Чтение согласной определяется ее положением среди других букв. Вне буквосочетаний только три согласные из 20 имеют по два варианта чтения: с = [s], [k]; g = [g],[G];
s = [s], [z].
Многие согласные, однако, входят в состав различных буквосочетаний и в зависимости от этого по-разному читаются. Так, например, сочетание th может читаться как [T] в начале и конце знаменательных слов: thin [Tin], bath [ba: T] и как [D] в служебных словах, наречиях, местоимениях, а также в позиции между двумя гласными: with [wiD], the [Dq], clothes [klouDz].
Полный перечень буквосочетаний, в том числе и сочетаний согласных с гласными, приведен в таблице.
| Буква и буквосо- четание | Звук | Примечание | Примеры | ||
| Bb | [b] | bus, but, about, better, butter, by, book, bed, bag, bad | |||
| bt | [t] | в конце слова | debt, doubt | ||
| [s] | перед е, i, у | face, city, cinema, cycle, since, ice, space, centre | |||
| Сс | [k] | в остальных случаях | cap, cat, cut, cry, copy, capital, come, close, clock | ||
| [S] | перед безударной гласной | ocean, social, special, musician, ancient, racial | |||
| cc | [ks] | перед е, i, у | accept, success, accent, accident | ||
| [k] | в остальных случаях | occur, according, accomplish, accumulate, occupy, occasion | |||
| ch | [tS] | chess, rich, cheese, chop, much, match, | |||
| tch | kitchen, watch, catch | ||||
| ch | [k] | в словах греческого происхождения | school, architect, chemistry, character, archiology, technical | ||
| [S] | в словах французского происхождения | machine, machinery, machinist | |||
| ck | [k] | black, sick, back, pack, | |||
| neck, check | |||||
| Dd | [d] | date, made, end, decide, | |||
| Old | |||||
| [-] | перед согласными | grandmother, handsome, handkerchief | |||
| dg | [G] | bridge, knowledge, judge, sledge | |||
| Ff | [f] | five, if, finish, face, family | |||
| ften | [fn] | often, soften | |||
| Gg | [G] | перед е, i, у | page, change, gymnasium, stage но: [g] - get, give, begin | ||
| [g] | в остальных случаях | go, green, grey, grow | |||
| gh | [-] | weight, eight, bought, brought, fought, daughter | |||
| [f] | после au,ou в словах: | laugh, enough, cough | |||
| gn | [n] | в начале и в конце слова | foreign, sign | ||
| Hh | [h] | he, his, here, have, home, hundred, husband | |||
| [-] | hour, honour, honest, exhibition | ||||
| Kk | [k] | kill, keep, king, kitchen, kiss | |||
| kn | [n] | в начале слова | know, knee, knife, knock | ||
| Ll | [l] | lake, late, light, listen, leg | |||
| alm, alf, alk | [-] | talk, calm, half, chalk | |||
| Mm | [m] | miss, meal, seem, team | |||
| mb mn | [m] | в конце слова | climb, bomb, comb autumn, column | ||
| Nn | [n] | never, number, nobody, next, notice | |||
| ng | [] | в конце слова | sing, song, interesting, thing | ||
| nk | [Nk] | drink, bank, ink, tank, thank | |||
| Pp | [p] | pen, pencil, pupil, publish, top | |||
| Ph | [f] | в словах греческого происхождения | phone, physics, philosophy, philologist, symphony, phase | ||
| Qu | [kw] | queen, question, quick, quite, queue | |||
| [k] | в словах французского происхождения | unique, technique | |||
| Rr | [r] | red, ready, rain, sorry, mirror, trip | |||
| Ss | [s] [s] [z] | в начале слова но: [S] после глухих согласных после звонких согласных и гласных | see, sea, son, sun, stand, stop sugar, sure maps, cats,books,hats pens, bags, days, girls, boys | ||
| ss | [s] | class, pass, success, kiss, miss | |||
| [S] | перед безударным слогом | Russian | |||
| ssion | [S(q)n] | session, discussion, comission, oppression | |||
| sion | [Zn] | в конце слова | decision, conclusion, revision, invasion, confusion, television | ||
| sure | [Zq] | pleasure, treasure, leisure, measure | |||
| sh | [S] | she, ship, fish, shop, short | |||
| sc | [s] | перед е, i, у | science, scientist, scene, scenery | ||
| sten | [sn] | listen, fasten | ||
| stle | [sl] | whistle, wrestling | ||
| Tt | [t] | ten, twenty, table, sit, teeth | ||
| th | [T] | thing, thank, three, tooth | ||
| [ D] | this, those, with, without, weather | |||
| tion | [S(q)n] | demonstration, revolution, dictation, translation, attention | ||
| ture | [t Sq] | picture, future, lecture, culture, nature, feature, furniture | ||
| Vv | [v] | live, leave, voice, move, vase | ||
| Ww | [w] | win, want, water, wind, twins | ||
| wh | [w] | when, where, why, what, which, white, whisper, while | ||
| wh+o | [h] | who, whom, whose, whole | ||
| wr | [r] | wrong, write, writer, wrestling | ||
| Xx | [ks] | в конце слова и перед согласными | box, fox, six, taxi, text, excuse, exercise | |
| [gz] | перед ударной гласной | examination, example, exist, exact | ||
| Zz | [z] | lazy, zone, zero, zoo, zoology | ||
Тренировочные упражнения
1. Обозначьте выделенные буквы и буквосочетания знаками фонетической транскрипции:
Rus sian, ini tial, so cial, lec ture, wa tch, discus sion, deci sion, sc ience, ta x i, e x ample, mou th, th is, quart er, th ing, co mb, girl s, cap s, day s, ch eese, wh ose, wh at, wr ong, bou ght, kn ow, g entle, g ate, a cc ident, ha nd some, de bt, ph ase, li st en, wh istle, z oo, sole mn, des ign er, me ch anic, o ft en.
2. Напишите в транскрипции следующие слов:
task, calmly, jar, meant, crisp, bath, exercise, architect, dialogue, characteristic, grandfather, sure, sugar, within, wolf.
3. Напишите, какие буквы и буквосочетания дают звуки:
[tS ],[S], [N],[T],[D],[Sn],[tSq],[Zq],[aiq],[iq],[eq]
Упражнения в чтении
