There are 26 letters in the English alphabet, which represent 24 consonants, 12 vowels and 8 diphthongs.
Reading vowels depends on which syllable the vowels are in. IN English language It is customary to distinguish 4 types of syllables:

1. An open syllable ends with a vowel. In English, a syllable followed by a consonant + an unpronounceable final “e” is conventionally considered an open syllable.
The vowels in this syllable are pronounced the same way as they are called in the alphabet.

2. A closed syllable ends with a consonant. In this type of syllable, vowels convey short sounds.

3. The third type of syllable is a syllable in which a vowel is followed by the letter "r" (at the end of the syllable) or "r" + consonant. In this syllable, all vowels convey long sounds.

4. The fourth type of syllable is a syllable in which the vowel is followed by the combination "r" + vowel. In this syllable, all vowels convey long and complex sounds.

Reading vowels in four syllable types

Table of basic rules for reading vowels and consonants

English letters	Transmitted sound	In which cases	Examples	Exceptions
A,a		in an open syllable	place, take, make, same, state	have [æ], many [e]
		in combinations ay, ai	pay, way, play, day, main	said [e]
	[æ]	in a closed syllable	that, lamp
		before r + consonant s + consonant	park, garden, fast, task	mass [æ]
	[εə]	before r + vowel	various, care	are
	[כּ]	after w,qu in a closed syllable	was
	[כּ:]	after w,qu in a closed syllable before r	war, quarter
		before l + consonant	call, wall, also, fall, ball
		in combination with u	autumn
		before w	law, saw
E,e		in an open syllable	be, Pete
		in combinations ee, ea	steel, stree, see, sea, mean
		in an open syllable	belt, set	English[i]
		in combinations ea +d	already, head, bread
	[ə:]	in combinations er, ear + consonant	heard, term, her
		in combinations ee+r, ea+r	hear, appear
		before w	knew, newspaper, few
		before w with preceding r	grew, drew
I, i		in an open syllable	five, pine	give, live [i]
		before ld, nd, gh	kind, mild, light
	[i]	in a closed syllable	did
		combined ie followed by a consonant	field	friend[e]
	[ə]	before r or r + consonant	sir, first
	["aiə]	before r + vowel	fire, tired
O, o		in an open syllable	note, go	done, come [٨]
		before the combination ld	old, cold
		in combinations oa, ow	road, low
	[ə]	in combinations or after w	word, world
	[כּ]	in a closed syllable	stop, not
	[כּ:]	before r	port, short
		in combinations oo	food, too	book, look [u]
		in combinations ou, ow	compound, town, down
	[כּi]	in combinations oi, oy	oil, enjoy
	["auə]	in combinations ow before er	power
		in combinations oo+r	poor	door, floor [כּ:]
U, u		in an open syllable	tube, produce, music
	[٨]	in a closed syllable	cut, cup, bus	put, push, pull, full [u]
		in an open syllable after l, r, j	lunar, rule, June
	[ə:]	before r + consonant	burn, turn
		before r + vowel	pure, cure
Y, y		in an open syllable	type, try
	[i]	in closed syllables and at the end of polysyllabic words	symbol, family
	[j]	at the beginning of a word and before a vowel	yet, year, beyond
C, c	[s]	before i, e, y	capacity, practice, cell, bicycle
	[k]	before all other vowels and consonants	come, exact, direction
		in combinations ch, tch	charge, watch	chemistry [k] technique [k] machine [∫]
	[∫]	before combinations ial, ient	special, efficient
S, s	[s]	at the beginning of words, in the middle of words with voiceless consonants and at the end of words after voiceless consonants	send, salt, say, system, facts, books
	[z]	after vowels, between vowels, after voiced consonants	as, position, days, supplies, beds
	[∫]	in combinations sh, ssion, ssure	shop, transmission, pressure
	[z]	before ure	measure, treasure
T,t	[ð]	in combination th 1) at the beginning of function words 2) between vowels	the, then, mother
	[θ]	in combination th at the beginning and end of significant words	thick, thin, seventh
P,p	[f]	in pH combinations	philosophy, photo
G, g		before i, e, y	age, engineer, gymnastics	give [g], get [g]
	[g]	before consonants, before vowels, except i, e, y at the end of words	great, go, big, dog
	[ŋ]	combined ng	bring, wrong, strong

"Mute" (unpronounceable) consonants

"Mute Letter"	In what letter combinations	Examples
b g n g k l w	bt gn whe, whi igh kn might alk who wr	doubt design, sign when, while height, weight, fight knowledge, knife should, could, would walk whos, whole write, wrong

Notes:
1. The letter u conveys the same sounds as the letter i, but is rarely found in the middle of a word.
2. The above rules apply only to stressed syllables. In an unstressed position, vowels are reduced to the sounds [ə] and [i].
For example: arrive [ə"raiv], return, illumination, difficult ["difikəlt].

