English spellings: Difference between revisions

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'''English''' is famous, even notorious, for its varied '''spellings'''. This is a selection of commonly misspelt and/or mispronounced words, alongside regular ones for contrast. For example, *disāsterous is a common misspelling of '''disāstrous''', with the e echoing that of '''disāster''' (the asterisk indicates an incorrect spelling, the accents stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]; where there is more than one accent, the first is stressed).
'''[[English language|English]]''' is notorious for its many varied, inconsistent and irregular '''[[spelling]]s'''. This can be seen at its most extravagant in the field of [[English noun#Types of nouns|proper noun]]s—for example, simply adding  an 'h' to 'Maria' to make it rhyme with 'pariah', or calling oneself 'Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh' while pronouncing it 'Chumley Fanshaw'. An example of a common [[misspelling]] is 'disasterous' for 'disastrous', retaining the 'e' of 'disaster'.  Many words do not turn out to have the pronunciation they appear to have: 'do' and 'to' do not rhyme with 'go' and 'no', while 'seismic', instead of being 'seezmic' or 'sayzmic', or even 'sayizmic', is in fact 'size-mic'. The above grid (reproduced and explained below) provides links to three lists and a '''[[A (letter)|cluster of articles]]''' devoted to these things.  


Particular attention is given to homophones, words with the same pronunciation.  English is rich in homophones; it also has many homonyms, words with the same spelling and pronunciation, and homographs, words with the same spelling but different pronunciation.  All three can be found here. In this alphabetical list, the most common word is placed first in the entry.  
To show pronunciation, these articles use correct spellings with added [[Accent (pronunciation)|accent]] marks, instead of relying on the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA). In some cases incorrect respellings are placed next to the correct ones, signalled by a preceding asterisk, like '''thís''' *thíss.  The accent marks show pronunciation, '''thús'''. A table of these accents (which are not part of the language<ref>A few different accents, mostly from French, sometimes crop up in English, however; see [[French words in English]].</ref>) can be found below; there is also an [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]]  key at [[English phonemes]]. Where there is more than one accent, the first is [[stress (linguistics)|stressed]], and the same is true after a hyphen, so in the respelling  of '''Tchaikóvsky''', *Chŷ-kóffskỳ, it is 'kóff' that has the main stress. (Another way of showing new stress is with a bar: '''Tchaî'''|'''kóvsky'''.) A sentence from the preceding paragraph can thus be rewritten as follows: "An example of a common misspelling is *disāsterous for '''disāstrous''', retaining the '''E''' of '''disāster'''." Respelling may be used to exemplify an incorrect spelling, or show a correct pronunciation, or a bit of both. Unlike the [[International Phonetic Alphabet|IPA]], where there can only be one version per pronunciation, as there must be an unambiguous one-to-one correspondence, there can be many respellings: if *disāsterous for '''disāstrous''' is a common mistake, we can also represent the pronunciation as *dizāstrus or *dizāstrous or *dizāstrəss (with 'ə', a special character &ndash; the only one used &ndash; for [[schwa]]); or we can contrast [[British English]] *dizàstrus with [[American English|American]] *dizástrus.
 
Particular attention is given to [[homophones]], words with the same pronunciation but different meanings.  English is rich in homophones, many of which are also homonyms, having also the same spelling, as, for example, '''cán''' ''able, tin'' (the italicised words suggest meanings, in this case two); while homographs are words with the same spelling whose meanings are distinguished by different pronunciations.


Also of special note are words that many writers incorrectly divide.  '''ôver''' and '''dûe''', for example, combine to form '''overdûe''', without a space in the middle.  Such examples are included with ‘one word’ alongside them: '''alongsîde''' one word.   
Also of special note are words that many writers incorrectly divide.  '''ôver''' and '''dûe''', for example, combine to form '''overdûe''', without a space in the middle.  Such examples are included with ‘one word’ alongside them: '''alongsîde''' one word.   


The equals sign = is placed between homophones (in some cases the approximately equals sign ≈ is more appropriate). Homographs and other similar words are included after 'cf.' (from Latin ''conferre'', 'compare').  
An equals sign = is placed between homophones (in some cases the approximately equals sign ≈ is more appropriate). Homographs and other similar-looking words are included after 'cf.' (Latin ''conferre'', 'compare').  


An asterisk is placed before incorrect respellings, thus: *thuss.  Words in ''italics'' are used to suggest meanings, in the case of similar words. The word ''person'' (or ''persons'' after more than one) implies either a personal or family name.  Such words are included because they often contrast with the spellings of homophones, for example a bank '''clerk''' might be named '''Clàrk''' or '''Clàrke''', but most probably not 'Clerk' (which is pronounced identically in [[British English|BrE]]).  It may, of course, also be a commercial or place name, as this is a matter regarding individuals: the fact that one is more likely to meet a person, most probably male, called '''Maurice Mórris''' than one called '''Mórris Maurice''', both words and hence both names being pronounced the same in BrE ('''Maurìce''' in [[American English|AmE]]), is about as relevant as the fact that one is unlikely to meet a person called either.
Some words from other languages, in most cases French, may sometimes appear in English with accents from those languages. Here, such spellings are shown using bold italics: '''touchè''' may be written with a French accent: '''''touché''''' *tooshây.
==Alphabetical list==
===A===
 ''letter'' = èh? ''what?'' (names of letters are usually written as capitals in text)


a ''article'' *ə: schwa.  It can be a strong form â, like the name of the letter Â, but this can sound pompous, especially in private; it can however be used for emphasis, as a synonym for ône, as for example of a tennis player trailing 4-6 2-0: At lêast hê lêads ín â sét.
The [[apostrophe]] is an important part of spelling and so it is treated as a letter, with its own place at the end of the alphabet.


àaah sentiment ≈ àaargh disgust more a´s may be added, ≈ àh response
Fragments of words are in bold when correctly spelt: '''Ukrâine''' has -'''âine''', not -âne.


àardvark
Words in ''italics'' are used to suggest meanings (e.g. '''sêa''' ''water'' = '''sêe''' ''vision'', where the equals sign denotes identical pronunciation).  Words beginning with an initial capital may have no word in italics following: these are names of people, either personal or family, and/or commercial or  place names.  Such words are included because they often contrast with the spellings of homophones:  a bank clerk might be named '''Clàrk''' or '''Clàrke''', but probably not 'Clerk' (though  [[British English|BrE]] '''clerk''' = '''Clàrk'''/'''Clàrke'''). Unusual spellings can be explained by regular ones: '''Cloúgh''' = '''Clúff'''. An American called '''Maurìce Mŏrris''' could just as well be called '''Mórris Maurice''' ("Morris Morris") in Britain, where '''Maurice''' = '''Mórris''' (although it would be putting the conventional surname before the conventional given name).


Ãaron - also Ãron or Áron and now some say Áaron = Árran ''Isle''
==Links to letter articles and lists==  
{{:English_spellings/Catalogs/Masterlist}}
àh ''response'' ≈ àaah ''sentiment'' ≈ àaargh ''disgust'' (in the latter cases more a´s may be added)  
In the navigation table above (reproduced at the top of each article in the [[CZ:Article structure|cluster]]) the cells in each row link as follows:


abándoned - not -nned
*Top row: '''''articles''''' on each letter and its use in English. There are similar articles on [[GH]], the [[apostrophe]] and the [[hyphen]].


Abbàs
*Second row: '''''alphabetical''''' lists of of commonly misspelt and/or mispronounced words, alongside more regular words they may be confused with (words beginning with an apostrophe are [[English spellings/Catalogs/Apostrophe|here]]). Some incorrect spellings are also listed, signalled by an asterisk: *dispánd '''disbánd''' means that the word is 'disband'. (The ''bottom row'' is devoted entirely to misspellings and typos.)
*Third row: '''''retroalphabetical''''' lists, arranged alphabetically according to the final letter of the word and continuing backwards through it: 
::In the retroalphabetical lists the headword is on the right. In this way, suffixes and other word endings can be seen grouped together, just as prefixes can be seen in normal alphabetical order.  So, instead of '''ádd båll coúsin''', we have '''réplicA fláB plástiC'''; and so for '''mûsiC''', see under -'''C''', for '''mûsicaL''', see under -'''L''', for '''pàrticlE''', see under -'''E''', and so on.


ábdomen
::Some  suffixes are included separately; their pronunciation may or may not apply to following words ("always -'''ãrian'''" means there is no other pronunciation of -'''ãrian''').


abdóminal
::Throughout, the apostrophe is treated as the last letter, after '''Z'''.  (Words ending in an apostrophe are [[English spellings/Catalogs/Apostrophe#Final and medial|also here]].)


Aberdêen
::For clarity, italic association words are to the left of the example word:
:::''woman'' '''mâid''' = ''make'' '''mâde'''


Aberýstwýth
::Some incorrect spellings are listed retroalphabetically, in which case the misspelling goes on the right, just as in the alphabetical list:
:::'''wêasel''' *wêasal


aberrâtion
*Bottom row: '''''common misspellings''''' including '''''typos''''' (blue-linked for checking purposes), followed by the correct versions.


abét
Two main varieties are distinguished: [[British English]] (BrE), that of the [[United Kingdom|UK]] and much of the [[Commonwealth of Nations|Commonwealth]] (see also [[Commonwealth English]]), and [[American English]] (AmE), that of the [[United States of America|USA]] and [[Canada]] (without the [[caught-cot merger|'''cåught''' = '''cót''']] merger that has occurred in some parts of North America).


abhŏr
Unlike dictionaries, the lists include personal and place names for their own sake and for contrast.


abhórrent
==Table of accents==
These accents are intended to show the pronunciation while retaining the spelling: they are not part of the language. Those on '''i''' and '''y''' show the same sound; similarly with '''u''', '''oo''' and '''w'''.  Accented vowels are stressed ('''ỳ''' is normally unstressed, as in '''háppy''').  '''ā''', not in the table, means that the sound is '''à''' in standard British and Commonwealth pronunciations but '''á''' in American and other British and Commonwealth speech.
{|class="wikitable"
|rowspan=2|
|colspan=3 align=center|'''Front vowels
|colspan=5 align=center|'''Back vowels
|-
!e
!i       
!y<ref>When not accented, '''y''' is usually the semi-consonant of '''yoû''' and '''yés'''.</ref>
!a
!o
!u
!oo
!w<ref>When not accented, '''w''' is usually the semi-consonant of '''wê''' and '''wíll'''.</ref>
|-
|width=36%|The typical short sound, never occurring at the end of a word (acute accent)
|width=8%|'''pét
|width=8%|'''pít
|width=8%|'''crýpt
|width=8%|'''cát
|width=8%|'''dóg'''<ref>In American English this short British sound is replaced by the longer '''à''' in most positions, and by '''ŏ''' before '''r'''.</ref>
|width=8%|'''nút
|width=8%|
|width=8%|
|-
|The typical long sound, corresponding to the names of the letters A, E, I, O and U (circumflex accent)
|'''sêe
|'''nîce
|'''mŷ
|'''nâme
|'''nôse
|'''rûle
|'''toô
|'''neŵ
|-
|Sounds shown with the grave accent ('''ẁ'''- and '''qù'''- indicate the [[British English|BrE]] '''ó''' sound of the following '''a''', '''ẁad''' rhyming with '''qùad'''; '''òu''' and '''òw''' are diphthongs sounding like '''àù''' in '''àùtobahn''': '''nòw''' has this '''sòund''')
|'''èight''' (= â)
|'''machìne''' (= ê)
|'''quaỳ''' ''water'' = '''kêỳ''' ''lock'' <br>(= ê)
|'''àre
|'''òther''', '''blòod''' <br>(= ú)
|'''fùll''' (= oò), '''qùantity''' (= w)
|'''foòt''' (= ù)
|'''ẁant''' (= wó)<ref>Grave accents on '''w''' and on a '''u''' following a '''q''' indicate the sound of the following '''a''': '''à''' in American English, but in British the extra sound '''ó''' as in the British pronunciation of '''hót'''.</ref>
|-
|The '''ër''' sound (umlaut accent)
|'''përson
|'''bïrd
|'''mÿrtle
|('''ëarth''')
|'''wörd
|'''pürr
|
|
|-
|The '''åw'''/'''ŏr''' sound (ring accent)<ref>'''å''' and '''ŏ''' show the same sound: ideally the '''o''' too would have a ring over it, but this symbol is not available, so '''ŏ''' is used instead.</ref>
|
|('''cŏin''')
|('''jŏy''')
|'''åll'''
|'''mŏre
|(for some BrE speakers) '''sůre
|
|
|-
|The '''ãir''' sound (tilde accent)
|('''thére''')
|('''ãir''' =
|'''Ãyr''')
|'''stãre
|
|
|
|
|-
|Irregular (respelling needed)
|'''sew''' (= '''sô''')
|'''meringue''' (*məráng)
|
|'''because''' (*bikóz)
|'''woman''' (*wùmən), '''women''' (*wímən)
|'''business''' (*bízníss)
|
|
|}


âble ''capable'' = Âbel ''person''
===Example sentences===
These sentences show how the accents may be used, for example, when teaching pronunciation. Words without accents are monosyllables with the [[schwa]] sound, a neutral grunt.


abòut *əbòut
''The usual short sound, acute accent:''


ábscess
'''The gínger cát was jéalous of the bláck cát: howéver, the tábby was a véry dífferent mátter - the stúff of réveries, ín fáct.


