B1 Grammar Quiz
Learning IPA symbols is essential because they bridge the gap between spelling and pronunciation. Spelling alone often doesn’t show us exactly how to pronounce a word, and without IPA, we might get it wrong. By learning IPA, you can confidently match the spelling of a word to its correct pronunciation, which is especially helpful for expanding vocabulary accurately. Plus, IPA is simple to learn in a day, and a bit of practice makes it a powerful tool for language learners! This article will help you become familiar with IPA symbols and their sounds, and includes exercises, solutions, and detailed explanations to reinforce your learning.
IPA Symbols
You are advised to familiarize yourselves with the IPA symbols given below:
Vowels
| Symbol |
Bengali |
IPA Example |
Sound |
| /i:/ | ঈ | beat: /biːt/, sheet: /ʃiːt/ |
|
| /i/ |
ই |
kit: /kɪt/, bid: /bɪd/ |
|
| /ʊ/ | উ | put: /pʊt/, full: /fʊl/ |
Listen to the Audio
| /u:/ | ও | fool: /fuːl/, moon: /muːn/ |
Listen to the Audio
| /e/ | এ | net: /nɛt/, said: /sɛd/ |
Listen to the Audio
| /ə/ | য়ৗ | about: /əˈbaʊt/ |
Listen to the Audio
| /ɜ:/ | আ | her: /hɜːr/, serve: /sɜːv/ |
Listen to the Audio
| /ɔ:/ | অো | cord: /kɔːrd/ |
Listen to the Audio
| /æ/ | এ্যা | cat: /kæt/, hat: /hæt/ |
Listen to the Audio
| /ʌ/ | আ | cup: /kʌp/, luck: /lʌk/ |
Listen to the Audio
| /ɑ:/ | আ | father: /ˈfɑːðər/, cart: /kɑːrt/ |
Listen to the Audio
| /ɒ/ | অ | not: /nɒt/, cot: /kɒt/ | | | | | | | | | | |
| Symbol |
Bengali |
IPA Example |
Sound |
Consonants
| Symbol |
Bengali |
IPA Example |
Sound |
| /p/ |
প |
pen: /pɛn/, cup: /kʌp/ |
|
| /b/ |
ব |
bat: /bæt/, cab: /kæb/ |
|
| /t/ |
ট |
top: /tɒp/, hat: /hæt/ |
|
| /d/ |
ড |
dog: /dɒɡ/, mad: /mæd/ |
|
| /tʃ/ |
চ |
chart: /ʧɑrt/, watch: /wɑʧ/ |
|
| /dʒ/ |
জ |
jet: /ʤɛt/, Jesus: /ˈʤizəs/ |
|
| /f/ |
ফ |
fan: /fæn/, fat: /fæt/ |
|
| /v/ |
ভ |
visual: /ˈvɪʒuəl/, voice: /vɔɪs/ |
|
| /θ/ |
থ |
thread: /θrɛd/, trash: /træʃ/ |
|
| /ð/ |
দ |
this: /ðɪs/, thither: /ˈðɪðər/ |
|
| /k/ |
ক |
clear: /klɪr/, kind: /kaɪnd/ |
|
| /g/ |
গ |
go: /ɡoʊ/, dog: /dɒɡ/ |
|
| /s/ |
স |
sting: /stɪŋ/, stay: /steɪ/ |
|
| /z/ |
জ |
zoom: /zum/, zoo: /zu/ |
|
| /ʃ/ |
শ |
vacation: /vəˈkeɪʃən/, she: /ʃiː/ |
|
| /ʒ/ |
জ্ |
vision: /ˈvɪʒən/, pleasure: /ˈplɛʒər/ |
|
| /m/ |
ম |
man: /mæn/ |
|
| /n/ |
ন |
name: /neɪm/ |
|
| /ŋ/ |
ং |
king: /kɪŋ/ |
|
| /h/ |
হ |
heat: /hiːt/ |
|
| /l/ |
ল |
language: /ˈlæŋɡwɪdʒ/ |
|
| /r/ |
র |
read (present tense): /riːd/ |
|
| /w/ |
ওঅ |
water: /ˈwɔːtər/ |
|
| /j/ |
য়ি |
yeah: /jɛə/ |
|
Diphthongs
| Symbol |
Bengali |
IPA Example |
Sound |
| /eɪ/ |
এ |
say: /seɪ/, bait: /beɪt/ |
|
| /aɪ/ |
আই |
my: /maɪ/, fly: /flaɪ/ |
|
| /ɔɪ/ |
অই |
boy: /bɔɪ/, toy: /tɔɪ/ |
|
| /aʊ/ |
আউ |
how: /haʊ/, cow: /kaʊ/ |
|
| /əʊ/ |
ও |
go: /ɡoʊ/, no: /noʊ/ |
|
| /ɪə/ |
ইয়া |
near: /nɪə/ |
|
| /eə/ |
এয়া |
hair: /heə/ |
|
| /ʊə/ |
উয়া |
sure: /ʃʊə/ |
|
Exercises
Complete the sentences with the correct IPA symbols:
| Exercise No. |
Sentence |
Correct Answer |
| 1 | We will go to the /_____/. (IPA for 'moon') | /muːn/ |
| 2 | The cat is /_____/. (IPA for 'sitting') | /ˈsɪtɪŋ/ |
| 3 | She likes to /_____. (IPA for 'swim') | /swɪm/ |
| 4 | They are /_____. (IPA for 'happy') | /ˈhæpi/ |
| 5 | This is a /_____. (IPA for 'book') | /bʊk/ |
| 6 | He is /_____. (IPA for 'tall') | /tɔːl/ |
| 7 | It's a /_____. (IPA for 'party') | /ˈpɑːrti/ |
| 8 | The sun is /_____. (IPA for 'shining') | /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/ |
| 9 | My friend is /_____. (IPA for 'funny') | /ˈfʌni/ |
| 10 | We are /_____. (IPA for 'excited') | /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/ |
| 11 | She enjoys /_____. (IPA for 'reading') | /ˈriːdɪŋ/ |
| 12 | They will /_____. (IPA for 'dance') | /dæns/ |
| 13 | It is /_____. (IPA for 'cold') | /koʊld/ |
| 14 | She is /_____. (IPA for 'beautiful') | /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/ |
| 15 | He can /_____. (IPA for 'run') | /rʌn/ |
Explanations
1. /muːn/: The IPA representation for 'moon', which contains the vowel sound /uː/.
2. /ˈsɪtɪŋ/: The IPA representation for 'sitting' emphasizes the short vowel /ɪ/.
3. /swɪm/: Represents the vowel sound /ɪ/, which is found in 'swim'.
4. /ˈhæpi/: The vowel sound /æ/ is present in 'happy'.
5. /bʊk/: 'Book' is represented with the vowel sound /ʊ/.
6. /tɔːl/: The vowel sound /ɔː/ is found in 'tall'.
7. /ˈpɑːrti/: The word 'party' contains the vowel sound /ɑː/.
8. /ˈʃaɪnɪŋ/: 'Shining' contains the diphthong /aɪ/.
9. /ˈfʌni/: 'Funny' has the vowel sound /ʌ/.
10. /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/: The diphthong /aɪ/ is present in 'excited'.
11. /ˈriːdɪŋ/: Contains the vowel sound /iː/.
12. /dæns/: Represents the vowel sound /æ/.
13. /koʊld/: The vowel sound /oʊ/ appears in 'cold'.
14. /ˈbjuːtɪfəl/: 'Beautiful' has the vowel sound /juː/.
15. /rʌn/: The vowel sound /ʌ/ is present in 'run'.
