English grammar has rules. English vocabulary has rules. StoryLearning has rules!
And if youโre here today, it may be because you want to find out more about the rules of English pronunciation too.
I have 28 for you.
But before we look at them, let me ask you some questions:
- What are vowel and consonant sounds?
- How many are there?
- Whatโs a vowel letter? Whatโs a consonant letter?
- What do we mean by โword stressโ in English?
- Do you know what IPA is?
If you can answer all these questions, feel free to skip the sections below.
But if you canโt, then read on.
English Consonants And Consonant Sounds

There are 21 consonant letters in the English alphabet (B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z), and โ in most English accents โ there are 24 consonant sounds.
These are types of sounds that you make by partially or completely blocking the air as it comes out of your mouth. (Itโs impossible to say the word โlanguageโ without stopping the air by curling your tongue when you pronounce the first letter).
But why are there more consonant sounds than letters? Well, as you may know, in English the spelling-pronunciation relationship is not a happy one so the same consonant letter can be pronounced using different consonant sounds.
C, for example, is pronounced differently in โcatโ (/kรฆt/) and โcinemaโ (/หsษชn.ษ.mษ/). Youโll see more examples of this later when we look at the rules.
โOlly, wait a second. Whatโs that strange thing you wrote after โcatโ and โcinemaโโ?
Good question. Thatโs the IPA.
IPA
IPA stands for International Phonetic Alphabet and is like a special set of symbols that helps us understand how to pronounce words.
In English, and many other languages, the way words are written doesn't always show exactly how they are spoken. So IPA gives us a way to represent the sounds accurately.
These are all the sounds in English represented in the IPA.

The consonant sounds are /p/, /b/, /m/, /t/, /d/, /n/, /s/, /z/, /l/, /ส/,/ส/, /j/, /tส/, /k/, /g/, /ล/, and /h/.
Theyโre different from vowel sounds.
English Vowels And Vowel Sounds

Vowel sounds are the ones you make when you open your mouth and let the air flow freely.
There are 5 vowel letters in the English language (A, E, I, O, U), but there are 20 (sorry!) vowel sounds in total.
These are divided into 5 long vowels, 7 short vowels, and 8 diphthongs (a fancy word that means โa combination of two vowel soundsโ).
- 5 long vowels: /iห/ /uห/ /ษห/ /ษห/ /ษห/
- 7 short vowels: /ษช/ /ส/ /ษ/ /e/ /ษ/ /ส/ /รฆ/
- 8 diphthongs: /eษช/ /aษช//ษษช/ /ษส/ /aส/ /ษชษ/ /eษ/ /สษ/
So, going back to โcatโ and โcinemaโ, here are the phonemic transcriptions of the words using IPA.
- cat โ /kรฆt/
- cinema โ /หsษชnษmษ/
See that little apostrophe (โ) before the /s/ sound? That represents the word stress.
Word Stress In English

When we say a word, we emphasize or stress certain syllables more than others. This means we say them louder, longer, and with a slightly higher pitch.
For example, in the word โcinema,โ a three-syllable word, the stress in on the first syllable: CI-ne-ma
Some other examples:
- HO-tel /hoสหtษl/
- KI-tchen /หkษชtสษn/
- com-PU-ter /kษmหpjuหtษr/
- EL-e-phant /หษlษชfษnt/
- un-be-LIEV-a-ble /สnยทbษชหliหvษbษl/
Notice where the apostrophe (โ) is: it always comes before the stressed syllable.
Okay, everything clear? I hope so!
Now youโre ready to learn the 28 rules of English pronunciation.
1. Double Consonants
In some languages like Italian and Japanese, double consonant letters are held or pronounced with a longer duration than single consonants.
This doesnโt happen in English because double consonants are pronounced as single consonants.
Here are some example words:
- Apple: /หรฆpษl/ (not /หรฆppษl/)
- Butter: /หbสtษr/
- Address: /ษหdrษs/
- Summer: /หsสmษr/
- Kitten: /หkษชtษn/

