Dipthongs and the Phonetic Alphabet
in English

To help both language students and those who simply wish to learn a foreign language, linguists have developed the API, the International Phonetic Alphabet. It is a system of universal symbols that classifies all of the sounds present in the different languages around the world. Each symbol corresponds to a phoneme. This is an ideal alphabet which breaks down linguistic barriers and can be understood by any speaker of any language. In addition, when studying English, the API is fundamental. This is because it circumvents the spellingproblem, that is, the lack of correspondence between the pronunciation of a word and the way that it is written.

Learning the symbols of the API will help you speak more clearly and naturally. Memorize them, concentrating particularly on the sounds that are not present in your mother tongue. Try to learn the symbols gradually, little by little. When you look up a word in the dictionary, you can read the phonetic transcription that can generally be found in brackets after the word itself. Also, pay attention to the differences in pronunciation between British English and American English. Learn the pronunciation that corresponds to the style of English you are interested in learning.

Finally, pay attention to ‘stress ‘. The API indicates the main accent with a /’/ in front of the syllable which is ‘stressed‘. The secondary accent is indicated by a /,/ in front of the syllable in question. Finally, a /./ indicates an interruption in a syllable. To understand how to stress English syllables correctly, start with words that you already know how to pronounce well. Look them up in the dictionary and check where the stress falls in the phonetic transcription. In this way, you can learn how to apply the same principles and tonality to new words.