There are 26 letters in the English language. In different combinations and positions they represent 44 sounds.
In the English language, there are 24 consonant sounds, and they are represented in writing by 20 letters: Bb; Cc; Dd; Ff; Gg ; Hh; Jj; Kk; LI; mm; Nn; Pp; Qq; Rr; Ss; Tt; Vv; Ww; Xx; Zz.
In the English language, there are 12 vowel sounds and 8 diphthongs, and they are represented in writing by 6 letters: Aa; Ee; li; Oo; Uu; Yy.

Video:

[English language. Beginner course. Maria Rarenko. First educational channel.]

Transcription and stress

Phonetic transcription is international system icons needed to show you exactly how to pronounce words. Each sound is shown with a separate icon. These icons are always written in square brackets.
The transcription indicates verbal stress (which syllable in the word the stress falls on). Accent mark [‘] placed before the stressed syllable.

English consonants

Features of English consonants
1. English consonants expressed by letters b, f, g, m, s, v, z, are close in pronunciation to the corresponding Russian consonants, but should sound more energetic and intense.
2. English consonants are not softened.
3. Voiced consonants are never deafened - neither before voiceless consonants, nor at the end of a word.
4. Double consonants, that is, two identical consonants next to each other, are always pronounced as one sound.
5. Some English consonants are pronounced aspirated: the tip of the tongue must be pressed firmly against the alveoli (the tubercles where the teeth are attached to the gums). Then the air between the tongue and teeth will pass with force, and the result will be a noise (explosion), that is, aspiration.

Rules for reading consonant letters in English: ,

Table of pronunciation of English consonants
Phonetic transcription	Examples
[b]	b ad b ox	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [b] in the word b rat
[p]	o p en, p et	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [p] in the word P ero, but pronounced aspirated
[d]	d i d, d ay	a voiced sound similar to Russian [d] in the word d ohm, but more energetic, “sharper”; when pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue rests on the alveoli
[t]	t ea, t ake	unvoiced sound corresponding to Russian [t] in the word T hermos, but is pronounced aspirated, with the tip of the tongue resting on the alveoli
[v]	v oice, v isit	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [v] in the word V osk, but more energetic
[f]	f ind, f ine	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [f] in the word f inik, but more energetic
[z]	z oo, ha s	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [z] in the word h ima
[s]	s un, s ee	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [s] in the word With silt, but more energetic; when pronouncing, the tip of the tongue is raised towards the alveoli
[g]	g ive, g o	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [g] in the word G Irya, but pronounced softer
[k]	c at, c an	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [k] in the word To mouth, but pronounced more energetically and aspiratedly
[ʒ]	vi si on, plea sur e	voiced sound corresponding to Russian [zh] in the word and macaw, but pronounced more tense and softer
[ʃ]	sh e, Ru ss ia	a dull sound corresponding to the Russian [ш] in the word w ina, but pronounced softer, for which you need to raise the middle part of the back of the tongue to the hard palate
[j]	y ellow, y ou	a sound similar to the Russian sound [th] in a word th od, but pronounced more energetically and intensely
[l]	l itt l e, l ike	sound similar to Russian [l] in the word l Isa, but you need the tip of the tongue to touch the alveoli
[m]	m an m erry	sound similar to Russian [m] in the word m ir, but more energetic; when pronouncing it, you need to close your lips more tightly
[n]	n o, n ame	sound similar to Russian [n] in the word n OS, but when pronouncing it, the tip of the tongue touches the alveoli, and the soft palate is lowered, and air passes through the nose
[ŋ]	si ng, fi ng er	a sound in which the soft palate is lowered and touches the back of the tongue, and air passes through the nose. Pronounced like Russian [ng] is incorrect; there must be a nasal sound
[r]	r ed, r abbit	a sound, when pronounced with the raised tip of the tongue, you need to touch the middle part of the palate, above the alveoli; tongue doesn't vibrate
[h]	h elp, h ow	sound reminiscent of Russian [х] as in the word X aos, but almost silent (barely audible exhalation), for which it is important not to press the tongue to the palate
[w]	w et, w inter	a sound similar to a very quickly pronounced Russian [ue] in a word Ue ls; in this case, the lips need to be rounded and pushed forward, and then vigorously moved apart
	j ust, j ump	sound similar to [j] in a Russian loanword j inces, but more energetic and softer. You cannot pronounce [d] and [ʒ] separately
	ch eck, mu ch	sound similar to Russian [ch] in a word h ac, but harder and more intense. You cannot pronounce [t] and [ʃ] separately
[ð]	th is, th ey	a ringing sound, when pronounced, the tip of the tongue must be placed between the upper and lower teeth and then quickly removed. Do not clamp the flat tongue between your teeth, but slightly push it into the gap between them. This sound (since it is voiced) is pronounced with the participation of the vocal cords. Similar to Russian [z] interdental
[θ]	th ink, seven th	a dull sound that is pronounced in the same way as [ð], but without a voice. Similar to Russian [s] interdental

English vowel sounds

The reading of each vowel depends on:
1. from other letters standing next to it, in front of it or behind it;
2. from being in a shock or non-stress position.