ábsèil cf. sâil
''The usual long sound, circumflex accent:''


ábsence
'''Sây mŷ nâme thrêe tîmes with stŷle and Î’ll gô and fînd a tûne to plây for yoû.


abstâin
''The third sound, grave accent:''


absténtion
'''Christìna Grèy shoùld (and dòes?) lòve her mòther and fàther.


ábstinence
''The '''ër''' sound, umlaut:''


abýsmal -zməl
'''But fïrst, Mÿrtle, fürther dïrty, ïrksome and distürbing wörk for the nürses.


abýss
''The '''ŏr''' sound ('''sůre''' here is with [[British English|British]] pronunciation = '''Shåw'''), the ring, or half-ring:''


ácadême
'''Sůre yoû ŏught to cråwl ón åll fŏurs, m’lŏrd?


acádemy
''Irregular, without accent, instead with respelling:''


académic
'''Many women? Any woman!''' (pronounced: *Ménny wímmin? Énny wùman!)


accélerate ax-, cf. excél, éxcellent
==Double letters==
The following alphabetical table shows examples of how letters can be doubled in English.  


áccent áx-
Double consonant letters before suffixes are used (as often elsewhere) to preserve short vowel sounds, as in '''flípped''' (not *flîped), '''rebélled''' (not *rebêled) and '''pégged''' (not *pêged, which if regular would in any case be pronounced *pêjed).  Compare '''scrâped''', past of '''scrâpe''', and '''scrápped''', from '''scráp'''. In the case of '''t''', doubling it after an unstressed vowel and before a suffix may seem unnecessary, but in some cases it can be doubled before -'''ed''': either '''tàrgeted''' or '''tàrgetted''' (but always '''commítted''').


accéntuate -x-
The sign # indicates a double letter that is rare in that position; capital-letter words indicate that the double letter in this position is only found in names. An asterisk (*) indicates a respelling to show pronunciation, and an equals sign (=) introduces a [[homophone]].
{|class="wikitable"
|-
!letter
!initial
!medial
!final
!final + silent e
|-
|'''A
|'''àardvark''' #<ref>'''àardvark''' and '''Transvàal''' are from '''[[Afrikaans|Afrikàans]]''', itself a further example.</ref>
|'''bazàar''' #
|'''bàa''' #
|
|-
|'''B
|
|'''ríbbon
|'''ébb''' #
|'''Crábbe''' (= '''cráb''')
|-
|'''C
|
|'''sóccer''' (*sócker), '''accépt''' (*əxépt)
|
|
|-
|'''D
|
|'''hídden
|'''ádd
|
|-
|'''E
|'''êel
|'''bêen
|'''sêe
|
|-
|'''F
|'''Ffoùlkes'''
|'''éffort
|'''óff'''
|'''Clíffe''' (= '''clíff''')
|-
|'''G
|
|'''aggréssion''' (-'''g'''-), '''exággerate''' (-j-)
|'''égg''' #
|'''Légge''' (= '''lég''')
|-
|'''H
|
|'''hítchhike''' # (accidental)
|
|
|-
|'''I
|
|'''skìíng''' #
|'''Hawàìi''' #
|
|-
|'''J
|
|
|'''hàjj''' # (also spelt '''hàdj''')
|
|-
|'''K
|
|'''púkka'''; '''boòkkeeper''' (accidental)<ref>With a pause to indicate both '''k'''’s are pronounced.</ref> #
|
|
|-
|'''L
|'''llàma'''<ref>Also representing a [[Welsh language|Welsh]] sound in place names like '''Llandudno''' (-dídno) and '''Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwrndrobllllantysiliogogogóch'''.</ref> #
|'''fílling
|'''wéll'''
|'''bélle''' ''beauty'' (= '''béll''' ''ring'')


accépt ''receive'' cf. excépt ''exception''
|-
|'''M
|
|'''súmmer
|'''Crámm''' (= '''crám''')
|'''grámme''' (= '''grám''')
|-
|'''N
|
|'''dínner
|'''ínn''' # ''pub''
|'''Ánne''' (= '''Ánn''')
|-
|'''O
|'''oôze, oòmph''' #
|'''foôd, foòt, flòod, doŏr'''
|'''toô
|'''Loôe''' (= '''loô''')
|-
|'''P
|
|'''flípped
|
|'''stéppe''' ''Asia'' # (= '''stép''' ''foot'')
|-
|'''Q
|
|'''Sadìqqi''' #
|
|
|-
|'''R
|
|'''érror
|'''pürr
|
|-
|'''S
|
|'''méssy
|'''lóss
|'''crevásse
|-
|'''T
|
|'''bétter
|'''ẁatt
|'''couchétte''' -sh-
|-
|'''U
|
|'''vácuum''' # (*vákyoôm)
|
|
|-
|'''V
|
|'''révved''' #
|
|
|-
|'''W
|
|'''Lawwell''' # (accidental)
|
|
|-
|'''X
|
|'''[[Exxon|Éxxon]]''' ™ #
|'''[[Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans|Bób B. Sóxx]]''' #
|
|-
|'''Y
|
|'''[[Omar Khayyam|Khayyàm]]''' #
|
|
|-
|'''Z
|
|'''fízzy
|'''búzz
|
|}


áccess *áxéss, cf. áxis, áxês
==Names of the letters==
The names of the letters of the alphabet are rarely written out in English (a simple capital being the normal usage: "with a C, not a K") so that, unlike in many other languages, most of their spellings have a rather unofficial status. But they can be shown as follows, using real words where possible:


áccident áx-
'''A''': '''â''' (the indefinite article, when stressed), '''èh?''' ''what?


accidéntally áx-
'''B''': '''bê''' ''exist'', '''bêe''' ''sting


áccolade
'''C''': occasionally '''cêe'''; '''sêe''' ''look'', '''sêa''' ''ship


accómmodate - two c’s and two m’s
'''D''': [[River Dee|'''Dêe''' ''River]], ''surname''


accòmpany
'''E''': '''ê''' as in '''êmail''', '''ê-mail


accòmplíce ''person''
'''F''': '''éff''' as in the euphemism '''éff óff


accòmplísh ''achieve''
'''G''': '''gêe''' ''up, exclamation'' *jêe


Accrà
'''H''': '''âitch''' as in '''drópping your âitches


accrûe cf. acróss
'''I''': '''Î''' ''me'', '''eŷe''' ''vision


acërbic
'''J''': '''jây''' ''bird


âche *âke
'''K''': '''Kây''' ''person


achìêve
'''L''': '''él''' ''elevated railway'' ([[American English|AmE]])


ácmê
'''M''': '''ém''' ''dash


acquiésce *aquìéss, cf. quiéscent *kwìéssent, quîet *kwîət
'''N''': '''én''' ''dash


acquîre *aquîre
'''O''': '''ôwe''' ''debt'', '''ôh!''' ''exclamation


acquít
'''P''': '''pêa''' ''pod'', '''pêe''' ''urine'', '''p''' ''pence'' ([[British English|BrE]])


âcreage *âkerage
'''Q''': '''queûe''' ''line'', '''cûe''' ''ball'', ''prompt


acróss cf. accrûe
'''R''': '''àre''' ''be'', BrE '''àh''' ''exclamation


áctual *ákchəl
'''S''': occasionally '''éss


ácûmen cf. áccurate
'''T''': '''têa''' ''drink'', '''têe''' ''golf'', '''tì''' ''do-re-mi


ácupuncture
'''U''': '''yoû''' ''me'', '''eŵe''' ''sheep


ádage
'''V''': '''[[Bobby Vee|Vêe]]''' ''Bobby''


adàgio -jô
'''W''': "'''doúble you'''" (*dúblyu; cf. '''vácûum''', which actually does have a '''doúble Û''')


ádd ''more'' = ád ''advertisement''  
'''X''': '''éx-''' ''past


Áddis Ábaba
'''Y''': '''whŷ''' ''reason'' (voiced '''w''', as in BrE)


ádditive
'''Z''': BrE '''zéd''', AmE '''zêe


addíctive
==''The Chaos''==
by Gerard Nolst Trenité


addréss BrE = a dréss; AmE áddress
This poem on pronunciation irregularities was first published in 1920. Accent marks, respellings and editorial comments have been added to reflect current [[British English]] pronunciation. The unadorned poem, with an introduction, can be found [http://ncf.idallen.com/english.html here].


adhêre (d and h pronounced separately)


adhêsive (d and h pronounced separately)
'''The Châós''' (*câyóss)


ád hóc


ádjective cf. ejécted
Dêarest crêature ín creâtion


adjöurn
Stúdying English (*Ínglish) pronunciâtion,


adjúst *ajúst
:Î wíll têach yoû ín mŷ vërse


ád nåusêám
:Sòunds lîke cŏrpse, cŏrps (*cŏr), hŏrse and wörse.


adôbê
Î wíll kêep yoû, Sûsy, busy (*bízzy),


adrénalín can be -íne
Mâke yŏur héad wíth hêat grôw dízzy;


advānce
:Têar ín eŷe, yŏur dréss yŏu'll téar;


ádvent
:Quêer, fãir sêer (*sêe-er), hêar mŷ prãyer.


advénture
Prây, consôle yŏur lòving pôet,


ádversary -vəsrỳ or advërsary
Mâke mŷ côat loòk neŵ, dêar, sew (=sô) ít!   
:Júst compãre heàrt, hêar and hëard,


ádvërt
:Dîes and dîet (*dîət), lŏrd and wörd.


ádvertise never -îze
Swŏrd (*sŏrd) and swård, retâin and Brítain


advërtísement BrE;  AmE ádvertîsement
[Mînd the látter hòw ít's wrítten].


advîce noun -ss
:Mâde hás nót the sòund of báde,


advîse verb pronounced but never spelt -îze
:Sây–said (*séd), pây–pâid, lâid but pláid.
Nòw Î sůrely wíll nót plâgue yoû


advîser = advîsor (alternatives)
Wíth súch wörds as vâgue and âgûe,


Aêgêan *Êjêən
:Bút bê cãreful hòw yoû spêak,


ãerial air = Ãriel person
:Sây: gúsh, bùsh, steâk, strêak, breâk, blêak,


ãerie bird = ãiry light and = variant spellings of bird: ãerie = éyrie = éyry
Prêvious, précious, fûchsia (*feŵsha), vîa,   
 
Récipê, pîpe, stúdding-sâil, choîr (=quîre);


ãeroplane BrE;  AmE ãirplane
:Wôven, óven, hòw and lôw,


Aêschylus BrE; AmE Êschylus *Êeskiləss
:Scrípt, recêipt (*rissêet), shoe (=shoô), pôem, tôe.
Sây, expécting fråud and tríckerỳ:


aêsthétics AmE ê-
Dåughter (*dåwter), làughter (*làfter) ánd Terpsíchorê (*Terpsíckery),


afféct ''alter'' cf. efféct ''result'' í-
:Brànch, rànch, mêasles, tópsails, aîsles (*îles),


áffect ''emotion''
:Míssîles, símilês, revîles.
Whôlly (=hôly), hólly, sígnal, sîgning (*sîning),


afféctive ''emotional'' cf. efféctive ''resultant''
Sâme, exámining, but mîning,
:Schólar (*scóllar), vícar, and cigàr,


áffidâvit
:Sôlar, mîca, wår and fàr.


affrònt cf. effròntery
From "desîre": desîrable - ádmirable from "admîre",


Afghánistān - either stressed
Lúmber, plúmber, biêr, but brîer,
:Tópsham, broûgham (*breŵəm), renòwn, but knôwn,


aficionàdo
:Knówledge, dòne, lône, góne, nòne, tône,


afrâid
Òne (=wòn), anémonê, Balmóral,
Kítchen, lîchen (=lîken), låundry, laurel (lórrel).


