If you are just starting to learn English or have been searching for a structured approach, it’s better to begin with the basics — the letters and their pronunciation. English has 26 letters but more than 44 sounds, so let’s break down the most important points.

Six letters in English represent vowel sounds: the vowel letters A, E, I, O, U, and in some cases, the consonant letter Y. However, the number of vowel sounds is significantly bigger — taking into account diphthongs and pronunciation variations in different dialects, their total can exceed 20.

Vowels can be short (for example, cat [kæt], bit [bɪt]) or long (for example, star [stɑ:], turn [tɜːrn]), and they are often used in diphthongs and triphthongs (vary [ˈveəri], desire [dɪˈzaɪər]).

There are 21 consonant letters in English, but the number of consonant sounds is also higher due to the peculiarities of pronunciation of letter combinations (ch, th, sh, etc.) and the variation in the pronunciation of some letters. Consonants in English can be voiceless (p, t, k, f, s) and voiced (b, d, g, v, z), and some consonant combinations form sounds that are unfamiliar to native speakers of other languages — for example, [θ] as in think and [ð] as in this.

In English words are made up of syllables. The pronunciation of English words depends on their structure — more precisely, on the types of syllables they consist of since the pronunciation of vowel and consonant letters in English depends on their position within the syllable. A syllable in English is formed by the presence of a vowel letter that is pronounced, that is, by the presence of a vowel sound. Thus, a syllable can contain a single vowel letter or a combination of consonants and vowels, and its pronunciation may vary. There are four main types of syllables in English:

An open syllable contains a single vowel sound at the end of the syllable. This also includes syllables formed by just a vowel without consonants: I, a, my, you, we, no, tiger, baby, zebra, idea, hero, show. The vowel letter in an open syllable is pronounced the same way as it is in the alphabet. For example:

A closed syllable contains one short vowel sound and ends in a consonant: dog, must, track, task, in, if, when, pen, rule, children, pencil, helmet, contest, rabbit. Examples of vowel pronunciation in a closed syllable:

A “vowel + r” syllable consists of one long vowel sound and the consonant letter r, which is not pronounced: car, or, for, star, deer, ear, pair. Examples of vowel pronunciation in this type of syllable:

A “vowel + r + vowel” syllable consists of a vowel, the consonant r, and another vowel. Very often, the vowel after r is a silent “e”: more, star, care, deer, ear, pair, share, sure. In such syllables, some vowels become diphthongs or triphthongs. A diphthong is a sound formed by the combination of two vowels in a single syllable, where the sound begins as one vowel and smoothly glides into another. A triphthong is a combination of three vowel letters or sounds. Examples of vowel pronunciation in this type of syllable:

Let’s now look at the main characteristics of consonant letters in English.

1. English has more consonant sounds than consonant letters

There are 21 consonant letters in English, but more consonant sounds since some letters have different pronunciation, and certain consonant combinations create new sounds. For example, the letters p and h in the combination ph are pronounced as /f/ (photo, phone). The letters t and h form the sounds /θ/ and /ð/ (think and this), which are uncommon in many other languages. Here are some other examples of consonant combinations with unique pronunciations:

• chef → /ʃ/, even though it’s spelled ch. However, ch can also be pronounced as /k/ (technology, mechanic, Christmas) or as /tʃ/ (chair, choose, chin)
• knight → /naɪt/ — the k is silent before n at the beginning of words
• write → /raɪt/ — the w is silent before r at the beginning of words
   

2. Many consonant sounds come in voiceless — voiced pairs

3. English includes consonant sounds uncommon in other languages

• /θ/ — think
• /ð/ — this
• /ŋ/ — sing — a nasal velar sound
• /w/ — water — a labio-glottal sound
• /r/ — has a distinct pronunciation (around /əˈraʊnd/, try /traɪ/); it is not rolled (like in some Slavic languages), and it is not trilled (unlike in Spanish or Italian)
• /h/ — a voiceless, airy sound (hat)
   

4. Consonant Clusters

English has clusters of 2–3 consonants at the beginning or end of words:  spring, street, texts, glimpse.

5. Aspiration

In English, there is often aspiration after /p/, /t/, and /k/ — a slight puff of air when pronouncing the sound:  pen → [pʰen], top → [tʰɒp], cat → [kʰæt]

6. “Y” can function as both a consonant and a vowel

The letter Y is traditionally considered a consonant one in the English alphabet, but depending on its position in a word, it may represent:

• a consonant sound — at the beginning of words: yes, yellow → /j/
• a vowel sound — at the end or in the middle of words: happy, myth, gym
   

Consonants and vowels in English have their unique features and don’t always sound the way we expect them to from the alphabet. You can explore these patterns in more detail in our article “Rules of reading in English”. Regular practice in reading, listening, and speaking will help you master the rules and features of English pronunciation more quickly. Understanding the basics of the sound system will help you pronounce words more clearly, better understand native speakers, and absorb vocabulary through reading and listening — not just memorization.

Read also: 

• Rules of reading in English
• How to quickly learn and memorize English words
• Selection of online English dictionaries and their useful features

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