Rules for reading the vowel a in English. Basic rules for pronunciation in English

The combination of letters in English is a phenomenon that is closely related to phonetics, since often the reading of consonants or vowels changes if another letter appears next to them. It is important not only to navigate various options such combinations, but also to understand how certain ways of connecting individual letters differ and what pronunciation features will arise in this case. Therefore, it is required to consider the main letter combinations in the English language and give a special classification of such a phenomenon in order to understand the entire algorithm of actions somewhat easier.

Basic principles of combinations of English letters

The norms of the English language allow the combination of letters of the alphabet in such a way that new variants of sounds are subsequently formed. It must be remembered that sometimes such combinations are pronounced differently than they seem at first glance, and the phonetics of both letters used in one combination or another may be lost.

Ways of letter combinations in English allow the formation of new sounds by combining two consonants, two vowels, as well as a combined version of vowels and consonants. In this case, a certain combination can also be formed by combining three letters; they are called triphthongs and differ from diphthongs in that they consist of exactly three, and not two elements. Therefore, it is necessary to consider the basic rules of reading English letter combinations, and you can start with the options vowels + vowels.

Letter combinations vowels + vowels

When reading English letter combinations that include consonants, it is necessary to take into account both letters that are part of a particular construction. The options may be:

ai-- pain, rain;
ay-– game, pay;
ei-– deceive, weight, height;
ea-[e]– head, read, break;
ey-– key, grey, eye;
ee-– tree, screen;
ew-– new, few;
eu-– neutral, feudalism;
oo - [u] [ɔ:] [ʌ]- wool, pool, door, blood;
oa–[əu]- road, soap;
ou-– house, mouse;
ie-[e]– friend, field, diet.

All these variants with vowels are quite common and are read in English only in accordance with the indicated reading rules. Their sound conveys only vowel sounds, however, it is important not to confuse the options for connecting letters, otherwise there is a risk of incorrect spelling of words and structures.

Letter combinations consonants + consonants

The way one or another combination of consonant letters is read must be remembered very well, since there are significantly more such types of combinations than with vowels. The following are the most common ways English consonants are pronounced in combination with each other:

ch - [k] [ʃ]– chair, character, machine;
ck-[k]– stock, shock;
tch- consonant with the sound ch is the combination tch - – match, catch; for the sound h in English, two variants of consonant combinations are characteristic;
bt at the end of a word [t]– doubt, debt;
gh- after combinations ou, au [f], [–]- cough, slight;
dg-– hedgehog, edge;
th- interdental sound th is read in two ways. In service parts of speech and between vowels, the sound th in English gives [ð] - brother, the, and at the beginning or end of words, as well as before consonants, it sounds like [θ] – throw, bath;
sh- the sh sound can be read as [ʃ] – shrimp, shell;
gn-[n] sign, reign;
mb- in the middle of a word – remember, at the end of a word [m]– thumb;
mn- in the middle of a word – insomnia, at the end of a word [m]– column;
kn- in the middle of a word - sickness, at the beginning of a word [n]– knock;
wh - [w]– what, wheel;
ng- in the middle of a word [ŋg]– singer, at the end of a word [ŋ] – ring;
ph-[f]– philosopher, photo;
wr - [r]– write, wrong.

It is important to pay attention to how th, kn and other combinations are read, which have two pronunciations and sound special depending on the position in the word. The rule of reading all the combinations described above must always be observed, otherwise errors in the reading process and, accordingly, pronunciation will be inevitable.

Letter combinations vowels + consonants

Another option for combinations is vowels and consonants. Some letters in the alphabet can form certain ways of pronunciation, and this phonetic variant is also quite common. Here are some of the ways:

er- in unstressed position [ə] – worker, looker;
or- in an unstressed position [ə] - doctor, traitor;
an- before consonants – swan, plant;
al – [ɔ:] – chalk, talk. Another reading option is - half, calf;
wa-- was, water;
wor-– word, work;
war-– war, war;
igh-– right, night;
qu-– quiet, sequence;
ild-– wild, mild;
ind- find, bind.

