El Centro de Ingles - Amazon Shop

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

Accents and differences in the English language.


In the UK and Ireland people speak with many different accents. Some of them are hard to understand...BUT, this is real English in action. In the USA they speak American English which in many cases can be different to British English....confused?? Watch the links below...I hope they help.

The Phonetic Chart


The English language has 26 letters in its alphabet and most experts believe there are 44 letter sounds. (The experts debate on anywhere between 39 to 45, but most accept 44.) If there were 44 letters in the English alphabet, then reading would really be simple! Each letter would have its own sound. However, since there are 44 sounds and only 26 letters, some letters have to make more than one sound.

The link below is for people interested in learning the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) symbols. This is a useful skill for students who may want to check the pronunciation of a word in a dictionary. Use the phonetic chart to learn the sounds of English.