In today’s article we are going to go through the 44 English phonemes. But, let’s clarify some KEY concepts before getting started.
What are Phonemes? How are they different from graphemes?Phonemes are the smallest units of sounds that we can find in a language. For instance: /m/ /a/ /t/ are the 3 phonemes we can find in the word ‘mat.’
I will also give you examples of words containing all the different spelling options there are for each of these phonemes.
The spelling options are called graphemes. In other words, graphemes are the written representation of these phonemes.
So, what we are really going to do today is to going through the English phonemes – graphemes correspondences.
Why is it important to know the 44 English Phonemes?Use this article (and supporting video – below) as your reference because only by knowing all of this yourself, you will be able to confidently teach and support your children or students to read.
However, do not try to introduce all of these sounds and the different spelling variations at the same time to your students. That can be really overwhelming!
If you are learning English a second language, this guide will help you identify the different sounds that hide behind letters. That training will be extremely beneficial for your understanding of English and for your pronunciation!
For a FREE chart of the 44 English sounds in pdf format, click here!
Consonant sounds Sound Common spelling Spelling alternatives /b/ b
bat, bug bubble, ribbon /d/ d
dog add, filled /f/ f
fun cliff, phone, laugh, half, often /g/ g
gum egg, ghost, guitar, catalogue /h/ h
hat who /j/ j
jam cage, giraffe, badge, soldier, exaggerate /k/ k kite kite, cat, school, back, acclaim, queen, bouquet, folk, box (x=ks)
/l/ l
leaf spell
/m/ m
monkey summer, lamb, autumn, palm
/n/
n
nest funny, knight, gnat, pneumonia
/ng/ ng
ring sink, tongue
/p/ p
pig happy /r/ r
robot carrot, wrong, rhyme
/s/ s
sun mess, circle, cent, rice, horse, science, psychology, listen /t/
t
tap butter, Thomas, clapped
/v/ v
van of, Stephen, five
/w/ w
web why, quick, choir
/y/ y
yo-yo opinion, hallelujah /z/
Z
zebra buzz, cheese, has, scissors, xylophone, maze
For a FREE chart of the 44 English sounds in pdf format, click here! Consonant sounds (Digraphs)
Sound Common spelling Spelling alternatives /ch/ ch
chat watch, future, question, righteous
/sh/ sh
shark ocean, sure, station, conscience, special, tension, machine
/zh/
s
treasure Vision, azure /th/ th
thin /th/ th
feather Short vowels Sound Common spelling Spelling alternatives /a/ a
apple plaid, laugh
/e/ e
egg bread, leopard, bury, friend, heifer, said, many, aesthetic /i/
i
igloo England, women, busy, build, gym, sieve /o/ o
orange swan, honest /u/
u
umbrella monkey, blood, trouble
/oo/ oo
book bush, could, wolf For a FREE chart of the 44 English sounds in pdf format, click here! Long vowels Sound Common spelling Spelling alternatives /ā/
ai
snail vein, gauge, cake, break, they, baby, sleigh, hay, croquet /ē/
ee
bee me, seat, lady, key, phoenix, brief, ski, receive, people, quay /ī/
i
spider kite, fly, pie, buy, aisle, island, height, rye /ō/
oa
boat bone, open, toe, beau, brooch, sew, low, though
/ü/
oo
moon screw, blue, flute, shoe, through, fruit, who, manoeuvre, croup /y//ü/
u
uniform you, few, view, mule, queue, beautiful, feud
/oi/ Oi
coin boy, buoy /ow/ Ow
cow shout R-controlled vowels Sound Common spelling Spelling alternatives /ar/ ar
car Sergeant, heart /or/ or
fork door, four, more, board, war /er/
er
father bird, nurse, work, early, journey, myrtle, chair, dare, where, their
/ear/ ear
ear steer, here, pierce
/ur/
ure
lure tour /y/ /ur/ ure
cure
The schwa sound /Ə/
(Unstressed vowel sounds) a
about carpet, pencil, carrot, upon, syringe
Free PHONEMES CHART! Key Concepts to Remember Phoneme
A phoneme is a speech sound. It’s the smallest unit of sound. When combined with other individual sounds in specific order strings, distinguishes one word from another.
Sounds can’t be written. So, the solution that we came up with is using letters to represent these sounds.
GraphemeA grapheme is the written representation of one sound.
Sometimes a grapheme can be one letter (for instance, the letter ‘b’ represents the /b/ sound in the word ‘bus’), or a group of letters (for instance, the letters ‘ck’ represent the /k/ sound in kick or lock).
44 PhonemesIt is generally agreed that there are around 44 sounds in English.
The final number may depend on the accent or articulation.
The 44 English phonemes are represented by the 26 letters of the Roman alphabet individually and in combination.
Phonics InstructionPhonics instruction involves teaching the relationship between letters and sounds.
As you can see, there are many spelling alternatives that can be used to represent the 44 English phonemes.
That is why it is so important to follow a systematic approach to teaching reading, that takes into account the complexities of the English language, and introduces concepts gradually.
Consonant Sounds and Vowel SoundsThe 44 English sounds can be divided into two major categories – consonants and vowels.
A consonant sound is one in which the air flow is cut off, either partially or completely, when the sound is produced.
On the other hand, a vowel sound is one in which the air flow is unobstructed when the sound is made.
Hey there! I’m Laura – an author, YouTuber, blogger, and the creator of the “Learning Reading Hub” platform. I created this space to dive into the world of reading instruction and to shout from the rooftops about how vital it is to use the right methods for teaching reading. I’ve got a TEYL certification (Teaching English to Young Learners), plus a Journalism degree from the University of Navarra in Spain, along with a Master’s Degree in Communication.
I’ve always loved digging into research, jotting down my thoughts, connecting with people, and sharing what makes me tick. With a background in marketing, digital projects, and the education scene (especially language learning), I’m all about wearing different hats.
When my first kid needed to learn how to read, it opened my eyes to the challenges and complexities involved. This journey took me through a rollercoaster of self-teaching, eye-opening discoveries, and yeah, some letdowns too. There’s so much conflicting info out there, along with methods that just don’t cut it. And let’s face it, these issues are way too common.
Now, I’m all about channeling that passion (without sounding like a know-it-all!) and sharing my journey. My mission? Making it easier for those who are on the same path I once was.
My heart’s with my family and the amazing Learning Reading Hub project. I live with my husband and two little ones, raising them in a bi-lingual environment (English and Spanish).
