How to Pronounce English Alphabets - Part I: Consonants (B C D F)

Simple Pronunciation of Individual Consonants:
B (bee), C (see), D (dee), F (ef), G (jee), H (eych), J (jey), K (key)
L (el), M (em), N (en), P (pee), Q (kyoo), R (aar), S (es), T (tee),
V (vee), W (`dubul`yoo), X (eks), Y (wi), Z (zee)

Alphabet B

Alphabet B:
(a) ‘b’ has same sound wherever it occurs in a word -- Able, Absurd, Bat, Job, Scuba.
(b) ‘bb’ has same sound as ‘b’ wherever it occurs in a word – Babbitt, Flabby, Robber, Scrabble, Throbbing.

(However there are some exceptions.)

Alphabet B (continued):
If ‘b’ is followed by ‘t’, it is silent in these words – Debt, Debtor, Doubt, Doubted, Doubter, Doubtful, Doubtfully, Doubting, Doubtless, Indebted, Redoubtable, Redoubtably, Subtle, Subtly, Thumbtack, Undoubtedly, Unsubtle.
(Only these silent words, with ‘bt’, were found in the dictionary)

Alphabet B (continued):
If ‘b’ is preceded by ‘m’ at the end of a word:
(a) It is silent in these words – A-bomb, Aplomb, Atom bomb, Benumb, bomb, Breadcrumb, Carpet-bomb, Catacomb, Climb, Cockscomb, Comb, Coulomb, Coxcomb, Crumb, Currycomb, Dithyramb, Dive-bomb, Doorjamb, Dumb, Entomb, Firebomb, Forelimb, H-bomb, Hecatomb, Honeycomb, Hydrogen bomb, Iamb, Jamb, Lamb, Letter bomb, Limb, Neutron bomb, Numb, Petrol bomb, Plumb, Succumb, Thumb, Time bomb, Tomb, Womb.
(b) It has soft ‘b’ sound in these words -- Rhomb, Rhumb.
(c) It has ‘b’ sound in these words – Corymb, Recumb.
(Only these words, with ‘mb’ at the end of a word, were found in the dictionary)
(d) ‘b’ is also silent in these words: Bomber, Climber, Comber, Dumber, Plumber.

Alphabet C

Alphabet C:
If ‘c’ is followed by a consonant it has ‘k’ sound -- Aircrew, Close, Describe, Eject, Tractor.

Alphabet C (continued):
(a) If ‘c’ is followed by vowel ‘a’, it has ‘k’ sound -- Arcade, Became, Cat, Decamp, Encase. (Exception is Caesar)
(b) If ‘cc’ is followed by vowel ‘a’, it has ‘k’ sound – Buccal, Desiccant, Occasion, Peccary, Staccato

Alphabet C (continued):
(a) If ‘c’ is followed by vowel ‘o’, it has ‘k’ sound -- Abscond, Balcony, Beacon, Coach, Raincoat.
(b) If ‘cc’ is followed by vowel ‘o’, it has ‘k’ sound – Accord, Broccoli, Piccolo, Raccoon, Tobacco

Alphabet C (continued):
(a) If ‘c’ is followed by vowel ‘u’, it has ‘k’ sound -- Cut, Document, Excuse, Focus, Lacuna.
(b) If ‘cc’ is followed by vowel ‘u’, it has ‘k’ sound – Hiccup, Occupy, Occur, Succulent, Succumb.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is at the end of a word, it has ‘k’ sound -- Acidic, Acrylic, Aerobic, Cyclic, Public.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is followed by ‘k’, it has ‘k’ sound -- Black, Beckon, Knuckles, Socket, Mimicking.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is followed by vowel ‘e’, it has ‘c’ or soft ‘s’ sound -- Cancel, Cell, Concern, Decedent, Iceman.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘cc’ is followed by vowel ‘e’, it has mostly ‘ks’ sound -- Accept, Accent, Access, Haecceity, Succeed.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is followed by vowel ‘i’, it has ‘c’ or soft ‘s’ sound -- Acidity, Cite, Decide, Decimal, Excited.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘cc’ is followed by vowel ‘i’, it has mostly ‘ks’ sound -- Accident, Cappuccino, Occident, Flaccid, Vaccine.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is followed by vowel ‘y’, it has ‘c’ or soft ‘s’ sound -- Bicycle, Cyprus, Cyst, Fancy, Policy.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘cc’ is followed by vowel ‘y’, it has mostly ‘ks’ sound – Coccygeal, Coccyx, Coccyges.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is preceded by ‘s’, it has mostly ‘sk’ sound – Abscond, Biscuit, Discord, Miscount, Muscatel.

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is followed by ‘h’:
(a) It has mostly ‘ch’ sound -- Apache, Bench, Chain, Church, Each.
(There are many such words in the dictionary)
(b) It has ‘k’ sound in some words -- Architect, Bronchial, Chord, Epoch, School, Chaos, Choir, Chemistry, Christmas, Monarch, Technical.
(c) It has ‘sh’ sound in some words – Chef, Chauffeur, Champagne, Parachute.
(d) ‘ch’ is silent in Yacht.
(There are some such words in the dictionary)

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is followed by ‘ia’, it has mostly ‘sh’ sound – Associate, Crucially, Emaciated, Facial, Facially, Glacially, Musician, Racial, Social, Specialize, Specially, Uncial.
(There are some such words in the dictionary)

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is followed by ‘ea’, it has ‘sh’ sound in these words & their derivatives -- Ocean, Oceans, Oceanic.
(Only these words, with ‘sh’ sound, were found in the dictionary)

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is preceded by ‘s’ and followed by ‘e’, it is mostly silent – Ascended, Ascender, Ascent, Ascend, Crescent, Descent, Obscene, Scene, Scenery, Scenic, Scent, Scepter, Viscera. (combo ‘sce’ has ‘s’ sound)

Alphabet C (continued):
If ‘c’ is preceded by s and followed by ‘i’, it is mostly silent – Disciple, Fascinate, Immiscible, Miscible, Nescient, Oscillate, Rescind, Sciatic, Science, Scimitar, Scimitar, Scion, Scissor, Viscidity. (combo ‘sci’ has ‘s’ sound)

Alphabet C (continued):
‘c’ is silent in these words ending with ‘scle’ -- Corpuscle, Crepuscle, Muscle.
(Only these words were found in the dictionary)

Alphabet D

Alphabet D:
(a) ‘d’ has the same sound wherever it occurs in a word -- Airdrop, Bold, Doll, Pleader, Remedial.
(b) ‘dd’ has same sound wherever it occurs in a word – Add, Bladder, Cuddly, Shoddy, Twiddle.
However there are exceptions)

Alphabet D (continued)
‘d’ is silent in these words -- Bridge, Budget, Handkerchief, Midget,
Wednesday. (In ‘sandwich’ spoken by some people)
(Only these words were found in the dictionary)

Alphabet F

Alphabet F:
(a) ‘f’ has same sound wherever it occurs in a word – Airfield, Beautiful, Defense, Fulfill, Misfire, Windfall.
(b) ‘ff’ has same sound wherever it occurs in a word – Buffalo, Coffee, Huff, Scaffold, Tiffin
(c) ‘ph’ and ‘gh’ also sound ‘f’ in some words which will be dealt in ‘P’ and ‘G’ alphabets.