África
:Gërtrude, Gërman (J-), wínd and wînd,


Afrikàans -ànce
:Beau (=Bô), kînd, kíndred, queûe, mankînd,   
Tŏrtoise (*tŏrtus), türquŏise, chámois-léather (*shámwà-),


Afrikàner
Rêading, Réading, hêathen, héather.


āfter
:Thís phonétic lábyrínth


āfterwards
:Gíves móss, grôss, broòk, brôoch, nînth, plínth.


again é, but AmE and some BrE, regular: agâin
Háve yoû éver yét endéavoured


against é, but AmE and some BrE, regular: agâinst
To (=toô)<ref>Strong form of '''to''', not normal in a verb's infinitive, necessitated by the metre.</ref> pronòunce revêred and sévered,  


agâpe ''gaping''
:Dêmon, lémon, ghoûl, fòul, sôul,


ágapê ''eros''
:Pêter, pétrol and patrôl?


âge cf. édge: Francophones beware
Bíllet dòes nót énd lîke bállèt (*bállây);


âgeing *âging, *âjing
Boûquèt, ẁallet, mállet, chálèt.       
:Blòod and flòod are nót lîke foôd,
       
:Nŏr ís môuld lîke shoùld and woùld (=woòd).


âgeist
Bánquet ís nót nêarly pàrquèt,


agô
Whích exáctly rhŷmes wíth khàkì. ''—not usually nowadays''
       
:Díscòunt, vîscòunt (*vîcòunt), lôad and brŏad,
       
:Towård, to fŏrward, to (=toô) rewård,


ágriculture
Rícochèted and crôchèting, crôquèt?


âid ''help'' = âide ''assistant''; Âids or ÂIDS ''disease'' = âids, âides ''plurals''
Rîght! Yŏur pronunciâtion's OK.<ref>The pronunciation required by the metre is "ôkay", though the '''K''' is normally the stressed syllable: '''okây'''.</ref>


Âids or ÂIDS ''disease'' = âids, âides ''plurals''
:Ròunded, woûnded, griêve and síeve,
ãir ''breathe'' = Ãyr ''Scotland'' = ére ''before'' = é’er ''ever'' = héir ''estate''
:Friénd and fiênd, alîve and líve.


ãiry ''light'' = all four spellings of éyrie = éyry = ãerie = ãery ''bird'', cf. êerie ''strange''
Ís yŏur R corréct ín hîgher?


alîgn = a lîne, cf. állŷ ''friend'', állêy ''way''
Kêats assërts ít rhŷmes Thalîa.  


aîsle ''church'' = îsle ''island''
:Hûgh, but húg, and hoòd, but hoôt,
       
:Buŏyant, mínute, bút minûte.


Ajáccio *Azháxio
Sây abscíssion wíth precísion,


Àjax ''Amsterdam'' *Àyáx
Nòw: posítion ánd transítion;


Âjax ''person''
:Woùld ít tálly wíth mŷ rhŷme
       
:Íf Î méntioned páradîgm?


Ál person cf. åll total
Twòpence, thréepence, têase are êasy,


Alabáma - one m, cf. Montána, Louisiána
But cêase, crêase, grêase and grêasy?
 
:Cŏrnice, nîce, valìse, revîse,  


Álan = Àllen = Àllan
:Râbíes, but lúllabîes.


alás
Óf súch púzzling wörds as nåuseous,


Ålbany cf. Álbânia
Rhŷming wéll wíth cåutious, tŏrtious,


Álbert
:Yoû'll envélop lísts, Î hôpe,
       
:Ín a línen énvelôpe.


Albuquërquê *Albəkïrky
Woùld yoû lîke some mŏre? Yoû'll háve ít!


Åldwých
Áffidâvit, Dâvid, dávit.


Álfred
:To (=toô) abjûre, to përjure. Shèik
:Dòes nót sòund lîke Czéch but âche.   
Líberty, lîbrary, hêave and héaven,


álgaê *áljê or *álgy
Râchel, lóch, moustàche, eléven.


álgorithm rhymes with rhýthm
:Wê sây hállôwed, bút allòwed,


Áli ''person'' = álley ''walk'' - except Muhámmad Àlì ''boxer''
:Pêople, léopard, tôwed but vòwed.


âlias *âlius
Màrk the dífference, moreôver,


Álíce
Betwêen mover (*moôver), plòver, Dôver.


alîgn = a lîne, cf. állŷ
:Lêaches, brêeches, wîse, precîse,  


Álistair = Álastair
:Chálíce, bút polìce and lîce,


âlias
Cámel, cònstable, únstâble,


álibî
Prínciple, discîple, lâbel.
   
:Pétal, pênal, and canál,


âlien
:Wâit, surmîse, pláit, prómíse, pál,


alienâtion
Sûit, suìte, rûín. Cïrcuít, cónduít


alîgned *allîned, cf. állied
Rhŷme wíth "shïrk ít" and "beyónd ít". —''still?''


alîve
:Bút ít ís nót hàrd to téll


åll ''every'' = åwl ''tool'', cf. Ál ''person''
:Whŷ ít's påll, måll, but Páll Máll.  


Alládin
Múscle, múscular, gâol (=jâil), îron,


allegâtions *allogations
Tímber, clîmber, búllion, lîon,


allége cf. lédge, etc.
:Wörm and stŏrm, chaise (*shézz), châós, chãir,  


alléged *aléjd
:Sénator, spectâtor, mãyor,


allégedly *aléjidly
Îvy, prívy, fâmous; clámour


allelûia or allelûja or allelûya
Hás thê Â of dráchm and hámmer.


állêy ''path'' = Áli ''person'', cf. állŷ
:Pùssy, hússy ánd posséss,  


álligâtor
:Désert, but desërt, addréss.


allót ''assign'' = a lót ''much''
Gôlf, wolf (=Woòlf), còuntenance, lieuténants
Hŏist ín lieû of flágs léft pénnants.


åll-òut ''total'' before noun needs hyphen
:Coùrier, cŏurtier, tomb (*toôm), bómb, cômb,


allòwed ''permitted'' = alòud ''heard''
:Còw, but Cowper (=Coôper), sòme and hôme.


álloy
"Sôlder, sôldier!  Blòod ís thícker",


állŷ ''friend'' cf. állêy, alîgn
Quôth hê, "than liqueûr ŏr líquor",   
:Mâking, ít ís sád but trûe,  


állŷ ''noun''
:Ín bravàdo, múch ado (*adoô).


allŷ ''verb'', cf. Álì ''person''
Strânger dòes nót rhŷme wíth ánger,  


ålmanac
Neîther dòes devòur wíth clángour. —''neither does anger: *áng-gə''
:Pîlot, pívot, gåunt, but āunt,
:Fónt, frònt, wônt, wånt, gránd and grānt.


ålmost
Àrsenic, specífic, scênic,


àlms ''gift'' = BrE àrms ''body, weapons''
Rélic, rhétoric, hygìênic.
:Goòseberry, goôse, and clôse, but clôse,  


alóngside one word
:Páradise, rîse, rôse, and dôse.
Sây invèigh, nèigh, but invêigle,


alòud ''audible'' = allòwed ''allow''
Mâke the látter rhŷme wíth êagle.


alréady ''before'' = åll réady ''ready''
:Mînd! Mêándering but mêan,


alrîght = åll rîght - same meaning, probably by analogy with alréady
:Válentîne and mágazìne.


Alsâtian
Ánd Î bét yoû, dêar, a pénny,


ålso
Yoû sây máni-(fôld) lîke many (*ménny),


ålter ''change'' = åltar ''church''
:Whích ís wróng.  Sây râpier, pìêr,


altërnate ''adjective''
:Tîer (òne who tîes), but tìêr.


ålternâte ''verb''
Àrch, archângel; prây, dòes ërring


altërnative
Rhŷme wíth hérring ŏr wíth stïrring?   
:Príson, bîson, tréasure trôve,


althôugh *åldhô
:Trêason, hóver, còver, côve,


alumínium BrE; AmE alûminum
Persevêrance, séverance.  Ríbald


alvêolar
Rhŷmes (but pîebåld dòesn't) wíth níbbled.
       
:Phâeton, paêan, gnát, ghåt, gnåw,
       
:Liên, psŷchic, shóne, bône, pshåw.
Dôn't bê dòwn, mŷ ôwn, but roúgh ít,


ålways
Ánd distínguish bùffèt, búffet; 
:Broôd, stoòd, roôf, roòk, schoôl, woòl, boôn,


ám ''be''
:Worcester (*Wùster), Boleýn, to (=toô) impûgn. 
Sây ín sòunds corréct and stërling


âm ''ante meridian'' *â-ém
Hëarse, hêar, heàrken, yêar and yëarling ''—yëar and yêarling are about as likely''


ámateur *ámətə; AmE can be amateûr
Êvil, dévil, mézzotínt,


ambássador cf. émbassy
:Mînd the Z (zéd)!  (A géntle hínt.)


ámbergrìs BrE; AmE ámbergrís - s pronounced
Nòw yoû nêed nót pây atténtion


ambítious *ámbíshəss
To (=toô) súch sòunds as Î dôn't méntion,
:Sòunds lîke pŏres, påuse, pŏurs and påws,
       
:Rhŷming wíth the prônòun yŏurs;


amén BrE à, AmE â
Nŏr are próper nâmes inclûded,  


aménd cf. comménd
Thôugh Î óften hëard, as yoû díd,     
:Fúnny rhŷmes to ûnicŏrn,
       
:Yés, yoû knôw them, Våughan and Stråchan —''nowadays regularised to *Strákhən


aménds ''make'' = eménds ''alters''
Nô, mŷ mâiden, cŏy and còmely,
Î dôn't ẁant to spêak of Chòlmondeley (*Chúmley).
       
:Nô. Yét Froûde compãred wíth pròud


âmìable cf. âim
:Ís nô bétter thán McLeod (*McClòud).


ámícable
But mînd trívial and vîal,


amòng
Trîpod, mênial, denîal,
       
:Trôll and trólley, réalm and rêam,
       
:Schédule, míschief, schísm, and schême.
Àrgil, gíll, Argŷll, gíll. Sůrely


amòunt
Mây bê mâde to rhŷme wíth Råleigh,
       
:Bút yŏu're nót suppôsed to sây


an *ən: version of a before a consonant
:Pìquèt rhŷmes wíth sóbriquèt.


anáchronism -nákr-
Hád thís ínvalid inválid


ánalŷse
Wörthless dócuments? Hòw pállid,
       
:Hòw uncoûth hê, còuchant, loòked,
       
:Whén for Pŏrtsmouth Î had boòked!
Zeûs, Thêbes, Thales, Aphrodîtê,


análysês ''plural'' *ənáləssêez
Páramour, enámoured, flîghty, 
:Épisôdes, antípodês,
       
:Ácquiésce, and óbsequies.


análysis ''singular'' *ənáləssís
Plêase dôn't mònkey wíth the gêyser,


ánalýst
Dôn't pêel 'tâters wíth mŷ râzor,


ánarchy *ánəkỳ
:Rāther sây ín áccents pûre:
       
:Nâture, státure ánd matûre.


