move your tongue away to release the air suddenly**. Don't use your voice.

To make the louder sound /p/, at the beginning of a word, first close your lips hard. Then push air forward in your mouth. **Then quickly open your lips to release the air suddenly.** Don't use your voice.

To make the target sound /s/, touch your top teeth with the sides of your tongue forward to nearly touch the roof of your mouth. Don't use your voice.

First practice the sound /s/. Then put the tip of your tongue back a little to make the unvoiced target sound /ʃ/.

To make the target sound /θ/, put your tongue between your teeth. Blow out air between your tongue and your top teeth. Do not use your voice.

Voiced

To make the target sound /b/, at the beginning of a word, first close your lips hard. Then push air forward in your mouth. **Then quickly open your lips to release the air suddenly.** Use your voice.

To make the target sound /d/, first put your tongue behind your top teeth. Then push air forward inside your mouth. **Then quickly move the tip of your tongue away from your teeth to release the air suddenly.** Use your voice.

To make the target sound /g/, first touch the back of the roof of your mouth with the back of your tongue. Then push air forward behind your tongue.**Then quickly move your tongue away to release the air suddenly.** Use your voice.

To make the target sound /dʒ/, begin to make /d/. Then slowly move your tongue from the roof of your mouth. Do it again more quickly. Use your voice.

To make the target sound /l/, the air goes over the sides of your tongue and out of your mouth.

To make the target sound /m/, close your lips. Use your voice. /m/ comes through your nose.

To make the target sound /ð/, put your tongue between your teeth. Blow out air between your tongue and your top teeth. Use your voice.

To make the target sound /n/, don't close your lips. Put your tongue on the roof of your mouth. Touch your side teeth with the sides of your tongue. Use your voice. /n/ comes through your nose.

To make the target sound /r/, turn the tip of your tongue up. Do not touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue. The sides of your tongue should touch your top back teeth. Use your voice. ŋ

To make the target sound /ŋ/, touch the back of the roof of your mouth with the back of your tongue. Use your voice. /ŋ/ comes through your nose.

First practice the sound /s/. Then put the tip of your tongue back a little to make the voiced target sound /ʒ/. Use your voice.

To make the target sound /v/, touch your top teeth with your bottom lip. Blow out air between your lip and your teeth. Use your voice.

To make the target sound /w/, make your lips round and hard.

To make the target sound /j/, begin to make the sound /i:/ but very quickly move your tongue to make the next sound. Do not touch the roof of your mouth with your tongue or you will make another sound like /dʒ/.

First practice the sound /s/. Then use your voice to make the target sound /z/.