Learning English > Pronunciation rules

Learn how to pronounce English words and names from spelling. Our web-based system teaches people how to pronounce English words and names from spelling.

Learners type in any word or name, and the system indicates whether the word follows regular letter-to-phoneme (pronunciation) rules and shows what pronunciation rules apply. Learners can also see other words and names that follow any given rule.

This project was funded in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

We have adapted our letter-to-phoneme rules to a web-based system that teaches you how to read and pronounce English words and names. Our software shows you the pronunciation rules for any word or name you enter, and it also shows the phonetic transcription, and speaks the word.

Here is an example.

If the learner has typed in the word neighbor, here is what our system outputs:

Word: neighbor
neighbor
   Pronunciation Rule: n -> n               More words and exceptions
   Pronunciation Rule: eigh -> eɪ               More words and exceptions
   Pronunciation Rule: b -> b               More words and exceptions
   Pronunciation Rule: or -> ɔ:r; Unstressed ɔ:r > ɚ                More words and exceptions

Pronunciation: 'neɪ bɚ
Syllable-by-Syllable 'neɪ bɚ

Pronunciation symbols Explain rule symbols