áncestor
Pîous, ímpìous, límb, clîmb, glúmly,


ánchor -nk-
Worsted (wùsted), wörsted, crúmbly, dúmbly,
 
:Cónquer, cónquest, vàse, phâse, fán,
       
:Ẁan, sedán and àrtisan.
The TH (*têe-âitch) wíll sůrely troúble you


ánchovy -ntsh-
Mŏre than R, CH ŏr W (*àh, cêe-âitch ŏr doúble-û)


âncient
:Sây thén thêse phonétic géms:
       
:Thómas, thŷme, Therêsa, Thames (*Témz).


and *ənd, sometimes ánd for emphasis = &
Thómpson, Chátham, Wåltham, Stréatham,  


andántè
Thére are mŏre but Î forgét 'em -
       
:Wâit! Î've gót ít: Ánthony,
       
:Lîghten yŏur anxîety.


Ándês
Thê archâíc wörd ålbêít


Andêan
Does nót rhŷme wíth èight - yoû sêe ít; 
:Wíth and fŏrthwith, òne hás vŏice,
   
:Òne hás nót, yoû mâke yŏur chŏice.


Andórra AmE -ŏrr-, cf. Pandŏra
Shoes (=shoôs), gôes, dòes. Nòw fïrst sây: fínger;
 
   
Ándreŵ
Thén sây: sínger, gínger, línger.  
 
       
anémonê cf. an énemy
:Rêal, zêal, mauve (*môv), gåuze and gâuge,  
 
       
ângel *ânjəl, cf. ángle
:Márríage, fôlìage, mìràge, âge,  
 
ánger BrE *áng-gə
 
ángry *áng-gry
 
ángst
 
ánimus cf. ûnánimous
 
Ánkara
 
ánnals cf. ánalyst
 
annéx verb
 
ánnex or ánnexe ''noun''
 
annîhilate *annîyílâte
 
anómaly
 
ánonýmity
 
anónymous
anòther one word
 
ānswer - w silent: BrE *ànsə, AmE *ánsr
 
Antàrctica first c can be silent
 
ántê- before = ántì-
 
Ánthony (usual) = Ántony Mark, -tə-
 
ántì- against = ántê-; AmE ántî-
 
ántidote
 
Antìgua -gə
 
antirrhînum *antirŷnum
 
antisémitism
 
anxîety *angzîety
 
ánxious *ánkshəss
 
any ''thing'' é-, cf. Ánnie ''person''
 
anybody *énnybódy, one word
 
any mŏre two words
 
anyone *énnywún, one word
 
anyway ''despite'' one word, cf. where wây is a noun: any wây yoû loòk at ít
 
apâce ''fast'' = a pâce ''step''
 
apàrtheîd -tîte
 
apéritìf - either stressed
 
aphêlion *áfêlian
 
apìêce ''each'' one word = a pìêce ''part''
 
apócalypse
 
apólogîse ''verb''
 
apólogíes ''plural noun''
 
apóstasy
 
apóstrophê
 
appål - AmE can be appåll
 
appålling
 
apparátchik
 
ápparâtus BrE - either stressed (to children apparatus can sound plural, ‘apperators’); AmE apparátus
 
appárel
 
appárent
 
appêar
 
appêasement
 
appêaser
 
applåuse
 
approval -prû-
 
approve -prû-
 
âpricot
 
à priŏrî two words
 
àpriŏrísm one word
 
apropôs *ápropô
 
Aquãrius
 
Árab ''adjective, person''
 
Arâbian ''adjective''
 
Árabic ''language''
 
àrc ''circle'' = Àrk ''Noah''
 
archâíc *àrkâyíc
 
archeólogy àrk-
 
archipélago àrk-
 
àrchive *àrkîve
 
ãrêa ''space'' *ãrêə, cf. ària, êra
 
Argentìna Àrj-
 
àrgil ''clay'' - soft g
 
Argŷll ''Scotland'' = Argŷle ''Plymouth'' - hard g
 
àrgue
 
àrgument
 
ària ''opera'' cf. ãrea
 
árid
 
Ãries -ríz
 
árístocrat BrE á stressed, AmE í stressed
 
aristocrátic
 
Àrkansas BrE -såw, AmE -sà
 
arrést
 
arrhythmic
 
àrsenal *àrssnəl
 
arrhýthmic
 
àrtefact
 
artêsian ''well'' *àrtêzhən
 
artifícial -shəl
 
artisán ''art'' *àrtizán
 
àrtist ''art''
 
artìste ''stage''
 
ascént ''climb'' = assént ''agree''
 
ascertâin
 
ÁSEAN or Ásean ''association'' *ássián, cf. Âsian Asia, *Âzhan
 
Âsia *Âsha or *Âzha
 
askānce
 
as oppôsed to ázəpôzt-
ásphalt
 
áspirin -spr-, cf. aspîring
 
assássin four s’s
 
assént agree = ascént climb
 
ássét
 
assûme -syûme
 
assûre AmE -shûre, BrE –shůre
 
ásterisk
 
Ásterix
 
ásthma *ássma
 
asúnder
 
asŷlum
 
âte AmE; BrE *ét
 
âthêíst cf. aesthétic
 
atrôcious -shəss
 
atrócity
 
áttaboy one word
 
attáchè -áshè
 
attörney
 
Åuckland
 
auctionêer åuk-
 
augúst ''revered''
 
Åugust ''month''
 
āunt ''uncle'' AmE = ánt ''insect''
 
au fâit *ô-fây
 
au fónd *ô-fón, French nasal -ón
 
au pãir ôp-
 
åural ''ear'' = ŏral ''voice''
 
åuspices
 
Aussie ''Australasian'' = Óssy = Óssie ''persons''
 
Austen ''Jane'' = Austin ''car, Texas'' Ó-
 
Austrâlia Ó-


Austria Ó-
Hêro, héron, quêry, véry,


åutarchy ''sovereignty'' = åutarky ''self-sufficiency''
Párry, tárry, fûry, bury,
     
:Dòst, lóst, pôst, and dòth, clóth, lôth,
       
:Jób, Jôb, blóssom, bosom (*bùzm), ôath.
Fåugh, oppúgnant, kêen oppûgners,


authóritative
Bòwing, bôwing, bánjo-tûners


authórity
:Hôlm yoû knôw, but nôes, canoes (*canoôz),


àùtobàhn
:Pûisnê (*poôny), trûísm, ûse (*yoûss), to ûse (*yoûz)?


åutomobìle
Thôugh the dífference sêems líttle,


åutumn silent n, -m
Wê sây áctual, but víctual,


autúmnal not silent n
Sêat, swéat, châste, càste, Lêigh, èight, heîght,
       
:Pùt, nút, gránite, ánd unîte.


ávalānche
:Rêefer dòes nót rhŷme wíth déafer,


ávant gàrde (gàrde = guàrd)
Féoffer dòes, and zéphyr, héifer.     
       
:Dúll bùll Géoffrey, Geŏrge ate (*ét) lâte,
       
:Hínt, pînt, sénate, but sedâte.


avocàdo
Gáelic, Árabic, pacífic, —''Scottish; or regular Gâelic if Irish


avoirdupŏis *ávədə-pŏiz
Scîence, cónscience, scientífic;
       
:Toûr, but òur, doûr, súccour, fŏur,


åwe
:Gás, alás, and Àrkansås.


awêigh ''anchors'' = awây ''go''
Sây manoeûvre, yacht (*yót) and vómit,


åwful
Néxt omít, whích díffers fróm ít


åwkward *åwquəd
:Bôna fîdê, álibî


åwl ''tool'' = åll ''total''
:Gŷrate, dòwry ánd awrŷ.
   
Sêa, idêa, guínea, ãrêa,


ÂWOL
Psàlm, Marìa, bút malãria.


awrŷ
:Yoûth, sòuth, soúthern, cléanse and clêan,


áxe ''chop'' BrE;  AmE áx
:Dóctrine, türpentine, marìne.


áxes plural -íz
Compãre âlien wíth Itálian,


áxis spin -íss
Dándelîon wíth battálion,


áxês plural -êz, cf. áccess
:Rálly wíth állŷ; yeâ, yê,
 
:Eŷe, Î, ây, aŷe, whèy, kêy, quaỳ! ''—ây mê, archaic expression of sadness, ây = èh


áxle ''car'' = Áxel ''person''
Sây avër, but éver, fêver,


Áxminster
Neîther, léisure, skèin, recêiver.     
:Néver guéss - ít ís nót sâfe,
     
:Wê sây càlves, válves, hālf, but Râlf.


aŷe ''yes'' = eŷe ''see'' = Î ''me''
Stàrry, gránary, canãry,


Ãyr ''Scotland'' = ãir ''breathe''
Crévice, but devîce, and éyrie,
       
:Fâce, but préface, thén grimâce,


Ãyrshire
:Phlégm, phlegmátic, áss, glāss, bâss.


ázure -zh-
Báss, làrge, tàrget, gín, gíve, vërging,


===B===
Ŏught, òust, jòust, and scòur, but scoürging;
B = bê ''is'', bêe ''insect''


bàa ''sheep'' BrE = bàr ''drink, chocolate, soap''
:Êar, but ëarn; and ére and téar


baboôn
:Do (*doô=) nót rhŷme wíth hêre but héir.       
Mînd thê Ô of óff and óften


Bàch ''music'' = bách ''Welsh''
Whích mây bê pronòunced as ŏrphan, ''—scarcely heard nowadays
       
:Wíth the sòund of såw and såuce;


báchelor ''unmarried'' = Bátchelor ''person''
:Ålsô sóft, lóst, clóth and cróss.


báckbiting one word
Pùdding, púddle, pùtting. Pútting?


báckhand ''tennis''
Yés: at gôlf ít rhŷmes wíth shútting.


back-hánded ''ambiguous''
:Réspîte, spîte, consént, resént.
       
:Lîable, but Pàrliament.


bácklash one word
Séven ís rîght, but sô ís êven,


backyàrd one word
Hŷphen, roúghen, néphew, Stêphen,     
       
:Mònkey, dónkey, clerk (=Clàrk) and jërk,
       
:Ásp, grāsp, ẁasp, demèsne, cŏrk, wörk.


bád ''evil'' = báde ''asked''
 of válour, vápid vâpour,


Baghdád AmE Bághdad Bágd-
S of neŵs (-z) (compãre neŵspâper (-ss-)),
       
:G of gíbbet (j-), gíbbon, gíst (j-),
       
:Î of ántichrîst and gríst,


bâil ''law, cricket'' = bâle ''hay, parachute''
Díffer like divërse and dîvers,  


bâilie ''magistrate'' = Bâiley ''person''
Rívers, strîvers, shívers, fîvers.


bâit ''hook'' = bâte ''fury, restrain''
:Ònce, but nónce, tôll, dóll, but rôll,  


bâize ''cloth'' = bâys ''bay''
:Pólish, Pôlish, póll and pôll.  
 
