Proto English Vowels
A chart of vowel correspondences in many English dialects. Uses an extended version of Well's lexical sets as necessary to make a keyword for every line. Includes significant allophones, and shows the sounds used in casual connected speech rather than carefully-annunciated speech. The IPA used, tho broad, is not phonemic and is designed to show differences, rather than similarities, between the dialects. Although diacritics are often used, the non-use of diacritics does not imply that a particular vowel is used in its cardinal sense.
| GAmE | General American |
| RP | Received Pronunciation |
| AusE | (General) Australian English |
| VAusE | (General) Victorian Australian English |
| NZE | (General) General New Zealand English |
| JNWE | Jonathan North Washington's (American) English |
| Keyword | GAmE | JNWE | RP | AusE | VAusE | NZE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Short | ||||||
| KIT | ɪ | ɪ | ɪ | i | i | ə |
| DRESS | ɛ | ɛ | e̞ | e | e | e̝ |
| LOT | ɑ | ɑ | ɒ | ɔ | ɔ | ɔ |
| CLOTH | ɒ | ɒ | ɒ | ɔ | ɔ | ɔ |
| STRUT | ʌ̈ | ʌ̈ | ɐ | ä | ä | ä |
| FOOT | ʊ | ʊ | ʊ | u | u | u |
| Short a | ||||||
| TRAP | æ | æ | a | æ | æ | ɛ |
| BAD | æ | æ | a(ː) | æː | æː | ɛ |
| DANCE | æ | Æ | ɑː | æː | æː | äː |
| CAN'T | æ | Æ | ɑː | äː | äː | äː |
| BATH | æ | æ | ɑː | äː | äː | äː |
| PALM | ɑ | ɑ | ɑː | äː | äː | äː |
| Short a pre-n/m/ŋ/ɡ (nasals, voiced velars) | ||||||
| TAN | Æ | |||||
| PAM | Æ | |||||
| SANG | æj | |||||
| SAG | æj | |||||
| Short pre-r | ||||||
| START | ɑɹ | ɒɻ | ɑː | äː | äː | äː |
| NORTH | ɔɹ | ɔɻ | ɔː | oː | oː | oː |
| NURSE | ɝ | ɻ̩ | ɜː | øː | øː | øː |
| HURRY | ɝ | ɻ̩ | ɐ | ä | ä | ä |
| MERRY | ɛ | Æɻ | e̞ | e | e | e̝ |
| MARRY | æ | Æɻ | a | æ | æ | ɛ |
| Short pre-l | ||||||
| BELL | ɛ | ɛ | e̞ | e | æ | ɛ |
| DOLL | ɑ | ɑ | ɒ | ɔu | ɔu | ? |
| CULT | ʌ̈ | ʌ̈ | ɐ | ɔ | ɔ | ? |
| BALD | ɒ | ɒ | ɔː | ɔʊ | ɔʊ | ? |
| Long | ||||||
| FLEECE | i | i | iː | ɪi | ɪi | ɪi |
| FACE | eɪ | ej | eɪ | æi | æi | æɪ |
| THOUGHT | ɒ | ɒ | ɔː | oː | oː | oː |
| GOAT | o | ɤw | əʊ | ɐʉ | ɐʉ | ɐʉ |
| GOOSE | u̟ | u̟ | uː | ʉ̟ː | ʉ̟ː | ʉ̟ː |
| PRIDE | ɑj | |||||
| CHOICE | ɒɪ | ɔj | ɔɪ | oi | oi | oɪ |
| MOUTH | aʊ | aw | aʊ | æə | æə | æə |
| Long pre-unvoiced | ||||||
| PRICE | aɪ | ʌj | aɪ | ɑe | ɑe | ɑe |
| Long pre-r | ||||||
| NEAR | ɪɹ | iɻ | ɪə | iː ~ iə | iː ~ iə | iə |
| SQUARE/MARY | æɹ | Æɻ | ɛə | eː | eː | iə ~ ɪə |
| FORCE | oɹ | ɔɻ | ɔː | oː | oː | oː |
| CURE | ʊɹ | ʲɻ̩/ʲɨɻ | ʊə | ʉ̟ːə | ʉ̟ːə | ? |
| POOR | ʊɹ | ɔɻ | ʊə | oː | oː | oː |
| FARE/FAIR | e(?) | Æ | ||||
| Long pre-l | ||||||
| GOAL | o | ɤ̹ | əʊ | ɔʊ | ɔʊ | ɔʊ |
| FOOL | u | u | uː | ʉ̟ː ~ uː | uː | uː |
| FUEL | uə | ʲu(ə) | ʊə | ʉ̟ː ~ uː | uː | ? |
| PALE/PAIL | e(?) | Æ | ||||
(Disclaimer: This should be read as showing how diversity in pronunciation is not always an obstacle in comprehension. Not to be used as a source for anything. Some transcriptions based on the authors' own observations.)
