Phonetics

The study and classification of speech sounds.

Improve your pronunciation.
 INDEX
Part I.

1. Past tense regular verbs ending in “ted”.

2. Past tense regular verbs ending in “ded”.
3. Silent “b”
4. Silent “c”
5. Silent “d”
6. Silent “e”
7. Silent “g”
8. Silent “h”
9. Silent “k”
10. Silent “l”
11. Silent “n”
12. Silent “p”
13. Silent “t”
14. Silent “u”
15. Silent “w”
1. Past tense regular verbs ending in “ted”
1st list 2nd list

1. abdicate - abdicated 1. hate - hated

2. act - acted 2. impact - impacted
3. accept - accepted 3. interrupt - interrupted
4. admit - admitted 4. irritate - irritated
5. adopt - adopted 5. invite - invited
6. appreciate - appreciated 6. last - lasted
7. assist - assisted 7. paint - painted
8. cheat - cheated 8. predict - predicted
9. construct - constructed 9. print - printed
10. count - counted 10. rent - rented
11. create - created 11. repeat - repeated
12. collect - collected 12. report - reported
13. decorate - decorated 13. select - selected
14. dust - dusted 14. start - started
15. deposit - deposited 15. visit - visited
16. estimate - estimated 16. wait - waited
17. expect - expected 17. want - wanted
2. Past tense regular verbs ending in “ded”
1st list

1. add - added
2. blind - blinded
3. descend - descended
4. divide - divided
5. embed - embedded
6. end - ended
7. expand - expanded
8. explode - exploded
9. fold - folded
10. found - founded
11. hand in - handed in
12. land - landed
13. need - needed
14. offend - offended
15. scold - scolded
16. study - studied
3. Silent “b”
1st list

1. aplomb
2. bomb
3. climb
4. comb
5. crumb
6. debt
7. doubt
8. dumb
9. jamb
10. lamb
11. limb
12. numb
13. plumb
14. subtle
15. succumb
16. thumb
17. womb
4. Silent “c”
1st list

1. acknowledge
2. ascent
3. abscess
4. ascend
5. conscious
6. crescent
7. descend
8. discipline
9. evanesce
10. fascinate
11. fluorescent
12. muscle
13. obscene
14. resuscitate
15. scenario
16. scene
17. scissors
5. Silent “d”
1st list

1. bridge
2. dodge
3. edge
4. handful
5. grandson
6. hedge
7. ledger
8. pledge
9. Wednesday
6. Silent “e”
Many words contain a silent “e”, especially at the end of a
word. These words usually end in “vowel + consonant + e”.
1st list 2nd list

1. bite 1. hope
2. care 2. kite
3. cassette 3. life
4. debate 4. like
5. desire 5. live
6. drive 6. love
7. escape 7. make
8. excite 8. more
9. giraffe 9. name
10. give 10. note
11. gave 11. site
12. grave 12. take
13. have 13. white
14. hide 14. write
7. Silent “g”
“G” is not pronounced when it comes before “n”.

1. align
2. assign
3. champagne
4. cologne
5. consign
6. design
7. foreign
8. gnarl
9. gnash
10. gnome
11. high
12. light
13. resign
14. sign
8. Silent “h”
The letter “h” is sometimes silent when it is placed after “c” (ch) and it is always
silent when it appears after some consonants (GH, WH, RH).
1st list 2nd list 3rd list

1. anchor 1. Christmas 1. Thai

2. archeology 2. Christian 2. Thailand
3. architect 3. echo 3. thigh
4. architecture 4. heir 4. vehicle
5. borough 5. herbs 5. weigh
6. chaos 6. hour 6. what
7. character 7. honest 7. when
8. characteristic 8. honor 8. where
9. charisma 9. ghost 9. why
10. chemical 10. psychology 10. which
11. chemistry 11. rhino 11. white
12. chemist 12. schedule 12. while
13. choreograph 13. scheme
14. chorus 14. school
15. technology
9. Silent “k”
The letter “k” is silent when it appears at the beginning of
a word followed by “n”.

1. knack 11. knob

2. knave 12. knock
3. knead 13. knoll
4. knee 14. knot
5. kneel 15. know
6. knell 16. knew
7. knickers 17. known
8. knife 18. knowledge
9. knight 19. knuckle
10. knit
10. Silent “l”
The letter “l” is often silent in the combination ALF, ALM,
and OULD.
1. almond
2. balm
3. behalf
4. calf
5. chalk
6. could
7. folk
8. half
9. palm
10. salmon
11. should
12. stalk
13. talk
14. walk
15. would
16. yolk
11. Silent “n”
The letter “n” is often silent when it appears at the end of a
word preceded by the letter “m” (-mn).