Rules for reading vowels in English: ,

Pronunciation table for simple English vowel sounds
Phonetic transcription	Examples	Approximate matches in Russian
[æ]	c a t,bl a ck	a short sound, intermediate between the Russian sounds [a] and [e]. To make this sound, when pronouncing Russian [a], you need to open your mouth wide and place your tongue low. Simply pronouncing Russian [e] is wrong
[ɑ:]	ar m, f a ther	a long sound, similar to Russian [a], but it is much longer and deeper. When pronouncing it, you need to yawn, but do not open your mouth wide, while pulling your tongue back
[ʌ]	c u p, r u n	a short sound similar to the Russian unstressed [a] in the word With A yes. To make this sound, when pronouncing Russian [a], you need to almost not open your mouth, while slightly stretching your lips and moving your tongue back a little. Simply pronouncing Russian [a] is wrong
[ɒ]	n o t, h o t	short sound similar to Russian [o] in the word d O m, but when pronouncing it you need to completely relax your lips; for Russian [o] they are slightly tense
[ɔ:]	sp o rt, f ou r	a long sound, similar to Russian [o], but it is much longer and deeper. When pronouncing it, you need to yawn, as if with your mouth half-open, and your lips tense and rounded
[ə]	a bout, a lias	a sound that is often found in the Russian language is always in an unstressed position. In English, this sound is also always unstressed. It does not have a clear sound and is referred to as an unclear sound (it cannot be replaced by any clear sound)
[e]	m e t, b e d	a short sound similar to Russian [e] under stress in words such as uh you, pl e d etc. English consonants before this sound cannot be softened
[ɜː]	w or k, l ear n	this sound does not exist in the Russian language, and it is very difficult to pronounce. Reminds me of Russian sound in words m e d, St. e cla, but you need to pull it out much longer and at the same time stretch your lips strongly without opening your mouth (you get a skeptical smile)
[ɪ]	i t, p i t	a short sound similar to the Russian vowel in a word w And t. You need to pronounce it abruptly
	h e, s ee	a long sound, similar to Russian [i] under stress, but longer, and they pronounce it as if with a smile, stretching their lips. There is a Russian sound close to it in the word poem II
[ʊ]	l oo k, p u t	a short sound that can be compared with the Russian unstressed [u], but it is pronounced energetically and with completely relaxed lips (lips cannot be pulled forward)
	bl u e, f oo d	a long sound, quite similar to the Russian percussion [u], but still not the same. To make it work, when pronouncing Russian [u], you need not to stretch your lips into a tube, not to push them forward, but to round them and smile slightly. Like other long English vowels, it needs to be drawn out much longer than Russian [u]

Diphthong pronunciation table
Phonetic transcription	Examples	Approximate matches in Russian
	f i ve, ey e	diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in Russian words ah And h ah
[ɔɪ]	n oi se, v oi ce	somehow. The second element, the sound [ɪ], is very short
	br a ve, afr ai d	a diphthong similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word w to her ka. The second element, the sound [ɪ], is very short
	t ow n, n ow	a diphthong similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word With aw on. The first element is the same as in ; the second element, the sound [ʊ], is very short
[əʊ]	h o me, kn ow	a diphthong similar to a combination of sounds in a Russian word cl OU n, if you do not pronounce it deliberately syllable by syllable (in this case, the consonance resembles ew ). Pronouncing this diphthong as a pure Russian consonance [ou] is wrong
[ɪə]	d ea r, h e re	a diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in the Russian word such; consists of short sounds [ɪ] and [ə]
	wh e re, th e re	a diphthong, similar to the combination of sounds in the Russian word dlinnosheye, if you do not pronounce it syllable by syllable. Behind the sound resembling Russian [e] in the word uh That, followed by the second element, an unclear short sound [ə]
[ʊə]	t ou r, p oo r	a diphthong in which [ʊ] is followed by a second element, an unclear short sound [ə]. When pronouncing [ʊ], lips should not be pulled forward

Sounds expressed by letters are conveyed using transcription signs. How to read the transcription is described on the page: Transcription

What are open and closed syllable types: Open and closed syllable

Vowel sounds.

Stressed vowels

eɪ ]-c a se - [keɪs ]- case.

æ ] -t a nk - [tæŋk ]- tank, tank.

Vowel + r - [ ɑː ] -c a r - [kɑː ]- car, car.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ ɑː ] - p a rk - [pɑːk ]- a park.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ eə]-v a ry - [ˈveəri ]- vary.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ iː ]-sh e - [ʃiː ]- she.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ e]-b e t - [bet]- bet, bet.