All these options, presented with transcription, must be taken into account when pronouncing and reading the corresponding combinations. To display a combination of letters in English, a table can become an element that can group all the main options and present information in the most concise way. Here's what it might look like:

All these ways of combining letters of the English alphabet are very actively used in the language and are taken into account when studying phonetics and reading rules. All possible options should be remembered gradually, but it is necessary to know them, since, judging by the examples, some of them can be read differently. Being guided in all ways of reading, it will be possible to avoid many mistakes, and the interlocutor will be able to assess the level of preparation of the speaker, who, in turn, will correctly use the rules of letter combinations and avoid liberties in pronunciation.

Reading rules in English: table

Reading rules in English are, rather, not even rules, but generalized recommendations that are not particularly accurate. Not only can, say, the letter “o” in different combinations and types of syllable be read in nine different ways, there are also exceptions. For example, in the words food, too, it is read as, and in the words good, look - as [u]. There is no pattern here, you just need to remember it.

If you look in different books, it turns out that the rules of reading, and indeed phonetics, by different authors can be told in different ways with varying degrees of immersion in details. I think that it makes no sense to delve into the wilds of phonetic science (you can dive there indefinitely), but the easiest way is to take as a basis the most simplified version of the reading rules, that isEnglish reading rules for children.

For this article, I based the rules given in the textbook"English language. 1 - 4 classes in diagrams and tables "N. Vakulenko . Believe me, this is more than enough for both children and adults!

What is open and closed syllable?

In English, an open syllable and a closed one are distinguished, it also matters whether it ends with the letter “r” and whether it is stressed.

A syllable is called open if:

• a syllable ends in a vowel and is the last in a word,
• a vowel is followed by another vowel
• a vowel is followed by a consonant, followed by one or more vowels.

The syllable is closed if:

• it is the last in the word, while ending in a consonant,
• after a vowel there are two or more consonants.

Reading Rules
Reading the letter "A"
A - in an open syllable	name, face, cake
A [æ] - in a closed syllable	hat, cat, man
A - in a closed syllable on r	far, car, park
A [εə] - at the end of the word vowel + re	dare, care, stare
A [ɔ:] - combinations all, au	all, wall, fall, autumn
Reading the letter "O"
O [əu] - in an open syllable	no, go, home
O [ɒ] - in a closed stressed syllable	not, box, hot
O [ɜ:] - in some words with "wor"	world, word
O [ɔ:] - in a closed syllable on r	form, fork, horse, door, floor
O - combined "oo"	too, food
O [u] - combined "oo"	book, look, good
O - in combination "ow"	town, down
O [ɔɪ] - in combination "oy"	toy boy enjoy
O [ʊə] - in combination "oo"	poor
Reading the letter "U"
U, - in an open syllable	pupil, blue, student
U [ʌ] - in a closed syllable	nut, bus, cup
U [u] - in a closed syllable	put, full
U [ɜ:] - in combination "ur"	turn, hurt, burn
Reading the letter "E"
E - in an open syllable, a combination of "ee", "ea"	he, she, see, street, meat, sea
E [e] - in a closed syllable, combination "ea"	hen, ten, bed, head, bread
E [ɜ:] - in combinations "er", "ear"	her, heard
E [ɪə] - in combinations "ear"	hear, near
Reading the letter "I"
i - in an open syllable	five, line, night, light
i [ɪ] - in a closed syllable	his, it, pig
i [ɜ:] - in combination "ir"	first, girl, bird
i - in combination "ire"	fire, tired
Reading the letter "Y"
Y - at the end of a word	try, my, cry
Y [ɪ] - at the end of a word	family, happy, lucky
Y [j] - at the beginning or middle of a word	yes, year, yellow
Reading the letter "C"
C [s] - before i, e, y	pencil, bicycle
C [k] - except for combinations ch, tch and not before i, e, y	cat, come
C - in combinations ch, tch	chair, change, match, catch
Reading the letter "S"
S [s] - except: at the end of words after ch. and voiced accord.	say, books, six
S [z] - at the end of words after ch. and voiced accord.	days, beds
S [ʃ] - combined with sh	shop, ship
Reading the letter "T"
T [t] - except for th combinations	ten, teacher, today
T [ð] - combined th	then, mother, there
T [θ] - combined th	thin, sixth, thick
Reading the letter "P"
P [p] - except for the combination ph	pen, penalty, powder
P [f] - combined ph	photo
Reading the letter "G"
G [g] - except for combinations ng, not before e, i, y	go, big, dog
G - before e, i, y	age, engineer
G [ŋ] - combined with ng at the end of a word	sing, bring, king
G [ŋg] - combined ng in the middle of a word	strongest

