DRE iz a spelling system fòr Ênglish with the
follówing properties. DRE úzes díacritics
tu indicáte pronuncìátion mòre
accüratly than TS. DRE réspells wôrds
whâre the addition ov díacritics iz inadequat tu
reflect the pronuncìátion. DRE iz dezíened
tu rezemble TS az much az possible, and not tu offend the
eýe ov the TS adept (except, ov còurse,
fòr thóze pesky díacritics). DRE iz intended
tu bé an imprùvement óver TS éven if
the díacritics àr dropped. Fínally, DRE iz
intended tu spell homophónes differently whenever TS
spells them differently. See the DRE
introduction and the DRE reference
fòr mòre detailed expozitions ov DRE, and fòr
ôther DRE links.
DRE is néyther wunn spelling per sound, nòr
wunn sound per
spelling. Az yoù will obzerv belów, a single sound
may hav up tu 12 different spellings in DRE. Thó
Shaw's spelling ov "ghoti" fòr fish iz not plauzible in
DRE, wunn coûd atempt tu justify the spelling
"phêti", which iz hàrdly líkely tu bé
regàrded az an imprùvement. If yoù believe
that, tu imprùve Ênglish spelling, wé must
hav wunn spelling per sound, then DRE iz not fòr
yoù.
DRE côms much clóser tu the goal ov having
wunn sound per spelling, but thâre àr still a fair
number ov exceptions. Fòr instance, yoù cannot tell
frôm the spelling "dezert" whether the
pronuncìátion iz /dEz@rt/
òr /d@z3`t/
. The
goal ov retaining a hý degree ov similärity to TS
preclùdes compléte adherence tu the principle ov
wunn sound per spelling.
The chàrt belów indicátes the different spellings
fòr the sounds ov Ênglish (inclùding
certâin combinátions ov sounds with special
rùles). Bóth the possible spellings and an example
ov the úse ov each iz shówn. The
chàrt reflects verzion 2.3 ov DRE, current az ov
Febrùâry
13, 2005. A similar táble ov sound spellings for the
standard orthography can be found on this
page. A quick compärison ov théze tew
tábles shoûd convince yoù that, despíte the
exúberant variëty ov its spellings, DRE iz still
mòre manajable and òrderly than the compléte
cáos ov TS.
The sounds àr shówn first in SAMPA, and then bý a
sample wôrd, traditionally spelled, with the sound set òff
bý curly bráces. Except whâre
ôtherwíze indicáted, Amèrican
pronuncìátion iz asúmed.
/A:/ f{a}ther
à aà ah
fàther salaàm
hûrah
/A:r/ c{ar}
àr aàr
eàr
càr bazaàr
heàrt
/aI/ p{ie}
aí aý
eí eý i í íe uí uý ý
ýe
Saígon
saýonara steín eýe diët fíne
píe
guíde buý flý dýe
/aIr/ f{ire}
ír ýr
fíre pýre
/aU/ {ou}t
ou ow
out cow
/aUr/ {our}
our owr
our dowry
/b/ {b}e
b bb
bé rubble
/D/ {th}en
th
then
/d/ {d}ie
d dd ed
díe add grabbed
/dZ/ {j}aw
dj j
adjectiv jaw
/E/ p{e}t
â e ë eh
âny pet
dùët yeh
/Er/ or /E@(r)/ t{err}ace or c{âr}e(1)
air* âr* ayr*
eir* èr err eyr*
air câre prayr
their vèry terrâce sweyr
/eI/ b{ai}t
á ai ay è
èe ei ey
ápe bait play
fòrtè matinèe rein prey
/f/ {f}ee
f ff ph
fee buff phótó
/g/ {g}o
g gg
gó egg
/gZ/ lu{x}ury
xj
luxjury
/gz/ e{x}act
ggs gs x
eggs dògs exact
/h/ {h}eat
h
heat
/hw/ {wh}y
wh
whý
/I/ p{i}t
a e(2)
ê i o u y
blockaj extréme
prêtty pit recogníze minut myth
/Ir/ or /I@(r)/ {irr}igate or b{eer}(1)
ear* eer* êr* ier* ìr
irr yr
ear beer hêre
pier vìril irrigáte lyric
/i:/ or /i/ s{ee}
aé e é ea ee
éy ì ï ie y(3)
antennaé
múzeüm bé
tea see monkéy rádìó
aprécïáte
brief silly
/j/ {y}ap
y
yap
/(j)u:/ p{u}ny
éu éw ú
úe
éulojy néw
púny cúe
/(j)Ur/ c{ure}
éur úr
Éurop cúre
/j@/ reg{u}lar