Vowel + r - [ zː ]-h e r - [hɜː ]- her, her.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ zː ]-t e rm - [tɜːm ]- term.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ ɪə ] -m e re - [mɪə]- only.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ aɪ]-l i ne - [laɪn]- line.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ɪ ] -b i t - [bɪt ]- bit, a little.

Vowel + r - [ zː ]-s i r - [sɜː ]- sir.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ zː ]- th i rd - [θɜːd ]- third.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ aɪə]-h i re - [haɪə]- rent.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ əʊ ] - z o ne - [zəʊn ]- zone, district.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ɒ ] -l o t - [lɒt ]- a lot of.

Vowel + r - [ ɔː ] - o r - [ɔː ] - or.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ ɔː ] -b orn - [bɔːn ]- was born.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ ɔː ] - st o ry - [ˈstɔːri ]- story.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ jʊː ]-n u de - [njʊːd ]- naked.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ʌ ] -c u t - [kʌt ]- a cut.

Vowel + r - [ zː ]-f u r - [fɜː ]- wool, skin.

Vowel + r + consonant - [ zː ]-b urn - [bɜːn ]- burn.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ jʊə ]- p u re - [pjʊə ]- clean.

In an open syllable it reads like - [ aɪ]-m y - [maɪ]- my.

In a closed syllable it reads like - [ ɪ ] -m y th - [mɪθ ]- myth.

Vowel + r + vowel - [ aɪə]-t y re - [taɪə]- tire.

Vowel combinations

[iː ]

ee-s ee - [ˈsiː ]- see

ea-s ea - [siː ]- sea

ie-bel ie ve - [bɪˈliːv ]- believe

[ɑː ]

a + ss - gr ass - [ɡrɑːs ]- grass

a + st - l ast - [lɑːst ]- last

a + sk - t ask - [tɑːsk ]- task

a + sp - gr asp - [ɡrɑːsp ]- grasping

a + lm - c alm - [kɑːm ]- calm

ea + r - h ear t - [hɑːt ]- heart

[ɔː ]

au- au thor - [ˈɔːθə ] - author

aw-s aw - [ˈsɔː ]- saw, saw

oo + r - d oor - [dɔː ]- door

aught-t aught - [tɔːt ]- learned

ought-th ought - [θɔːt]- thought

a + l - w al l - [wɔːl ]- wall

a + lk - t alk - [ˈtɔːk ]- conversation, conversation

wa + r - war m - [wɔːm ]- warm

[ɒ ]

wa- wa nt - [wɒnt]- want

[uː ]

oo-t oo - [tuː ]- too, too

ou - gr ou p - [ɡruːp ]- group

[juː ]

ew-n ew - [njuː ]- new

[ʊ ]

oo-b oo k - [bʊk ]- book

[zː ]

ea + r - l ear n - [lɜːn]- teach, study

wo + r - wor k - [ˈwɜːk ]- Job

[ʌ ]

o-s o n - [sʌn ]- son

ou-c ou ntry - [ˈkʌntri ]- a country

oo-fl oo d - [flʌd ]- flood

[eɪ ]

ai-r ai n - [reɪn]- rain

ay-d ay - [deɪ]- day

ey-th ey - [ˈðeɪ ]- They

eigh- eigh t - [eɪt ]- eight

[aɪ]

i + gn - s ign - [saɪn ]- sign

i + ld - ch ild - [tʃaɪld ]- child

i + nd - bl ind - [blaɪnd ]- blind

igh-n high t - [naɪt ]- night

[ɔɪ ]

oi- oi l - [ɔɪl]- oil, petroleum

oy-t oh - [tɔɪ ]- toy

[aʊ ]

ou - ou t - [aʊt ]- from, outside

ow-d ow n - [daʊn ]- down

[əʊ ]

oa-c oa t - [ˈkəʊt ]- coat

ow-kn ow - [nəʊ ]- know

o + ll - t oll - [təʊl ]- losses

o + ld - c old - [kəʊld ]- cold

[ɪə ]

ea + r - n ear - [nɪə ]- near, about

ee + r - engin eer - [ɛndʒɪˈnɪə ]- engineer

[eə]

ai + r - ch air - [tʃeə ]- chair

e + re - th here - [ðeə]- there, there

ea + r - b ear - [beə ]- bear

[ʊə ]

oo + r - p oor - [pʊə ]- poor

our-t our - [tʊə ]- tour, travel

Consonant sounds.

Consonant combinations

[k ]-lu ck - [lʌk ]- luck, chance

[ʃ ] - sh ip - [ʃɪp ]- ship

[tʃ ] - ch ip - [tʃɪp ]- chip

[tʃ ]-ca tch - [kætʃ ]- catch, catch

[ɵ ] - th ick - [θɪk ]- thick

[ð ] - th is - [ðɪs]- this, this, this

[f ] - ph one - [fəʊn ]- telephone

[kw ] - qu ite - [kwaɪt ]- enough

[n ] - kn ife - [naɪf ]- knife

[ƞ ] -thi ng - [θɪŋ ] -

[ƞk]- si nk - [sɪŋk]- sink, drain

wh + o - [h] - wh o - [huː ]- Who

wh + other vowels - [w ] - wh at - [wɒt ]- What

wr at the beginning of a word before vowels - [r] - wr iter - [ˈraɪtə]- writer

Consonants with two reading options.

