# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
You have probably noticed that different dictionaries sometimes have different transcriptions for the same word. This is because there is no universally agreed set of symbols for English IPA.

For example, the word SAID might be /sɛd/ in one dictionary and /sed/ in another, so the vowel sound has a different symbol in each transcription. It is important to remember that the sound is the same, it is simply a different choice of symbol for that phoneme by the publisher of the dictionary.

This can be confusing for learners, but fortunately, most phonemes are identical across all dictionaries. The variations mainly occur on 5 vowel sounds. To illustrate the variations, we will use the OED (Oxford English Dictionary) and the Cambridge Dictionary IPA charts, as no major publisher will vary from these:

As you can see, the Pronunciation Studio IPA chart follows the OED model. There is no clear advantage to using one or the other, but it is useful for learners to be aware of the different versions.

Allophones - Sounds 45 & 46

A standard British English chart has 44 sounds, but we've seen that the Pronunciation Studio chart has 2 extra sounds: 45 [ʔ] and 46 [ɫ]. These are not phonemes, they are allophones meaning a variation of a sound:

45. [ʔ]If you hear a native English speaker say WITNESS, they probably will not pronounce a standard /t/, it will be [ʔ] instead. Although this sound is associated with regional accents such as cockney, it is widely used in standard pronunciation ( including the Queen's English).

46. [ɫ]The sound [ɫ], commonly known as 'dark l' is often made instead of a 'clear l' when it appears at the end of a word like FALL.

There are many allophones in English, all sounds have variations, so why have we included these on the chart and not all the others?

Simply because these are the two allophones that learners encounter most often as they learn English pronunciation. So on our pronunciation courses and in our course book, we give these 2 sounds the same amount of focus as each of the 44 phonemes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
English IPA Chart Tap or click on the sounds to hear their pronunciation. 44 Sounds British English used in dictionaries has a standard set of 44 sounds, these are called phonemes.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
The International Phonetic Alphabet (revised to 2005)

There are two MRI viewing options for both charts: MRI 1 and MRI 2.

MRI 1 was recorded in 2014 at Edinburgh Imaging Facility QMRI, with a frame rate of 7.5fps. Each file has been overdubbed with "clean" audio, recorded in a recording studio.

MRI 2 was recorded in 2022-2023 at the Edinburgh Imaging Facility, RIE, with a frame rate of 6.25fps and a 70% increase in image resolution, compared to MRI 1. Audio for the MRI 2 files was recorded in the MRI machine using an optical microphone and post-hoc noise cancelling. We aim to replace the MRI 2 audio with clean audio in the near future.

Consonants (Pulmonic)

Press on a symbol to play the associated video.

Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the right represents a voiced consonant. Shaded areas denote articulations judged impossible.

Charts reprinted with permission from The International Phonetic Association

How to refer to this resource: Lawson, E., Stuart-Smith, J., Scobbie, J. M., Nakai, S. (2018). Seeing Speech: an articulatory web resource for the study of Phonetics. University of Glasgow. 21st June 2023. https://www.seeingspeech.ac.uk/

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
There are two MRI viewing options for both charts: MRI 1 and MRI 2. MRI 1 was recorded in 2014 at Edinburgh Imaging Facility QMRI, with a frame rate of 7.5fps. Each file has been overdubbed with "clean" audio, recorded in a recording studio.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Pronunciation | Learn English | EnglishClub

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Learn to pronounce English with audio, video, tests and basic rules. EnglishClub helps ESL learners study pronunciation to improve speaking and listening.