Sound correspondences between English accents

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) can be used to represent sound correspondences among various accents and dialects of the English language.

These charts give a diaphoneme for each sound, followed by its realization in different dialects. The symbols for the diaphonemes are given in bold, followed by their most common phonetic values.

Abbreviations list

The following abbreviations are used in this article for regional varieties of English: +Abbreviations listAbbreviationRegional varietyAmEAmerican EnglishAuEAustralian EnglishBahEBahamian EnglishBajEBajan EnglishCaECanadian EnglishCIEChannel Island EnglishEnEEnglish EnglishFiEFiji EnglishHKEHong Kong EnglishInEIndian EnglishIrEIrish EnglishJSEJamaican EnglishNZENew Zealand EnglishPaEPalauan EnglishSAESouth African EnglishSgESingapore EnglishSIESolomon Islands EnglishSSEStandard Scottish EnglishWaEWelsh English See Pronunciation respelling for English for phonetic transcriptions used in different dictionaries.

Consonants

+ English consonants Diaphoneme Phones Examples spin, tip pen but web sting two , , better do, odd daddy teach, nature chair gin, joy, edge skin, unique, thick cat, kill, queen go, get, beg , fool, enough, leaf, off, photo , , , voice, verve, have, of, verve , , thing, teeth , , , this, breathe, father see, city, pass zoo, rose she, sure, session, emotion, leash genre, pleasure, equation, seizure, beige , , ham, hue , man, ham no, tin ringer, sing, finger, drink l , , , , , , left, bell, sable, please , , , , , , , , , run, very, probably , we, queen , what yes, Mayan Marginal consonants , , , , , loch, ugh Hugh uh-oh , Llangefni, hlala gahle ibandla

Vowels

In the vowels charts, a separate phonetic value is given for each major dialect, alongside the words used to name their corresponding lexical sets. The diaphonemes for the lexical sets given here are based on RP and General American; they are not sufficient to express all of the distinctions found in other dialects, such as Australian English.

The groups are mostly defined such that no mergers of the sets in each group take place outside them. However, there are several mergers which are not described in the tables for practical reasons (see "Sets not merged here"). Note that in most cases, the first set in the group will never merge with the last set, similar to how the furthest points of a dialect continuum are not mutually intelligible.

to Dia-phonemeLexical setExamples Cameroonian English Newfoundland English AAVE Boston accent Cajun EnglishCalifornia EnglishChicano English General American Inland Northern American English Miami accent Mid-Atlantic accent New York accent Philadelphia EnglishSouthern American English BrummieSouthern England EnglishNorthern England English Ulster EnglishSouth-West Irish English Dublin EnglishStandard Irish EnglishAbercraf EnglishPort Talbot EnglishCardiff English Non-Rhotic Rhotic Older Younger Northern Southern Non-Rhotic Older Rhotic Older Non-Rhotic Rhotic Cultivated General Broad Cockney Estuary English (EE) MLE West Country Cumbrian Geordie Lancashire Manchester Pitmatic Scouse Yorkshire Conservative Contemporary (SSBE) Belfast Mid-Ulster Traditional Ulster Scots Local New Cultivated General Broad Cultivated General Broadhamɛː~ɛə̯~eə̯ eə~ɛəæ~ɛə̯~eə̯ æɛæ~eəæː~ɛːæ̝ː~ɛː~e̞ː~ ~a̽a æ~ɛ~ɛɪ æ~a~ɛ̞ ɐ̞ æː~aːa~äa~äa~ä~~~~~~~Suzanna Bet Hashim and Brown, Adam (2000) 'The [e] and [æ] vowels in Singapore English'. In Adam Brown, David Deterding and Low Ee Ling (eds.) The English Language in Singapore: Research on Pronunciation, Singapore: Singapore Association for Applied Linguistics , pp. 84–92.~badæ~ɛː~ɛə̯ɛ~æ~a~äæ~æ̞ , æ~æɛæ~ɐɛɐæ~a̝lad a̝~æ ~ɛ ~ / pass ~ æɛ~æe ɑː~ɑ̟ː~ɑ̹ː ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ fathera~ä~ɑ a~ä ä~ɑ~ɒä~a ~ ɑ ɑː ~ ~ɑː ~äː ~ äː ~äː ~ ~ not ~ ~ɔ ä~ɒ~ɔ̈~ɔ ~ ɒ~ɒ̈ ~ ɒ~ɑ̠ɒ~ɔ ɒ~ɔ ~~ ~~ ~ ~ / offɒ(ɔ̯)~ɔ(ʊ̯)~ɔə̯ ~~ ~ , ~, , law~~o̞ː~ɔː ~ɔ̝ə̯~ɔuə̯ɔə̯~ɔː~ɔ̝ːoːɒː~ɔː ɒː~ɔːo̞ːɒː~ɔː~~~ ːːpause oː~oʊ~ɔoo̟ː~o̞ː

