first_lesson.md

IPS Notation of IPSM Approach

1. 26 Letters

A a	B b	C c	D d	E e	F f	G g
H h	I i	J j	K k	L l	M m	N n
O o	P p	Q q		R r	S s	T t
U u	V v	W w		X x	Y y	Z z

2. Single Vowel Letters - A, E, I, O, U

2.1 Open Sound

Open Sound	[ ā ]	[ ē ]	[ ī ]	[ ō ]	[ ū ]
Example	nāme	mē	līke	nō	dūty

Note: The letter "e" at the end of a word is silent unless the word has only one syllable like "me".

【Pronunciation Practice】

cāpe nāme tāpe lāke gāme māke tāke hāte
mē bē fēte ēve wē
bīte fīve nīne kīte mīne nīce rīde sīde
rōse nōse rōpe nōte pōse hōme rōde
tūbe cūbe Jūne cūte hūge

2.2 Closed Sound

Closed Sound	a	e	i	o	u
Example	bat	bed	hit	dog	but

【Pronunciation Practice】

mat map bag cat hat fan bat apple
egg well red pen net hen bed bell
lick six bib pig pin kiss ink hill
ox on box sock hot not bot
sun cup bus nut gun

【Pronunciation Practice of 26 Letters】

A a	B b	C c	D d	E e	F f	G g
[ā]	[bē]	[sē]	[dē]	[ē]	[ef]	[jē]
H h	I i	J j	K k	L l	M m	N n
[āch]	[ī]	[jā]	[kā]	[el]	[em]	[en]
O o	P p	Q q		R r	S s	T t
[ō]	[pē]	[kū]		[àr]	[es]	[tē]
U u	V v	W w		X x	Y y	Z z
[ū]	[vē]	[double-ū]		[eks]	[wī]	[zē]

2.3 Soft Sound

Marked with a dot above, all pronounced as /i/.

Soft Sound	[a̍ ]	[ė]	[i]	—	—
Example	ima̍ge	bėgin	lily	—	—

2.4 Weak Sound

Marked with a circle above, all pronounced as /e̊/.

Weak Sound	[å]	[e̊ ]	[i̊ ]	[o̊ ]	[ů]
Example	åbout	ope̊n	evi̊l	pro̊pel	sůpply

3. Combinations of Two Vowel Letters

The vowel letter with a horizontal line above is pronounced in its open sound.

.	-A	-E	-I	-O	-U
A-			āi		ãu
E-	ēa	ēe	ēi		eū
I-		iē
O-	ōa		oi	oo	ōu
U-			ūi

Note: oi, oo, au need to be memorized separately as they don't follow the regular rules.

【Pronunciation Practice】

AI: tāil rāin pāint pāin jāil rāil nāil
AU: sãuse sãusa̍ge nãughty̍ ãutůmn
EE: bēe pēel jēep fēet sēe tēeth
EA: sēa mēat pēanut ēagle pēach tēa lēaf pēa
EI: cēil rėcēive co̊ncēit
IE: thiēf bėliēve piēce fiēld niēce
EU: Eūro̊p queūe
OA: rōad tōast tōad cōal gōat bōat cōat sōap
OO: moon zoo roof rooste̊r boots food spoon room cool fool boom foolish
OI: coin oil point noise boil soil poiso̊n coil
OU: thōugh sōul shōulde̊r mōuld
UI: sūit jūice frūit

4. Vowels with Multiple Pronunciations

.	Multiple Sounds	Example
ea	[ēa]	mēat
ea	[eā]	greāt
ea	[èa]	brèad
ei	[ēi]	cēiling
ei	[èi]	vèil
o	[ô]	sôme
o	[õ]	shõe
ou	[ōu]	sōul
ou	[oū]	groūp
ou	[òu]	clòud
ou	[ôu]	dôuble
oo	[oo]	cool
oo	[oo(d)],[oo(k)]	good, book
oo	[ôo]	blôody

【Pronunciation Practice】

brèad brèakfåst brèath brèadth plèasůre dèad dèaf hèad hèavy̍
breāk greāt greātly steāk weār peār beār
book cook good foot look hook

5. Substitutes of I and U

.	Original	Substitute	Example
i ——> y	[ ī ]	[ȳ]	flȳ
i ——> y	[i]	[y̍ ]	lily̍
ai ——> ay	[āi]	[āy]	sāy
ei ——> ey	[ēi]	[ēy]	kēy
ei ——> ey	[èi]	[èy]	thèy
au ——> aw	[ãu]	[ãw]	lãw
eu ——> ew	[eū]	[ew̄ ]	new̄
ou ——> ow	[ōu]	[ōw]	slōw
ou ——> ow	[òu]	[òw]	còw
oi ——> oy	[oi]	[oy̍ ]	boy̍

