English-Written-Out Visual Pronunciation Chart

English spelling often feels unpredictable — even for native speakers. From silent letters to odd vowel patterns, learners are frequently puzzled by why words look nothing like they sound. This post breaks down the reasons behind the confusion and gives you a visual pronunciation chart to help make sense of it all.

Written-Out Visual Pronunciation Chart (Common Tricky Combos)

How English words are written vs. how they sound

ough
– “oh” (though)
– “oo” (through)
– “off” (cough)
– “aw” (thought)
– “uff” (rough)
– “ow” (bough)
– “uh” (thorough)

kn
– “n” (know, knight)

gh
– Silent (high, light)
– “f” (laugh, enough)

wr
– “r” (write, wrist)

mb
– “m” (comb, lamb, thumb)

ps
– “s” (psychology, pseudo)

ch
– “ch” (church)
– “k” (chorus, chemistry)
– “sh” (chef – borrowed from French)

ti / ci / si (used in soft sounds)
– “sh” (nation, special, tension)

wh
– “w” (what, where – in most modern accents)
– Sometimes aspirated “hw” in older or Scottish accents

sc
– “s” (science, scene)
– “sk” (scale, scar)

x
– “ks” (box)
– “z” (xylophone)

g
– “j” (giant, giraffe – before e, i, or y)
– “g” (goat, garden – before a, o, u)

c
– “s” (city, cereal – before e, i, or y)
– “k” (cat, cup – before a, o, u)

ie / ei
– “ee” (brief, receive)
– Can flip depending on spelling rules (“i before e except after c… sometimes”)

silent letters
– l (salmon, calm) ( Sah mon,  cah m)

– h (honest, hour) (on est, our)

– t (castle, ballet (cas sel, bah lay)

– g (gnome, sign) (nō me, sī n)

Conclusion

English may look chaotic on the surface, but its spelling patterns reflect deep historical roots, sound changes, and centuries of influence from other languages. Once you understand the system behind the irregularities, English becomes more logical and easier to navigate — even when it’s written one way and said another.