The most important reading rules

The table above looks very busy, intimidating even. Several of the most important rules can be distinguished from it, which have almost no exceptions.

Basic rules for reading consonants

• The combination ph reads like [f]: photo, Morpheus.
• The combination th reads like [ð] or [θ]: think there. These sounds are not in Russian, their pronunciation requires some training. Do not confuse them with the sounds [s], [z].
• The combination ng at the end of the word reads like [ŋ] - this is a nasal (that is, pronounced as if in the nose) version of the sound [n]. A common mistake is to read it as . There is no "g" in this sound. Examples: strong, King Kong, wrong.
• The sh combination reads like [ʃ]: ship, show, shop.
• The letter "c" before i, e, y is read as [s]: celebrity, cent, pencil.
• The letter "g" before i, e, y is read as: age, magic, gym.
• The combination ch reads like: match, catch.

Basic rules for reading vowels

• In an open stressed syllable, vowels are usually read as inalphabet : no, go, name, face, pupil, he, five. It can be monophthongs and diphthongs.
• In a closed syllable, vowels are read as short monophthongs: nut, got, ten.

Reading rules do not need to be memorized, they need to be able to use.

In English class, students moan, "Why are the rules for reading in English so confusing?"

One reason is that English . Sometimes they kept their spelling, sometimes they changed it for themselves. In good old England, words were often spelled the way they were read, so that the same word could be spelled differently. Take at least the manuscripts of Shakespeare - all this chaos is there in full view.

Eventually, the spelling of words was standardized and entered into dictionaries, but... When you study English, you will notice that a word often reads completely differently from how it is spelled. And there are usually historical reasons for that.

There is also good news. Although many English words are written, it would seem, "as God puts it on the soul", there are a number of rules here. But be careful, because for every rule there is an exception.

The English language has over 1,100 ways of writing 44 individual sounds - more than any other language. But let study be a game for you, not a duty.

Learn with our tips!

1. Write down words that you have problems with in a notebook. Underline the part of the word that is the most difficult for you.
2. Use a dictionary, not a spell checker! Unfortunately, you can not always trust her.
3. Learn words with all kinds of prefixes and suffixes, for example: biography - auto biography, child - child hood etc.
4. Learn the rules, but don't rely on them. We have already said that every rule has its exception. We will talk about this below.

“i” is written before “e” (except after “c”)

One of the first rules of reading that is taught in English classes. The rule works for words that have a long “ee”, as in shield(shield).

Examples: piece (part), niece (niece), priest (priest), thief (thief).

But after “c”: conceive (comprehend, conceive), receive (receive), receipt (receipt; not to be confused with recipe - recipe).

For words in which the sound “a” or “i” is pronounced, the opposite is true:

“a”: eight (eight), neighbor (neighbor), reign (board), weight (weight)

“i”: either (any; or), height (height), feisty (absurd), sleight (dexterity)

Exceptions: seize (grab), weird (strange), conscience (conscience, consciousness), efficient (effective), etc.

silent letters

The English language is full of unpronounceable letters. The question arises: why do the English insert letters into words, and then they simply do not pronounce them? ..

The Silent Witness, or What is the Unpronounceable Letter

unpronounceable letter ( silent letter) is a letter that should be in a word, even if we do not read it. More than half of the letters of the alphabet can act as unpronounceable. They can be at the beginning of a word, at the end or in the middle - from the sound of the word you will not understand that they are there.

