The English alphabet has 26 letters. You probably know them already. But English pronunciation can be confusing — the same letter can make very different sounds in different words.
This guide will help you understand the basics.
The 26 Letters
The English alphabet has:
- 5 vowels: A, E, I, O, U
- 21 consonants: B, C, D, F, G, H, J, K, L, M, N, P, Q, R, S, T, V, W, X, Y, Z
Vowels: Short and Long Sounds
Each vowel has at least two sounds — a short sound and a long sound.
| Letter | Short sound | Example | Long sound | Example |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | /æ/ | cat | /eɪ/ | cake |
| E | /ɛ/ | bed | /iː/ | see |
| I | /ɪ/ | sit | /aɪ/ | site |
| O | /ɒ/ | dog | /oʊ/ | go |
| U | /ʌ/ | cup | /juː/ | cute |
Don’t worry about memorising all of these. You will learn the sounds naturally as you hear and practise more words.
Silent Letters
English has many silent letters — letters that are written but not pronounced.
Some common examples:
- know → only the “no” sound is spoken (the K is silent)
- write → the W is silent
- apple → the final E is silent
Phonetic Spelling (IPA)
You may have seen symbols like /ˈæp.əl/ when you look up a word. This is called the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). It shows you exactly how a word is pronounced.
Every LingoSwipe lesson includes the phonetic spelling so you always know the correct pronunciation.
Tips for Improving Pronunciation
- Listen first — hear the word before you try to say it
- Use slow playback — LingoSwipe lets you listen at 0.55x speed
- Repeat out loud — don’t just read, speak
- Don’t be afraid to be wrong — everyone makes pronunciation mistakes, even advanced learners
The best way to improve your pronunciation is to practise with real words. Start your journey with the Vocabulary section — all words include audio at three speeds.