Pronouncing Long And Short Vowel Sounds

A vowel is long when it sounds like saying the letter of the vowel from the alphabet. Here are some examples to make this clear.
โCakeโ: In the word โcake,โ the โaโ is a long vowel sound (/eษช/) because you pronounce it like the letter A when saying the alphabet.
โGlobeโ: The โoโ is a long vowel sound (/oส/) because you pronounce it like the letter O when saying the alphabet. The same goes for โeโ (/i:/) in โteamโ, โuโ (/uห/) in โcubeโ and โiโ in โislandโ.
As you can see, the vowel is pronounced like the name of the vowel letter itself.
In short vowel sounds, however, this doesnโt happen. The vowel pronunciation is the sound of the letter, rather than the name of the vowel in the alphabet.
Here are some example words that contain a short vowel sound:
โCatโ: the โaโ is a short vowel sound (/รฆ/) because it's pronounced quickly and doesn't sound like the letter A when saying the alphabet. You say, โcatโ (/kรฆt/), not โKateโ (/keษชt/).
โSitโ: the โiโ is a short vowel sound (/ษช/) for the same reason. Sit (/sษชt/), not site (/sait/).
The same goes for โoโ in โdogโ, โeโ in โpenโ and โuโ in โbusโ.
But how can you know when you need a long or short vowel sound? Here are some useful guidelines for you:
2. Vowels At The End Of A Syllable Produce Long Vowel Sounds
Examples:
- me /miห/
- hero /หhษชษroส/
- time /taษชm/
- cute /kjuหt/
- flute /fluหt/

3. Vowel Combinations Create Long Vowels
Examples: โaiโ in โpaidโ, โeeโ in โfeeโ, โieโ in pie, โoaโ in boat.
- Paid /peษชd/
- Fee /fiห/
- Boat /boสt/
4. A Silent โeโ At The End Of One-Syllable Words Makes The Preceding Vowel Sound Longer
Examples:
- Mat /mรฆt/ becomes mate /meษชt/
- Hop /hษp/ becomes hope /hoสp/
- Bit /bษชt/ becomes bite /baษชt/
- Cap /kรฆp/ becomes cape /keษชp/
- Rid /rษชd/ becomes ride /raษชd/
5. The Letters โiโ And โoโ Are Pronounced As Long Vowel Sounds Between Two Consonants
Examples:
- Find /faษชnd/
- Gold /ษกoสld/
- Mind /maษชnd/
- Hold /hoสld/
- Bold /boสld/
- Cold /koสld/
- Kind /kaษชnd/
- Old /oสld/
- Blind /blaษชnd

6. If A Vowel Is Followed By A Single Consonant At The End Of A Word, It's A Short Vowel
Examples:
- Mat /mรฆt/
- Hop /hษp/
- Bit /bษชt/
- Cap /kรฆp/
- Red /rษd/
- Can /kรฆn/
- Sit /sษชt/
- Beg /bษษก/
- Run /rสn/
- Wet /wษt/
7. In Words With Two Of The Same Consonant Letters In The Middle, The Vowel Before Them Usually Sounds Short
On the other hand, if you have a word with just one consonant letter in the middle (like โtโ in โmateโ or โnโ in โboneโ), the vowel right before that consonant will usually sound long.
Examples:
- Hater /หheษช.tษr/ โ Hatter /หhรฆt.ษr/
- Later /หleษช.tษr/ โ Latter /หlรฆt.ษr/
- Biter /หbaษช.tษr/ โ Bitter /หbษชt.ษr/
- Filer /หfaษช.lษr/ โ Filler /หfษชl.ษr/
8. Doubled Vowels Are Usually Pronounced With A Long Vowel Sound

- Feet /fiหt/
- Moon /muหn/
- Cheese /tสiหz/
- Keep /kiหp/
- Teen /tiหn/
Some exceptions: book, foot, blood, deer.
9. If Two Different Vowels Are Next To Each Other, The Second Is Usually Silent While The First Is Long
- Team /tiหm/
- Coat /koสt/
- Train /treษชn/
- Blue /bluห/
- Pain /peษชn/
Letโs now have a look at the rules of English pronunciation for silent letters.
10. Silent A
A is silent in adverbs that end in โ-icallyโ.
- Basically /หbeษชsษชkli/
- Dramatically /drษหmรฆtษชkli/
- Comically /หkษmษชkli/
- Automatically /หษหtษหmรฆtษชkli/
- Technically /หtษknษชkli/
- Ironically /aษชหrษnษชkli/
- Systemically /sษชsหtษmษชkli/
- Historically /hษชsหtษrษชkli/
- Politically /pษหlษชtษชkli/
- Economically /หiหkษหnษmษชkli/
11. Silent B

B is silent before โtโ and after โmโ:
- Lamb /lรฆm/
- Debt /dษt/
- Tomb /tuหm/
- Limb /lษชm/
- Bomb /bษm/
- Womb /wuหm/
- Climb /klaษชm/
- Dumb /dสm/
12. Silent C
C is silent after โs':
- Science /หsaษชษns/
- Scene /siหn/
- Muscle /หmสsษl/
- Scent: /sษnt/
- Scissors /หsษชzษrz/
- Scenic /หsiหnษชk/

