Click on the words to get an idea of these sounds. Pay attention to the sound of the letters in bold.

English Vowel Sounds
IPA	Std	Examples
I	ĭ	it (It)	dish (dI)
i	ē	she (i)	green (gin	machine (min)
		sunny (sni)	ski (ski)	please (pliz)
	ĕ	red (d)	head (hd)	said (sd)
		any (ni)
	ă	and (nd)	plaid (pld)
	ŏ	hot (ht	father (f)
	ô	August (gst)	thaw ()	bought bt)
		fall (fl)
		put (pt)	book (bk)	should (d)
u	ū	room (rum)	who (hu)	through (ru)
		you (ju)	shoe (u)	July (uli)
		flew (flu)	two (tu)	blue (blu)
	ŭ	up (p)	tough (tf)
		sofa (sf)	enemy (nmi)	incredible (Inkrdbl)
		gallop (glp)	focus (fks)
The symbol is called a schwa.
Diphthongs
eI	ā	they (eI)	gray (geI)	aid (eId)
		ate (eIt)	great (greIt)	freight (freIt)
		résumé (rzumei)
aI	ī	fine (faIn)	aisle (aIl)	sight (saIt)
		why (waI)	bye (baI)	lie (laI)
		buy (baI)	guide (gaId)
	oi	toy (t)	noise (nz)
	ou	cow (k)	house (hs)
	ō	snowing (snwIŋ)	sew (s)	though ()
		hello (hl)	toe (t)	soap (sp)
ju	y	unite (junaIt)	humid (hjumId	few (fju)
		ewe (ju)	youth (ju)	eulogy (julgi)
Vowel sounds with "r" endings
		arm (m)	guard (gd)	heart (ht)
		ore ()	floor (flr)	four (f)
		more (m)
		near (n)	here (h)	cheers (s)
		pier (p)
		hair (h)	where (w)	mare (m)
		merry (mI)	their ()
		burn (bn)	learn (ln)	sir (s)
		October (ktb)	worm (wm

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