comm to Dia-phonemeLexical setExamples Cameroonian English Newfoundland English AAVE Boston accent Cajun EnglishCalifornia EnglishChicano English General American Inland Northern American English Miami accent Mid-Atlantic accent New York accent Philadelphia EnglishSouthern American English BrummieSouthern England EnglishNorthern England English Ulster EnglishSouth-West Irish English Dublin EnglishStandard Irish EnglishAbercraf EnglishPort Talbot EnglishCardiff English Non-Rhotic Rhotic Older Younger Northern Southern Non-Rhotic Older Rhotic Older Non-Rhotic Rhotic Cultivated General Broad Cockney Estuary English (EE) MLE West Country Cumbrian Geordie Lancashire Manchester Pitmatic Scouse Yorkshire Conservative Contemporary (SSBE) Belfast Mid-Ulster Traditional Ulster Scots Local New Cultivated General Broad Cultivated General Broad commabout ə~a̽~ɔ~ɪ~ɛə~ə~ə̝ ə~ɔːəə bitɪ~iə̯ ~ë̞ ɪ ɪɪ~ɪjə~iə̯ ~ ɪ~iɪ ɪ~iɪɪ~ɪ̈ɪ ɪ̈~ë ə~ɘ ɛ ɪ̈ ~~~ ɪ̈ ~ kit happcity ~ ~ɪi̯~i ~iːɪi̯~əi̯ i ~əi̯~iiɪi̯~iːiːei~ɪiiɪ~eiɪ~e ~ ~~ see ɪi̯~iɪi̯ iəi̯~ɨi̯ əi~ɐiɪi , ɪiiːɪi~iː , ɪi~iː

to Dia-phonemeLexical setExamples Cameroonian English Newfoundland English AAVE Boston accent Cajun EnglishCalifornia EnglishChicano English General American Inland Northern American English Miami accent Mid-Atlantic accent New York accent Philadelphia EnglishSouthern American English BrummieSouthern England EnglishNorthern England English Ulster EnglishSouth-West Irish English Dublin EnglishStandard Irish EnglishAbercraf EnglishPort Talbot EnglishCardiff English Non-Rhotic Rhotic Older Younger Northern Southern Non-Rhotic Older Rhotic Older Non-Rhotic Rhotic Cultivated General Broad Cockney Estuary English (EE) MLE West Country Cumbrian Geordie Lancashire Manchester Pitmatic Scouse Yorkshire Conservative Contemporary (SSBE) Belfast Mid-Ulster Traditional Ulster Scots Local New Cultivated General Broad Cultivated General Broad run ~ ~ ʌ~ɜ~ɛ̠~ɐʌ~ɜ~ɑ̈~~ ʌ ɜ ʌ ~~ɔ ~ɒ~ʌ~ə~ɤ~ʊ ɐ̟~a ɐ~ʌ̟~ɐ̟ ʌ~ʌ̝ ʌ~ʊʊ ʊʊ, ʌ̈ ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ putʊ~ʊ̜̈~ɵ~ø̞ ɵ~ɘ~ə~ɤ~ɤ~ʊ̞~ɔ̝ʊ̈~ʏ ~ ~ʊɤ~ʊ~ʊ̝ ~ʊ̈ʊ~ʊ̜̈~ʊ̈ʊ ~ʊ̈ ~ ~ hood ~ʊ ~ throughʊu̯~u ~ uː~ʉː~yːʉ̠ːʊ~uː ~ ~ ~~ uː ~ uː ~əʉ̯~əu̯ əʉ~ʉː~ɨː~ʊː ʉː~ʉ̟ː~ʏː ʏ̝ː~ʉː uː~ʏː ʉː ~,ɵʊ̯ʊu~uːʏːʉː , ɪ̈u̯~ɪ̈ʊ̯ʊu~uː ~ threw cute(j)ʊu̯~(j)u~ (j)uː~(j)ʉː~(j)yː (j)ʉ̠ː (j)ʊ~(j)u: ~ ~ ~~ juː ~ juː ~jəʉ̯~jəu̯ jəʉ~jʉː~jɨː~jʊː jʉː~jʉ̟ː~jʏː jʏ̝ː~jʉː (j)uːjʉː ~,jɵʊ̯jʊu~juːjʏːjʉː , jɪ̈u̯~jɪ̈ʊ̯jʊu~juː ~

