Student dictionary
Understanding an entry
Please see the Understanding an entry page in the general help section.
Pronunciation guide
This guide will help you understand the pronunciations that come after some headwords, following the word ‘say’.
a sounds |
e sounds |
i sounds |
a as in ‘bat’ |
e as in ‘get’ |
i as in ‘bit’ |
ah as in ‘cart’ |
ee as in ‘sleep’ |
uy as in ‘buy’ |
ay as in ‘day’ |
air as in ‘hair’ |
ear as in ‘near’ |
o sounds |
u sounds |
er sounds |
o as in ‘dot’ |
u as in ‘but’ |
er as in ‘dirt’ |
oh as in ‘coat’ |
oo as in ‘book’ |
uh as in ‘better’ |
aw as in ‘saw’ |
ooh as in ‘boot’ |
|
ow as in ‘now’ |
||
oy as in ‘boy’ |
th as in ‘thin’ |
zh as in ‘treasure’ |
g as in ‘girl’ |
dh as in ‘then’ |
ch as in ‘cheese’ |
ng as in ‘bang’ |
sh as in ‘shed’ |
j as in ‘jam’ |
Bold (thick) letters show the part of the word that is said with more stress than the other parts of the word.
Spelling guide
This will help you find the word you are looking up if it starts with a letter that you don’t hear when you say the word, or with a letter that is said in an unusual way.
Starting sound |
Starting letters might be . . . |
Example |
f |
ph |
phone |
g |
gh |
ghost |
g |
gu |
guess |
h |
wh |
who |
j |
g |
gentle |
k |
ch |
chemist |
k |
qu |
quay |
kw |
qu |
quite |
n |
gn |
gnome |
n |
kn |
knife |
r |
rh |
rhinoceros |
r |
wr |
wrap |
s |
c |
certain |
s |
sc |
scent |
s |
sw |
sword |
sh |
s |
sugar |
sk |
sch |
school |
t |
tw |
two |
w |
wh |
wheel |
z |
x |
xylophone |