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

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Summary: This article is based on the information collected by me from books, online and offline dictionaries, and web sites. It may help you in pronunciation of English words. The spelling and pronunciation of English words is very complicated. English language contains 26 Alphabets (6 vowels & 20 consonants) but more than 40 different sounds. About half of the sounds are made by the vowels. There are six vowels - a, e, i, o, u and y (‘y’ is both vowel and consonant). These six vowels and their combinations are used to make about 20 or so sounds. And 20 consonants and their combinations make remaining 20 sounds. Many times combination of vowel changes the sound of consonants. Due to this, many words are difficult to spell and pronounce.

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Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Instructions
  1. Step 1

    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)

  2. Step 2
    Alphabet B
    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.)

  3. Step 3

    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)

  4. Step 4

    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.

  5. Step 5
    Alphabet C
    Alphabet C

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

  6. Step 6

    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

  7. Step 7

    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

  8. Step 8

    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.

  9. Step 9

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

  10. Step 10

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

  11. Step 11

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

  12. Step 12

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

  13. Step 13

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

  14. Step 14

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

  15. Step 15

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

  16. Step 16

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

  17. Step 17

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

  18. Step 18

    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)

  19. Step 19

    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)

  20. Step 20

    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)

  21. Step 21

    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)

  22. Step 22

    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)

  23. Step 23

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

  24. Step 24
    Alphabet D
    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)

  25. Step 25

    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)

  26. Step 26
    Alphabet F
    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.

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

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