to lett Dia-phonemeLexical setExamples Cameroonian English Newfoundland English AAVE Boston accent Cajun EnglishCalifornia EnglishChicano English General American Inland Northern American English Miami accent Mid-Atlantic accent New York accent Philadelphia EnglishSouthern American English BrummieSouthern England EnglishNorthern England English Ulster EnglishSouth-West Irish English Dublin EnglishStandard Irish EnglishAbercraf EnglishPort Talbot EnglishCardiff English Non-Rhotic Rhotic Older Younger Northern Southern Non-Rhotic Older Rhotic Older Non-Rhotic Rhotic Cultivated General Broad Cockney Estuary English (EE) MLE West Country Cumbrian Geordie Lancashire Manchester Pitmatic Scouse Yorkshire Conservative Contemporary (SSBE) Belfast Mid-Ulster Traditional Ulster Scots Local New Cultivated General Broad Cultivated General Broad deer iə̯(ɹ)~iɤ̯(ɹ) iɹ iɹ ɪə̯(ɹ)~iə̯(ɹ) ɪɹ~iɹ iɹ i(ɹ) iɹ ɪə̯(ɹ) ia̽ ɘiɐ(ɹ)~iə̯(ɹ)~ɪə̯(ɹ)~ɜː(ɹ) iə(ɹ)~ɪː(ɹ)~ɪiɐ(ɹ) ɪː(ɹ)~ɪə̯(ɹ) ɪː(ɹ) iɻɪə(ɹ) iɐ̯(ɹ)ɪə iɛ̯(ɾ) ɪə̯(ɹ)~iə̯(ɹ) ɪə̯(ɾ)~iə̯(ɾ) ~ ~ mareɛə̯(ɹ)ɛɹ ɛə̯(ɹ)~ɛɐ̯(ɹ) eɹeɹ~ɛɹ ~ eɹ ɛə(ɹ)~ɛː(ɹ) ɛ(j)(ɹ)e̞ɹ~ɛ(j)ɹ e̞ə̯(ɹ) ɛ ɛə̯(ɹ)~ɛː(ɹ)~ɜː(ɹ) ɛ̝ə(ɹ)~ɛː(ɹ)~ɛiə(ɹ) ɛ̝ː(ɹ)~e̞ː(ɹ) eɻ ɛə̯(ɹ) ɛɹ ɛə̯(ɾ)~ɛɐ̯(ɾ) (ur)burnɚ əː(ɹ)ɚ ɝ ~ ~əɻɚɜː(ɹ)~əː(ɹ)ɚ əɪ̯ ɜ(ɹ)ɚ~ɐɹ ə(ɹ)~ɜ(ɹ)~ɜi̯(ɹ) ɤ ɛ~ɔ ɵ̝ː(ɹ)~əː(ɹ)~ɜː(ɹ) ɜː(ɹ)~ɜ̟ː(ɹ)~œ̈ː(ɹ) ɜː(ɹ)~əː(ɹ) əː(ɹ) ɜɻɜː~ɛ ɜː~ɛɜː~ɛ (ir)bird (er)earth lettwinner ɚɚ ɚ ə~a̽~ɔ~ɪ~ɛ ə(ɹ)~ə̝(ɹ) əɻə(ɹ)~ɜ(ɹ) donor