Examples of unpronounceable letters:
a - thread(a thread), bread(bread), thread(step)
b- lamb(lamb), bomb(bomb), womb(womb)
c- scissors(scissors), science(the science), scented(aroma)
d- edge(edge), bridge(bridge), badge(icon)
e - see below
h- honor(honor), honest(honest), school(school)
k - knot(node), knight(Knight), knowledge(knowledge)
l - talk(talk), psalms(psalm), balm(balm)
n- hymn(hymn), autumn(autumn), column(column, column)
p- pneumatic(pneumatic), psalms(psalm), psychology(psychology)
s- isle, island(Island), aisle(passage, e.g. in the cabin)
t- listen(listen), rustle(rustling) whistle(whistle)
u- biscuit(cookie; not a biscuit!), guess(a guess), guitar(guitar)
w - write(write), wrong(wrong), wrist(wrist)

Unpronounceable "e"

The unpronounceable "e" is the most common unpronounceable letter. There are several strict rules for writing words that end in an unpronounceable “e”.

When you add a suffix to such a word and the suffix begins with a consonant, the word stem does not need to be changed.

force (strength) + ful = forceful (strong)

manage (manage) + ment = management (management)

sincere (sincere) + ly = sincerely (sincerely)

If the suffix begins with a vowel or with “y”, then the “e” before the suffix must be omitted.

fame (fame) + ous = famous (famous)

nerve (nerve) + ous = nervous (nervous)

believable + y = believably

criticise (criticize) + ism = criticism (criticism)

Exceptions: mileage (distance in miles), agreeable (accommodating).

Prefixes and suffixes

When you add a prefix to a word, you don't usually need to change the stem of the word.

anti + septic = antiseptic (antiseptic)

auto + biography = autobiography (autobiography)

de + mobilize = demobilize (demobilize)

dis + approve = disapprove (disapprove)

im + possible = impossible (impossible)

inter + national = international (international)

mega + byte = megabyte (megabyte)

mis + fortune = misfortune (failure)

micro + chip = microchip (microchip)

re + used = reused (recycled)

un + available = unavailable (unavailable)

When you add a suffix to a word, it often changes the base of the word. Below are a few rules. As usual, there are exceptions, so if you're not sure how a word is spelled, check the dictionary.

Words that end in a consonant

If the suffix starts with a consonant, just add it to the stem, don't change anything.

Example: treat (treat; treat) + ment = treatment (treatment; attitude).

Doubling a consonant

For most short vowel words that end in a single consonant, that consonant is doubled when you add a vowel-starting suffix (ing, er, ed, est).

mop (wash) + ing = mopping (wash)

big (big) + est = biggest (biggest)

hot (hot) + er = hotter (hotter)

For words that end with an “l” after a vowel, that “l” is doubled.

model (model) + ing = modeling (modeling)

travel (to travel) + er = traveller (traveler)

Exceptions

For some words ending in “r”, “x”, “w”, “y”, the doubling rule does not apply.

fear (to be afraid) + ing \u003d fearing (fear, afraid, afraid)

box (box, not box!) + er = boxer (boxer)

know (to know) + ing = knowing (knowledge, knowing, knowing)

play (play) + ing = playing (game, playing, playing)

And if the word has two consonants at the end or more than one vowel, the consonant is also not doubled.

maintain (maintain) + ing (two vowels a + i) = maintaining (maintenance)

keep (keep) + er (two vowels e + e) ​​= keeper (keeper; owner)

hang (hang) + er (two consonants n + g) = hanger (hook)

Word endings

Words that end in "ce" and "ge"

When you add a suffix that starts with "a" or "o", the "e" remains.

manage (execute) + able = manageable (executable)

notice (notice) + able = noticeable (noticeable)

courage (courage) + ous = courageous (brave)

Exception: prestige (prestige) + ous = prestigious (prestigious)

words ending with "ie"

