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：

一、五个元音字母在重读开音节与重读闭音节的读音

1.元音字母Ａ

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Ｅ

１）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Ｉ

１）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Ｏ

１）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Ｕ

１）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)]