English phonemic alphabet

This chart summarizes the phonemis in standard British English pronunciation:

If you want to know the position of each of these sounds, check Bruce Myhre's images for both vowels and consonants.

If you want to know more about this phonemic alphabet you might try one of these text to phonemic symbols converters:

• https://tophonetics.com/ - It converts text in English to phonemic symbols and you can also listen to the audio of the passage chosen.
• http://www.photransedit.com/ - It converts text of any length to phonemic symbols.

Text in phonetic symbols

Can you guess what the original text in English is? Have a try:

| ˈjestədi ˈaɪ həd ə ˈɡreɪt deɪ | ˈfɜːst | ˈaɪ wəʊk ʌp ət ˈsevn̩ əˈklɒk ɪn ðə ˈmɔːnɪŋ ənd ðen ˈaɪ həd ˈbrekfəst | nekst | ˈaɪ red ə bʊk fər əˈbaʊt tuː ˈaʊəz | ˈleɪtər ɒn ˈaɪ dɪd səm ˈeksəsaɪzɪz ənd wɒtʃt ˌtiːˈviː fə wʌn ˈaʊə |
| ət wʌn maɪ ˈsɪstər ənd ˈaɪ kʊkt lʌntʃ ənd ðen ɔːl ðə ˈfæməli həd lʌntʃ təˈɡeðə | ðen | wi ˈwent fər ə wɔːk ənd rɪˈtɜːnd həʊm ət sɪks |
ˈɑːftə ðæt | ˈaɪ ˈstʌdɪd fə tuː ˈaʊəz bət ˈaɪ ˈdɪdnt ˈstʌdi frentʃ ɔːr ˈɪŋɡlɪʃ | ət naɪn əˈklɒk wi həd ˈdɪnər ənd ˈfaɪnəli wi ˈwent tə bed ət ɪˈlevn̩ |

Phonemic chart for English

This chart contains the sounds that stardard English uses:

Phonemic chart

This phonemic chart contains the standard sound of British Received Pronunciation. If you want to try the interactive version, go to the original interactive chart in the British Council website.

IPA Symbols for English

The IPA is an alphabetic system of phonetic notation based primarily on the Latin alphabet, even though certain symbols are taken from other alphabets. It represents oral language and it can be used to represent any oral language: English, Galician or Chinese, for instance. The IPA is particularly valuable for learners of languages which do not have a perfect letter-sound correspondence.

These are the symbols used to represent standard British English. Other varieties might require other symbols.

"Tears in heaven" by Eric Clapton

ACTIVITIES:
1. Look for words containing 
a. /ei/:
b. /e/:
c. /i:/:

2. How does the author of the song feel?

3. Look for all the verbs and write their infinitive, past simple and past participle forms (both in regular and irregular verbs):

LYRICS:

Would you know my name

if I saw you in heaven? 

Would it be the same 

if I saw you in heaven? 

I must be strong and carry on 

'Cause I know I don't belong

here in heaven...

Would you hold my hand 

if I saw you in heaven? 

Would you help me stand 

if I saw you in heaven? 

I'll find my way through night and day 

'Cause I know I just can't stay

here in heaven...

Time can bring you down, time can bend your knees 

Time can break your heart, have you begging please...

Beyond the door there's peace I'm sure 

And I know there'll be no more

tears in heaven...

Would you know my name 

if I saw you in heaven? 

Would it be the same 

if I saw you in heaven? 

I must be strong and carry on 

'Cause I know I don't belong

here in heaven

ESL / EFL "Every Breath You Take" by The Police

 ACTIVITIES

• Write the words in three groups: break, day, face, make, play, embrace, say, stay, take, trace, aches and take.

 

/ei/	/eis/	/eik/
day	face	break

• Now complete the song with those words:

 EVERY BREATH YOU TAKE

1                 Every breath you __________

Every move you __________

Every bond you _________

Every step you _________

I’ll be watching you.

2                 Every single __________

Every word you __________

Every game you __________

Every night you __________

I’ll be watching you.

3                 Oh can’t you see

You belong to me

How my poor heart __________

With every step you take.

4                 Since you’ve gone

I’ve been lost without a __________

I dream at night I can only see your _________

I look around but it’s you I can’t __________

I feel so cold and I long for your ___________

I keep crying, baby, baby, please

More songs and activities for English as a Foreign Language students.