English is not Phonetic

[ESAL SPIRIT]

Always remember that English is not "phonetic". That means that we do not always say a word the same way that we spell it.

Some words can have the same spelling but different pronunciation, for example:

I like to read [ri:d]. *
I have read [red] that book.*
Some words have different spelling but the same pronunciation, for example:

I have read [red] that book.*

My favourite colour is red [red].*

Learn the 52 Sounds of English

The English language may have 26 letters of the alphabet, but it has double that number of sounds: 52. Knowing and recognizing the 52 sounds will help to give you good pronunciation. Of course, everybody knows that good pronunciation helps our speaking..