Mastering British English Pronunciation: IPA, stress, and a fun game to help you improve
English pronunciation is difficult because the spelling often doesn't match the sounds...
If you’re learning English, you’ve probably noticed that spelling and pronunciation don’t always match. This is one of the reasons the IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) and a clear understanding of word stress are so valuable - they give you tools to pronounce words correctly, even when the spelling is confusing.
In this post, we’ll explore:
why the IPA is so important for learning English
how understanding stress is essential to making your pronunciation clear
and how you can practise both with my free game: Stress Code
Why the IPA matters when you’re learning English
Learners often search for things like “phonetic alphabet British English”, “IPA British English”, or “British IPA chart” - and for good reason.
The International Phonetic Alphabet gives you a precise symbol for every one of the 44 sounds in British English. This removes the guesswork from pronunciation. For example:
ough can sound like /ʌf/ (rough), /əʊ/ (though), /uː/ (through), or /ɒf/ (cough)
The IPA shows you exactly which sounds to use – even when the spelling is the same in each case
If you’d like to explore the full British English IPA system, my British English Sounds Chart is a great place to start. It shows all the vowel and consonant sounds - plus audio, and examples - so you can hear exactly how each sound should be pronounced.
🎬 Why stress is 'crucial' - and how to say this word clearly
Even if you know your vowel and consonant sounds perfectly, your speech won’t sound natural without correct word stress.
English is a stress-timed language, which means:
some syllables are strong,
others are weak,
and stress placement often changes the quality of the vowels too.
Take the word crucial. Learners sometimes try to pronounce both syllables strongly - but in fact, only the first syllable is stressed:
CRU-cial → /ˈkruː.ʃəl/
You can see how Stress Code helps you understand this in the video above.
Did you know...
The schwa is the most common sound in spoken English, representing over 9% of all speech - so it's worth practising! (you can read more about the schwa in my earlier blog.)
Introducing the Stress Code game: a fun way to master word stress
To help learners improve faster, I created Stress Code: a free interactive game that trains you to understand the IPA and practice British English word stress.
Stress Code helps you...
identify the stressed syllable in a word
improve your rhythm and natural flow by identifying weak syllables and schwa sounds
understand how British English spelling corresponds to symbols and sounds on the IPA chart
It turns pronunciation practice into a quick, enjoyable challenge - perfect for learners at B1-C2 level.
Try the Stress Code game today - how many can you get right?
Which words do you find difficult to pronounce? Get in touch with me via our website and maybe I'll cover your suggestion in a future video or blog!
Do you want to improve your pronunciation at your own pace and in your own home? Take a look at our Pronunciation Power Online Course to see how you can build your English speaking skills in just a few minutes a day.
About the author
Hi there 👋 My name is Jenny Dance, and I have over 20 years' teaching experience. I am fascinated by language and sound, and have a passion for pronunciation...