Listening guide
Hear every sound and symbol.
Each symbol in your results stands for exactly one sound. Play them here — first the sound on its own, then inside a familiar word — until symbol and sound belong together in your head.
The sounds
Every vowel and tricky consonant. Tap a symbol to hear the sound on its own, or the word to hear it used. Long vowels are held; short vowels are clipped.
Long vowels
Held longerShort vowels
Quick & clippedDiphthongs
Two sounds glide togetherR-coloured vowels
Shaped by an rThe weak vowel
Reduced, unstressedConsonants to watch
Sounds the spelling can hideHow to read your results
Every mark, with an example — press play to hear each one.
ˈriːdread
Stressed part — say it louder & longer.
təto
Weak word — say it quickly & softly.
∅e
Silent letter — don’t pronounce it.
θth
Underline — these letters spell one sound.
wa·ter
Dot · — a syllable break.
go‿on
Linked — blend the words together.
?↗︎↘︎
Arrows — voice rises ↗︎ or falls ↘︎.
ˈsɛvən7
Number — how to say it aloud.
read²
² mark — has a second pronunciation.
guess?
? mark — a best guess; double-check it.
Sound and word recordings from Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA), spoken by native speakers.