Pronunciation Key
A list of pronunciation symbols used in this dictionary is given below
in the column headed AHD. The column headed Examples contains
words chosen to illustrate how the AHD symbols are pronounced.
The letters that correspond in sound to the AHD symbols are shown
in boldface. The third column, headed IPA (International Phonetic
Alphabet), gives the equivalent transcription symbols most often
used by scholars. Although similar, the AHD and IPA symbols are
not precisely the same because they were conceived for different
purposes. Additional information on pronunciation is given in the
Guide to the Dictionary in the section headed “Pronunciation.”
Examples
AHD
IPA
Examples
AHD
IPA
pat
ă
æ
out
ou
aυ
p
pay
ā
e
pop
p
care
âr
ə , eə
roar
r
father
ä
Ì:, Ì
sauce
s
s
bib
b
b
ship, dish
sh
ʃ
church
ch
t∫
tight, stopped
t
t
deed, milled
d
d
thin
th
θ
pet
ĕ

this

ð
bee
ē
i
cut
ŭ
�
fife, phase, rough
f
f
g
g
urge, term, firm,
word, heard
ûr
gag
hat
h
h
valve
v
v
which
hw
hw (also �)
with
w
w
pit
ĭ

yes
y
j
pie, by
ī
a
zebra, xylem
z
z
pier
îr
ə , iə
vision, pleasure, garage
zh
ʒ
judge
j
dʒ
about, item, edible,
gallop, circus
ə
ə
butter
ər
ɚ
AHD
IPA
w
r
r
l, Ø [ºnidØ]
mum
m
m
Foreign
no, sudden*
n (sŭdn)
n, Œ [ºs� dŒ]
thing
ng
ŋ
French feu
German schön
pot
ŏ
Ì
toe
ō
o
caught, paw
ô
ɔ
French tu
German über
core
ôr
ɔə
German ich
noise
oi
ɔ
took

υ
German ach
Scottish loch

lure
r
υə
French bon**
 (bô)
boot

u
v
French oeuf
German zwölf
v
k
l (nēdl)
r
r
r
k
r
kick, cat, pique
lid, needle*
ø
œ
ü
œ
y
ç
x
˜ [bõ]
r
r
*In English the consonants l and n often constitute complete syllables by themselves.
**The IPA symbols show nasality with a diacritic mark over the vowel, whereas the dictionary uses  to indicate that the preceding vowel is
nasalized. In French four nasalized vowels occur, as in the phrase un bon vin blanc: AHD (œ bô vă blä), IPA [œ
˜ bl̘ ].
˜ bõ væ
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