When you add "ing" to verbs ending in "ie", the "e" is dropped and the "i" is changed to "y".

die (to die) - dying (dying, dying, dying)

lie (lie) - lying (lying, lying, lying)

tie (tie) - tying (tying, tying, tying)

Words that end in "y" after a consonant

When you add suffixes such as “as”, “ed”, “es”, “er”, “eth”, “ly”, “ness”, “ful” and “ous” to a word ending in “y ” after a consonant, “y” changes to “i” before a suffix.

eighty (eighty) + eth = eightieth (eightieth)

duty (duty) + es = duties (duties)

lazy (lazy) + ness = laziness (laziness)

mystery (mystery) + ous = mysterious (mysterious)

beauty (beauty) + ful = beautiful (beautiful)

multiply (multiply) + ed = multiplied (multiplied)

cozy (cozy) + ly = cosily (cozy)

Words that end in "y" after a vowel

"y" is stored before suffixes such as "er", "ing" or "ed".

destroy (destroy) - destroying - destroyed

buy (buy) - buying - buyer

play (play) - playing - player

You may be confused by some discrepancies in the rules of spelling and reading, which are caused by . It's not that one option is better and that one is worse, you just need to settle on one, learn and stick with it. Try not to mix one with the other.

The rules of reading and writing are like a weather forecast: we can rely on them, but we cannot count on them to help us out every time. Therefore, it is very important to read more in English so that the sound of words and their style merge into a single image.

Perfect for this purpose next way: listening English books with parallel viewing of the original text.

10 English Classics Voiced by Native English Speakers

Mother Goose by W. W. Denslow Denslow

The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter - "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", Beatrix Potter

Alice "s Adventures in Wonderland Audiobook by Lewis Carrol - "Alice in Wonderland", Lewis Carroll

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain - The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens - "A Tale of Two Cities", Charles Dickens

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley

The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde - The Happy Prince and Other Tales by Oscar Wilde

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes", Arthur Conan Doyle

It happens that native English speakers apologize to those who study it ... For the fact that the pronunciation of English words and their spelling are so different. Well, let's accept their apologies. After all, anyone who has firmly decided to learn English can handle any difficulties!

Are you surprised by the English rules of reading? Share with us in the comments :)

21768

In contact with

The first thing a person who starts learning English faces is the difficulty in reading most words. On this score, there are many jokes even among the native speakers of this language, to say nothing of those for whom it is not native. One Dutch linguist even wrote a poem containing the most difficult and controversial cases of English phonetics - it is difficult to read it without errors even for someone who knows the language well.

But jokes are jokes, but you need to learn how to pronounce words correctly. The rules for reading in English help with this. For beginners, they will be a little difficult, but this is only out of habit. Having understood them and well fixed the theory with examples, you will see how much they will make your life easier.

What are these rules for?

Without knowing them, it will be difficult to learn to read. Of course, you can memorize the transcription of those words that you come across. But in this case, your ability to read will be very limited. And if there is a word with a familiar root, but a suffix or prefix that is incomprehensible for reading? Or In such cases, mistakes are inevitable if you do not know the rules for reading in English. For beginners, they are especially important, because they allow you to feel and understand the logic of building a language at all levels, starting with phonetics.

Reading consonants

• always firmly pronounced;
• voiced sounds are not deafened at the ends of words;
• after the sounds there is aspiration, because the lips open faster than in pronunciation in Russian;
• the sound [w] is pronounced with two lips;
• when pronouncing the sound [v], on the contrary, only the lower lip is involved;
• many sounds are pronounced with the tip of the tongue touching the alveoli, and not the teeth (as in Russian pronunciation).

Reading vowels: 4 types of syllable

We continue to analyze the rules of reading in English. For beginners with examples, it is better to submit material. Then it will be clearer how to pronounce this or that sound.

There are only six in the English alphabet, but the difficulty in reading them is due to the presence of four different types of syllables:

• open;
• closed;
• vowel + r;
• vowel + r + vowel.