Reads like [ s ] before: e, i, y. ni c e - [naɪs ]- good, city - [ˈsɪti ]- city.

And How [ k ] in other cases: with ome - [kʌm ]- come, c atch - [kætʃ ]- catch.

Reads like [ ʤ ] before: e, i, y. lar g e - [lɑːdʒ ]- big, en gine - [ˈendʒɪn ]- engine.

Exceptions: g et - [ɡet]- receive, be g in - [bɪˈɡɪn]- start, g ive - [ɡɪv]- give.

And How [ g ] in other cases: g ood - [ɡʊd ]- good, pleasant, g o - [ɡəʊ ] - go, go.

Reading types

Additional material, partially duplicating the previous one. Taken from another source and given for a deeper understanding of this topic.

The tables indicate how to correctly pronounce diphthongs, vowels and consonants in the English language.. The sound conveyed by a letter or letter combination is indicated using transcription signs, and the pronunciation of English sounds indicated in Russian letters should be understood as a hint to transcription, and not as an exact pronunciation of English sounds.

Rules for reading vowel sounds

	Phonetic symbols	Approximate Russian sound
			Word	Transcription
Table. Types of reading in English. Vowel sounds.
I,Y	ɪ	And Short, open "and"	i t it	ɪt	(it)
			si x six	sɪks	(six)
			empty	ˈɛm(p)ti	(empty)
E	e	uh How "uh" in the word "this"	e mpty empty	ˈɛm(p)ti	(empty)
			ten ten	ten	(ten)
A	æ	uh Open sound "e" (between "e" and "a")	a nt ant	ænt	(ent)
			ma p card	mæp	(map)
O	ɒ	O Short "o" sound	ho t hot	hɒt	(hot)
			o range orange	ˈɒrɪn(d)ʒ	(orinch)
U	ʌ	A Short sound "a"	under	ˈʌndə	(ande)
			su n sun	sʌn	(san)
U,OO	u	y short "y" lips are rounded	put it down	ˈput	(put)
			boo k book	buk	(beech)
A, E, ER	ə	uh Short sound "e" (between "e" and "a")	a bout oh, oh, oh	əˈbaʊt	(about)
			sile nce silence	ˈsʌɪləns	(silence)
			lawyer	ˈlɔːjə	(l oh yeah)
EE, EA	i:	And Long "i" sound	ea sy easy	ˈiːzi	(i:zi)
			Queen n queen	kwiːn	(kui:n)
			see see	ˈsiː	(si: )
A, AR	ɑ:	A Long and deep "a" sound	ha lf half	hɑːf	(ha:f)
			car a car	kɑː	(ka: )
O.O.	u:	at Long “u” sound without rounding the lips	foo d food	fuːd	(ugh:d)
			too too, too	tuː	(that: )
ER, IR	h:	e Reminds me of the “e” sound in the word “beet”	bir d bird	bзːd	(byo:d)
OR,AW	ɔ:	O Long "o" sound	or or	ɔː	(O: )
			for m form	ˈfɔːm	(fo:m)
			law law	lɔː	(lo: )