1. autumn
2. column
3. condemn
4. damn
5. hymn
6. solemn
12. Silent “p”
The letter “p” is often silent at the beginning of a word
followed by “s” (ps).

1. psychology
2. pneumonia
3. pseudo
4. psychiatrist
5. psychiatry
6. psychotherapy
7. psychotic
8. receipt
13. Silent “t”

1. apostle
2. bristle
3. bustle
4. castle
5. fasten
6. glisten
7. hustle
8. listen to
9. moisten
10. often
14. Silent “u”
The silent “u” is used to soften the letter “g” (gu). It is also
silent in most words with the structure -UIT or -UILT.
1. baguette
2. biscuit
3. build
4. building
5. built
6. disguise
7. guess
8. guest
9. guide
10. guild
11. guilt
12. guilty
13. guise
14. guitar
15. rogue
15. Silent “w”
1. awry
2. playwright
3. wrack
4. wrangle
5. wrap
6. wrapper
7. wrath
8. wreak
9. wreath
10. wreck
11. wrestle
12. wriggle
13. wring
14. wrinkle
15. wrist
16. writ
17. write / wrote / written
18. wrong
INDEX
Part II.

1. Words containing “all”

2. Words containing “ally”
3. Words containing “ch”
4. Words containing “ea” (weak sound)
5. Words containing “ea” (strong sound)
6. Words containing “ir”
7. Words containing “ou”
8. Words containing “ph”
9. Words containing “sh”
10. Words containing “th”
11. Words containing “ee”
12. Words containing “oo”
13. Words containing “wh”
14. Words containing “sw”
1. Words containing “all”
1. ball
2. all
3. call
4. called
5. fall
6. fallen
7. fireball
8. football
9. hall
10. lowball
11. mall
12. meatball
13. pall
14. tall
15. tallboy
16. small
17. smallpox
18. sidewall
19. wall
2. Words containing “ally”
1. basically
2. corporally
3. civically
4. dramatically
5. generally
6. finally
7. incidentally
8. industrially
9. individually
10. integrally
11. naturally
12. practically
13. officially
14. occasionally
15. sensually
16. specially
17. toxically
18. usually
3. Words containing “ch”

At the beginning:

1st List 2nd List 3rd list

1. chair 1. chin 1. chimney

2. chat 2. China 2. chalk
3. chase 3. Chinese 3. chop
4. check 4. cheetah 4. chapter
5. cheese 5. checkers 5. cheerleader
6. cheer 6. cherry 6. challenge
7. chest 7. cheerful 7. chocolate
8. chew 8. charity 8. checklist
9. child 9. charming 9. chimpanzee
10. children 10. chamber 10. church
11. chick 11. chosen 11. chess
12. chicken 12. chase 12. cheesecake
3. Words containing “ch”

In the middle:

1st list 2nd list

1. beach ball 1. teacher

2. inches 2. watching
3. lunchbox 3. hatching
4. catcher 4. peaches
5. ketchup 5. reaching
6. marching 6. matches
7. crutches 7. pitcher
8. kitchen 8. witches
9. touchdown 9. high chair
10. grandchild 10. bleachers
11. key chain
12. itching
3. Words containing “ch”

At the end:

1st list 2nd list

1. March 1. stretch
2. beach 2. watch
3. catch 3. pitch
4. speech 4. touch
5. couch 5. witch
6. patch 6. lunch
7. wrench 7. match
8. bench 8. branch
9. reach 9. ostrich
10. march 10. switch
11. hatch 11. ranch
4. Words containing “ea” (weak sound)
1st list 2nd list

1. beach 1. grease
2. bean 2. heat
3. beast 3. least
4. beat 4. leave
5. bleach 5. mean
6. breath 6. meat
7. cheat 7. peace
8. cream 8. please
9. deal 9. reach
10. tear 10. read
11. dream 11. sea
12. each 12. teach
13. eat 13. wheat
14. fear 14. year
15. feast 15. really
5. Words containing “ea” (strong sound)
1st list 2nd list

1. bread 1. earthquake
2. death 2. weather
3. feather 3. sweatshirt
4. heaven 4. breakfast
5. commonwealth 5. treasure
6. healthy 6. wear
7. search 7. learn
8. nuclear 8. pleasant
9. earth 9. deadline
10. measure 10. sergeant
11. spread 11. leather
12. pleasure 12. weapon
13. head 13. rehearse
14. headquarter 14. already
15. threatened 15. thread
6. Words containing “ir”
1st list 2nd list

1. bird 1. hairdressing
2. birth 2. circulation
3. birthday 3. flirt
4. circle 4. airport
5. circus 5. affirmations
6. dirt 6. airfreight
7. dirty 7. aircraft
8. first 8. circuit
9. girl 9. fairway
10. shirt 10. virgin
11. sir 11. theirs
12. skirt 12. squirt
13. circumstance 13. firm
14. millionaire 14. chair
15. chairman 15. hair
7. Words containing “ou”
1st list 2nd list

