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Pronunciation Guides
Short, practical explanations of how English sounds work, with links to hear every example word in American and British English.
How to read IPA
Learn to read the International Phonetic Alphabet for English, including every consonant and vowel symbol, stress marks, and example words.
American vs British pronunciation
The main sound differences between American and British English, including the r sound, key vowels, and words that change their stress, with audio examples.
Silent letters
Why English has silent letters, the spelling patterns that predict them, and the most common silent-letter words, with audio.
Word stress rules
Practical rules for English word stress, with examples: two-syllable nouns and verbs, suffixes that move the stress, compound words, and common exceptions.
The schwa sound
What the schwa /ə/ is, why it appears so often in English, how to pronounce it, and how it affects the rhythm of your speech.
Commonly mispronounced words
The English words that are most often mispronounced, the reasons behind the mistakes, and the correct pronunciation of each, with American and British audio.