Rules for reading consonant sounds

English letters and letter combinations	Phonetic symbols	Approximate Russian sound	Examples of pronunciation of English sounds
			Word	Transcription	Pronunciation in Russian letters
Table. Types of reading in English. Consonant sounds.
P	p	P	pen pen	pen	(pen)
			pap er paper	ˈpeɪpə	(P e´ ypa)
			cup cup	kʌp	(cap)
B	b	b	b oy boy	ˌbɔɪ	(the battle )
			tab le table	ˈteɪb(ə)l	(T e´ybl)
			pub beer	pʌb	(Pub )
T	t	t Sound “T” but the tongue is not at the teeth, but at the gums.	t en ten	ten	(ten)
			sixteen sixteen	ˌsɪkˈsti:n	(sykstin)
			eight eight	eɪt	(eith)
D	d	d	d og dog	dɒɡ	(dane)
			ladd er staircase	ˈladə	(l a´ta)
			bed bed	bed	(trouble)
C, K, CK	k	To	c at cat	kæt	(ket)
			tick and ticket	ˈtɪkɪt	(T and´ whale)
			cake	keɪk	(cake)
G	g	G	g irl girl	ɡɜ:l	(gel)
			tiger tiger	ˈtʌɪɡə	(T a´yga)
			big big	bɪɡ	(big)
CH, TCH	ʧ	h	ch air chair	tʃɛ	(h e´)
			watch ing	ˈwɒtʃɪŋ	(V rank)
			match match	matʃ	(match)
J, G, DGE	ʤ	j	j ump jump	dʒʌmp	(jump)
			log ic logic	ˈlɒdʒɪk	(l o´jik)
			fridg e refrigerator	frɪdʒ	(fridge)
F, PH	f	f	ph oto photography	ˈfəʊtəʊ	(f o´utau)
			coff ee coffee	ˈkɒfi	(To o´fi)
			cliff	klɪf	(cleave)
V	v	V	v iew view	vju:	(ugh)
			lov er favorite	ˈlʌvə	(l a´va)
			five e five	faɪv	(five)
T.H.	θ	c Like the sound "s" but tongue between teeth	th in thin	θɪn	(syn)
			Cath erine Catherine	ˈkæθrɪn	(To eh´srin)
			month month	mʌnθ	(mons)
T.H.	ð	h Like sound "z" but tongue between teeth	th is this	ðɪs	(zys)
			moth er mother	ˈmʌðə	(m a´ze)
			breathe e breathe	bri:ð	(bri:z)
S, C	s	With	six six	sɪks	(syks)
			parc el package	ˈpɑ:s(ə)l	(P a´ sl)
			class	klɑ:s	(cla:s)
S, Z	z	h	z oo zoo	zu:	(zu)
			laz y lazy	ˈleɪzi	(l e´zi)
			dogs dogs	dɒɡz	(dogz)
SH	ʃ	w	sh e she	ʃi	(shi)
			fish fishing	ˈfɪʃɪŋ	(f and´ tires)
			wash	wɒʃ	(fosh)
S	ʒ	and	vis ion vision	ˈvɪʒ(ə)n	(V i´zhen)
			beige beige	beɪʒ	(beizh)
H	h	X Short exhalation - “x”	have to have	hæv	(hav)
M	m	m	m e me, me	mi:	(mi: )
			farmer	ˈfɑ:mə	(f a´ma)
			hom e house	həʊm	(home)
N	n	n	name name	ˈneɪm	(n e´ im)
			runn er runner	ˈrʌnə	(R a´ on)
			son son	sʌn	(san)
NG	ƞ	n Nasal sound "n" using the back of the tongue	singer singer	ˈsɪŋə	(With and´nya)
			boxing	ˈbɒksɪŋ	(b o´ xin)
L	l	l	I like it	ˈlaɪk	(l a´ yk)
			ball et ballet	ˈbaleɪ	(b a´lay)
			football football	ˈfʊtbɔ:l	(f u´ solid waste:l)
R	r	R “r” - without vibration	red red	red	(ed)
			lorr y truck	ˈlɒri	(l o´ri)
Y	j	th	y ou you	ju	(Yu )
			lawy er lawyer	ˈlɔ:jə	(l oh yeah)
W	w	at the sound is similar to “u”; the lips are stretched and rounded	w in to win	wɪn	(vin)
			flow er flower	ˈflaʊə	(ow a´ ua)

Diphthongs. Reading rules.

English letters and letter combinations	Phonetic symbols	Approximate Russian sound	Examples of pronunciation of English sounds
			Word	Transcription	Pronunciation in Russian letters
Table. Types of reading in English. Diphthongs.
A,AY,AI	eɪ	Hey	ai m goal	eɪm	(eym)
			say	ˈseɪ	(With Hey)
I, UY, Y	ai	ah	I I	ai	(ay)
			buy	baɪ	(bye)
OY, OI	ɔɪ	Ouch	oi l oil	ɔɪl	(oil)
			toy toy	tɔɪ	(that one)
O.O.W.	əu	OU	ow n own	əʊn	(oun)
			ho me home	həʊm	(home)
			low low	ləʊ	(low)
OW, OU	au	aw	out out	ˈaʊt	(out)
			cow	kaʊ	(kaw)
EA, EAR, ERE	ɪə	ie “and” + between “e” and “a”	ear ear	ɪə	(ie)
			bear d beard	bɪəd	(beed)
			here here	hɪə	(hie)
AIR, ARE	eə	ea "e" + between "e" and "a"	care	keə	(kee)
			hair hair	heə	(heh ´ )
URE, OUR	uə	uh "y" + between "e" and "a"	tour travel	tʊə	(tue)
			insure	ɪnˈʃuə	(inshue ´ )

It is not easy to learn to read English correctly, because the rules for reading each individual letter in this language directly depend on its position in the word. For example, the vowel letter “a”, depending on its “neighbors”, can convey two different sounds: a - date or a [ǽ] - bag. Letter combinations can also be pronounced differently. Today we will look at the basic living rules for reading English, including vowel letters and combinations. How to read English correctly There are a lot of words in English, the use of which you just need to remember, since they do not follow the rules. There are also many exceptions, including from the rules of pronunciation, How to pronounce English sounds correctly, which also need to be memorized. Plus, you also need to learn how to pronounce phonemes, which have no analogues in the Russian language. However, for almost a billion people on Earth, English is a foreign language that they have studied and learned.

