Collected from: https://www.dyslexia-reading-well.com/44-phonemes-in-english.html
Despite there being just 26 letters in the English language there are approximately 44 unique sounds, also known as phonemes. The 44 sounds help distinguish one word or meaning from another. Various letters and letter combinations known as graphemes are used to represent the sounds.
The 44 English sounds fall into two categories: consonants and vowels. Below is a list of the 44 phonemes along with their International Phonetic Alphabet symbols and some examples of their use. Note that there is no such thing as a definitive list of phonemes because of accents, dialects and the evolution of language itself. Therefore you may discover lists with more or less than these 44 sounds.
| Phoneme | IPA Symbol | Graphemes | Examples | Voiced? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | b | b, bb | bug, bubble | Yes |
| 2 | d | d, dd, ed | dad, add, milled | Yes |
| 3 | f | f, ff, ph, gh, lf, ft | fat, cliff, phone, enough, half, often | No |
| 4 | g | g, gg, gh,gu,gue | gun, egg, ghost, guest, prologue | Yes |
| 5 | h | h, wh | hop, who | No |
| 6 | dʒ | j, ge, g, dge, di, gg | jam, wage, giraffe, edge, soldier, exaggerate | Yes |
| 7 | k | k, c, ch, cc, lk, qu ,q(u), ck, x | kit, cat, chris, accent, folk, bouquet, queen, rack, box | No |
| 8 | l | l, ll | live, well | Yes |
| 9 | m | m, mm, mb, mn, lm | man, summer, comb, column, palm | Yes |
| 10 | n | n, nn,kn, gn, pn, mn | net, funny, know, gnat, pneumonic, mneumonic | Yes |
| 11 | p | p, pp | pin, dippy | No |
| 12 | r | r, rr, wr, rh | run, carrot, wrench, rhyme | Yes |
| 13 | s | s, ss, c, sc, ps, st, ce, se | sit, less, circle, scene, psycho, listen, pace, course | No |
| 14 | t | t, tt, th, ed | tip, matter, thomas, ripped | No |
| 15 | v | v, f, ph, ve | vine, of, stephen, five | Yes |
| 16 | w | w, wh, u, o | wit, why, quick, choir | Yes |
| 17 | z | z, zz, s, ss, x, ze, se | zed, buzz, his, scissors, xylophone, craze | Yes |
| 18 | ʒ | s, si, z | treasure, division, azure | Yes |
| 19 | tʃ | ch, tch, tu, ti, te | chip, watch, future, action, righteous | No |
| 20 | ʃ | sh, ce, s, ci, si, ch, sci, ti | sham, ocean, sure, special, pension, machine, conscience, station | No |
| 21 | θ | th | thongs | No |
| 22 | ð | th | leather | Yes |
| 23 | ŋ | ng, n, ngue | ring, pink, tongue | Yes |
| 24 | j | y, i, j | you, onion, hallelujah | Yes |
| Phoneme | IPA Symbol | Graphemes | Examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| 25 | æ | a, ai, au | cat, plaid, laugh |
| 26 | eɪ | a, ai, eigh, aigh, ay, er, et, ei, au, a_e, ea, ey | bay, maid, weigh, straight, pay, foyer, filet, eight, gauge, mate, break, they |
| 27 | e | e, ea, u, ie, ai, a, eo, ei, ae | end, bread, bury, friend, said, many, leopard, heifer, aesthetic |
| 28 | i: | e, ee, ea, y, ey, oe, ie, i, ei, eo, ay | be, bee, meat, lady, key, phoenix, grief, ski, deceive, people, quay |
| 29 | ɪ | i, e, o, u, ui, y, ie | it, england, women, busy, guild, gym, sieve |
| 30 | aɪ | i, y, igh, ie, uy, ye, ai, is, eigh, i_e | spider, sky, night, pie, guy, stye, aisle, island, height, kite |
| 31 | ɒ | a, ho, au, aw, ough | swan, honest, maul, slaw, fought |
| 32 | oʊ | o, oa, o_e, oe, ow, ough, eau, oo, ew | open, moat, bone, toe, sow, dough, beau, brooch, sew |
| 33 | ʊ | o, oo, u,ou | wolf, look, bush, would |
| 34 | ʌ | u, o, oo, ou | lug, monkey, blood, double |
| 35 | u: | o, oo, ew, ue, u_e, oe, ough, ui, oew, ou | who, loon, dew, blue, flute, shoe, through, fruit, manoeuvre, group |
| 36 | ɔɪ | oi, oy, uoy | join, boy, buoy |
| 37 | aʊ | ow, ou, ough | now, shout, bough |
| 38 | ə | a, er, i, ar, our, ur | about, ladder, pencil, dollar, honour, augur |
| 39 | eəʳ | air, are, ear, ere, eir, ayer | chair, dare, pear, where, their, prayer |
| 40 | ɑ: | a | arm |
| 41 | ɜ:ʳ | ir, er, ur, ear, or, our, yr | bird, term, burn, pearl, word, journey, myrtle |
| 42 | ɔ: | aw, a, or, oor, ore, oar, our, augh, ar, ough, au | paw, ball, fork, poor, fore, board, four, taught, war, bought, sauce |
| 43 | ɪəʳ | ear, eer, ere, ier | ear, steer, here, tier |
| 44 | ʊəʳ | ure, our | cure, tourist |