26个字母中有5个纯元音字母（A E I O U），20个纯辅音字母。字母Y为半元音字母，当Y位于词首时为辅音字母，位于词中或词尾时为元音字母，其读音与字母I相同。掌握五个元音字母的读音及其组合规律是学好英语的关键。元音字母在单词中可以单独发音，也可以跟其它字母构成字母组合一起发音，常见的组合有：
１）在重读开音节中读字母音[ei ]
例如：name [neim] grade [greid] eraser [i'reisə] cake [keik] same [seim]table ['teibl] late [leit] favourite ['feivərit] face [feis] tape [teip] plane [plein] potato [pə'teitəu] skate [skeit] make [meik] lake [leik] take [teik] save [seiv] station ['steiʃən] baker ['beikə] place [pleis] tomato[tə'meitəu] safe [seif] gate [geit] snake [sneik] cage [keidʒ] baby ['beibi] paper ['peipə] famous ['feiməs] later ['leitə] radio ['reidiəu] patient ['peiʃənt]
2）在重读闭音节中读[æ]
例如：map [mæp] bag [bæg] apple ['æpl] fax [fæks] glad [glæd] hat [hæt] black [blæk] catch [kætʃ] hamburger ['hæmbə:gə] math [mæθ] rabbit ['ræbit] bank [bæŋk] accident ['æksidənt] happen ['hæpən] marry ['mæri] exam [ig'zæm] cabbage ['kæbidʒ] passenger ['pæsindʒə] fact [fækt] parrot ['pærət]
２.元音字母Ｅ１）在重读开音节中读字母音[i:]
例如：these [ði:z] we [wi:] evening ['i:vniŋ] be [bi:] even ['i:vən] Chinese['tʃai'ni:z] Japanese[,dʒæpə'ni:z] she [ʃi:] he [hi:] me [mi:] metre ['mi:tə] Swedish ['swi:diʃ] scenery ['si:nəri] eve [i:v]
2).在重读闭音节中读字[e]
例如：ten [ten] spell [spel] pen [pen] desk [desk] egg [eg] welcome ['welkəm] let [let] address [ə'dres] dress [dres] next ['nekst] leg [leg] empty ['empti] mend [mend] chess [tʃes] rest [rest] letter ['letə] better['betə] left [left] tell [tel] remember [ri'membə] invent [in'vent] December [di'sembə] wet [wet] message ['mesidʒ]
３.元音字母Ｉ１）在重读开音节中读字母音[ai]
例如：hi [hai] nine [nain] minus ['mainəs] Chinese['tʃai'ni:z] fine [fain] licence ['laisəns] wife [waif] kite [kait] white [hwait] line [lain] mine [main] beside [bi'said] knife [naif] rice [rais] ice [ais] ride [raid] Friday ['fraidi] write [rait] price [prais] hike [haik] exciting [ik'saitiŋ] lion ['laiən] tiger ['taigə] quite [kwait] diary ['daiəri] science ['saiəns] invite [in'vait] wine [wain] quiet ['kwaiət] surprise [sə'praiz]
２）在读闭音节中读字母音[i]
例如：six [siks] think [θiŋk] picture ['piktʃə] twin [twin] with [wið] drink [driŋk] chips [tʃip] swim [swim] sing [siŋ] dinner ['dinə] dish [diʃ] trip [trip] winter ['wintə] pick [pik] lift [lift] village ['vilidʒ]
４.元音字母Ｏ１）在重读开音节中读字母音[əu]
例如：no [nəu] hello [hə'ləu] home [həum] those [ðəuz] over ['əuvə] phone [fəun] open ['əupən] so [səu] nose [nəuz] broken ['brəukən] robot ['rəubɔt] code [kəud] close [kləuz] smoke [sməuk] October [ɔk'təubə] hope [həup] ago [ə'gəu] Rome [rəum] suppose [sə'pəuz] mobile ['məubil] notice ['nəutis]