ü ya ye yo
regülar civilyan
rezilyent canyon
/j@r/ acc{ur}ate
ür yar yer yor
accürat familyar lawyer
behávyor
/k/ {k}ey
c cc(4)
ck cq k kh q
cat occüpý lock
lacqer kéy khróme ópáqe
/kS/ an{xi}ous
xi xj
anxiôus sexjùal
/ks/ a{x}
cc(4)
cks cs ks qs x xc
accent tacks pics hawks
mosqs ax
except
/kw/ {qu}it
cqu cw kw qu
acquìesce
cwizìne awkward quit
/l/ {l}ow
l ll
low pill
/m/ {m}e
m mm
mé hammer
/N/ si{ng}
n(5) ng
pink sing
/n/ {n}o
kn(6)
n nn
knee
no funny
/O:/ c{o}st
au aw ò òa
pauper lawn còst
bròad
/OI/ v{oi}d
oi oy
void boy
/Or/ c{or}d
aur oar òr
orr
òur
laurel oar
còrd horrid còurt
/oU/ s{o}da
ó oa oe oh óu
ów
sóda goat toe oh
sóul lów
/p/ {p}ea
p pp
pea apple
/Q/ or /A:/ l{o}ck
o
lock
/Qr/ h{orr}id (British Ênglish)
ör orr
förest horrid
/r/ {r}at
r rr wr(6)
rat narrów
wríte
/S/ {sh}ip
c ci sci sh si sj ssi t ti
aprécïáte
glácier lusciôus ship mansion
tisjùe passion negótïáte nátion
/s/ {s}ee
c(4) ps(6)
s sc ss
city psýcké
see scéne grass
/T/ {th}in
th
thin
/t/ {t}ie
ed(7) t
tt
passed tíe button
/tS/ {ch}ip
ch t tch tj
chip celestïal match
statjùe
/ts/ ra{ts}
ts tts tz
rats butts pìtza
/U/ p{u}t
oo oû û
hook coûd pût
/Ur/ or /U@r/ m{oor} or c{oûr}ìer
ewr oor oùr
oûr* ùr
ûr*(8)
Jewry moor toùr
coûrìer matjùre gûrù
/u:/ fl{u}
eu ew oó où
ù ùe
sleuth crew loót
groùp flù blùe
/V/ c{u}p
ô u uh
wônder cup duh
/Vr/ h{urr}y (British Ênglish)
urr
hurry
/v/ {v}an
v vv
van savvy
/w/ {w}ind
w
wind
/Z/ colla{ge}
jh zi zj
colàjh vizion mezjur
/z/ {z}oo
s(9) x(10) z zz
rubs xýlophóne
zoó buzz
/{/ p{a}t
a aa
pat plaad
/{r/ m{arr}y
är arr
päradíse marry
/3`/ f{ur}
er eûr ir ôr ur
urr/ûrr(11)
term saboteûr stir
wôrd fur
hurry/blûrry
/@/ circ{u}s
a â âi e
ê
ë i o ô ôu u y
about furnâce
pòrtrâit rivet congrêss quiët
limit melody
purpôse pòrôus circus anonymôus
/@l/ anim{al}
al el il le ol ul
animal camel púpil
rattle
symbol úseful
/@m/ pris{m}
am em m om um
madam system prizm blossom
quòrum
/@n/ pard{on}
âin an en in n on
certâin húman
specimen básin izn't pàrdon
/@r/ butt{er}
ar er eûr ir or
ôr re ur
fòrward butter
grandjeûr aspirin mótor fôrbid ácre
Àrthur
Silent letters(6)
e h k(before n) p(before s)
t
w(before r)
tíme
aníhiláte knock psahm Cristmâs wrap
In Amèrican Ênglish,
ónly the first sound listed iz úzed. In British
Ênglish, bóth sounds àr úzed. The
stàrred spellings reprezent the second listed
pronuncìátion in RP.
Unmàrked a, e, o and u àr pronounced az /I/ ónly in unstressed syllables. Mâny Ênglish speakers àr not conciôusly awâre ov this pronuncìátion.
y iz pronounced az /i/ ónly at the end ov a wôrd òr subwôrd.
The
sílent-letter combinátions kn, ps and wr ocur ónly
at the beginning ov a wôrd òr subwôrd.
Sílent t apears ónly in Cristmâs and cristen.
ed iz pronounced az /t/ ónly az a past tense màrker. Quibbles about the pronuncìation ov wôrds lìke latter/ladder àr disregàrded.
In Amèrican Ênglish,
ónly the first sound listed iz úzed. In British
Ênglish, bóth sounds àr úzed. The
starred sepllings reprezent the first listed
pronuncìátion in RP.
s iz pronounced az /z/ ónly at the end ov a wôrd òr subwôrd (az a plùral òr pozessiv màrker).
x iz pronounced az /z/ ónly at the stàrt ov a wôrd òr subwôrd.
In British Ênglish, urr
reprezents /Vr/, and ûrr iz úzed fòr thóze
féw wôrds whâre it iz pronounced /3`/, such az fûrry
and blûrry.
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