Oxford English Dictionary Additions Series

I. Consonants

b, d, f, k, l, m, n, p, t, v, z have their usual English values

Symbol Example  
g as in go /g{schwa}{shtu}/  
h ... ho! /h{schwa}{shtu}/  
r ... run /r{revv}n/, terrier /{sm}t{ope}r{shti}{schwa}(r)/  
(r) ... her /h{revope}{lm}(r)/  
s ... see /si{lm}/, success /s{schwa}k{sm}s{ope}s/  
w ... wear /w{ope}{schwa}(r)/  
hw ... when /hw{ope}n/  
j ... yes /j{ope}s/  
{vdftheta} ... thin /{vdftheta}{shti}n/, bath /b{fata}{lm}{vdftheta}/  
{edh} ... then /{edh}{ope}n/, bathe /be{shti}{edh}/  
{sh} ... shop /{sh}{rfa}p/, dish /d{shti}{sh}/  
t{sh} ... chop /t{sh}{rfa}p/, ditch /d{shti}t{sh}/  
{zh} ... vision /{sm}v{shti}{zh}{schwa}n/, déjeuner /de{zh}{oe}ne/  
d{zh} ... judge /d{zh}{revv}d{zh}/  
{ng} ... singing /{sm}s{shti}{ng}{shti}{ng}/, think /{vdftheta}{shti}{ng}k/  
{ng}g ... finger /{sm}f{shti}{ng}g{schwa}(r)/  


FOREIGN AND NON-SOUTHERN

{pall} as in Italian serraglio /ser{sm}ra{pall}o/  
{paln} ... French cognac /k{revc}{paln}ak/  
x ... German ach /ax/, Scots loch /l{rfa}x/, Spanish frijoles /fri{sm}xoles/  
ç ... German ich /{shti}ç/, Scots nicht /n{shti}çt/  
{vvf} ... North German sagen /{sm}za{lm}{vvf}{schwa}n/  
c ... Afrikaans baardmannetjie /{sm}ba{lm}rtman{schwa}ci/  
{udh} ... French cuisine /k{udh}izin/  


Symbols in parentheses are used to denote elements that may be omitted either by individual speakers or in particular phonetic contexts: e.g. bottle /{sm}b{rfa}t({schwa})l/, Mercian /{sm}m{revope}{lm}{sh}({shti}){schwa}n/, suit /s(j)u{lm}t/, impromptu /{shti}m{sm}pr{rfa}m(p)tju{lm}/, father /{sm}f{fata}{lm}{edh}{schwa}(r)/.

II. Vowels and Diphthongs

SHORT

{shti} as in pit /p{shti}t/, -ness /n{shti}s/  
{ope} ... pet /p{ope}t/, French sept /s{ope}t/  
æ ... pat /pæt/  
{revv} ... putt /p{revv}t/  
{rfa} ... pot /p{rfa}t/  
{shtu} ... put /p{shtu}t/  
{schwa} ... another /{schwa}{sm}n{revv}{edh}{schwa}(r)/  
({schwa}) ... beaten /{sm}bi{lm}t({schwa})n/  
i ... French si /si/  
e ... French bébé /bebe/  
a ... French mari /mari/  
{fata} ... French bâtiment /b{fata}tim{fatatilde}/  
{revc} ... French homme /{revc}m/  
o ... French eau /o/  
ø ... French peu /pø/  
{oe} ... French boeuf /b{oe}f/, coeur /k{oe}r/  
u ... French douce /dus/  
Y ... German Müller /{sm}mYl{schwa}r/  
y ... French du /dy/  


LONG

i{lm} as in bean /bi{lm}n/  
{fata}{lm} ... barn /b{fata}{lm}n/  
{revc}{lm} ... born /b{revc}{lm}n/  
u{lm} ... boon /bu{lm}n/  
{revope}{lm} ... burn /b{revope}{lm}n/  
e{lm} ... German Schnee /{sh}ne{lm}/  
{ope}{lm} ... German Fähre /{sm}f{ope}{lm}r{schwa}/  
a{lm} ... German Tag /ta{lm}k/  
o{lm} ... German Sohn /zo{lm}n/  
ø{lm} ... German Goethe /{sm}{lm}t{schwa}/  
y{lm} ... German grün /gry{lm}n/  


NASAL

{opetilde}, {aetilde} as in French fin /f{opetilde}, f{aetilde}/  
{fatatilde} ... French franc /fr{fatatilde}/  
{revctilde} ... French bon /b{revctilde}/  
{oetilde} ... French un /{oetilde}/  


DIPHTHONGS, etc.

e{shti} as in bay /be{shti}/  
a{shti} ... buy /ba{shti}/  
{revc}{shti} ... boy /b{revc}{shti}/  
{schwa}{shtu} ... no /n{schwa}{shtu}/  
a{shtu} ... now /na{shtu}/  
{shti}{schwa} ... peer /p{shti}{schwa}(r)/  
{ope}{schwa} ... pair /p{ope}{schwa}(r)/  
{shtu}{schwa} ... tour /t{shtu}{schwa}(r)/  
{revc}{schwa} ... boar /b{revc}{schwa}(r)/  
a{shti}{schwa} ... fiery /{sm}fa{shti}{schwa}r{shti}/  
a{shtu}{schwa} ... sour /sa{shtu}{schwa}(r)/  

The incidence of main stress is shown by a superior stress mark ({sm}) preceding the stressed syllable, and a secondary stress by an inferior stress mark ({smm}), e.g. accentuation /æk{smm}s{ope}ntju{lm}{sm}e{shti}{sh}{schwa}n/.

For further explanation of the transcription used, see the ‘General Explanations’ in Volume I of the Oxford English Dictionary.

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