Let's consider them all in order, not forgetting about the examples.

In an open syllable, the vowel is read as it is called in the alphabet: O is read as “ou (eu)”, U is read as a long “yu”, etc. The only exception is the letter Y, which is pronounced as “ai”. How can you tell if a syllable is open? It must end in a vowel, which can be:

• at the end of a monosyllabic word (me, go);
• at the beginning or middle (game, time, music);
• next to another vowel (suit).

In a closed syllable that ends in a consonant (sometimes doubled), the vowels are truncated:

• Aa [æ] turns into a cross between Russian sounds [a] and [e], for example: cat, apple.
• Uu [ʌ] is similar to the Russian sound [a], for example: rubber, jump.
• Ii is read as a short Russian sound [and], for example: sit, finger.
• Ee [e] is read with the sound [e], for example: pen, egg.
• Oo [ɔ] is read with a short sound [o], for example: shop, fox.
• Yy [i] under stress must be read as a short sound [and], for example: mystery, myth.

This is the minimum that the rules for reading in English for beginners include. With exercises for all 4 types, it is better not to rush, but first, it is good to learn the differences between closed and open syllables. Then you can move on to more complex cases.

The type of syllable "vowel + r" reads as follows:

• -ar pronounce with a long sound [aaa];
• -or reads like a long [ooh];
• -ur, -ir, -er are similar to the sound [o], but only pronounced by the throat.

The type of syllable "vowel + r + vowel" turns the sound into a special two-part phenomenon of English phonetics - a diphthong:

• Aa reads [ɛə], example: dare.
• Ee is read, example: mere.
• Ii is read, example: fire.
• Uu is read, example: cure.
• Yy is read, example: tire.

The exception is the letter Oo, which in the fourth type of syllable is not read as a diphthong, but simply as a long [ɔ:]. For example: more.

Reading letter combinations

Reading rules in English (for beginners and continuing students) cannot do without an explanation of the various combinations of consonants and vowels. Let's start with the first.

The combination of wr at the beginning of a word: the sound [w] is not pronounced. Examples: write, wrist, wrong.

The combination of wh at the beginning of a word: the sound [h] is not pronounced. Examples: why, what, white. But there is an exception here: if -wh is followed by the letter -o, then the sound [w] “falls out” when reading. This is how the words sound: who, whole, whose and others.

In letter combinations kn and gn at the beginning of a word: only the sound [n] is read. Examples: knot, gnat.

The combination ng at the end of the word sounds like the sound [ŋ] pronounced through the nose (going), and in the middle of the word - just [ŋg], for example: hungry, singer.

The combination ch reads like a Russian sound [h ’], soft. For example: cheese, coach.

The combination of sh gives the sound [ʃ], similar to Russian [sh] in a soft pronunciation. For example: she, push.

The combination of letters qu is read, for example: queen, quite.

The unstressed combination -our reads [ə]: colour, favourite.

The combination of letters -sion after a consonant is pronounced [ʃn], for example: mission. And then there is a voicing to [ʒn], example: decision.

Before the letters e, i, y: the consonant C is pronounced with the sound [s], G is pronounced. In other cases, it reads like this: C - [k], G - [g]. Compare: cell - cat, gym - game.

Vowel combinations: -ee, as well as -ea give a long sound, the combination -ai is read, the combination -oo conveys a long sound. For example: bee, seal, moon.

True, there are sometimes exceptions. For example, blood: in this word, the double O is read as the sound [ʌ]. But there are few such cases. They are easy to remember and do not over complicate the rules of reading in English.

For beginners

For children and adults, the explanation of the rules will be different. Young "English" will learn knowledge well if they are presented with elements of a game and a fairy tale. For example, one can explain reading types 1 and 2 as “open” and “closed” doors, where in the first case the letters feel free and shout their name (from the alphabet) loudly, and in the second they are almost inaudible. In a similar way, you can compose a kind of grammatical fairy tale and tell it to your child. An interactive element can be a task: to “disenchant” the words by reading them correctly. It is much easier and more interesting to memorize the rules of reading in English.