Bàli ''island'' = BrE bàrley ''beer''
Pronúnciation - thínk of Psŷchê! -
 
Bålkans cf. bálcony
 
båll ''game'' = båwl ''shout''
 
ballerìna cf. pizzerìa
 
bállèt *bállây, cf. bállot
 
bàlm -àm
 
bàlmy ''sea'' = BrE bàrmy ''daft''
 
Båltimore
 
báluster cf. bánister
 
banàl BrE; AmE bânal
 
banálity
 
banāna
 
bánd ''music'' = bánned ''ban''
 
bándwagon one word
 
Bangkók cf. Háncóck - both -ngk-
 
bánish
 
Bàrbara
 
barbãrian
 
barbáric
 
bàrbecûe *bàrbeqûe
   
   
barcarólle or -óle
Ís a pâling, stòut and spîky.  
 
       
bàrd ''poet, bacon'' = bàrred ''bar''
:Wôn't ít mâke yoû lose (=loôs) yŏur wíts
 
       
bãre ''naked'' = béãr ''animal, tolerate''
:Wrîting grôats and sâying 'gríts'? —''no longer
 
bãrely
 
bàrgaín *bàrgin
 
bàrley
 
bàr mítzvah
 
bàrnacle
 
báron ''nobleman'' = bárren ''bare'' = Bárron ''person''
 
baróque *bərók
 
bárrage -àzh BrE, AmE *bəràzh
 
bárrier
 
bàrtender
 
bâse ''basic'' = bâss ''treble'', cf. báss ''fish'' = Báss ''person''
 
bâses ''base'' -ssíz = bâsses ''music''
 
bâsês ''basis'' -ssêez
bâsic -ss-
 
bâsin -ss-
 
bâsis -ssíss
 
bāsk ''sun'' = Bāsque ''people''
 
bāsketball one word
 
báss ''fish'' = Báss ''person''
 
bâss ''treble'' = bâse ''basic''
 
bassoôn -ssoô-
 
bâste ''pour, sew'' = bâsed ''base''
 
batállion cf. báttle
 
bâte ''anger, breath'' = bâit ''lure''
 
bāth = Bāth ''city'' cf. bâthe ''swim'', final e signifying voiced th
 
bátón - one t, cf. Pátton, Hátton etc.
 
báttlefield one word
 
Báx ''person'' = bácks ''back''
 
bazàar *bəzàr, cf. bizàrre, í
 
Bà’ath ''party'' BrE = bāth ''water''
 
bê ''is'' = bêe ''insect''
 
bêach ''sand'' = bêech ''tree''
 
bêad ''string'' = Bêde ''person''
 
bêan ''eat'' = bêen ''was''
 
béãr ''tolerate, animal'' = bãre naked, cf. bêer drink, hêar hearing
 
bêat win, hit, rhythm = bêet sugar
 
bêater ''beat'' BrE = ''bêta'' Greek
 
bêátify saint cf. Sêáttle and beaûtify beauty
 
Bêatríce, Bêatrix a as schwa: Bêə-
 
beau ''boyfriend'' = Bô ''[[Bo Diddley|Diddley]]''
 
beaûty *byûty
 
because ó
Béchèt *Béshây
bêe ''insect'' = bê ''is''
bêetle ''insect'' = Bêatle ''[[The Beatles|Beatles]]'', cf. bêat ''rhythm''
bêech ''tree'' = beâch ''sand''
bêen ''was'' = bêan ''eat''
bêer ''drink'' = bìêr ''coffin''
bêet sugar = bêat hit
Bèethôven *Bâitovən
behêmoth
Bèijíng - j not zh sound
bêíng cf. Bíng
Beirût *Bây-roôt
Belarûs - one would expect this post-Soviet word (once literally rendered as ‘White Russia’) to regularise to ‘Bélarus’, with the u as schwa, but this hasn’t happened; the most common alternative is still Belarùs
Bélfāst
Bélgium *Béljəm
belîe cf. relŷ, belŷing, lîe
belìêve
béllicôse
bellígerent -j-
béllow shout, bellows cf. belôw under
Bénaud *Bénnô
bénefit
benévolent
bérèt *bérrây
bërk insult = Bürke person
Bërkelêy California cf. Bàrclaỳ person = BrE Berkeley person
Bërkshîre AmE; BrE *Bàkshə, as with bàrk dog, tree Bàrking town
Berlín
bérry fruit = bury ground
bërth ship = bïrth born
bêta AmE bèta
Bétjeman *Bétcheman
bewíldered BrE *biwíldəd, AmE *bêwíldərd
 
bezìque *bəzêek
bî- two = bŷ preposition = bŷ- extra = bŷe cricket, goodbye = buŷ sell = bî bisexual
bîas
bîased *bŷəst
bìdet *bêedây
bìêr corpse = bêer drink
bîght curve = bîte eat = bŷte computer
bígot
Bíllie female = Bílly male = bílly goat
bîô-
biógraphy
biólogy
Bïrmingham *Bïrmingəm, g not sounded separately
bïrthplace one word
bíscuit *bísket, cf. bāsket
bîson cf. bâsin
bîte food = bŷte computer = bîght loop
bizàrre *bízàr, cf. bazàar *bəzàr
bláckmail
blānch white = Blānche person
blancmange *blamónzh
blãre noise = Blãir person
bléssed *blést; but mostly as attributive adj: a *bléssíd thíng
bleŵ blow = blûe colour
blóc grouping = blóck prevent, wood, building
blónd male person, male and female adjective = blónde female person
blòodstained one word
blòodthirsty one word
blürred cf. cûred
bŏar animal = bŏor rude = bŏre boring, carried
bŏard wooden, directors = bŏred boring, cf. brŏad wide
bôast
bôat
Boàteng Bwà-
Bôeing person = bôwing music
Boer *Bùer
bôgey golf, ghost = bôgie trolley, truck = Bôgey Bogart
bôld brave = bôwled bowl
 
Bóllywood
bôlt metal = Bôlt = Bôult persons
Bólton city, person = Bôulton person
bómb *bóm
Bombây
bómbing *bómming
bôna fîdê
bonhomìê *bónə-mêe
boôgie-woôgie
boòkkeeper one word: extended k sound as if two
boôst
boôze drink = boôs boo
Bŏrdeaux *Bŏrdô, cf. Bardôt, *Bardô
bŏred boring = bŏard wooden, directors
bŏredom *bŏrdum
Bŏrgia *Bŏrjə
bŏrn birth = bŏrne wind = bŏurn stream
bòrough town BrE -rə, AmE = búrrow earth
bosom *bùzəm
bôth
boûgainvillea *bûgənvília
bòugh tree = bòw low, ship
bôulder rock = bôlder bold
Boulogne *Bəlŏin
böurbon
bŏurgeois bŏrzhwà
bourgeoisìê bŏrzhwà-zêe
bŏurne stream = bŏrn birth = bŏrne carried
Bŏurnemouth *Bŏrnməth
bòw low, ship = bòugh tree
bôw knot
bòwel
bòwer tree = bàuer euchre
bôwl all meanings
bóxing sport = Bóxing Day
búffalo animal = Búffalo America
 
brâin head cf. Brîan person
brâinwash one word
Brasília - s
Brazíl - z
bréad food = bréd breed
breâk smash, interval = brâke car
breâkaway adjective cf. breâk awây verb
breâkdown noun cf. breâk dòwn verb
breâkthroûgh noun *brâkethrû; cf. breâk throûgh verb
bréakfast
bréath noun unvoiced th, brêathe verb voiced th, cf. mòuth, same noun-verb distinction in pronunciation, but invariable spelling
bréathtaking one word
bréd breed = bréad food
brêed animal cf. bréad food
bréthren -dhrən
Brîan = Brŷan cf. brâin, O’Brîen
brìêf
brîght -ît
Brísbane *Brízbən
Brítain country -tən; = Bríton citizen, Brítten, Brítton, Bríttain persons
Bríttany France ≈ Brítney person
brôach subject = broôch wear
brŏad cf. bŏard
bróccolì *bróckəlêy
Brómwich *Brómmidge
Bróntê
brôoch pin BrE = brôach speak; AmE broôch
broôm sweep = brûme mist
bróthel unvoiced th
bròther voiced th
Bròúgh *Brúff
broûgham carriage = broôm sweep - or gha as schwa, broôəm
broûhàhà
Brûges = Brûgge *Brûzh
 
brûise ''contusion'' *brûze = breŵs ''beer''
 
Bruneî
 
Brunél
 
Brússels
 
Bucharést Bùka-
 
Budapést Bùda-
 
Bùddha -ùdə
 
Bùddhist -ùdi-
 
Buénos Aîres ''Argentina'' –ríz or Ãires *Ãríz, cf. Ãries ''Ram''
 
bùffèt ''eat'' *bùffây
 
búffet ''hit'', t sounded
 
buffoôn -ffoô-
 
buíld *bíld
 
buílding *bílding
 
Bulgãria
 
bùll
 
bùlletin
búllshit one word
buŏy sea = bŏy child
buŏyant *bŏyant
bürden load = Bürdon person
bûreau *byûrô, plural bûreaux, *bûrôz
bureaucracy *byûrócracy, *beaûrócracy
bürger hamburger = bürgher business = Bërger person
bürgeoning
bürn fire = Bÿrne name
bürqa
búrrow ground = AmE bòrôugh town cf. Búrrôughs person
bury ''ground'' = bérry ''tree'', Bury ''town''
 
bús ''transport'' = búss ''kiss''
 
búsed ''driven'' or bússed = búst ''bosom, broke''
búses ''plural, verb'' *bússes
búsing -ss-
bùsh
 
 
business *bízniss, cf. bíz, busy-ness ''being busy''
 
businessman one word, bíz-
 
 
 
bússed ''driven'' or búsed = búst ''bosom, broken''
 
busy bíz-
 
busybódy bíz-; one word
 
busy-ness ''busy'' cf. business ''matter'' - both í
 
bútt ''head, joke, buttocks'' = bút ''however''
 
bútterfly
 
buŷ ''sell'' = bŷ ''preposition'' = bŷ- ''incidental'' = bŷe ''cricket'' = bî- ''two'' = bî ''bisexual''
 
bŷe-bye! 
 
bŷ-election
 
bŷ-product
 
Bÿrd ''person'' = bïrd ''fly''
 
bŷte ''computer'' = bîte ''food'' = bîght ''loop''
 
Bŷzántîne or Býzantîne
 
===C===
C = sêe ''look''
 
cabál cf. câble
 
cáche ''arms'' = cásh ''money''
 
càdre *càder; AmE càdrê
 
cáddie ''golf'' = cáddy ''tea''
 
cáfè (can be written as café)
 
cáfè au lâit (can be written as café au lait) *cáfâyô-lây
 
cáffêine
 
Caîro
 
Caìus ''Cambridge'' = kêys ''lock''; otherwise regularly Caîus, rhyming with Gaîus
 
Calcútta
 
cálendar not spelt -er, cf. còlander
 
Cálgary *Cálgəri
 
Califŏrnia -nyə
 
callígraphy -ll-
 
cállous uncaring = cállus skin ≈ Cállas Maria (or Cállás)
 
càlm -àm, BrE and AmE
 
Câmbridge
 
camêllia or caméllia cf. chamaêleon *camêliən
 
cameráderie
 
cámouflàge -àzh
 
campâign *campâin, cf. champâgne *shám-pâin, and words in -èign, all of which rhyme
 
Cámpbell *Cámble, rhyming with gámble
 
cán able, tin = Cánnes France
 
Cânaan *Câynən - aa as schwa
 
Cánada
 
Canâdian
 
canál
 
cánapè
 
canãry
 
canásta
 
Cánberra -bərə, BrE *Cánborough
 
cáncer ''illness'' = Cáncer ''constellation''
 
cándidate BrE -ət, AmE -âte
 
câne ''stick, sugar'' = Câin ''Abel''
 
cánister - one n
 
cánnabis
 
cánnibal cf. Hánnibal
 
cannót - or cánnot for emphasis, but always one word when nót is modifying cán, cf. ít cán nót ônly…but ålsô…
 
canoe -noô
 
cánon ''church, œuvre, music'' = cánnon ''war''
 
cánt ''cliche'' = Kánt ''philosopher'', AmE cán’t ''impossible''
 
cantàta
 
cánvas ''paint, tent'' = cánvass ''election''
 
cányon cf. ònion, both -yən
 
câpable
 
Câpe Tòwn - two words, *Câpetown
 
capíllary AmE cápillãry
 
cápital ''city'' = Cápitol ''Washington''
 
capítulate
 
Cápricorn
 
càr ''vehicle'' = Càrr = Kàrr ''persons''
 
càr-lôad ''noun''
 
cárat ''gold'' = cárrot ''food''
 
càrcass ''body'' cf. Carácas
 
cãre
 
cãrefree one word
 
carêer ''profession, speed'' BrE = Korêa ''country'', cf. cárrier ''carry''
 
cãrer
 
Cáríbbêan *Cárri-bêeən (some say Cəríbbêən)
 
cáricature cf. cháracter, both k-


Carlîsle ''city, person'' = Carlŷle ''person''
Ìt's a dàrk abýss ŏr túnnel


Carnêgìê hard g
Streŵn wíth stônes lîke rôwlock, gúnwale,


caròusal ''carouse'' *cəròuzəl
:Íslington, and Îsle of Wîght,
       
:Hòusewîfe, vërdíct and indîct.


carousél ''round'' *carəssél
Dôn't yoû thínk sô, rêader, ràther,


cárry ''bring'' = Cárrie ''person''
Sâying làther, bâther, fàther?     
       