This huge number of people have learned to read foreign languages ​​correctly and pronounce “foreign” sounds. With persistence and diligence, it is not difficult to acquire any skill. Therefore, tune in to fascinating videos or text lessons and interesting exercises to learn not only the living rules of reading English, but also be able to acquire good British or American pronunciation.

As I already said, vowels can convey several phonemes at once, depending on what type of syllable they are included in. It is very difficult to trace these patterns. And yet their reading can be divided into two categories: stressed vowels and unstressed vowels. Drum pronunciation rules:

• In an open (go) or conventionally open (polea) syllable, vowels are read in the same way as they are called in the alphabet
• In a closed syllable, vowels convey short sounds
• When a vowel is followed by the letter “r” or “r” and a consonant, a long sound is pronounced
• When a vowel is followed by “re” or “r” and a vowel, it is read as a triphthong or diphthong

This table will demonstrate these rules to you most clearly:

Letter	Open syllable	Closed sound	"r" or "r"+ acc.	“re” or “r”+vowel.
A	date	[æ] bag	car	[εə] care
O	[əu] nose	[ɔ] got	[ɔ:] north	[ɔ:] more
U	tube	[ʌ] stuff	[ɜ:] purlin ["p∂:®lin]	pure
E	she [∫i]	[e] shelf [∫elf]	[ɜ:] her	here
I	five	[i] big	[ɜ:] girl	fire
Y	bye	[i] myth	[ɜ:] myrtle ["m∂:®tl]	tire

Download this worksheet and print it out. It will be a good help for you when doing practical exercises. Reading rules Rules for pronunciation of unstressed words:

• The letters “e”, “y”, “i” are pronounced as [i] unless they are followed by an “r”: divide
• Vowels “a”, “u”, “o” without stress, as well as in prefixes and suffixes, are read as the sound [∂]: glorious
• The letter “i” before a vowel is pronounced [j]: union [`ju:nj∂n]
• Vowels before “r” convey the sound [∂]: player [`plei∂ ®]

Do not forget to consolidate all acquired knowledge with the help of practical exercises. Watch an educational video demonstrating the position of the tongue and lips when pronouncing various phonemes.

Living rules for reading English

In fact, “Living Rules for Reading the English Language” is one of the best book guides on foreign reading and pronunciation from Yu. A. Ivanova. This tutorial clearly and simply explains the various English laws of pronunciation and reading. Each short lesson is immediately followed by exercises for practical work and self-tests with examples.

In the text and exercises you will see tasks that you need to listen to or watch a video, and at the end of each page there is a link where you can get these additional materials. To make the exercises more interesting and exciting, the author diluted the rules with funny rhymes and funny tongue twisters to practice pronunciation, which will be possible not only for adults, but also for children.

The book contains many practical, exciting and varied exercises designed to teach a beginner or child the basic laws of reading and to distinguish by ear sounds that are not characteristic of the Russian language. The self-instruction manual can be used by students who have just begun to master the language and want to comprehend its basic postulates. The publication is recommended for both group classes and self-study.

For comfortable further study of a foreign language, it is very important to acquire reading skills, basic pronunciation laws, know the foreign alphabet and

When you study a foreign language, you learn not only a set of vocabulary and grammar, you in any case come across the culture and mentality of the people who speak this language. The best remedy knowledge of language and culture is reading in original. And to read on foreign language, you must first learn to read this language .

You don"t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.

You don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. You can just make people stop reading them.

But, if at school or university you studied German or French languages, or your school base turned out to be smaller than you would like, and now you have decided to learn English, then let's start with the most primary and basic and find out several methods of where to start in order to master the rules of reading.

English alphabet

I think you know that English is different from Russian and German, in which we mainly write and read. In English the system is a little more complicated. The very first thing we need to do is learn the alphabet.

There are 26 letters in the English alphabet, including 21 consonants and 5 vowels. Knowledge of letters and the ability to pronounce them correctly is the key to successful and competent reading in English.

English alphabet with transcription of letter names.

Very easy way remembering letters visually and aurally is with the help of a song. Watch the video and sing the song until you remember the letters of the alphabet.

You can use the same method to teach the alphabet to your children and sing the song with your kids.

Reading rules in English

After studying the alphabet, we will begin to study the combination of letters and reading short words. There are a number of rules in the English language that you need to learn, practice and remember if you want to read English words correctly.

Rules for reading English consonants

Many consonants are read similarly to Russian consonants, for example the letters m, n, l, b, f, z. You can see this in words like mom, lemon, finger, boy, zebra .

Letters like t And d sound similar, but pronounced with aspirated. For example words table, teacher, dad, dirty.

Letter c has two reading options. Before letters i,e,y it reads like [s]- city, face, cyber. And before other vowels it is read as [k]- cat, cake, factory.

Rule with vowels i,e,y also works with letters g. In front of them it reads like - gym, George, giant. Before other consonants the letter is read as [g].

