voiceless (no buzz)
voiced (vocal folds vibrate)
Try it: put a finger on your throat and say "sss" then "zzz" — feel the difference.
Empty cell = that combination isn't used in English (or is physically very hard to produce). Two symbols in a cell = a voiceless/voiced pair made the same way.
/ˈaɪ.piː.eɪ/Pick a sound from the grid to explore it.
Position = tongue position in your mouth: top-left is high & front, bottom-right is low & back.
Dashed arrows = diphthongs (the tongue glides from one vowel toward another).
ɔɪPick a vowel from the chart to explore it.
Quick glossary
- Place of articulation
- Where in the mouth the airflow is obstructed — lips, teeth, ridge behind teeth, roof of mouth, back of mouth, or throat.
- Manner of articulation
- How the airflow is obstructed — fully stopped, squeezed through a narrow gap, or barely touched.
- Voicing
- Whether the vocal folds vibrate while the sound is made (voiced) or stay open (voiceless).
- Height / backness (vowels)
- How high the tongue is, and how far forward or back it sits, while the airflow stays unobstructed.