:Fînally, whích rhŷmes wíth enoúgh,
       
:Thôugh, throûgh, bòugh, cóugh, hóugh, sòugh, toúgh??


càrt horse = kàrt race
Hiccoúgh hás the sòund of súp.  
===edit===
cartél
càrton
cartoôn cf. Khartoûm, m only different sound
cásh money = cáche weapons
cáshmêre wool = Kashmìr Asia
cassàva
cāst drama, throw, eye = cāste India
Castílian cf. Castìlle
cāstle -ssl
cásual cf. cåusal
cásualty
Cátalan
Catalônia - ‘Catalunya’ is Catalan
catàrrh *catàr, cf. Qátàr
catástrophê
catastróphic
cátchphrase one word 
Câte - although Kâte is the traditional abbreviation of Cátherine, Kátharine, etc.
câter
cáterpillar
cáttle cows cf. kéttle boil
cåucus rhymes with råucous
cåught catch BrE = cŏurt tennis
cauliflòur *cóllyflower
cåuse reason -z = BrE Cŏrrs persons, cf. cŏurse -ss, cf. because *bicóz, ’cós because *cóz
cause celébre cause célèbre *côz-celébrə
cavalìêr
cávêát
cêase stop *sêess, cf. sêize hold
cêasefîre
cêde yield = sêed plant
cèilidh *kâlêy
cêiling floor = sêaling shutting
centrífugal s-
célebrâte
celébrity
célibate
céll prison, biology = séll money
céllar wine = séller sales
céllo ch-
Céltic or céltic civilisation K-, cf. Céltic, S- football club
cémetery *sémətry, not -ary
cénsor censorship = sénsor feel ≈ cénsure blame
cént money = sént send = scént perfume
céntral s-
céntre s-, AmE cénter
centrífugal
centrípetal
céntrist s-
cêreal cornflakes = sêrial series
cérebral s-; AmE cerêbral
Ceres planet *Sírêez, cf. Sírius star, seríes string
céremony s-
cërvical s- or cervîcal
cesãrian cf. Caêsar, both s-
césspit one word
césspool one word
ch- mostly tch-; ch- where stated
chà tea - or chàr as other meanings
chà chà
Chádian *Cháddian
chãir sit = Chér person
chaise lóngue *shézz-lóng
chágrin sh-; AmE *shəgrìn
chamaêleon k-; AmE -mêl-, cf. camêlia, only ending sounds different
châmber tsh-, cf. Châmbers person
chámois *shámwà
champâgne *shámpâin, cf. campâign *cámpâin (no capital c for the drink)
chandelìêr sh-
Chandrasèkhar
chánnel rhymes with pánel
châós *kâyóss
chápel church = Cháppell person
cháperône sh-
chárabanc *shárabang, cf. shebáng
charàde sh-; AmE charâde
cháracter k
charivàri sh-
chàrlatan sh-
Chàrlotte Sh-
chásm *kázzəm
chássis *shássy
châste virgin = châsed chase
Chátham -təm
chauffëur *shôfër
chauvinist shô-
chêap cost = chêep bird  both tsh-
chêapskâte one word
chêat tsh-
Chéchnya Tsh-
chéckpoint one word
chêetah tsh-
chéf sh-, cf. chìêf, ch sound
chéque money tsh-; BrE = chéck verify, Czéch nationality
Cherokêe Tsh-
chérry-píck tsh-
chévron sh-
cheŵ tsh-; cf. words beginning tû-
chèz *shây
chìc sh-
Chicàgo Shí-, à in both BrE and AmE
chíck
chìêf tsh-, cf. chéf, sh-
chihuàhua *tshiwàwa
chîld singular tsh-
chîldbïrth one word
chíldren plural tsh-
Chílê country tsh-, = chílì or chíllì bean = chílly cold
Chílêan Tsh-
chimêra kí-
chímney tsh-
chívalry sh-
chívy or chívvy tsh-
chlamýdia kl-
Chlôê *Klôwie
chlóroform kl-
chóc chocolate tsh- = chóck wedge
chóck-a-blóck
choîr singers = quîre paper
choléstorol k-
choôse select = cheŵs chew
chŏrd music = cŏrd rope, vocal
chŏrus k-
Chrîst Kr-
chrísten *kríssen
Chrístian *Kríshtchən, or *Krístchen cf. crýstal
Chrístmas *Kríssməss
Chrístopher *Krístəfə
chrôme kr-
chrónic kr-
chrysánthemum kríz-
chûte fall sh-; = shoôt gun
chútzpah *hùtspə, cf. Hótspur
ci- s-
Cícely person = Sícily Italy
cîder
cigàr
cínema
cínnamon
cïrcle
cïrcuit *sërkit
circûítous s-
cïrcumcîse sër-
circumcísion s-; -zhən
cïrcumstance s-
císsy weak = Císsy person = síssy weak
cîte quote = sîght see = sîte place
Cítroen ™ car = cítron lemon
cíty s-
cívil s-
civílian s-; one l
clándestîne; some say clandéstíne
Clãir = Clãire = Clãre
clámour - AmE clámor
clánger normal ng sound, rhyming with hánger, cf. ánger, áng-ger, dânger, -njer
Clápham London = cláp ’em clap them
cláptrap one word
clāssroom one word
clåuse words = clåws claw = Clåus Santa
claustrophôbia clós-
clêan
cléanliness
cléanse -nz
clërgy
cléric
clërk AmE; BrE = Clàrk = Clàrke persons
clìchè *clêeshây
clîmb up = clîme weather
clìque *clêek, cf. clíck
clóckwörk one word
clôse shut = clôze test
clôse near, cul-de-sac *clôce
clóth unvoiced th
clôthe voiced th
clôthes voiced th
côach transport, trainer
côalésce
cŏarse rough = cŏurse sport, eduation
côal mine = Côle person
côalman coal = Côleman person
cŏarse crude = cŏurse route, study
côast cf. cóst
côastguard one word
côax
cóbra or côbra
cóchineal
Côckburn = Côburn persons
cóck-up
côconut or côcoanut
cocoôn
côdêine
côdicil
coêlacanth sêel-, AmE cêlacanth
coërce
CofÊ Church of England *sêeyəvêe
cóffee *cóffy
cógnac *cónyák
Côhen *Côwen, rhymes with Ôwen
côíncidence no hyphen
côhêre
còlander cf. cálendar
Côle person = côal burn
Cólin
collápse
Cóllins
collóssal
collûde
Colôgne Germany = colôgne perfume *kəlôan
Colòmbia country = Colúmbia British, company; or ó
Colòmbo
côlon
cölonel army = BrE kërnel nut
colônial
colonnâde
cólonise
cólony
Coloràdo in both BrE and AmE
colorâtion or colourâtion cú-
cóloratùra
còlour tint cf. cóllar neck
cólumn *cóllum
cólumnist *cólumist - though some pronounce the n
côma cf. cómma
cômb hair -m, cf. còme here
cómbat
cómbatant or combátant
cómedy
còmeúppance ó; one word
còmfortable -ft-
cómfortably-óff
cómma punctuate, cf. côma unconscious
cómment
commërcial
commít
commíttee
commûnal
cómmune noun
commûne verb
cómmunism
commûnity
còmpany
compãre contrast cf. cómpére compère host
cómparable or compárable
compárative
compárison
compàrtment
cómpensâte
compensâtion
cómpére - compère show, cf. compãre contrast
complâint complain
cómplement together = cómpliment praise
cómplex AmE compléx
compléxion not -ct-
complîant comply
cómpromîse pronounced but never written -ize, cf. prómise *prómíss
cómrâde AmE cómráde, cf. Cónrád
concêde
concentrâte cf. consént
cóncrete
concatenâtion - e, not i
concentrâte cf. consént
cóncept
concéptual
concërtô *cənshërto, *cənshérto
concörd
Cóncord
condîgn -dîne
cóndom
cóndŏr
condûcíve
cóndûít or -dwít - BrE was *cóndit or *cúndit, but now regularised
conféss
conféssion -féshən
cónfidant person -dónt
cónfident adjective -dənt
Confûcian -shən
confûsion -zhən
cónger hard g
cóngeries soft g
connéct
Connécticut *Cənétikət
connéction BrE can be connéxion
connîve
connoissëur - -oi- as schwa: *connəssür
cónquer win = cónker nut
cónquest cf. quést
cónscious
consénsus cf. cénsus
consént cf. concentrâte
consërvative
conservâtion
consigliérê *consíl-yãry
cónsôle noun
consôle comfort
consólidate
cónsŏrt noun cf. cóncert, e as schwa
consŏrt verb
conspírator
conspîre
constábulary
constítuency
consûme -syû-
contémptible
cóntext
contéxtual
contínûùm -nyû-
cóntrary opposed
contrãry awkward
cóntribûte or contríbûte
contribûtion
contríbutor
contrôl
contradíct
contríbute
cóntribûtion
cóntrovërsy or contróversy - controvërsial?
coòk kitchen = Coòk = Coòke persons
Coômbs = Coômbes *Coûmz
cooperâtion côwóp-, cf. cŏrporation
coóperative côwóp-
Copenhâgen Cô-; or -hàgen
cóp-òut
cóps police = cópse wood
cópyrîght *cópywrîte: it’s a rîght about writing


===D===
Mŷ advîce ís:  GÍVE ÍT ÚP!
EFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ


==Retroalphabetical list==
==Notes==
ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ
{{reflist}}

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A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list  
Common misspellings  

English is notorious for its many varied, inconsistent and irregular spellings. This can be seen at its most extravagant in the field of proper nouns—for example, simply adding an 'h' to 'Maria' to make it rhyme with 'pariah', or calling oneself 'Cholmondeley Featherstonehaugh' while pronouncing it 'Chumley Fanshaw'. An example of a common misspelling is 'disasterous' for 'disastrous', retaining the 'e' of 'disaster'. Many words do not turn out to have the pronunciation they appear to have: 'do' and 'to' do not rhyme with 'go' and 'no', while 'seismic', instead of being 'seezmic' or 'sayzmic', or even 'sayizmic', is in fact 'size-mic'. The above grid (reproduced and explained below) provides links to three lists and a cluster of articles devoted to these things.

To show pronunciation, these articles use correct spellings with added accent marks, instead of relying on the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). In some cases incorrect respellings are placed next to the correct ones, signalled by a preceding asterisk, like thís *thíss. The accent marks show pronunciation, thús. A table of these accents (which are not part of the language[1]) can be found below; there is also an IPA key at English phonemes. Where there is more than one accent, the first is stressed, and the same is true after a hyphen, so in the respelling of Tchaikóvsky, *Chŷ-kóffskỳ, it is 'kóff' that has the main stress. (Another way of showing new stress is with a bar: Tchaî|kóvsky.) A sentence from the preceding paragraph can thus be rewritten as follows: "An example of a common misspelling is *disāsterous for disāstrous, retaining the E of disāster." Respelling may be used to exemplify an incorrect spelling, or show a correct pronunciation, or a bit of both. Unlike the IPA, where there can only be one version per pronunciation, as there must be an unambiguous one-to-one correspondence, there can be many respellings: if *disāsterous for disāstrous is a common mistake, we can also represent the pronunciation as *dizāstrus or *dizāstrous or *dizāstrəss (with 'ə', a special character – the only one used – for schwa); or we can contrast British English *dizàstrus with American *dizástrus.

Particular attention is given to homophones, words with the same pronunciation but different meanings. English is rich in homophones, many of which are also homonyms, having also the same spelling, as, for example, cán able, tin (the italicised words suggest meanings, in this case two); while homographs are words with the same spelling whose meanings are distinguished by different pronunciations.

Also of special note are words that many writers incorrectly divide. ôver and dûe, for example, combine to form overdûe, without a space in the middle. Such examples are included with ‘one word’ alongside them: alongsîde one word.

An equals sign = is placed between homophones (in some cases the approximately equals sign ≈ is more appropriate). Homographs and other similar-looking words are included after 'cf.' (Latin conferre, 'compare').

Some words from other languages, in most cases French, may sometimes appear in English with accents from those languages. Here, such spellings are shown using bold italics: touchè may be written with a French accent: touché *tooshây.

The apostrophe is an important part of spelling and so it is treated as a letter, with its own place at the end of the alphabet.

Fragments of words are in bold when correctly spelt: Ukrâine has -âine, not -âne.