Letter q always occurs in a combination of letters qu and reads like - quick, queen, square.

Letter j always reads like - jacket, jam, joy.

Table of the relationship between consonants and sounds in English.

How to read vowels in English

In English, a word can end in open or closed syllable, which affects pronunciation. For example words cat, pot, sit end in a closed syllable and have vowels a, o, i give sounds .

Words such as name, home, five end with an open syllable, since there is a letter at the end of the word e, which is not readable. But, thanks to her, the vowels in the middle of the word are read exactly the same way as they are pronounced in the alphabet, that is, the word name read .

Types of reading English vowels in stressed syllables.

Reading vowel combinations in English

There are certain combinations of letters that have established reading rules, although English tongue-tongue exceptions, and when reading more difficult words you should consult a dictionary. The table below shows combinations of English vowels with examples how they are read and what sound they make.

Table of vowel combinations in English.

And of course, there are exceptions to all rules. However, don't worry and think that you will never be able to learn it. Everything can be understood, you just need to try and practice a little.

Diphthongs of the English language with transcription

When you study the basic rules of reading, you will see that in English there are diphthong sounds that are quite difficult to reproduce, especially if you start learning the language not in childhood, but in adulthood.

Table English diphthongs with transcription.

Transcription of sounds in English

Practice shows that when children learn a language, they must definitely study transcription, but adults do not want to learn it and it can be difficult for them.

If you still want to learn how to write and read transcriptions, then great! And if not, then you can use online dictionaries, where the word will be pronounced for you. One of the best dictionaries today is Multitran and the online dictionary Lingvo.

Important!

Remember that you need to use dictionaries, not translators!

Here is an example of reading short words with transcription:

Table of vowel sounds in English and transcription.

Living in the Internet age has some advantages. While sitting at home, you can master various knowledge online. For your attention video lesson , which explains the basic principles of reading. However, even after gaining knowledge through an online lesson, it needs to be consolidated in order for a skill to be formed.

Learn English tongue twisters

Tongue twisters, which are often aimed at practicing one sound, can help you here. Here are some examples you can use.

Tongue twister in English	Translation into Russian
Whether the weather be fine, or whether the weather will not. Whether the weather be cold, or whether the weather be hot. We"ll weather the weather whether we like it or not.	The weather will be good or the weather won't be good. The weather will be cold or the weather will be hot. We can withstand any weather whether we like it or not.
Three swiss witch-bitches, which wished to be switched swiss witch-bitches, watch three swiss Swatch watch switches. Which swiss witch-bitch", which wishes to be a switched swiss witch-bitch, wishes to watch which Swiss Swatch switch?	Three Swiss witch bitches those who want to change their gender, looking at the three buttons on the Swatch watch. What a Swiss witch bitch those who want to change their gender, looking at what button on the Swatch watch?

Don't worry about tongue twisters! At this stage, when you are just learning to read and practicing sounds, it is important to pronounce them correctly, albeit slowly. You can always speed up.

Learn to hear English speech

After studying the basics, basic rules reading, you can use the method of repeating after the speaker. Yours auditory memory will also work and you will hear how words are pronounced correctly and what intonation is in sentences.

For this, you can use short dialogues and audio books for beginners. At this level, it would be ideal if the text is in front of your eyes, you listen, read and repeat at the same time!

You can use such a great resource as Oxford bookworm Library, which features audiobooks for all levels. You can download the library for free

For those who continue to learn English, we recommend learning the language from films, which you can read about in the article

Work on your pronunciation

Learning to read is only the first step towards learning a language. Just like learning grammar and vocabulary, learning to pronounce and hear correctly is very important if you want to understand what is being said to you and say it so that you are understood. Especially if you speak with a native speaker.

As we said a little above, one of the best ways is listen carefully to native speakers and try to copy their pronunciation and intonation .

Particular attention should be paid to sounds that do not exist in your native language. Often, people learning English have a problem with the ‘r’ sound, since in Russian it is hard, but in English it is more guttural and growling.

There are also difficulties in pronouncing the two sounds that combination of letters 'th'. Students persistently pronounce it as ‘c’ and ‘z’. Although it is worth noting that in words such as this, that, there, this sound is spoken as between ‘z’ and ‘d’. And in words like three, think, thief, it is pronounced as a sound between ‘f’ and ‘s’.

This may seem strange to you, since there are no such sounds in the Russian language, but if you listen to native speakers, you will understand that this is how they speak.

Don't worry if you can't say these words correctly the first time, it just takes a little practice. But, try to learn correctly from the very beginning, because it will be more difficult when you are forced to relearn.

Learn to pronounce phrases in English correctly

In English, words in sentences are not pronounced separately; they often merge as if into one whole, especially if it is a combination of a vowel and a consonant. Watch and practice with these transcription examples.

The same applies to phrases where one word ends with the letter ‘r’, and the next word begins with a vowel. In such cases, the sound 'r' is pronounced. Here are some examples.