to Dia-phonemeLexical setExamples Cameroonian English Newfoundland English AAVE Boston accent Cajun EnglishCalifornia EnglishChicano English General American Inland Northern American English Miami accent Mid-Atlantic accent New York accent Philadelphia EnglishSouthern American English BrummieSouthern England EnglishNorthern England English Ulster EnglishSouth-West Irish English Dublin EnglishStandard Irish EnglishAbercraf EnglishPort Talbot EnglishCardiff English Non-Rhotic Rhotic Older Younger Northern Southern Non-Rhotic Older Rhotic Older Non-Rhotic Rhotic Cultivated General Broad Cockney Estuary English (EE) MLE West Country Cumbrian Geordie Lancashire Manchester Pitmatic Scouse Yorkshire Conservative Contemporary (SSBE) Belfast Mid-Ulster Traditional Ulster Scots Local New Cultivated General Broad Cultivated General Broad sort oə̯(ɹ)~ɔə̯(ɹ)~ɔo̯(ɹ) oɹ ɔə̯(ɹ)~ɒə̯(ɹ)~ɒ(ɹ) oɹ~ɔɹ oɹ~ɔɹɔɻ~oɻ oɹ~ɔɹ ɔə̯(ɹ)~ɔ(ɹ) oɐ̯(ɹ)~ɔə̯(ɹ) oɹ~ɔɹ ɔə̯(ɹ) ɔɹ ɔə̯(ɹ) ɒːɹ~ɑːɹ ɔ o̞ː(ɹ)~ɔː(ɹ) ɔː(ɹ)~ɔ̝ə(ɹ)~ɔuə(ɹ), oː(ɹ)~oʊ(ɹ)~ɔo(ɹ) o̟ː~o̞ː, ɔə̯(ɹ)~ɔː(ɹ)~ɔ̝ː oː(ɹ)ɔɻ~oɻɔː(ɹ)~ɒː(ɹ) ɔː(ɹ)~ɒː(ɹ)o̞ː(ɹ)ɔː(ɹ)~ɒː(ɹ) oɹ tore ɔə̯(ɹ)~oɐ̯(ɹ) o(u)ə(ɹ) o(u)ɹ oə̯(ɹ) o̞ː(ɹ)~ɔː(ɹ), ʌʊ̯ə(ɹ) tourʊə̯(ɹ)~ʊɐ̯(ɹ) uɹ~ɚ ʊə̯(ɹ)uə̯(ɹ) uɹ~ɚ uə̯(ɾ)ɘua(ɹ)~ɘʉa(ɹ)~ʊa̯(ɹ)~ʊə̯(ɹ), ɔː(ɹ)~o̞ː(ɹ) ʊə(ɹ)~ʊː(ɹ), ɔː(ɹ)~ɔ̝ə(ɹ)~ɔuə(ɹ), oː(ɹ)~oʊ(ɹ)~ɔo(ɹ)ʊə(ɹ) uɐ̯(ɹ)ʊə(ɹ) uɛ̯(ɾ)~ɪ̈u̯ə(ɾ)~ɪ̈ʊ̯ə(ɾ)~ oə̯(ɹ) oɚ oə̯(ɾ)~oɐ̯(ɾ) ~ pure juə̯(ɹ)~jʊə̯(ɹ) juɹ~jʊɹjʊə̯(ɹ)~jʊɐ̯(ɹ) juə(ɹ)~jʊə(ɹ) jʊɹ~jɔɹ~joɹ~jɚ jʊɹ~juɹ~jɚ jʊ~juɹ~jɚ jʊə̯(ɹ) juɐ̯(ɹ)~juə̯(ɹ)juɹ juə̯(ɹ)juɹ~jɚ jɔ jɘua(ɹ)~jɘʉa(ɹ)~jʊa̯(ɹ)~jʊə̯(ɹ), jɔː(ɹ)~jo̞ː(ɹ) jʊə(ɹ)~jʊː(ɹ), jɔː(ɹ)~jɔ̝ə(ɹ)~jɔuə(ɹ), joː(ɹ)~joʊ(ɹ)~jɔo(ɹ) jʉ̜ə̯(ɹ)~jʊ̜ə̯(ɹ)~jɔ̝ː(ɹ) joː(ɹ) jʊɻjʊə(ɹ) juɐ̯(ɹ)jʊə(ɹ) joə̯(ɹ) joɚ joə̯(ɾ)~joɐ̯(ɾ) ~ ~

Sets not merged here In the tables above, the mergers of the , , , , and lexical sets are not included because of space limitations. These mergers are instead described below:

may merge with happ in Scottish English. may completely merge with in Singaporean Standard English and Hong Kong English. may merge with in various North England Englishes. may merge with in General South African English. may completely merge with , and in Cameroonian English. may merge with in many varieties, including Standard Southern British English.

Sound correspondences between English accents

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