Words in italics are used to suggest meanings (e.g. sêa water = sêe vision, where the equals sign denotes identical pronunciation). Words beginning with an initial capital may have no word in italics following: these are names of people, either personal or family, and/or commercial or place names. Such words are included because they often contrast with the spellings of homophones: a bank clerk might be named Clàrk or Clàrke, but probably not 'Clerk' (though BrE clerk = Clàrk/Clàrke). Unusual spellings can be explained by regular ones: Cloúgh = Clúff. An American called Maurìce Mŏrris could just as well be called Mórris Maurice ("Morris Morris") in Britain, where Maurice = Mórris (although it would be putting the conventional surname before the conventional given name).

Links to letter articles and lists

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Use in English
Alphabetical word list
Retroalphabetical list  
Common misspellings  

In the navigation table above (reproduced at the top of each article in the cluster) the cells in each row link as follows:

  • Top row: articles on each letter and its use in English. There are similar articles on GH, the apostrophe and the hyphen.
  • Second row: alphabetical lists of of commonly misspelt and/or mispronounced words, alongside more regular words they may be confused with (words beginning with an apostrophe are here). Some incorrect spellings are also listed, signalled by an asterisk: *dispánd disbánd means that the word is 'disband'. (The bottom row is devoted entirely to misspellings and typos.)
  • Third row: retroalphabetical lists, arranged alphabetically according to the final letter of the word and continuing backwards through it:
In the retroalphabetical lists the headword is on the right. In this way, suffixes and other word endings can be seen grouped together, just as prefixes can be seen in normal alphabetical order. So, instead of ádd båll coúsin, we have réplicA fláB plástiC; and so for mûsiC, see under -C, for mûsicaL, see under -L, for pàrticlE, see under -E, and so on.
Some suffixes are included separately; their pronunciation may or may not apply to following words ("always -ãrian" means there is no other pronunciation of -ãrian).
Throughout, the apostrophe is treated as the last letter, after Z. (Words ending in an apostrophe are also here.)
For clarity, italic association words are to the left of the example word:
woman mâid = make mâde
Some incorrect spellings are listed retroalphabetically, in which case the misspelling goes on the right, just as in the alphabetical list:
wêasel *wêasal
  • Bottom row: common misspellings including typos (blue-linked for checking purposes), followed by the correct versions.

Two main varieties are distinguished: British English (BrE), that of the UK and much of the Commonwealth (see also Commonwealth English), and American English (AmE), that of the USA and Canada (without the cåught = cót merger that has occurred in some parts of North America).

Unlike dictionaries, the lists include personal and place names for their own sake and for contrast.

Table of accents

These accents are intended to show the pronunciation while retaining the spelling: they are not part of the language. Those on i and y show the same sound; similarly with u, oo and w. Accented vowels are stressed (ỳ is normally unstressed, as in háppy). ā, not in the table, means that the sound is à in standard British and Commonwealth pronunciations but á in American and other British and Commonwealth speech.

Front vowels Back vowels
e i y[2] a o u oo w[3]
The typical short sound, never occurring at the end of a word (acute accent) pét pít crýpt cát dóg[4] nút
The typical long sound, corresponding to the names of the letters A, E, I, O and U (circumflex accent) sêe nîce mŷ nâme nôse rûle toô neŵ
Sounds shown with the grave accent (ẁ- and qù- indicate the BrE ó sound of the following a, ẁad rhyming with qùad; òu and òw are diphthongs sounding like àù in àùtobahn: nòw has this sòund) èight (= â) machìne (= ê) quaỳ water = kêỳ lock
(= ê) 		àre òther, blòod
(= ú) 		fùll (= oò), qùantity (= w) foòt (= ù) ẁant (= wó)[5]
The ër sound (umlaut accent) përson bïrd mÿrtle (ëarth) wörd pürr
The åw/ŏr sound (ring accent)[6] (cŏin) (jŏy) åll mŏre (for some BrE speakers) sůre
The ãir sound (tilde accent) (thére) (ãir = Ãyr) stãre
Irregular (respelling needed) sew (= sô) meringue (*məráng) because (*bikóz) woman (*wùmən), women (*wímən) business (*bízníss)

Example sentences

These sentences show how the accents may be used, for example, when teaching pronunciation. Words without accents are monosyllables with the schwa sound, a neutral grunt.

The usual short sound, acute accent:

The gínger cát was jéalous of the bláck cát: howéver, the tábby was a véry dífferent mátter - the stúff of réveries, ín fáct.

The usual long sound, circumflex accent:

Sây mŷ nâme thrêe tîmes with stŷle and Î’ll gô and fînd a tûne to plây for yoû.

The third sound, grave accent:

Christìna Grèy shoùld (and dòes?) lòve her mòther and fàther.

The ër sound, umlaut:

But fïrst, Mÿrtle, fürther dïrty, ïrksome and distürbing wörk for the nürses.

The ŏr sound (sůre here is with British pronunciation = Shåw), the ring, or half-ring:

Sůre yoû ŏught to cråwl ón åll fŏurs, m’lŏrd?

Irregular, without accent, instead with respelling:

Many women? Any woman! (pronounced: *Ménny wímmin? Énny wùman!)

Double letters

The following alphabetical table shows examples of how letters can be doubled in English.

Double consonant letters before suffixes are used (as often elsewhere) to preserve short vowel sounds, as in flípped (not *flîped), rebélled (not *rebêled) and pégged (not *pêged, which if regular would in any case be pronounced *pêjed). Compare scrâped, past of scrâpe, and scrápped, from scráp. In the case of t, doubling it after an unstressed vowel and before a suffix may seem unnecessary, but in some cases it can be doubled before -ed: either tàrgeted or tàrgetted (but always commítted).

The sign # indicates a double letter that is rare in that position; capital-letter words indicate that the double letter in this position is only found in names. An asterisk (*) indicates a respelling to show pronunciation, and an equals sign (=) introduces a homophone.

letter initial medial final final + silent e
A àardvark #[7] bazàar # bàa #
B ríbbon ébb # Crábbe (= cráb)
C sóccer (*sócker), accépt (*əxépt)
D hídden ádd
E êel bêen sêe
F Ffoùlkes éffort óff Clíffe (= clíff)
G aggréssion (-g-), exággerate (-j-) égg # Légge (= lég)
H hítchhike # (accidental)
I skìíng # Hawàìi #
J hàjj # (also spelt hàdj)
K púkka; boòkkeeper (accidental)[8] #
L llàma[9] # fílling wéll bélle beauty (= béll ring)
M súmmer Crámm (= crám) grámme (= grám)
N dínner ínn # pub Ánne (= Ánn)
O oôze, oòmph # foôd, foòt, flòod, doŏr toô Loôe (= loô)
P flípped stéppe Asia # (= stép foot)
Q Sadìqqi #
R érror pürr
S méssy lóss crevásse
T bétter ẁatt couchétte -sh-
U vácuum # (*vákyoôm)
V révved #
W Lawwell # (accidental)
X Éxxon ™ # Bób B. Sóxx #
Y Khayyàm #
Z fízzy búzz

Names of the letters

The names of the letters of the alphabet are rarely written out in English (a simple capital being the normal usage: "with a C, not a K") so that, unlike in many other languages, most of their spellings have a rather unofficial status. But they can be shown as follows, using real words where possible:

A: â (the indefinite article, when stressed), èh? what?

B: bê exist, bêe sting

C: occasionally cêe; sêe look, sêa ship

D: Dêe River, surname

E: ê as in êmail, ê-mail

F: éff as in the euphemism éff óff

G: gêe up, exclamation *jêe

H: âitch as in drópping your âitches

I: Î me, eŷe vision

J: jây bird

K: Kây person

L: él elevated railway (AmE)

M: ém dash

N: én dash

O: ôwe debt, ôh! exclamation

P: pêa pod, pêe urine, p pence (BrE)

Q: queûe line, cûe ball, prompt

R: àre be, BrE àh exclamation

S: occasionally éss

T: têa drink, têe golf, tì do-re-mi

U: yoû me, eŵe sheep

V: Vêe Bobby

W: "doúble you" (*dúblyu; cf. vácûum, which actually does have a doúble Û)

X: éx- past

Y: whŷ reason (voiced w, as in BrE)

Z: BrE zéd, AmE zêe

The Chaos

by Gerard Nolst Trenité

This poem on pronunciation irregularities was first published in 1920. Accent marks, respellings and editorial comments have been added to reflect current British English pronunciation. The unadorned poem, with an introduction, can be found here.


The Châós (*câyóss)


Dêarest crêature ín creâtion

Stúdying English (*Ínglish) pronunciâtion,

Î wíll têach yoû ín mŷ vërse
Sòunds lîke cŏrpse, cŏrps (*cŏr), hŏrse and wörse.

Î wíll kêep yoû, Sûsy, busy (*bízzy),

Mâke yŏur héad wíth hêat grôw dízzy;

Têar ín eŷe, yŏur dréss yŏu'll téar;
Quêer, fãir sêer (*sêe-er), hêar mŷ prãyer.

Prây, consôle yŏur lòving pôet,

Mâke mŷ côat loòk neŵ, dêar, sew (=sô) ít!

Júst compãre heàrt, hêar and hëard,
Dîes and dîet (*dîət), lŏrd and wörd.

Swŏrd (*sŏrd) and swård, retâin and Brítain

[Mînd the látter hòw ít's wrítten].

Mâde hás nót the sòund of báde,
Sây–said (*séd), pây–pâid, lâid but pláid.

Nòw Î sůrely wíll nót plâgue yoû

Wíth súch wörds as vâgue and âgûe,

Bút bê cãreful hòw yoû spêak,
Sây: gúsh, bùsh, steâk, strêak, breâk, blêak,

Prêvious, précious, fûchsia (*feŵsha), vîa,

Récipê, pîpe, stúdding-sâil, choîr (=quîre);

Wôven, óven, hòw and lôw,
Scrípt, recêipt (*rissêet), shoe (=shoô), pôem, tôe.

Sây, expécting fråud and tríckerỳ:

Dåughter (*dåwter), làughter (*làfter) ánd Terpsíchorê (*Terpsíckery),

Brànch, rànch, mêasles, tópsails, aîsles (*îles),
Míssîles, símilês, revîles.

Whôlly (=hôly), hólly, sígnal, sîgning (*sîning),

Sâme, exámining, but mîning,

Schólar (*scóllar), vícar, and cigàr,
Sôlar, mîca, wår and fàr.

From "desîre": desîrable - ádmirable from "admîre",

Lúmber, plúmber, biêr, but brîer,

Tópsham, broûgham (*breŵəm), renòwn, but knôwn,
Knówledge, dòne, lône, góne, nòne, tône,

Òne (=wòn), anémonê, Balmóral,

Kítchen, lîchen (=lîken), låundry, laurel (lórrel).

Gërtrude, Gërman (J-), wínd and wînd,
Beau (=Bô), kînd, kíndred, queûe, mankînd,

Tŏrtoise (*tŏrtus), türquŏise, chámois-léather (*shámwà-),

Rêading, Réading, hêathen, héather.

Thís phonétic lábyrínth
Gíves móss, grôss, broòk, brôoch, nînth, plínth.

Háve yoû éver yét endéavoured

To (=toô)[10] pronòunce revêred and sévered,

Dêmon, lémon, ghoûl, fòul, sôul,
Pêter, pétrol and patrôl?

Bíllet dòes nót énd lîke bállèt (*bállây);

Boûquèt, ẁallet, mállet, chálèt.

Blòod and flòod are nót lîke foôd,
Nŏr ís môuld lîke shoùld and woùld (=woòd).

Bánquet ís nót nêarly pàrquèt,

Whích exáctly rhŷmes wíth khàkì. —not usually nowadays

Díscòunt, vîscòunt (*vîcòunt), lôad and brŏad,
Towård, to fŏrward, to (=toô) rewård,

Rícochèted and crôchèting, crôquèt?

Rîght! Yŏur pronunciâtion's OK.[11]

Ròunded, woûnded, griêve and síeve,
Friénd and fiênd, alîve and líve.

Ís yŏur R corréct ín hîgher?

Kêats assërts ít rhŷmes Thalîa.

Hûgh, but húg, and hoòd, but hoôt,
Buŏyant, mínute, bút minûte.