２）在重读闭音节中读[ɔ]
例如：not [nɔt] clock [klɔk] forgot[fə'gɔt] doctor ['dɔktə] lock [lɔk] doll [dɔl] from [frɔm] sock [sɔk] shop [ʃɔp] hot [hɔt] fog [fɔg] hospital ['hɔspitl] job [dʒɔb] hobby ['hɔbi] problem ['prɔbləm] dollar['dɔlə] college ['kɔlidʒ] dolphin ['dɔlfin] soccer ['sɔkə] rock [rɔk] concert ['kɔnsət] song [sɔŋ] crop [krɔp] opposite ['ɔpəzit]
５.元音字母Ｕ１）在重读开音节中读字母音[j u:]
例如：computer[kəm'pju:tə] excuse [iks'kju:z] student ['stju:dənt] use [ju:z] music ['mju:zik] usually ['ju:ʒuəli] refuse [ri'fju:z] human ['hju:mən] produce [prə'dju:s] scuba ['skju:bə] contribution [,kɔntri'bju:ʃən] pupil ['pju:pl] universe ['ju:nivə:s] huge [hju:dʒ] duty ['dju:ti]
２）在重读闭音节中读[ʌ]
例如：number ['nʌmbə] plus [plʌs] cup [kʌp] bus [bʌs] much [mʌtʃ] us [ʌs] husband ['hʌzbənd] uncle ['ʌŋkl] must [mʌst] lunch [lʌntʃ] hundred ['hʌndrəd] hungry ['hʌŋgri] jump [dʒʌmp] run [rʌn] fun [fʌn] discuss [di'skʌs] pumpkin ['pʌmpkin] summer ['sʌmə] duck [dʌk] subject ['sʌbdʒikt] suddenly ['sʌdnli]
二、五个元音字母分别与字母Ｒ组合（ar、er、ir、or、ur）在重读音节的读音１）.ＡＲ读[a:]
例如：sharpener ['ʃɑ:pənə] car [kɑ:] dark [dɑ:k] arm [ɑ:m] card [kɑ:d] park [pɑ:k] hard [hɑ:d] farmer ['fɑ:mə] party ['pɑ:ti] artist ['ɑ:tist] garden ['gɑ:dn] far [fɑ:]
2）.ER读[ε:]
例如：term [tə:m] certainly ['sə:tənli] person ['pə:sn] university [,ju:ni'və:siti] Germany ['dʒə:məni] serve [sə:v] prefer [pri'fə:] deserve [di'zə:v] nervous ['nə:vəs] expert [ek'spə:t]
3）.IR读[ε:]
例如：skirt [skə:t] thirty ['θə:ti] thirsty ['θə:sti] first [fə:st] birthday ['bə:θdei] circle ['sə:kl] dirty ['də:ti]
４）.ＯＲ读[ɔ:]
例如：for [fɔ:] short [ʃɔ:t] sport [spɔ:t] born [bɔ:n] report [ri'pɔ:t] north [nɔ:θ] fork [fɔ:k] nor [nɔ:] order ['ɔ:də] corner ['kɔ:nə] storm [stɔ:m] afford [ə'fɔ:d] performance [pə'fɔ:məns] pork [pɔ:k]
５）.ＵＲ读[ε:]
例如：purse [pə:s] purple ['pə:pl] Thursday ['θə:zdi] turkey ['tə:ki] turn [tə:n] church [tʃə:tʃ] disturb [dis'tə:b] hurt [hə:t] return [ri'tə:n] surfing ['sə:fiŋ] Turkey ['tə:ki]
三、ar、er、ir、or、ur分别与字母Ｅ组合的读音1）字母ARE组合读[ɛə]
例如：careful ['kɛəfəl] software ['sɔftwɛə]
2）字母ERE组合读 [ɛə]/[ iə]
例如：here [hiə] where [hwɛə] there [ðɛə]
3）字母IRE组合读[aiə]
例如：tire ['taiə] fireplace ['faiəpleis] hire[haiə]
4）字母ORE组合读[ɔ:]
例如：before [bi'fɔ:] more [mɔ:] score [skɔ:] explore [iks'plɔ:] store [stɔ:]
5）字母URE组合读[ʊə]/[ ə]
例如：sure [ʃʊə(r)] future [ˈfju:tʃə(r)]nature ˈ[]neɪtʃə(r)] picture [ˈpɪktʃə(r)]