13. Silent E
E is silent at the end of many words:
- Cake /keษชk/
- Plate /pleษชt/
- Smile /smaษชl/
- Ride /raษชd/
- Hike /haษชk/
- Love /lสv/
- Give /ษกษชv/
- Home /hoสm/
- Time /taษชm/
- Note /noสt/
- Name /neษชm/
14. Silent GH
GH is silent at the middle or end of several words:
- High /haษช/
- Though /รฐoส/
- Night /naษชt/
- Thought /ฮธษt/
- Light /laษชt/
- Sigh /saษช/
- Neighbour /หneษช.bษr/
- Enough /ษชหnสf/
- Laugh /lรฆf/
- Daughter /หdษtษr/
15. Silent K

K is silent when it comes at the beginning of a word and itโs followed by โn':
- Knee /niห/
- Knife /naษชf/
- Know /noส/
- Kneel /niหl/
- Knock /nษk/
- Knickers /หnษชkษrz/
- Knapsack /หnรฆpsรฆk/
- Knot /nษt/
- Knew /njuห/
- Knight /naษชt/
- Knee-cap /หniหหkรฆp/
16. Silent N
N is silent when it comes after โm':
- Mnemonic /nษชหmษnษชk/
- Mnemosyne /nษชหmษsษชni/
- Mnemotechnics /nษชหmoสtษkหnษชks/
17. Silent P
P is silent when it comes at the beginning of a word and itโs followed by โs':
- Psychology /saษชหkษlษdสi/
- Pseudonym /หsuหdษnษชm/
- Pterodactyl /หtษrษหdรฆk.tษชl/
- Psychiatry /saษชหkaษชษtri/
- Pseudo /หsuหdoส/
18. Silent W
W is silent when it comes at the beginning of a word and itโs followed by โr':
- Write /raษชt/
- Wrong /rษล/
- Wrap /rรฆp/
- Wrist /rษชst/
- Wrestle /หrษsl/
- Wreck /rษk/
- Wring /rษชล/
- Wrench /rษntส/

19. Silent G
G is silent when paired with โnโ at the end of a word:
- Resign /rษชหzaษชn/
- Feign /feษชn/
- Reign /reษชn/
- Align /ษหlaษชn/
- Assign /ษหsaษชn/
- Campaign /kรฆmหpeษชn/
- Foreign /หfษrษชn/
- Design /dษชหzaษชn/
- Benign /bษชหnaษชn/
- Malign /mษหlaษชn/
But GN is pronounced in the middle of a word:
- Signal /หsษชgnษl/
- Ignorant /หษชษก.nษrษnt/
- Pregnant /หprษษก.nษnt/
- Dignity /หdษชษกnษti/
- Indignation /หษชndษชษกหneษชสษn/
20. Silent L
The letter L is silent in the following:
- Should /สสd/
- Could /kสd/
- Would /wสd/
- Half /hรฆf/
- Calf /kรฆf/
- Chalk /tสษหk/
- Talk /tษหk/
- Walk /wษหk/
- Folk /foสk/
- Yolk /joสk/

Letโs now look at the rules of English pronunciation for โ-edโ endings. A tricky topic!
21. โ-edโ Endings

Decided, interested, asked, surprised, jumped, played โ all these words end in โ-edโ. They all look similar on paper but the pronunciation of the โedโ varies.
Here are three basic rules for pronouncing โ-edโ endings:
/t/ sound: When the base verb ends in a voiceless consonant sound (sounds produced without using your vocal cords such as /p/, /t/, /k/, /f/, /ฮธ/, /s/, /ส/, and /สง/) โ-edโ is pronounced as a /t/ sound.
Some examples:
- Worked /wษหrkt/
- Helped /hษlpt/
- Stopped /stษpt/
- Baked /beษชkt/
- Laughed /lรฆft/
- Watched /wษหtสt/
/d/ sound: When the base verb ends in a voiced consonant sound (a sound produced by the vibration of your vocal cords) or a vowel sound, except for the /t/ or /d/ sounds, the โ-edโ ending is pronounced as a /d/ sound.
Examples:
- Played /pleษชd/
- Closed /kloสzd/
- Named /neษชmd/
- Tried /traษชd/
- Used /juหzd/
- Loved /lสvd/
/ษชd/ sound: When the base verb ends in a /t/ or /d/ sound, the โ-edโ ending is pronounced as an additional syllable with an /ษชd/ sound.
Examples:
- Hunted /หhสntษชd/
- Needed /หniหdษชd/
- Wanted /หwษntษชd/
- Needed /หniหdษชd/
- Hated /หheษชtษชd/
- Decided /dษชหsaษชdษชd/
22. Assimilation
When a word ends in a /t/, /s/, or /ts/ sound and is followed by a word beginning with a /y/ sound, the two sounds become one
For example:
- /t/ + /y/ = /tส/ Iโll meet you there! /aษชl mitสuห รฐษr/
- /ts/ + /y/ = /tส/ Sheโll eats you alive! /สiหl iหtสuห ษหlaษชv/
- /s/ + /y/ = /ส/ You must face your worries. /juห mสst feษชสษr หwสriz/
23. /t/ Becomes /p/

