My Phonology Page

Chart of the phonemes used in the English language.

Minimal pairs

They are pairs of words the pronunciation of which varies in only one sound.

Here follow some examples:

Vowel sounds Consonant sounds

chip /tʃɪp/ cheap /tʃiːp/ sue /suː/ shoe /ʃuː/

low /ləʊ/ law /lɔː/ barred /bɑːd/ barge /bɑːdʒ/

dad /dæd/ dead /ded/ breathe /briːð/ breeze /briːz/

fan /fæn/ fun /fʌn/ sum /sʌm/ thumb /θʌm/

heart /hɑːt/ hurt /hɜːt/ lighter /ˈlɑɪtə/ writer /ˈrɑɪtə/

Transcription

Please allow me to introduce myself

/pliːz əˈlaʊ mi tə ɪntrəˈdjuːs maɪˈself/

I'm a man of wealth and taste

/aɪm ə mæn əv welθ ən teɪst/

I've been around for a long long year stolen many man's soul and faith

/aɪv biːn əˈraʊnd fə ə lɒŋ lɒŋ jɪə ˈstəʊlən ˈmeni mænz səʊl ən feɪθ/

I was around when Jesus Christ had His moment of doubt and pain

/aɪ wəz əˈraʊnd wen ˈdʒiːzəs kraɪst hæd hɪz ˈməʊmənt əv daʊt ən peɪn/

Made damn sure that Pilate washed his hands and sealed His fate

/meɪd dæm ʃʊə ðət ˈpaɪlət wɒʃt hɪz hændz ən siːld hɪz feɪt/

Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name

/pliːzd tə miːt ju həʊp ju ges maɪ neɪm/

But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game

/bʌt wɒtz ˈpʌzliŋ ju ɪz ðə ˈneɪtʃə əv maɪ geɪm/

Stuck around St. Petersburg when I saw it was a time for a change

/stʌk əˈraʊnd seɪnt ˈpiːtəzˌbɜːg wen aɪ sɔː ɪt wəz ə taɪm fə ə tʃeɪndʒ/

Killed the Tzar and his ministers, Anastasia screamed in vain

/kɪld ðə zɑː ən hɪz ˈmɪnɪstəz ənəsˈteɪʃə skriːmd ɪn veɪn/

I rode a tank held a general's rank when the blitzkrieg raged and the bodies stank

/aɪ rəʊd ə tæŋk held ə ˈdʒenrəlz ræŋk wen ðə ˈblɪtskriːɡ reɪdʒd ən ðə ˈbɒdɪz stæŋk/

Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name

/pliːzd tə miːt ju həʊp ju ges maɪ neɪm/

Ah what's puzzling you is the nature of my game

/ɑː wɒtz ˈpʌzliŋ ju ɪz ðə ˈneɪtʃə əv maɪ geɪm/

I watched the glee while your kings and queens fought for ten decades for the Gods they made

/aɪ wɒtʃt ðə gliː waɪl jɔː kɪŋz ən kwiːnz fɔːt fə ten dɪˈkeɪdz fə ðə gɒdz ðeɪ meɪd/

I shouted out "Who killed the Kennedy's?" when after all it was you and me

/aɪ ˈʃaʊtɪd aʊt huː kɪld ðə ˈkenədɪz wen ˈɑːftə ɔːl ɪt wəz ju ən mi/

Let me please intruduce myself I'm a man of wealth and taste

/let mi pliːz ɪntrəˈdjuːs maɪˈself aɪm ə mæn əv welθ ən teɪst/

And I lay traps for troubadors who get killed before they reach Bombay

/ən aɪ leɪ træps fə ˈtruːbədɔːz huː get kɪld bɪˈfɔː ðeɪ riːtʃ ˈbɒmbeɪ/

Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name

/pliːzd tə miːt ju həʊp ju ges maɪ neɪm/

But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game

/bʌt wɒtz ˈpʌzliŋ ju ɪz ðə ˈneɪtʃə əv maɪ geɪm/

Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name

/pliːzd tə miːt ju həʊp ju ges maɪ neɪm/

But what's confusing you is the nature of my game

/bʌt wɒtz kənˈfjuːzɪŋ ju ɪz ðə ˈneɪtʃə əv maɪ geɪm/

Just as every cop is a criminal and all the sinners, Saints

/dʒʌst əz ˈevri kɒp ɪz ə ˈkrɪmɪnəl ən ɔːl ðə ˈsɪnəz seɪnts/

As heads is tails, just call me Lucifer 'cause I'm in need of some restraint

/əz hedz ɪz teɪlz dʒʌst kɔːl mi ˈluːsɪfə kɒz aɪm ɪn niːd əv səm rɪˈstreɪnt/

So if you meet me, have some courtesy have some sympathy and some taste

/səʊ ɪf ju miːt mi hæv səm ˈkɜːtəsi hæv səm ˈsɪmpəθi ən səm teɪst/

Use all your well learned politesse or I'll lay your soul to waste

/juːz ɔːl jɔː wel lɜːnd ˌpɒlɪˈtes ɔː aɪl leɪ jɔː səʊl tə weɪst/

Pleased to meet you hope you guess my name

/pliːzd tə miːt ju həʊp ju ges maɪ neɪm/

But what's puzzling you is the nature of my game

/bʌt wɒtz ˈpʌzliŋ ju ɪz ðə ˈneɪtʃə əv maɪ geɪm/