For elementary school

The small table below includes the rules for reading vowels in two types of syllables. For the convenience of a child who is not familiar with transcription, next to the sound is placed approximately his reading, written in Russian letters. In any case, the table must be read aloud with an adult, those who know the language: you need to pay attention to how the same letter behaves in different types of syllable, and understand the suggested word examples.

Students are often asked to learn transcription icons at home. You can make a set of cards and work out like this: you read a short word where there is a certain sound, and the child shows a card with its designation. In group work, everyone should have their own set.

Read without hesitation

How can I quickly and better remember the rules of reading in English? For beginners, exercises will be the best option. It is great if you can combine 2 types of activities: listening to samples and reading on your own. However, this approach can soon get boring, so it would be nice to include elements of the game and competition. For example, take two different lists of words for different rules - one for you, the other for a friend - and check who will read faster and with fewer errors. The game option can be as follows: using mixed cards with individual words and transcription icons, find and lay out matches.

Who needs reading rules in English? For beginners to study it (it goes without saying), for those who continue - to test themselves, and for those who have forgotten - to remember knowledge that has not been used for a long time.

»We examined the basic rules for reading consonants. Do not think that by memorizing only them, you will correctly read any English word. Be sure to come across an unfamiliar word that will not be read according to the rule. But yes, 90% will submit to you. In any case, knowing these patterns of reading various letter combinations, you can guess how the word you need is read. And if in doubt, still look in the dictionary.

