Key to IPA Pronunciations

The Dictionary.com Unabridged IPA Pronunciation Key

IPA is an International Phonetic Alphabet intended for all speakers. Pronunciations on Dictionary.com use a subset of IPA to describe mainly the sounds of English. This chart will tell you how to read the pronunciation symbols.
Stress marks: In IPA, /ˈ/ indicates that the primary stressed syllable follows and /ˌ/ indicates the secondary stressed syllable follows, as in newspaper /ˈnuzˌpeɪ pər/ and information /ˌɪn fərˈmeɪ ʃən/.

 

Consonants
/b/ boy, baby, rob
/d/ do, ladder, bed
// jump, budget, age
/f/ food, offer, safe
/g/ get, bigger, dog
/h/ happy, ahead
/k/ can, speaker, stick
/l/ let, follow, still
/m/ make, summer, time
/n/ no, dinner, thin
/ŋ/ singer, think, long
/p/ put, apple, cup
/r/ run, marry, far, store
/s/ sit, city, passing, face
/ʃ/ she, station, push
/t/ top, better, cat
// church, watching, nature, witch
/θ/ thirsty, nothing, math
/ð/ this, mother, breathe
/v/ very, seven, love
/w/ wear, away
/ʰw/ where, somewhat
/y/ yes, onion
/z/ zoo, easy, buzz
/ʒ/ measure, television, beige
Vowels
/æ/ apple, can, hat
// aid, hate, day
/ɑ/ arm, father, aha
/ɛər/ air, careful, wear
/ɔ/ all, or, talk, lost, saw
/ər/ hour
/ɛ/ ever, head, get
/i/ eat, see, need
/ɪər/ ear, hero, beer
/ər/ teacher, afterward, murderer
/ɜr/ early, bird, stirring
/ɪ/ it, big, finishes
// I, ice, hide, deny
/ər/ fire, tired
/ɒ/ odd, hot, waffle
// owe, road, below
/u/ ooze, food, soup, sue
/ʊ/ good, book, put
/ɔɪ/ oil, choice, toy
// out, loud, how
/ʌ/ up, mother, mud
/ə/ about, animal, problem, circus
Foreign sounds
/a/ Fr. ami
/ə/ Fr. oeuvre
/œ/ Fr. feu, Ger. schön
/r/ Fr. au revoir, Yiddish rebbe
/ü/ Fr. tu, Ger. über
/x/ Scot. loch, Ger. ach or ich
Sample nasalized vowels
/ɛ̃/ Fr. bien
/ɑ̃/ Fr. croissant
/ɔ̃/ Fr. bon
/œ̃/ Fr. parfum
// Port. Prīncipe
/ɪ̃/ Port. linguiça