American English IPA Chart
10/25/2026
By Julie Cunningham, MA, CCC-SLP, licensed speech-language pathologist
Short answer: American English has 24 consonant sounds and 17 vowel sounds: 12 single vowels and 5 diphthongs. Below is the complete American English IPA chart, with an example word for every symbol and a link to my video lesson for each sound, so you can hear it and see exactly how it's made.
I'm a speech-language pathologist, and these are the symbols I use with my students. They follow General American English, the accent most national newscasters use.
How to Read the IPA Chart
- One symbol, one sound. Each IPA symbol always stands for the same sound, no matter how the word is spelled. The C in cat is /k/, and the C in city is /s/.
- Slashes mean sounds. When you see /k/, it means the sound, not the letter.
- Some symbols look like letters but aren't. /j/ is the Y sound in you, not the J in July, and /ɹ/ is the American R.
IPA Consonant Chart
American English has 24 consonant sounds. Many come in pairs that use the same mouth position, one voiceless and one voiced, like /p/ and /b/.
| Symbol | Example | Video lesson |
|---|---|---|
| /p/ | pop | P and B |
| /b/ | boy | P and B |
| /t/ | too | T and D |
| /d/ | dog | T and D |
| /k/ | cat | K and G |
| /g/ | go | K and G |
| /f/ | fish | F and V |
| /v/ | of | F and V |
| /θ/ | think | TH |
| /ð/ | this | TH |
| /s/ | same | S and Z |
| /z/ | zipper | S and Z |
| /ʃ/ | shoe | SH and ZH |
| /ʒ/ | pleasure | SH and ZH |
| /h/ | hello | H |
| /ʧ/ | chair | CH and J |
| /ʤ/ | July | CH and J |
| /m/ | mom | M |
| /n/ | never | N |
| /ŋ/ | sing | NG |
| /l/ | life | L |
| /ɹ/ | red | R |
| /w/ | water | W |
| /j/ | you | Y |
To see how each consonant is made, by place, manner and voicing, see my lessons on the IPA for American English consonants and place, manner and voicing.
IPA Vowel Chart
These are the 12 single vowels (monophthongs) of American English.
| Symbol | Example | Video lesson |
|---|---|---|
| /i/ | beet | EE |
| /ɪ/ | bit | IH |
| /ɛ/ | bet | EH |
| /æ/ | bat | AA |
| /u/ | boot | OO |
| /ʊ/ | book | UH as in book |
| /ɔ/ | caught* | AH (see the note) |
| /ɑ/ | cot* | AH |
| /ʌ/ | but | UH as in but |
| /ə/ | about | schwa |
| /ɝ/ | Burt | ER |
| /ɚ/ | after | ER |
*Note on caught and cot: in many parts of the United States, including California, where I grew up, caught and cot sound the same, and both use /ɑ/. Some Americans, especially in the Northeast, keep a separate /ɔ/ in caught.
Two pairs on this chart differ only in stress. /ʌ/ and /ə/ are both an "uh" sound, but /ʌ/ is in stressed syllables (but) and /ə/ is in unstressed syllables (about). /ɝ/ and /ɚ/ are both an "er" sound: /ɝ/ is stressed (Burt), and /ɚ/ is unstressed (after). For more on the vowels, see my lessons on the IPA for American English vowels and the vowels of American English.
Diphthongs
A diphthong starts as one vowel and glides into another, so your jaw and tongue move as you say it.
| Symbol | Example | Video lesson |
|---|---|---|
| /eɪ/ | bait | AY |
| /aɪ/ | bite | AI |
| /oʊ/ | boat | OH |
| /ɔɪ/ | boy | OY |
| /aʊ/ | bout | OW |
Some charts write diphthongs with a tie bar, like /e͡ɪ/. It means the same thing.
R-Colored Vowels
When a vowel is followed by R in the same syllable, the two blend into one sound. Americans pronounce every R, so these come up all the time.
| Symbol | Example | Video lesson |
|---|---|---|
| /ɪɹ/ | ear | EAR |
| /ɛɹ/ | air | AIR |
| /ɑɹ/ | car | AR |
| /ɔɹ/ | more | OR |
| /ʊɹ/ | tour | OOR |
Two More American Sounds: Flap T and Stop T
You won't find these on every chart, but you'll hear them all day in American English. The Flap T, written /ɾ/, is the quick, light sound in water and city. The Stop T, or glottal stop, written /ʔ/, is the T in button, where your throat closes for a moment instead of releasing the T.
American vs. British IPA
If you've studied with a British chart, a few symbols will look different:
- R after a vowel: American English keeps it (car /kɑɹ/), and British English usually drops it.
- The ER sound: American charts use /ɝ/ and /ɚ/, and British charts use /ɜː/ and /ə/.
- The OH sound: American /oʊ/ in boat, British /əʊ/.
- Long vowels: British charts often add a length mark (ː), as in /iː/. American charts usually don't.
- The Flap T: /ɾ/ in water is typical of American English.
How to Practice with the IPA Chart
- Learn one group at a time. Start with the vowels, since they're the hardest to guess from spelling.
- Watch the lesson for each sound. Every row above links to a video where I show the mouth position up close and in slow motion.
- Test your ear. Try my IPA listening quiz for the vowels and my free 2-minute American English listening quiz.
- Follow a course. My free course, English Pro Lite, has 45 video lessons on vowels, consonants, stress and rhythm. In English Pro, I teach every sound on this chart step by step, and you can send me your recordings for feedback.
Common Questions
How many sounds are there in American English?
American English has 24 consonant sounds and 17 vowel sounds: 12 single vowels and 5 diphthongs. Many Americans use the same vowel in cot and caught, so they use 11 single vowels.
What is the IPA symbol for the American R?
The American R is written /ɹ/ in the IPA. Many dictionaries write it /r/ for simplicity, but /r/ in the IPA is actually a trilled R, like in Spanish.
What does the upside-down e (ə) mean?
The symbol ə is the schwa: the short, relaxed "uh" sound in unstressed syllables, like the a in about. It's the most common vowel sound in American English.
What is the difference between /ɝ/ and /ɚ/?
Both are the "er" sound. /ɝ/ is used in stressed syllables, as in bird, and /ɚ/ in unstressed syllables, as in after.
Is the IPA the same for American and British English?
The IPA itself is the same, but the two accents use some different sounds, so their charts differ. American charts include /ɝ/, /ɚ/ and /oʊ/, while British charts use /ɜː/, /ə/ and /əʊ/.
Where can I hear the IPA sounds?
Every symbol on this chart links to a video lesson where I say the sound and show how it's made, up close and in slow motion.