English Reading Rules: Vowels

1. Letter first in line A. What sounds can she make?
   • in an open stressed syllable, in combinations ai, ay , and before the letter combination angle : baker, crane, cable, gain, rain, bay, stay, change, dangerous. Among the exceptions: many, have, said.
   • in combinations ai , ay , age in an unstressed syllable, this letter gives the sound [i]: carriage, captain, storage.
   • [æ] in a closed syllable: cap, dangle, factor, hatch, rash, rat.
   • [Ɔ] in a closed syllable after w, wh : wad, waffle, what.
   • [Ə] in an unstressed syllable: myopia, pasta, regalia.
   • [ƐƏ] in combinations air, are : hair, bare, pair, rare, stair, mare.
   • in combinations ar, aft, ass, ance, ast, ath, ans, ask, ant, alf, anch : card, barge, craft, after, grass, dance, glance, last, past, rather, father, answer , bask, task, plant, grant, half, calf, branch. Among the exceptions: mass, gather, pathos.
   • [Ɔ:] before l or l+ consonant, as well as in combinations au, aw, aught, auth, war, quar : call, football, altogether, paunch, law, caught, authority, warble, quart, quarterly.
2. The second letter will be O. Her range of sounds is as follows:
   • in an open stressed syllable, before a letter l, letter combinations ll, ld, st, as well as in combination oa and ow (at the end of words): so, ago, note, provoke, rose, enroll, bold, coat, oath, oat, road, boast, show, mow, blow, most, post. Among the exceptions: do, does, who, now, how, cost, lost.
   • [Ɔ] in a closed stressed syllable: plot, fox, spot, knot, drop.
   • in combination oo : moon, afternoon, poop, rooter. Exceptions: good, wood, foot, etc.
   • [u] combined oo , but before the letter k : cook, look, brook, hookey, nook, rookie.
   • in combinations ou, ow in the middle of a word: gown, clown, crown, crowd, about, cloud, proud, bound. Among the exceptions: enough, country, double, touch, young, bowl.
   • [Ɔi] in combinations oi, oy : choice, voice, boil, spoil, enjoy, loyal, toy.
   • [Ɔ:] combined or in shock position, as well as in combinations oor, ore, oar, ough+t and our (in the middle of a word): fort, corn, boring, torn, adore, floor, door, therefore, more, board, bought, fought, sought, source, mourn, course, pour. Among the exceptions: poor, moor, courage. Combination our under stress can produce another sound -: hour, sour, lour, but four. The same combination at the end of words is conveyed by the sound [Ə], as well as the combination or in an awkward position: neighbour, labor, doctor, creator, illustrator.
   • [Əs] - this is how we read the combination ous at the end of words: glamorous, tremendous, curious.
   • [Ə:] is the reading of the combination wor in shock position: world, workable, worse, worship. An exception: worn .
   • [ᴧ] - such a sound occurs when reading combinations oth, on, om, ov under stress: mother, other, month, son, some, become, lover, dove. Note: both .
3. The next vowel from the English reading rules is a letter E. What sounds can we meet in her presence:
   • in an open stressed syllable and combinations ee, ea: be, fetor, Steve, feel, peel, teeth, seem, breathe, dean, meal, peace. Among the exceptions: great .
   • [e] in a closed stressed syllable and in combination ea before letters d,n and letter combinations th, sure : nest, pet, mental, spread, steady, feather, weather, measure, treasure, meant, cleanser. Among the exceptions: read , lead .
   • in combinations ey, ey in stressed syllable: prey, convey, eight, freighter.
   • read with combinations eu, ew: few, nephew, Europe, deuterium.
   • [Ə:] should be read in combinations er in the stressed syllable, and in ear followed by a consonant: deserve, Berlin, mercy, earth, pearl, dearth. Among the exceptions: heart. If the combination er is in an unstressed position, the same sound appears, only short, not long [Ə]: limber, answer, producer, perhaps.
   • we will pronounce in combinations ear, eer, ere : near, dear, fear, career, steer, here, hemisphere. Among the exceptions: bear , there [ƐƏ], were .
   • [i] - this is how the letter will be read E in an open unstressed syllable (including the combination er ), in combinations et and ey at the end of words: prevent, erect, exact, regret, restore, regress, bonnet, planet, closet, journey, attorney, honey.
4. Let's move on to the vowel I. In addition to the alphabetic reading, this vowel also produces other sounds:
   • in a stressed open syllable, combined ie at the end of monosyllabic words and before letter combinations such as nd, ld,gn, gh : prime, kite, bite, die, blind, mind, wind(coil), child, wild, design, sign, sigh, high, fight, bright. Among the exceptions: wind- wind, gild ,live, forgive, cinema.
   • in a closed stressed syllable and in an unstressed position, this letter is read as [i]: brick, risk, whist, testimony, handiwork, inclusion.
   • a long sound is obtained when reading a combination ie in the middle of root words: field, priest, grief, believe. An exception: friend .
   • [Ɛ:] requires combination ir in shock position: stir, first, thirty, girl.
   • in combinations ire, ia, io : desire, mire, diagnosis, bias, violinist, riot.
5. The penultimate vowel will be Y . She has five options for sounding in different cases:
   • in a stressed open syllable: cry, lye, byway, cynosure.
   • [i] in a closed stressed syllable and in an open unstressed: mystery, syntax, randy, oily, quandary. But: apply[Ə'plai]
   • in combination yr+ consonant this is the sound [Ɛ:]: myrtle. And in the same combination, only in a company followed by a vowel, we get the sound: lyre, pyre, gyration.
   • [j] at the beginning of a word before vowels: yard, yellow, yawl, youth, yet, yolk.
6. And finally the letter U . What should you know about the sounds it produces?
   • in a stressed open syllable: puce, mute, lurid, fuel, cucumber.
   • [ᴧ] in a closed syllable: publicity, pug, mug, mustard, butter, fun, hurry. Among the exceptions: put, push, pull, full, etc.
   • [Ɛ:] combined ur in stressed syllable: purpose, purse, hurl, urban, urge. But: current[‘kᴧrƏnt].
   • and in the same combination, but in an unstressed syllable, as well as simply in an unstressed position in words, this letter reads [Ə]: suggest, supply, mustache, suppose. Note: mercury[‘mƏ:kjuri].
   • before a letter r and the following vowel: pure, furious, mural. But: sure[ʃuƏ].
   • after letters l, r, j in combinations ue,ui : true, blue, juice.

If you are studying with a teacher (