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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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