English words are built from speech sounds called phonemes. Phonemes are grouped into vowels and consonants based on how the airflow moves through your mouth. Spelling uses letters to represent these sounds, but letters and sounds do not match perfectly in English. This module explains how vowels and consonants work in pronunciation and how they commonly appear in writing.

Vowels are sounds made with an open vocal tract, so the air flows without a major blockage. English vowels are shaped by tongue height, tongue position, and lip rounding, and most vowels are voiced. Vowels can be short, long, or part of a diphthong, and vowel spelling is especially variable in English. Vowels often form the “core” of a syllable.

Consonants are sounds made with some kind of narrowing or closure in the vocal tract, which changes or blocks airflow. English consonants differ by place of articulation, manner of articulation, and voicing. Some consonants are stop sounds, some are continuous, and some are nasal with airflow through the nose. Consonants often appear at syllable edges, before or after the vowel.

Many English consonants come in voiced and voiceless pairs, where the mouth position is similar but the vocal folds vibrate for the voiced sound. Voicing affects how a consonant feels and how it interacts with nearby sounds, especially at the ends of words. Learning the voiced versus voiceless contrast helps with clear pronunciation and listening. Not all consonants have a voiced pair, but the pattern is common.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Voiced sounds use vocal fold vibration	🧩 有声音使用声带振动	z in zoo is voiced	🗣️ z 在 zoo 中是有声的
Voiceless sounds have no vibration	🧩 无声音没有振动	s in see is voiceless	🗣️ s 在 see 中是无声的
Some consonants form common pairs by voicing	🧩 一些辅音通过有声与无声形成常见对	f and v as in fan and van	🗣️ f 与 v 如在 fan 与 van
Final voiced consonants stay voiced in careful speech	🧩 最后有声辅音在小心发音时保持有声	bag ends with voiced g	🗣️ bag 以有声的 g 结尾

In English orthography, the vowel letters are a, e, i, o, u, and sometimes y. These letters can represent several different vowel sounds depending on the word, and multiple letters can combine to represent one vowel sound. A single written vowel can also be “silent” as part of a spelling pattern. Because of this, it helps to separate vowel letters from vowel sounds.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
A E I O U are vowel letters	🧩 A E I O U 是元音字母	a in cat, o in hot	🗣️ cat 中的 a，hot 中的 o
Y can act like a vowel letter	🧩 Y 可作为元音字母使用	y in my, happy	🗣️ my，happy
Two vowel letters can form one vowel sound	🧩 两个元音字母可形成一个元音声音	ea in team	🗣️ team 中的 ea
Vowel letters can signal another vowel sound without being fully pronounced	🧩 元音字母可以在不发出声音的情况下提示另一种元音声音	e in make signals a long a sound	🗣️ make 中的 e 表示长 a

Most letters besides a, e, i, o, u are treated as consonant letters in spelling, including y when it starts a syllable. Some consonant sounds are written with two letters, and some letters represent different consonant sounds in different words. English also has silent consonant letters in certain patterns. These spelling patterns are common and worth recognizing.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
ch	🔤 ch	Often one consonant sound	🔎 常见的一个辅音音	chair	🗣️ chair
sh	🔤 sh	Often one consonant sound	🔎 常见的一个辅音音	ship	🗣️ ship
th	🔤 th	Two common consonant sounds	🔎 两种常见的辅音音	thin, this	🗣️ thin, this
ng	🔤 ng	Nasal consonant sound	🔎 鼻音	sing	🗣️ sing
kn	🔤 kn	k is silent in this pattern	🔎 k 在这个模式中是无声的	knife	🗣️ knife

A syllable usually has a vowel sound as its center, and consonants group around it. The vowel sound determines the syllable’s “peak” of sonority, which is why vowels are the most noticeable part of many words. English allows clusters of consonants before or after the vowel, which can make syllables feel dense. Recognizing the vowel core helps you divide words for pronunciation and spelling.

Some English vowels are diphthongs, meaning the tongue moves during the vowel, creating a glide from one quality to another. Diphthongs often feel longer than simple vowels and are frequently spelled with two letters, though not always. Learning them as single vowel units improves fluency because you avoid inserting an extra syllable. They are common in everyday words.

Word/Phrase	🇨🇳 中文 单词/短语	Definition	🇨🇳 中文 定义	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
/aɪ/	🔤 /aɪ/	Vowel glide toward i	🔎 向 i 的元音滑动	my, time	🗣️ my, time
/aʊ/	🔤 /aʊ/	Vowel glide toward u	🔎 向 u 的元音滑动	now, out	🗣️ now, out
/ɔɪ/	🔤 /ɔɪ/	Vowel glide toward i	🔎 向 i 的元音滑动	boy, coin	🗣️ boy, coin
/eɪ/	🔤 /eɪ/	Vowel glide toward i	🔎 向 i 的元音滑动	day, name	🗣️ day, name
/oʊ/	🔤 /oʊ/	Vowel glide toward u	🔎 向 u 的元音滑动	go, home	🗣️ go, home

English spelling does not map one-to-one to pronunciation, but there are useful patterns. Vowel sounds change with stress, and consonants can change based on neighboring sounds and word position. Letter combinations often behave predictably across many words, even when individual words are irregular. Focusing on patterns helps you read and pronounce new words more confidently.

Rule	🇨🇳 中文 规则	Description	🇨🇳 中文 描述	Notation	🇨🇳 中文 表示法	Example	🇨🇳 中文 示例
Reduced vowels in unstressed syllables	🧩 非重读音节中的元音被简化	Unstressed vowels often become a neutral sound	📌 非重读元音常变为中性音	/ə/	🔤 /ə/	about, pencil	🗣️ about, pencil
C is hard or soft	🧩 C 是硬音还是软音	c is usually k before a o u and s before e i y	📌 c 在 a o u 前通常发 k，在 e i y 前发 s	/k/ or /s/	🔤 /k/ or /s/	cat, city	🗣️ cat, city
G is hard or soft	🧩 G 是硬音还是软音	g is usually g before a o u and dʒ before e i y	📌 g 在 a o u 之前通常发 /g/，在 e i y 前发 /dʒ/	/g/ or /dʒ/	🔤 /g/ or /dʒ/	go, giant	🗣️ go, giant
Final e influences the vowel	🧩 结尾的 e 影响元音	A silent final e often signals a long vowel earlier	📌 一个无声的结尾 e 常表示前面的元音为长音	V plus consonant plus e	🔤 V plus consonant plus e	cap to cape	🗣️ cap to cape

To describe English clearly, separate sounds from letters: a word can have more vowel letters than vowel sounds or the opposite. Some vowels are written with consonant letters like w and y, and some consonants are written with vowel letters in certain names or loanwords. Thinking in terms of vowel sounds versus consonant sounds helps with both listening and spelling. This sound-based approach is the most reliable way to classify vowels and consonants in English.