title: Phonetic notation of the American Heritage Dictionary
text: # Phonetic notation of the American Heritage Dictionary
  
  The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (abbreviated AHD) uses a phonetic notation based on the Latin alphabet to transcribe the pronunciation of spoken English. It and similar respelling systems, such as those used by the Merriam-Webster and Random House dictionaries, are familiar to US schoolchildren.
  
  The following tables show the AHD representations of English phonemes, along with the IPA equivalents as used on Wikipedia.
  
  ## Vowels
  
  In general, long vowels are marked with a macron, and short vowels with a breve. A circumflex may also be used to indicate a pre-rhotic vowel. Usage of other symbols vary.
  
  | AHD | IPA | Example |
  | - | - | - |
  | ă | æ | bat |
  | ā | eɪ | bait |
  | âr | ɛər | bear |
  | ä | ɑː | father |
  | ĕ | ɛ | bet |
  | ē | iː | beat |
  | ĭ | ɪ | bit |
  | ī | aɪ | bite |
  | îr | ɪər | beer |
  | ŏ | ɒ | bot |
  | ō | oʊ | boat |
  | ô | ɔː | bought |
  | ôr | ɔːr | north |
  | oi | ɔɪ | boy |
  | o͝o | ʊ | book |
  | o͞o | uː | boot |
  | ou | aʊ | bout |
  | ŭ | ʌ | butt |
  | ûr | ɜːr | bird |
  | ə | ə | about |
  | ər | ər | butter |
  | Foreign |||
  | œ | ø | French feu, German schön |
  | œ | œ | French œuf, German zwölf |
  | ü | y | French tu, German über |
  | ◌N | ◌̃ | French bon |
  
  ## Consonants
  
  | AHD | IPA | Example |
  | - | - | - |
  | b | b | buy |
  | ch | tʃ | China |
  | d | d | dye |
  | f | f | fight |
  | g | ɡ | guy |
  | h | h | high |
  | hw | hw | why |
  | j | dʒ | jive |
  | k | k | kite |
  | l | l | lie |
  | l | əl | bottle |
  | m | m | my |
  | n | n | nigh |
  | n | ən | button |
  | ng | ŋ | sing |
  | p | p | pie |
  | r | r | rye |
  | s | s | sigh |
  | sh | ʃ | shy |
  | t | t | tie |
  | th | θ | thigh |
  | th | ð | thy |
  | v | v | vie |
  | w | w | wide |
  | y | j | yacht |
  | z | z | zoo |
  | zh | ʒ | vision |
  | əm | əm | rhythm |
  | Foreign |||
  | KH | ç | German ich |
  | KH | x | German ach, Scottish loch |
  
  ## Suprasegmentals
  
  Stress is indicated by a prime character following stressed syllables. The character is in boldface when it indicates primary stress.
  
  | AHD | IPA | Description |
  | - | - | - |
  | ◌'′' | ˈ◌ | Primary stress |
  | ◌′ | ˌ◌ | Secondary stress |
  | - | . | Syllable division (omitted after stressed syllables) |
  