Use this free interactive phonemic chart to explore the 44 sounds commonly taught in British English pronunciation. Tap any IPA symbol to hear the individual sound, or choose its example word to hear the phoneme in context. Practise the 12 monophthongs, 8 diphthongs and 24 consonants at your own pace.
Open the phonemic chartPronunciation practice
Treat the chart as a listening-and-speaking tool, not a list to memorise. Work on one small group of sounds, listen closely and move gradually from controlled repetition into real communication.
Tap an IPA symbol to hear the target sound in isolation.
Play the word beneath it to notice the sound in a natural context.
Copy the sound first, then repeat the complete word without rushing.
Move between similar sounds such as /iː/ and /ɪ/ or /v/ and /w/.
Replay your own voice and compare it with the reference audio.
Move from sounds to words, phrases, sentences and spontaneous speaking.
A phoneme is a contrastive speech sound: changing it can change the meaning of a word. A phonemic chart organises these sounds visually and represents them with symbols, many of which come from the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA).
This matters because English spelling does not map neatly onto pronunciation. The same spelling can represent different sounds, and the same sound can appear with different spellings. Phonemic transcription gives learners and teachers a more reliable way to discuss how a word is pronounced.
Dictionaries commonly place phonemic transcriptions between slashes, such as /ʃɪp/. Learning to recognise common English IPA symbols can therefore support vocabulary, listening and independent pronunciation practice.
Understand the chart
Vowels are produced without a complete obstruction of the airflow. The traditional British English phonemic chart presents 12 monophthongs and 8 diphthongs.
The vowel quality stays relatively steady, as in sleep /iː/, slip /ɪ/, food /uː/ and cup /ʌ/.
The tongue and mouth move from one vowel quality towards another, as in game /eɪ/, toy /ɔɪ/, mine /aɪ/ and how /aʊ/.
Consonants are formed by narrowing or blocking the airflow somewhere in the vocal tract. Teachers often describe them through place of articulation, manner of articulation and whether the sound is voiced.
Sounds such as /p/ and /b/, /f/ and /v/, /θ/ and /ð/, or /s/ and /z/ use similar mouth positions. The main contrast is vocal-fold vibration. Place two fingers lightly on your throat to feel the vibration in the voiced sound.
Practise the consonant alone, then at the beginning, middle and end of words before moving into phrases and sentences.
Minimal pairs differ by one sound. Comparing them helps you notice whether a contrast changes meaning and gives your practice a precise target.
/iː/ vs /ɪ/
sheep / ship
Compare vowel length and tongue position.
/æ/ vs /ʌ/
cap / cup
Notice the change in jaw opening and centrality.
/θ/ vs /ð/
thought / those
Both use the tongue near the teeth; voicing creates the contrast.
/v/ vs /w/
vest / west
Compare lip-and-teeth contact with rounded lips.
/s/ vs /z/
sip / zip
The mouth position is similar, but /z/ uses vocal-fold vibration.
/tʃ/ vs /dʒ/
chip / jam
Compare the voiceless and voiced affricates.
For English, ESL and TESOL teachers
A phonemic chart gives teachers and learners a shared visual language for pronunciation. It works best when symbols are linked to listening, mouth movement, meaningful vocabulary and communicative practice.
Beyond individual sounds
Clear pronunciation depends on more than individual vowels and consonants. Word stress, sentence stress, rhythm, intonation, linking, weak forms and other connected-speech features all shape how easy speech is to understand. Use the chart to build accuracy, then apply each sound while speaking at phrase and sentence level.
Use the Speech Analyser for feedback on pronunciation, fluency, intonation, grammar and vocabulary.
Open Speech AnalyserLearn how structured listening, modelling, repetition and feedback can improve spoken clarity.
Explore pronunciation trainingMove from isolated sounds into stress, rhythm, connected speech and real communication.
Explore voice and accent classesContinue with structured pronunciation practice, connected speech and guidance for clearer everyday and professional communication.
Frequently asked questions
A phonemic chart visually organises speech sounds using phonemic symbols. English pronunciation charts commonly use symbols from the International Phonetic Alphabet so learners can connect a symbol with a sound instead of relying only on spelling.
The traditional British-English teaching model commonly presents 44 sounds: 20 vowel sounds and 24 consonant sounds. The precise inventory can vary between English accents and pronunciation models.
They are commonly organised into 12 monophthongs, in which the vowel quality stays relatively steady, and 8 diphthongs, in which the tongue and mouth move from one vowel quality towards another.
IPA stands for the International Phonetic Alphabet. It is a standard system of symbols used to represent speech sounds and is widely used in dictionaries, pronunciation resources and language teaching.
This Cambridge Veritas chart uses a British-English reference pronunciation model for teaching purposes. English pronunciation varies across regions, communities and individual speakers.
Listen to a sound and its example word, repeat both, compare the sound with a similar phoneme, record yourself and then use the target sound in phrases and natural speech. Work on a small number of contrasts at a time.
Yes. Teachers can use it for pronunciation modelling, drilling, minimal-pair work, dictionary training, sound discrimination and phonemic-awareness activities in ESL, EFL, TEFL and TESOL lessons.
No. Begin by recognising the symbols and sound contrasts most relevant to your own pronunciation or teaching. Familiarity develops naturally when the chart is used alongside words, listening and speaking practice.
This chart uses a British-English reference model for teaching and was last reviewed on 7 October 2026. It is a learning aid, not a claim that every English accent has an identical sound inventory. Learn more about Cambridge Veritas standards in our editorial policy.