1. announce 1. mouse
2. noun 2. louse
3. hour 3. flour
4. cloud 4. round
5. outer 5. sound
6. mount 6. found
7. shout 7. house
8. pound 8. south
9. count 9. tryout
10. doubt 10. thousand
8. Words containing “ph”
1st list 2nd list

1. nephew 1. philter
2. phone 2. Philadelphia
3. phase 3. prophet
4. graph 4. aphonia
5. murphy 5. morphia
6. physic 6. strophe
7. sphinx 7. amphora
8. hyphen 8. phantom
9. orphan 9. typhoon
10. trophy 10. asphalt
11. phrase 11. sulphur
12. triumph 12. dolphin
13. alphabet 13. pamphlet
9. Words containing “sh”
At the beginning

1st List 2nd List

1. short 1. sheep
2. shy 2. shuffleboard
3. shape 3. share
4. sharpener 4. shatterproof
5. shame 5. shadow
6. ship 6. Shanghai
7. shore 7. show
8. sharp 8. shrink
9. shell 9. shipowner
10. shower 10. shiftless
9. Words containing “sh”
In the middle In the middle

1st List

1. refreshment 1. fashionista
2. workmanship 2. garnishment
3. nourishment 3. bumbershoot
4. marshmallow 4. friendship
5. earthshaking 5. splashboard
6. diminishment 6. milkshake
7. partnership 7. washbasin
8. spreadsheet 8. workshop
9. citizenship 9. sunshine
10. fashion 10. smashing
9. Words containing “sh”
At the end

1st List 2nd List

1. rush 1. establish
2. brush 2. refurbish
3. wash 3. refresh
4. fresh 4. selfish
5. fish 5. squeamish
6. finish 6. Swedish
7. impoverish 7. diminish
8. flesh 8. childish
9. backsplash 9. demolish
10. photoflash 10. feverish
10. Words containing “th” (weak sound)
1st list 2nd list 3rd list

1. thank you 1. ophthalmologist 1. thirty

2. therapy 2. sympathetic 2. third
3. thief 3. nucleosynthesis 3. thirteen
4. third 4. authority 4. three
5. this 5. mathematics 5. blameworthy
6. thousand 6. north 6. Smith
7. thumb 7. south 7. withdraw
8. that 8. grandmother 8. nineteenth
9. thermometer 9. antipathetic 9. worthwhile
10. thigh 10. nightclothes 10. underneath
11. thirsty 11. forthcoming 11. theater
12. thorn 12. withholding 12. enthusiastic
13. thunder 13. parenthesis 13. birthplace
14. these 14. unhealthful 14. pathfinder
15. thereabouts 15. clothesline 15. toothbrush
11. Words containing double “e”
1st list 2nd list 3rd list

1. agree 1. degree 1. sleep

2. between 2. free 2. tepee
3. career 3. keep 3. beer
4. Cherokee 4. screen 4. canteen
5. deer 5. sheet 5. cheese
6. feet 6. sweet 6. deep
7. indeed 7. wheel 7. feed
8. queen 8. beef 8. green
9. sheep 9. bungee 9. need
10. speech 10. cheeky 10. seed
11. tree 11. committee 11. sleeve
12. bee 12. engineer 12. three
13. Buccaneer 13. freeze 13. employee
14. cheek 14. meet 14. eighteen
15. coffee 15. see 15. fleet
12. Words containing double “o”
1st list 2nd list

1. too 1. tool
2. zoo 2. foot
3. toon 3. poor
4. wool 4. soon
5. hood 5. food
6. boot 6. book
7. zoom 7. room
8. fool 8. took
9. noon 9. look
10. mood 10. good
11. roof 11. hoody
12. cook 12. kangaroo
13. cool 13. spoon
14. root 14. moose
15. wood 15. taboo
13. Words containing “wh”
1. what
2. when
3. where
4. why
5. whom
6. who
7. whose
8. whip
9. whirl
10. wheel
11. whistle
12. white
13. wheat
14. whole
15. while
16. which
17. whale
14. Words containing “sw”
1st list 2nd list

1. Switzerland 1. swim
2. Swedish 2. swimmer
3. sweater 3. swing
4. sweat 4. flyswatter
5. sweet 5. forswear
6. swamp 6. sweeptook
7. sweetened 7. swayback
8. switch 8. swipes
9. sword 9. sweetmeat
10. swallow 10. backswept
11. sweetheart 11. swellfish
INDEX
Part III.

