Transcription is a representation in writing of the actual pronunciation of a speech sound, word, or piece of text, using not a conventional orthography but a symbol or set of symbols specially designated as standing for corresponding phonetic values.

The phonetic symbols of the English language are:

Note that you may encounter slightly different symbols because there exist other sets of phonetic symbols.

Vowels

/riːd/, /sɪt/, /bʊk/, /tuː/, /men/, /əˈmerəkə/, /wɜː(r)d/, /sɔː(r)t/, /kæt/, /bʌt/, /pɑː(r)t/, /nɒt/

Note that the (r) sound in the words above is typical of American English. Americans would also say /nʌt/ rather than /nɒt/, while Britons would normally make the /ɒ/ sound in words like not, hot or stop.

Consonants

/pɪɡ/, /bed/, /taɪm/, /duː/, /tʃɜː(r)tʃ/, /dʒʌdʒ/, /ˈkiːləʊ/, /ɡəʊ/, /faɪv/, /ˈveri/, /θɪŋk/, 

/ðə/, /sɪks/, /zuː/, /ʃɔː(r)t/, /ˈkæʒuəl/, /mɪlk/, /nəʊ/, /sɪŋ/, /həˈləʊ/, /lɪv/, /riːd/, 

/ˈwɪndəʊ/, /jes/

Diphthongs

A diphthong is a vowel sound in which the tongue changes position to produce the sound of two vowels.

/hɪə(r)/, /deɪ/, /tʊə(r)/, /bɔɪ/, /ɡəʊ/, /weə(r)/, /maɪ/, /haʊ/

For more practice, use the video below. Repeat after the speaker.

Exercise. Match each word to its transcription. The answer key is given below.

Word	Transcription
1. sheep	a. /ʃɪp/
2. ship	b. /tʃiːks/
3. leak	c. /dʒem/
4. lick	d. /ˌfɪfˈtiːn/
5. cheeks	e. /ʃiːp/
6. chicks	f. /ˈfɔː(r)ti/
7. jam	g. /ˈfɪfti/
8. gem	h. /liːv/
9. Brad	i. /liːk/
10. bread	j. /bræd/
11. fifty	k. /lɪk/
12. fifteen	l. /tʃɪks/
13. forty	m. /bred/
14. fourteen	n. /ˌfɔː(r)ˈtiːn/
15. leave	o. /dʒæm/

Answer key: 

1 – e, 2 – a, 3- i, 4 – k, 5 – b, 6 – l, 7 – o, 8- c, 9 – j, 10 – m, 11 – g, 12 – d, 13 – f, 14 – n, 15 – h

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