/t/ โ when followed by /p/, /b/ or /m/ โ becomes /p/
Examples:
- That person. /รฐรฆp หpษหsษn/
- It boils. /ษชp หbษษชlz/
- That man. / รฐรฆp หmรฆn/
Check out Cara Leopoldโs blog for more examples
24. Intrusive /j/, /w/, And /r/
Intrusion happens in natural speech when you add an extra sound between two words to connect them. The extra sounds are often /j/, /w/, or /r/.
Some examples:
- He asked /hiห jหรฆskt/
- Do it /duwษชt/
- Law and orderโ /lษหr ษnd หษrdษr/
25. Elision
Elision is the opposite of intrusion. You donโt add sounds. Instead, you remove them to make your speech sound more fluent. Elision often happens when you have to connect a word ending in a /t/ sound to another word.
For example:
- Next day /nษks deษช/
- I must go /aษช mสs ษกoส/
26. Pronunciation Of โchโ

CH can be /tส/ or /k/.
For example:
- /tส/: chair, much, cheese, church, match
- /k/: chemistry, chorus, echo, character, school
27. Stress Turns Nouns Into Verbs
Word stress can affect the meaning of the word. Specifically, it can change a word from being a noun to a verb.
When the stress is on the first syllable of a word, that word usually acts as a noun. For example, when we say โRE-cord,โ with stress on the first syllable, we mean a physical or digital recording of something, like a song or a video.
On the other hand, when the stress is on the last syllable of a word, that word typically functions as a verb.
So, when we say โre-CORD,โ with stress on the last syllable, we mean the action of making a recording, like when you record a song or video.
Here are some other examples:
- Noun: She placed the OB-ject on the table. (emphasis on the first syllable)
- Verb: She will ob-JECT to the proposal. (emphasis on the second syllable)
- Noun: I received a PRE-sent for my birthday.
- Verb: I will pre-SENT my findings tomorrow.
- Noun: Do you have a PER-mit to park here?
- Verb: I will per-MIT you to enter.
- Noun: The farm's PRO-duce is fresh.
- Verb: They pro-DUCE delicious fruits.
28. Soft โg' And Hard โg'

The letter โg' can be pronounced softly (/สค/) or hard (/g/).
- Soft โg' (/สค/):
- Judge /สคสdส/
- Gentle /หสคษntษl/
- Budget /หbสdสษชt/
- Gentleman /หสคษntษlmษn/
- Ginger /หสคษชndสษr/
- Agent /หeษชสคษnt/
- Genuine /หสคษnjuษชn/
- Forage /หfษrษชdส/
- Judgment /หสคสdสmษnt/
- Fudge /fสdส/
- Fragile /หfrรฆdสษl/
- Allege /ษหlษdส/
Hard โg' (/g/):
- Game /ษกeษชm/
- Get /ษกษt/
- Glad /ษกlรฆd/
- Globe /ษกloสb/
- Goose /ษกus/
- Great /ษกreษชt/
- Ground /ษกraสnd/
- Guitar /ษกษชหtษr/
- Grain /ษกreษชn/
- Guidance /หษกaษชdษns/
Now that you know all these rules of English pronunciation, itโs time to put the theory into practice.
Some Tips On How To Improve Your English Pronunciation

Here are some things you can do:
- Listen actively to both native and non-native speakers and mimic their pronunciation. This will help you acquire the sound of the language.
- Visit Cara Leopoldโs blog and join her amazing movie club. This will help you practise both speaking and listening.
- Transcribe words and sentences using IPA and check what you wrote with the IPA transcription you find in the dictionary. This will help you notice how words sound.
- Break words into syllables and practice pronouncing each syllable separately before putting them together.
- Work only on the sounds you find hard to produce.
- Use pronunciation apps and websites.
- Stand in front of a mirror and watch your mouth movements as you pronounce words and sounds. This can help you with articulation (the movements of the sounds).
- Record yourself saying lines from movies and compare your pronunciation with the original one.
- Ask for feedback from native and non-native speakers, teachers, and friends or language exchange partners.
- Surround yourself with English as much as possible.
Master The Rules Of English Pronunciation With Stories
And finally, read and listen to stories! You can start today by listening to the StoryLearning podcast.
Or you might want to use English audiobooks. You can stop the audiobook and read aloud a few sentences imitating the sounds.
My short stories in English books are also available in audiobook format, as well as my other books for English learners such as the 101 Conversations series.
Whatever you decide to do, have fun learning and practising your pronunciation in English!
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