Sây abscíssion wíth precísion,

Nòw: posítion ánd transítion;

Woùld ít tálly wíth mŷ rhŷme
Íf Î méntioned páradîgm?

Twòpence, thréepence, têase are êasy,

But cêase, crêase, grêase and grêasy?

Cŏrnice, nîce, valìse, revîse,
Râbíes, but lúllabîes.

Óf súch púzzling wörds as nåuseous,

Rhŷming wéll wíth cåutious, tŏrtious,

Yoû'll envélop lísts, Î hôpe,
Ín a línen énvelôpe.

Woùld yoû lîke some mŏre? Yoû'll háve ít!

Áffidâvit, Dâvid, dávit.

To (=toô) abjûre, to përjure. Shèik
Dòes nót sòund lîke Czéch but âche.

Líberty, lîbrary, hêave and héaven,

Râchel, lóch, moustàche, eléven.

Wê sây hállôwed, bút allòwed,
Pêople, léopard, tôwed but vòwed.

Màrk the dífference, moreôver,

Betwêen mover (*moôver), plòver, Dôver.

Lêaches, brêeches, wîse, precîse,
Chálíce, bút polìce and lîce,

Cámel, cònstable, únstâble,

Prínciple, discîple, lâbel.

Pétal, pênal, and canál,
Wâit, surmîse, pláit, prómíse, pál,

Sûit, suìte, rûín. Cïrcuít, cónduít

Rhŷme wíth "shïrk ít" and "beyónd ít". —still?

Bút ít ís nót hàrd to téll
Whŷ ít's påll, måll, but Páll Máll.

Múscle, múscular, gâol (=jâil), îron,

Tímber, clîmber, búllion, lîon,

Wörm and stŏrm, chaise (*shézz), châós, chãir,
Sénator, spectâtor, mãyor,

Îvy, prívy, fâmous; clámour

Hás thê Â of dráchm and hámmer.

Pùssy, hússy ánd posséss,
Désert, but desërt, addréss.

Gôlf, wolf (=Woòlf), còuntenance, lieuténants

Hŏist ín lieû of flágs léft pénnants.

Coùrier, cŏurtier, tomb (*toôm), bómb, cômb,
Còw, but Cowper (=Coôper), sòme and hôme.

"Sôlder, sôldier! Blòod ís thícker",

Quôth hê, "than liqueûr ŏr líquor",

Mâking, ít ís sád but trûe,
Ín bravàdo, múch ado (*adoô).

Strânger dòes nót rhŷme wíth ánger,

Neîther dòes devòur wíth clángour. —neither does anger: *áng-gə

Pîlot, pívot, gåunt, but āunt,
Fónt, frònt, wônt, wånt, gránd and grānt.

Àrsenic, specífic, scênic,

Rélic, rhétoric, hygìênic.

Goòseberry, goôse, and clôse, but clôse,
Páradise, rîse, rôse, and dôse.

Sây invèigh, nèigh, but invêigle,

Mâke the látter rhŷme wíth êagle.

Mînd! Mêándering but mêan,
Válentîne and mágazìne.

Ánd Î bét yoû, dêar, a pénny,

Yoû sây máni-(fôld) lîke many (*ménny),

Whích ís wróng. Sây râpier, pìêr,
Tîer (òne who tîes), but tìêr.

Àrch, archângel; prây, dòes ërring

Rhŷme wíth hérring ŏr wíth stïrring?

Príson, bîson, tréasure trôve,
Trêason, hóver, còver, côve,

Persevêrance, séverance. Ríbald

Rhŷmes (but pîebåld dòesn't) wíth níbbled.

Phâeton, paêan, gnát, ghåt, gnåw,
Liên, psŷchic, shóne, bône, pshåw.

Dôn't bê dòwn, mŷ ôwn, but roúgh ít,

Ánd distínguish bùffèt, búffet;

Broôd, stoòd, roôf, roòk, schoôl, woòl, boôn,
Worcester (*Wùster), Boleýn, to (=toô) impûgn.

Sây ín sòunds corréct and stërling

Hëarse, hêar, heàrken, yêar and yëarling —yëar and yêarling are about as likely

Êvil, dévil, mézzotínt,

Mînd the Z (zéd)! (A géntle hínt.)

Nòw yoû nêed nót pây atténtion

To (=toô) súch sòunds as Î dôn't méntion,

Sòunds lîke pŏres, påuse, pŏurs and påws,
Rhŷming wíth the prônòun yŏurs;

Nŏr are próper nâmes inclûded,

Thôugh Î óften hëard, as yoû díd,

Fúnny rhŷmes to ûnicŏrn,
Yés, yoû knôw them, Våughan and Stråchan —nowadays regularised to *Strákhən

Nô, mŷ mâiden, cŏy and còmely,

Î dôn't ẁant to spêak of Chòlmondeley (*Chúmley).

Nô. Yét Froûde compãred wíth pròud
Ís nô bétter thán McLeod (*McClòud).

But mînd trívial and vîal,

Trîpod, mênial, denîal,

Trôll and trólley, réalm and rêam,
Schédule, míschief, schísm, and schême.

Àrgil, gíll, Argŷll, gíll. Sůrely

Mây bê mâde to rhŷme wíth Råleigh,

Bút yŏu're nót suppôsed to sây
Pìquèt rhŷmes wíth sóbriquèt.

Hád thís ínvalid inválid

Wörthless dócuments? Hòw pállid,

Hòw uncoûth hê, còuchant, loòked,
Whén for Pŏrtsmouth Î had boòked!

Zeûs, Thêbes, Thales, Aphrodîtê,

Páramour, enámoured, flîghty,

Épisôdes, antípodês,
Ácquiésce, and óbsequies.

Plêase dôn't mònkey wíth the gêyser,

Dôn't pêel 'tâters wíth mŷ râzor,

Rāther sây ín áccents pûre:
Nâture, státure ánd matûre.

Pîous, ímpìous, límb, clîmb, glúmly,

Worsted (wùsted), wörsted, crúmbly, dúmbly,

Cónquer, cónquest, vàse, phâse, fán,
Ẁan, sedán and àrtisan.

The TH (*têe-âitch) wíll sůrely troúble you

Mŏre than R, CH ŏr W (*àh, cêe-âitch ŏr doúble-û)

Sây thén thêse phonétic géms:
Thómas, thŷme, Therêsa, Thames (*Témz).

Thómpson, Chátham, Wåltham, Stréatham,

Thére are mŏre but Î forgét 'em -

Wâit! Î've gót ít: Ánthony,
Lîghten yŏur anxîety.

Thê archâíc wörd ålbêít

Does nót rhŷme wíth èight - yoû sêe ít;

Wíth and fŏrthwith, òne hás vŏice,
Òne hás nót, yoû mâke yŏur chŏice.

Shoes (=shoôs), gôes, dòes. Nòw fïrst sây: fínger;

Thén sây: sínger, gínger, línger.

Rêal, zêal, mauve (*môv), gåuze and gâuge,
Márríage, fôlìage, mìràge, âge,

Hêro, héron, quêry, véry,

Párry, tárry, fûry, bury,

Dòst, lóst, pôst, and dòth, clóth, lôth,
Jób, Jôb, blóssom, bosom (*bùzm), ôath.

Fåugh, oppúgnant, kêen oppûgners,

Bòwing, bôwing, bánjo-tûners

Hôlm yoû knôw, but nôes, canoes (*canoôz),
Pûisnê (*poôny), trûísm, ûse (*yoûss), to ûse (*yoûz)?

Thôugh the dífference sêems líttle,

Wê sây áctual, but víctual,

Sêat, swéat, châste, càste, Lêigh, èight, heîght,

Pùt, nút, gránite, ánd unîte.
Rêefer dòes nót rhŷme wíth déafer,

Féoffer dòes, and zéphyr, héifer.

Dúll bùll Géoffrey, Geŏrge ate (*ét) lâte,
Hínt, pînt, sénate, but sedâte.

Gáelic, Árabic, pacífic, —Scottish; or regular Gâelic if Irish

Scîence, cónscience, scientífic;

Toûr, but òur, doûr, súccour, fŏur,
Gás, alás, and Àrkansås.

Sây manoeûvre, yacht (*yót) and vómit,

Néxt omít, whích díffers fróm ít

Bôna fîdê, álibî
Gŷrate, dòwry ánd awrŷ.

Sêa, idêa, guínea, ãrêa,

Psàlm, Marìa, bút malãria.

Yoûth, sòuth, soúthern, cléanse and clêan,
Dóctrine, türpentine, marìne.

Compãre âlien wíth Itálian,

Dándelîon wíth battálion,

Rálly wíth állŷ; yeâ, yê,
Eŷe, Î, ây, aŷe, whèy, kêy, quaỳ! —ây mê, archaic expression of sadness, ây = èh

Sây avër, but éver, fêver,

Neîther, léisure, skèin, recêiver.

Néver guéss - ít ís nót sâfe,
Wê sây càlves, válves, hālf, but Râlf.

Stàrry, gránary, canãry,

Crévice, but devîce, and éyrie,

Fâce, but préface, thén grimâce,
Phlégm, phlegmátic, áss, glāss, bâss.

Báss, làrge, tàrget, gín, gíve, vërging,

Ŏught, òust, jòust, and scòur, but scoürging;

Êar, but ëarn; and ére and téar
Do (*doô=) nót rhŷme wíth hêre but héir.

Mînd thê Ô of óff and óften

Whích mây bê pronòunced as ŏrphan, —scarcely heard nowadays

Wíth the sòund of såw and såuce;
Ålsô sóft, lóst, clóth and cróss.

Pùdding, púddle, pùtting. Pútting?

Yés: at gôlf ít rhŷmes wíth shútting.

Réspîte, spîte, consént, resént.
Lîable, but Pàrliament.

Séven ís rîght, but sô ís êven,

Hŷphen, roúghen, néphew, Stêphen,

Mònkey, dónkey, clerk (=Clàrk) and jërk,
Ásp, grāsp, ẁasp, demèsne, cŏrk, wörk.

 of válour, vápid vâpour,

S of neŵs (-z) (compãre neŵspâper (-ss-)),

G of gíbbet (j-), gíbbon, gíst (j-),
Î of ántichrîst and gríst,

Díffer like divërse and dîvers,

Rívers, strîvers, shívers, fîvers.

Ònce, but nónce, tôll, dóll, but rôll,
Pólish, Pôlish, póll and pôll.

Pronúnciation - thínk of Psŷchê! -

Ís a pâling, stòut and spîky.

Wôn't ít mâke yoû lose (=loôs) yŏur wíts
Wrîting grôats and sâying 'gríts'? —no longer

Ìt's a dàrk abýss ŏr túnnel

Streŵn wíth stônes lîke rôwlock, gúnwale,

Íslington, and Îsle of Wîght,
Hòusewîfe, vërdíct and indîct.

Dôn't yoû thínk sô, rêader, ràther,

Sâying làther, bâther, fàther?

Fînally, whích rhŷmes wíth enoúgh,
Thôugh, throûgh, bòugh, cóugh, hóugh, sòugh, toúgh??

Hiccoúgh hás the sòund of súp.

Mŷ advîce ís: GÍVE ÍT ÚP!

Notes

  1. ↑ A few different accents, mostly from French, sometimes crop up in English, however; see French words in English.
  2. ↑ When not accented, y is usually the semi-consonant of yoû and yés.
  3. ↑ When not accented, w is usually the semi-consonant of wê and wíll.
  4. ↑ In American English this short British sound is replaced by the longer à in most positions, and by ŏ before r.
  5. ↑ Grave accents on w and on a u following a q indicate the sound of the following a: à in American English, but in British the extra sound ó as in the British pronunciation of hót.
  6. ↑ å and ŏ show the same sound: ideally the o too would have a ring over it, but this symbol is not available, so ŏ is used instead.
  7. ↑ àardvark and Transvàal are from Afrikàans, itself a further example.
  8. ↑ With a pause to indicate both k’s are pronounced.
  9. ↑ Also representing a Welsh sound in place names like Llandudno (-dídno) and Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwrndrobllllantysiliogogogóch.
  10. ↑ Strong form of to, not normal in a verb's infinitive, necessitated by the metre.
  11. ↑ The pronunciation required by the metre is "ôkay", though the K is normally the stressed syllable: okây.
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