IPA Rules

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shadowsinner
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IPA Rules

Post by shadowsinner »

Hi all,

I'm not sure where to put this question, but I suppose pronunciation, and specifically, the use of IPA is governed by rules, I placed this here in the grammar section. If there's a pronunciation section, please let me know and I'll move this thread.

I'm confused about the IPA symbols used for words such as "train", because the "t" sound in this word is distinctly different from something like "talk", for example. However, looking it up in dictionaries, one can plainly see that the word "train" is expressed as "/treɪn/", while the word "talk" is expressed as "/tɔːk/" - same t symbol, but to me, very different sounds.

The word "train" sounds to me like "chain" with an r in it. However, "chain" is expressed in IPA as "/tʃeɪn/"... so shouldn't "train" be "/tʃreɪn/"?

Thanks for your help in advance.
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Joe
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Re: IPA Rules

Post by Joe »

shadowsinner wrote: Mon Oct 26, 2020 5:28 am I'm confused about the IPA symbols used for words such as "train", because the "t" sound in this word is distinctly different from something like "talk", for example. However, looking it up in dictionaries, one can plainly see that the word "train" is expressed as "/treɪn/", while the word "talk" is expressed as "/tɔːk/" - same t symbol, but to me, very different sounds.

The word "train" sounds to me like "chain" with an r in it. However, "chain" is expressed in IPA as "/tʃeɪn/"... so shouldn't "train" be "/tʃreɪn/"?
You raise an excellent question but I have to report that the dictionaries have got it right! :mrgreen:

To native speakers train and chain are very different sounds.

A good way for you to try to practise and hear this is to "backchain" the words (or rather their "sounds"):

Repeat to yourself:-
rain, rain, rain, train [train]

Note that /tʃ/ (ch for cheese or chain) is considered a single consonant sound, whereas /t/ and /r/ and two separate consonant sounds:
https://www.englishclub.com/pronunciati ... art-ia.htm
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