F (letter)

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(Use in English)
(Use in English)
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'''f''' is a labiodental fricative, air being pushed through the upper teeth and lower lip.  It is an unvoiced '''v''': '''feŵ''' and '''vieŵ''' are a [[minimal pair]].
'''f''' is a labiodental fricative, air being pushed through the upper teeth and lower lip.  It is an unvoiced '''v''': '''feŵ''' and '''vieŵ''' are a [[minimal pair]].
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Further examples: (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): '''fún, féather, férry, fîght, forty, fífty, fílth, fíckle, fád, flóp, frét, físt, óff, óften''' (*offen) '''fát, fïrst, déaf, friénd'''.
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Further examples: (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see [[English phonemes]]): '''fún, féather, férry, fîght, forty, fífty, fílth, fíckle, fád, flóp, frét, físt, óff, óften''' (*offen), '''fát, fïrst, déaf, friénd'''.
It likes to double itself at the end of words, after a single vowel letter: '''óff, stúff, clíff, whíff, múff''', though not always: '''íf, óf''' (*ov), '''déaf''' (two vowel letters).
It likes to double itself at the end of words, after a single vowel letter: '''óff, stúff, clíff, whíff, múff''', though not always: '''íf, óf''' (*ov), '''déaf''' (two vowel letters).

Revision as of 19:55, 29 November 2008



F is the sixth letter of the English alphabet. Its name is pronounced eff.

Use in English

f is a labiodental fricative, air being pushed through the upper teeth and lower lip. It is an unvoiced v: feŵ and vieŵ are a minimal pair.

Further examples: (the accents show stress and pronunciation: see English phonemes): fún, féather, férry, fîght, forty, fífty, fílth, fíckle, fád, flóp, frét, físt, óff, óften (*offen), fát, fïrst, déaf, friénd.

It likes to double itself at the end of words, after a single vowel letter: óff, stúff, clíff, whíff, múff, though not always: íf, óf (*ov), déaf (two vowel letters). And also in the middle of words: ráffle, óffer, íffy, báffle, éffort, Clífford, múffle, stúffing, stúffed.

f begins consonant clusters: Áfghan, aflôat, frîght, shíft.

The f sound, however, is spelt ph in many words from Greek: epíphany, Dáphne, grāph, élephant; however, Stêphen is pronounced exactly like its variant spelling Stêven.

In some words the f sound is written gh: enoúgh, tróugh.

See also

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