Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary, 2nd edition
1550
Pronunciation Symbols
Vowel sounds
short vowels
long vowels

e
ɒ
υ
ə
i
u
i
ɑ
ɔ
u
-
as in see
as in arm
as in saw
as in too
as in her (UK)
as in bird (US)
as in mother (US)
e
a
ɔ
əυ
oυ
aυ
ə
eə
υə
aə
aυə
as in day
as in my
as in boy
as in low (UK)
as in low (US)
as in how
as in near (UK)
as in hair (UK)
as in poor (UK)
as in fire
as in sour
n
p
r
s
t
t
v
w
z
as in nose
as in pen
as in red
as in sun
as in ten
as in better (US)
as in vat
as in wet
as in zip
d
ŋ
ð
θ
ʃ
tʃ
as in general
as in hang
as in that
as in thin
as in ship
as in measure
as in chin
as in pit
as in wet
as in cat
as in run
as in hot (UK)
as in put
as in ago
as in cosy
as in influence
diphthongs
Consonant sounds
b
d
f
g
h
j
k
l
m
as in bee
as in do
as in fat
as in go
as in hat
as in yet
as in key
as in led
as in map
Other symbols used in the pronunciations
/ə/
/r/
//
//
/l /
/˜/
this shows that the /ə/ as in sudden /sdən/ can be pronounced or not
pronounced
this shows that the /r/ as in the word teacher /titʃər/ is pronounced in UK
English when followed by a vowel sound, but not when followed by a consonant
sound. In US English it is always pronounced.
primary stress (the part of the word you emphasize most), as in above /əbv/
secondary stress (the part of the word you emphasize as well as, but not quite as
much as, the primary stress), as in backyard /bkjɑd/
this is used when a consonant (usually ‘l’) can be pronounced as a syllable on
its own, as in the word angle /ŋ.l /
this is used when a vowel is pronounced with a nasal sound, usually because
the word has come from French
if a symbol is shown in italics it means the sound can be pronounced or not
pronounced (for example, the t in the pronunciation of the word lunch /lntʃ/)
© Cambridge University Press 2005