一. 5个R音节的读音
R音节是由五个元音字母加上辅音字母R一起构成的音节，R音节是许多单词的构成部分，掌握R音节的读音一般规则对单词的拼读与记忆很有帮助。在单词中如果出现元音字母后有两个R连在一起，如 sorry, parrot,hurry，这里的两个R是为了区分开音节与闭音节，这样的结构一般不是R音节。R音节在单词中的读音一般规则如下表：
R音节在重读音节中的读音
1).ar在重读音节中读[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在重读音节中读[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在重读音节中读[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在重读音节中读[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在重读音节中读[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]
R音节在非重读音节中读
R音节在非重读音节中读[ə]
例如：number ['nʌmbə] ruler ['ru:lə] father ['fɑ:ðə] after ['ɑ:ftə] doctor ['dɔktə] Saturday ['sætədi] dollar['dɔlə] popular ['pɔpjulə] sugar ['ʃugə] perhaps [pə'hæps] conductor [kən'dʌktə] scissors ['sizəz] comfortable ['kʌmfətəbl] inventor [in'ventə] shepherd ['ʃepəd] inspector [in'spektə]
R音节在W后的读音
1）． ar在W后读[ɔ:]
例如：wardrobe ['wɔ:drəub]warm[wɔ:m]war[wɔ:] towards [tə'wɔ:dz] rewarding [ri'wɔ:diŋ]
2）．or在W后读[ε:]
例如：work [wə:k] word [wə:d] world [wə:ld] worse [wə:s] worth [wə:θ]
二.七个元辅音字母组合及其读音：
R音节是英语中最常见的元辅音字母组合，R音节的读音在前面已讲到。除了R音节外，英语中常见的元辅音字母组合如下表：
1）．字母AW组合读[ɔ:]，例如：draw [drɔ:] law[lɔ:] saw [s ɔ:] awful [ˈɔ:fl] flaw [flɔ:] lawn[lɔ:n] jaw[dʒɔ:] paw[pɔ:]
2）字母AY组合读[ei]1）．字母AW组合读[ɔ:]，例如：draw [drɔ:] law[lɔ:] saw [s ɔ:] awful [ˈɔ:fl] flaw [flɔ:] lawn[lɔ:n] jaw[dʒɔ:] paw[pɔ:]
例如：today [tə'dei] way [wei] play [plei] say [sei] day [dei] away [ə'wei] player ['pleiə] may [mei] stay [stei] maybe ['meibi] relay [ri'lei] lay [lei] pay[pei]
3）字母EW组合读[ju:]
例如：news [nju:z] few [fju:] chew [tʃu:] crew [kru:]jewelry ['dʒu:əlrɪ] Jewish [ˈdʒu:ɪʃ]
4)字母EY组合读在重读音节中读
例如：hey[hei] they [ðei] grey [grei] key [ki:]；
在非重读音节中读[i]
例如：money ['mʌni] Sydney ['sidni] turkey ['tə:ki] monkey ['mʌŋki]
5）字母EX组合读[gz]
例如：exact[ɪgˈzækt] exam[ɪgˈzæm] example[ɪgˈa:mpl] exist[ɪgˈzɪst] exhaust[ɪgˈzɔ:st] executive[ɪgˈzekjətɪv]；
字母EX组合读[ks]
例如：excuse[ɪkˈskju:s] expect[ˈekspɜ:t] exchange[ɪksˈtʃeɪndʒ] except[ɪkˈsept] experience [ɪkˈspɪəriəns] experiment [ɪkˈsperɪmənt] explain [ɪkˈspleɪn] expose [ɪk'spəʊz] express[ɪkˈspres] expensive[ɪkˈspensɪv] extraordinary [ɪkˈstrɔ:dnri]
6）字母OY组合读[ɔi]
例如：boy [bɔi] toy [tɔi] employ [imˈplɔi] enjoy [inˈdʒɔi]
7）字母OW组合读[əu]
例如：row [rəu] know [nəu] window ['windəu] yellow ['jeləu] throw [θrəu] borrow ['bɔrəu] tomorrow [tə'mɔ:rəu] follow ['fɔləu] grow [grəu] slow [sləu] show [ʃəu] snow [snəu] below [bi'ləu] Moscow ['mɔskəu] own [əun] bowl [bəul];
字母OW组合读[au]
例如：how [hau] down [daun] now [nau] flower ['flauə] brown [braun] cow [kau] town [taun] shower ['ʃauə] crow [krəu] allow [ə'lau]