English phonograms
Nguyễn Đức Hào5 min read
Single-letter vowels
Each of the single-letter vowels A, E, I, O, and U represents a long and short vowel sound. A, O, and U also make a third sound which is called the broad sound. Together the single vowels represent 13 vowel sounds.
| Phonogram | Sound | Examples |
| a | /ă-ā -ä/ | mat, table, father |
| e | /ĕ-ē / | tent, be |
| i | /ĭ-ī-ē/ | it, ivy, stadium |
| o | /ŏ-ō -oo/ | on, go, do |
| u | /ŭ-ū-oo-ü/ | up, pupil, flute, put |
| y | /ĭ-ī-ē/ | gym, by, baby |
Multi-letter vowels
English also has 22 multi-letter vowel phonograms. Twelve of these make only one sound, five make two sounds, and the other five make three or more sounds
| Phonogram | Sound | Examples |
| ai | /ā/ | laid |
| au | /ā/ | author |
| aw | /ā/ | saw |
| ay | /ā/ | play |
| ee | /ē/ | tree |
| ie | /ē/ | piece |
| igh | /ī/ | night |
| oa | /ō/ | coat |
| oe | /ō-oo/ | toe, shoe |
| oi | /oi/ | boil |
| oy | /oi/ | boy |
| ui | /oo/ | fruit |
| augh | /ā/ | taught |
| eigh | /ā-ī/ | eight, height |
| ew | /oo-ū/ | flew, few |
| ey | /ā-ē/ | they, key |
| ow | /ow-ō/ | plow, snow |
| ea | /ē-ĕ-ā/ | eat, bread, steak |
| ei | /ā-ē-ī/ | rein, protein, feisty |
| oo 1 | /oo-ū-ö/ | food, took, floor |
| ou | /ow-ō-oo-ü/ | house, soul, group, country |
| ough | /ō-ō-oo-ow/ | thought, though, through, bough |
Single-letter phonograms
| Sound | Sample Words | |
| a | /ă-ā-ä/ | mat, table, father |
| b | /b/ | bat |
| c | /k-s/ | cat, cent |
| d | /d/ | dad |
| e | /ĕ-ē/ | tent, be |
| f | /f/ | foot |
| g | /g-j/ | big, gym |
| h | /h/ | hat |
| i | /ĭ-ī-ē-y/ | it, ivy, stadium, onion |
| j | /j/ | job |
| k | /k/ | kit |
| l | /l/ | lap |
| m | /m/ | me |
| n | /n/ | nut |
| o | /ŏ-ō-oo/ | on, go, do |
| p | /p/ | pan |
| qu* | /qu/ | queen |
| r | /r/ | ran |
| s | /s-z/ | sent, as |
| t | /t/ | tip |
| u | /ŭ-ū-oo-ü/ | up, pupil, flute*, put |
| v | /v/ | van |
| w | /w/ | wall |
| x | /ks/ | fox |
| y | /y-ĭ-ī-ē/ | yard, gym, by, baby |
| z | /z/ | zip |
Multi-Letter Phonograms
| Spelling | Pronunciation (IPA or similar) | Examples |
| ai | /ā/ | laid |
| ar | /är/ | car |
| au | /ä/ | author |
| augh | /ä-ăf/ | taught, laugh |
| aw | /ä/ | saw |
| ay | /ā/ | play |
| bu | /b/ | buy |
| cei | /sē/ | receive |
| ch | /ch-k-sh/ | child, school, chef |
| ci | /sh/ | spacious |
| ck | /k/ | back |
| dge | /j/ | edge |
| ea | /ē-ĕ-ā/ | eat, bread, steak |
| ear | /er/ | search |
| ed | /ĕd-d-t/ | traded, pulled, picked |
| ee | /ē/ | tree |
| eigh | /ā/ | eight, height |
| er | /er/ | her |
| ew | /oo-ū/ | flew, few |
| ey | /ā-ē/ | they, key |
| gn | /n/ | sign |
| gu | /g-gw/ | guide, language |
| ie | /ē/ | field |
| igh | /ī/ | night |
| ir | /er/ | bird |
| kn | /n/ | know |
| ng | /ng/ | sing |
| oa | /ō/ | coat |
| oe | /ō-oo/ | toe, shoe |
| oi | /oi/ | boil |
| oo | /oo-ū-ŏ/ 1 | food, took, floor |
| or | /or/ | lord |
| ou | /ow-ō-oo-ŭ/ | house, soul, group, country |
| ough | /ŏ-ō-oo-/ <br> /ow-ŭff-off/ | thought, though, through <br> bough, rough, trough |
| ow | /ow-ō/ | plow, snow |
| oy | /oi/ | boy |
| ph | /f/ | phone |
| sh | /sh/ | she |
| si | /sh-zh/ | session, division |
| th | /th-TH/ | thin, this |
| ti | /sh/ | partial |
| tch | /ch/ | butcher |
| ui | /oo/ | fruit |
| ur | /er/ | hurts |
| wh | /wh/ | whisper |
| wor | /wer/ | worm |
| wr | /r/ | write |
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