英语就是英语发音的最小单位。英语有26个字母什么是音素，48个音素。音素就是英语发音的最小单位。音素与拼写有直接的相对应性。最常见的这种相对应性的体现有72个。你学会48个音素，掌握72种音拼，就会读出一个单词的正确发音。注意，音素不是音标。
英语的48个音素是:【5个短】(Short-VowelSounds)short/?/inappleshort/?/inelephantshort/?/iniglooshort/?/inoctopusshort/ǔ/inumbrella【6个长元音】(Long-VowelSounds)long/ā/incakelong/ē/infeetlong/ī/inpielong/ō/inboatlong/ū/(yoo)inmulelong/ōō/inflew【3个R控制的元音】(r-ControlledVowelSounds)/ur/infern,bird,andhurt/ar/inpark/or/infork【18个辅音】(18ConsonantSounds)/b/inbat/k/incatandkite/d/indog/f/infan/g/ingoat/h/inhat/j/injam/l/inlip/m/inmap/n/innest/p/inpig/r/inrat/s/insun/t/intop/v/invan/w/inwig/y/inyell/z/inzip7个双辅音or复合辅音(发一个音)(Digraphs)/ch/inchin/sh/inshipunvoiced/th/inthinvoiced/th/inthis/hw/inwhip*/ng/insing/nk/insink*(whispronounced/w/insomeareas)5个双元音和特殊音(Diphthongs–复合元音，发双音andOtherSpecialSounds)/oi/inoilandboy/ow/inowlandouchshort/??/incookandpull/aw/injawandhaul/zh/intelevision。
