五个元音字母的四种读音
一般来讲元音字母在单词中读元音，辅音字母在单词中读辅音，理论上每个元音字母要有四种读音才能满足20个元音的读音需要。我们把元音字母的四种读音分别称为：重开音、重闭音、非重音、协同音。
重开音是指元音字母在重读开音节的读音，元音字母在重读开音节中一般读字母本身的音或长音。重闭音是指元音字母在重读闭音节中的读音。非重音指的是元音字母在非重读音节的读音，元音字母在非重读音节一般有[ ə ]与 [i]两种读音。协同音是指元音字母在单词中的读音受到前面或后字母影响的读音。由于英语单词来源复杂，字母在单词中的读音也有不符合读音规则的情况，就如单词的形式变化一样，每种变化都有不规则的情况。五个元音字母中字母E的读音最不规则，经常与辅音构成相对开音节而不发音。元音字母在音节中的读音一般规则可以归纳为下表：
字 母 A | 重开音 | 字母音[ei ] | grade made famous patient favorite stable |
长元音[a:] | banana father rather | ||
重闭音 | [æ] | apple rabbit accident happen cabbage hamburger | |
非重音 | [ ə ] | China American husband laboratory agree vegetable | |
[i] | orange language manager village temperature | ||
协同音 | 后读[ɔ][ɔ:] | watch water wash was Washington | |
S/ n前读[a:] | past basket glass pass France dance fast last | ||
字 母 E | 重开音 | [i:] | these we evening be Chinese he meter |
重闭音 | [e] | address next empty rest letter better left | |
非重音 | [ ə ] | science hello open listen seven different | |
[i] | college toilet harvest wallet knowledge racket | ||
协同音 | ri/ro前读[iə] | zero serious period experience series | |
字 母 I | 重开音 | 字母音 [ai] | quite quiet diary invite lion tiger besides exciting |
长元[i:] | police machine magazine | ||
重闭音 | [i] | twins drink chips dinner trip winter | |
非重音 | [i] | family tennis favorite office important animal | |
[ ə ] | pencil cousin festival holiday | ||
协同音 | gh前读[ai] | right light night bright flight | |
字 母 O | 重开音 | 母音[əu] | home those over phone open October broken |
长元音[u:] | who do improve move lose | ||
重闭音 | [ɔ] | hospital job hobby problem dollar dolphin soccer | |
非重音 | [ ə ] | together today welcome carrot lesson history | |
协同音 | th/ ve/ n/m前读[ʌ] | mother brother love some money glove other Monday another nothing monkey front month | |
字 母 U | 重开音 | 字母音[j u:] | computer excuse student use music usually refuse |
长元音[u:] | ruler true July June pollute | ||
重闭音 | [ʌ] | number uncle hunger jump run but | |
非重音 | [ ə ] | stadium minus success August autumn support | |
[i] | minute | ||
协同音 | q/g后读[w] | question quickly language quarrel penguin |