1. Words ending in “tion”

2. Words ending in “ture”
3. Words ending in “ble”
4. Words ending in “ce” (plural form)
5. Words ending in “se” (plural form)
6. Words ending in “ss” (plural form)
7. Words ending in “y” and “ty”
8. Words ending in “consonant + y” (plural form)
9. Words ending in “vowel + y” (plural form)
1. Words ending in “tion”
1st list 2nd list 3rd list

1. construction 1. petition 1. fertilization

2. lotion 2. transportation 2. combination
3. identification 3. recommendation 3. argumentation
4. superstition 4. classification 4. calcification
5. protection 5. multiplication 5. cancellation
6. dictation 6. consideration 6. coordination
7. administration 7. communication 7. accumulation
8. obligation 8. participation 8. notification
9. nation 9. concentration 9. congregation
10. transformation 10. documentation 10. abbreviation
11. ambition 11. pronunciation 11. dispensation
12. option 12. gratification 12. predilection
13. composition 13. improvisation 13. application
14. institution 14. constellation 14. combination
15. fragmentation 15. description
2. Words ending in “ture”
1st list 2nd list

1. adventure 1. recapture
2. culture 2. mature
3. furniture 3. departure
4. nature 4. capture
5. signature 5. future
6. literature 6. miniature
7. agriculture 7. sculpture
8. creature 8. infrastructure
9. immature 9. supernature
10. picture 10. viniculture
11. texture 11. premature
12. temperature 12. coverture
13. architecture 13. sepulture
14. feature 14. gesture
15. lecture 15. torture
3. Words ending in “ble”
1st list 2nd list 3rd list

1. unscramble 1. humble 1. unmentionable

2. comfortable 2. dependable 2. negotiable
3. reliable 3. convertible 3. sensible
4. horrible 4. terrible 4. undetectable
5. available 5. able 5. communicable
6. washable 6. adorable 6. cable
7. table 7. double 7. inapplicable
8. bible 8. purble 8. permissible
9. assemble 9. unpredictable 9. intolerable
10. marble 10. indispensable 10. irrevocable
11. erasable 11. irresponsible 11. inseparable
12. syllable 12. unforgettable 12. preferable
13. suitable 13. fashionable 13. noticeable
14. valuable 14. transmissible 14. disposable
15. possible 15. undeliverable 15. unsuitable
4. Words ending in “ce” (plural form)
Words ending in “ce”

1. place - places
2. piece - pieces
3. sacrifice - sacrifices
4. voice - voices
5. juice - juices
6. niece - nieces
7. office - offices
8. lace - laces
9. necklace - necklaces
10. surface - surfaces
11. orifice - orifices
12. space - spaces
13. service - services
14. force - forces
15. price - prices
5. Words ending in “se” (plural form)
Words ending in “se”

1. house - houses
2. purpose - purposes
3. chase - chases
4. horse - horses
5. course - courses
6. exercise - exercises
7. phrase - phrases
8. enterprise - enterprises
9. compromise - compromises
10. interphase - interphases
11. recompense - recompenses
12. advertise - advertises
13. staircase - staircases
14. briefcase - briefcases
15. concourse - concourses
6. Words ending in “ss” (plural form)

1. business - businesses
2. address - addresses
3. class - classes
4. boss - bosses
5. kiss - kisses
6. dress - dresses
7. pass - passes
8. glass - glasses
9. cross - crosses
10. actress - actresses
11. compass - compasses
12. duchess - duchesses
13. baroness - baronesses
14. countess - countesses
15. albatross - albatrosses
7. Words ending in “y” and “ty”

Ending in “y” Ending in “ty”

1. by 1. city
2. my 2. duty
3. spy 3. tasty
4. sly 4. fatty
5. shy 5. unity
6. fry 6. empty
7. cry 7. party
8. sky 8. forty
9. dry 9. dirty
10. guy 10. frosty
11. try 11. sanity
12. buy 12. university
13. fly 13. vanity
14. butterfly 14. guilty
8. Words ending in “consonant + y” (plural form)
1. city - cities
2. duty - duties
3. unity - unities
4. party - parties
5. ability - abilities
6. university - universities
7. community - communities
8. entity - entities
9. treaty - treaties
10. cavity - cavities
11. county - counties
12. dynasty - dynasties
13. novelty - novelties
14. utility - utilities
15. society - societies
16. copy - copies
17. country - countries
9. Words ending in “vowel + y” (plural form)
1. bay - bays
2. play - plays
3. toy - toys
4. tray - trays
5. turkey - turkeys
6. monkey - monkeys
7. valley - valleys
8. day - days
9. chimney - chimneys
10. donkey - donkeys
11. delay - delays
12. key - keys
13. essay - essays
14. way - ways
15. survey - surveys