【Pronunciation Practice】

AY: bāy rāy wāy sāy hāy pāy Māy lāy
EY: donkēy monkēy jockēy turkēy hockēy kēy trollēy
OY: oy̍ste̊r boy̍ còwboy̍ soy̍ toy̍
OW: rainbōw pillōw yellōw windōw bōwl rōw hollōw lōw
OW: còw tòwel clòwn òwl cròwn bròwn flòwe̊r tòwe̊r
AW: pãw drãw sãw strãw strãwberry̍ lãwn

6. Vowel Letters + R

6.1 Open Sound + R

Open Sound + R	[ār]	[ēr]	[īr]	[ōr]	[ūr]
Example	cāre	hēre	fīre	fōre	dūre

6.2 Vowel Combinations + R

Vowel Combinations + R	[āir]	[eār]	[ēer]	[ ēar]	[īr]	[ōar]	[ōur]
Example	hāir	weār	bēer	hēar	fīre	bōar	fōur

6.3 Weak Sound + R

Weak Sound + R	[e̊r]	[i̊r]	[ůr]
Example	be̊rg	bi̊rd	bůrn

6.4 Other Vowel + R

Other Vowel + R	[àr]	[or] = [ōr]
Example	càr	pork, cōre

【Pronunciation Practice】

AR: àrm càr càrd càrt fàrm pàrk gàrde̊n
ER: siste̊r brôthe̊r unde̊r rooste̊r winte̊r môthe̊r
IR: ci̊rcůs di̊rty̍ bi̊rd ci̊rcle di̊rt gi̊rl
UR: tůrtle sůrfing tůrkėy fůr hůrt půrse nůrse
OR: porch pork horse horn fort morning corn fork

7. Other Consonants

.	IPS	Example	Remark
th	[th]	think
th	[t̅h]	t̅his
sh	[sh]	ship
ch	[c̅h]	mac̅hine
ch	[ch]	cheep
tch	[tch]	catch	[tch] = [ch]
ng	[ng]	king
qu	[kw]	quick
x	[ks]	excess	When at end or followed by consonant, except in some cases.
x	[gz]	exact	When followed by a vowel, except in some cases.
c	[k]	can	Before a, o, u, consonant letter or at the end.
c	[s]	cent	Before e, i, y.
g	[g]	go	Before a, o, u. Exceptions: finger, get, forget, together, begin, give, gift, girl, tiger.
g	[j]	orange	Before e, i, y.
ph	[f]	photo

【Pronunciation Practice】

CH: bēach lunch chēese bench chůrch chickėn chāir cherry̍
SH: shēep shi̊rt ship fish dish
PH: phōtō elėphånt telėphōne trōphy̍ phàrmåcy̍ alphåbėt
TH: brôt̅he̊r fèat̅he̊r lèat̅he̊r fàt̅he̊r môt̅he̊r
TH: thumb thrēe bath thi̊rsty̍ thiēf mòuth tēeth

8. Combinations of Consonant Letters

Read the following consonant letter combinations fluently.

bl-, cl-, fl-,gl-, pl-,sl-
br-, cr-, fr-, gr-, pr-, tr-, dr-
sc-, sk-, sm-, sn-,sp-, st-, sw-
scr-, spr-, str-, shr-, thr-, spl-
tw-

【Pronunciation Practice】

BL: blūe black blòuse bloom blēach blank blonde
FL: flat flū flȳ flāme flūte floor flag flòwe̊r
PL: plāne plāy plus planėt plum plāte plant
CL: clock clòud clēan clāy clīmb clōse clap clòwn
GL: glôve glōbe glàss glūe glīde̊r
BR: brook brim brīde bròwn brèad brick brôthe̊r
CR: cròwn crab crēam crōw crāyo̊n
GR: grāy grēen gràss grāpe gròund grōw grand
PR: prīce prãwn press prince princess prāy
FR: frog frost Frīda̍y French frȳ frūit frônt frāme
TR: tracto̊r truck trāin trāy trēe trīangle trunk trollėy
DR: drēam drum drȳ drop drãw drīve dress drink
SM: smīle smell smōke smooth
SN: snōw snāke snāil snēak snack
SL: slōw slap slēep slīde slōpe sled
SW: switch swim swēet swing swèate̊r swèat
SP: spīde̊r spāce spoon spell
ST: stock store stàr stamp storm stick stūde̊nt stand
SC: scàrf scoote̊r scanne̊r scāre scāle scoop
SK: skunk skȳ ski̊rt skāte