LifimallPhonetic Ipa Chart

Phonetic Ipa Chart

The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) gives every speech sound its own symbol, so dictionaries can show exactly how a word is pronounced. This pack sets out the sounds of English — 24 consonants and the vowels and diphthongs of British and American accents — with a clear example word for each, then helps learners and teachers practise with worksheets and flashcards.

Preview of the first page of Consonant chart (PDF)

5 files · PDF, DOCX

English IPA Chart Pack

Printable English IPA charts: consonants, British and American vowels and diphthongs, flashcards, transcription worksheets with answer keys and a minimal pairs list.

  • Consonant chart (PDF)
  • Vowel chart (PDF)
  • Flashcards (PDF)
  • + 2 more

$5.00 USD, one-time 5 files · about $1.00 each

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Free sample: IPA Consonants (PDF, 110 KB)

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English IPA Chart Pack

Printable English IPA charts: consonants, British and American vowels and diphthongs, flashcards, transcription worksheets with answer keys and a minimal pairs list.

Formats: PDF, DOCX. Instant download after payment (link valid 72 hours, up to 5 downloads). AI-assisted: the templates were drafted with AI help and reviewed and laid out before publishing.

$5.00 USD, one-time 5 files · about $1.00 each

7-day money-back guarantee. Full refund within 7 days of purchase, even after you download.

Free sample: IPA Consonants (PDF, 110 KB)

Full refund within 7 days — see the refund policy and license.

Free printables

Single sheets you can print right now, no sign-up. The full pack adds every sheet in one download plus the editable files.

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English consonant sounds

IPAExampleDescription
ppenvoiceless bilabial plosive
bbadvoiced bilabial plosive
tteavoiceless alveolar plosive
ddidvoiced alveolar plosive
kcatvoiceless velar plosive
ɡgetvoiced velar plosive
tʃchainvoiceless postalveolar affricate
dʒjamvoiced postalveolar affricate
ffallvoiceless labiodental fricative
vvanvoiced labiodental fricative
θthinvoiceless dental fricative
ðthisvoiced dental fricative
sseevoiceless alveolar fricative
zzoovoiced alveolar fricative
ʃshoevoiceless postalveolar fricative
ʒvisionvoiced postalveolar fricative
hhatvoiceless glottal fricative
mmanbilabial nasal
nnowalveolar nasal
ŋsingvelar nasal
llegalveolar lateral approximant
r (ɹ)redalveolar approximant
jyespalatal approximant
wwetlabial-velar approximant

English has 24 consonant phonemes. Many are written with familiar letters; the special symbols to learn are θ (thin), ð (this), ʃ (shoe), ʒ (vision), tʃ (chain), dʒ (jam), ŋ (sing) and j (yes — not the “j” in jam).

English vowel sounds: British and American

British (RP)ExampleAmerican (GA)Example
iːseeisee
ɪsitɪsit
etenɛten
æcatæcat
ɑːfatherɑfather
ɒgotɑgot
ɔːsawɔsaw
ʊputʊput
uːtooutoo
ʌcupʌcup
ɜːbirdɝbird
əaboutəabout
eɪsayeɪsay
aɪmyaɪmy
ɔɪboyɔɪboy
əʊgooʊgo
aʊnowaʊnow
ɪənearɪrnear
eəhairɛrhair
ʊəpureʊrpure

Vowels differ more between accents than consonants. American English usually pronounces the r after vowels (bird, near, hair), and many Americans merge the vowels of “cot” and “caught”. Dictionaries such as Cambridge and Oxford show both British and American transcriptions.

Reading IPA in a dictionary

  1. Transcriptions are written between slashes: /kæt/ for cat.
  2. A stress mark ˈ comes before the stressed syllable: /əˈbaʊt/ about.
  3. A secondary stress mark ˌ shows weaker stress: /ˌɪntəˈnæʃənl/.
  4. The length mark ː shows a long vowel in British transcriptions: /siː/.
  5. Symbols in brackets show sounds that may be dropped: /ˈfæm(ə)li/.

Common trouble spots for learners

What’s in the pack

Using the charts in class

Pin the consonant and vowel charts on the wall and point to symbols as you model sounds. Use the flashcards for quick drills — show a symbol and ask for three words containing that sound. The minimal pairs list (ship/sheep, bad/bed, cut/cart) works well for listening games where students hold up the correct symbol card.

Formats and printing

Charts print on US Letter or A4 and look best in colour on card stock. The worksheets come in Word so teachers can add their own words.

AI-assisted content

Charts were compiled with AI assistance and checked before publishing against standard dictionary transcriptions. Accents vary; the charts show the reference accents used in most dictionaries.

Frequently asked questions

How many sounds are in English?

About 44 in British RP: 24 consonants and around 20 vowels and diphthongs; American English differs slightly.

What is the schwa?

The neutral vowel /ə/, as in the first syllable of “about”.

Does the chart show American pronunciation?

Yes, alongside British (RP).

What does the ː symbol mean?

A long vowel, as in /siː/.

Are there flashcards?

Yes, with symbols and example words.

Is this a subscription?

No, it is a one-time download.