Topics: Lexical Set - Phonology
In English, lexical sets are used to classify groups of words that share a certain vowel phoneme in a specific accent.
Across various accents, the phoneme that’s used in each of these sets may vary, but what’s important is the fact that the phoneme is (usually) consistent in a specific one.
There are 24 standard lexical sets in English, each one identified by a specific keyword:
| Keyword | SSB | RP | GenAm | Example words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KIT | ɪ | ɪ | ɪ | ship, sick, bridge, milk, myth, busy |
| DRESS | ɛ | e | ɛ | step, neck, edge, shelf, friend, ready |
| TRAP | a | æ | æ | tap, back, badge, scalp, hand, cancel |
| LOT | ɔ | ɒ | ɑ | stop, sock, dodge, romp, possible, quality |
| STRUT | ə~ʌ | ʌ | ʌ | cup, suck, budge, pulse, trunk, blood |
| FOOT | ɵ | ʊ | ʊ | put, bush, full, good, look, wolf |
| BATH | ɑː | ɑː | æ | staff, brass, ask, dance, sample, calf |
| CLOTH | ɔ | ɒ | ɔ | cough, broth, cross, long, Boston |
| NURSE | əː | ɜː | ɜr | hurt, lurk, urge, burst, jerk, term |
| FLEECE | ɪj | iː | i | creep, speak, leave, feel, key, people |
| FACE | ɛj | eɪ | eɪ | tape, cake, raid, veil, steak, day |
| PALM | ɑː | ɑː | ɑ | psalm, father, bra, spa, lager |
| THOUGHT | oː | ɔː | ɔ | taught, sauce, hawk, jaw, broad |
| GOAT | əw | əʊ | o | soap, joke, home, know, so, roll |
| GOOSE | ʉw | uː | u | loop, shoot, tomb, mute, huge, view |
| PRICE | ɑj | aɪ | aɪ | ripe, write, arrive, high, try, buy |
| CHOICE | oj | ɔɪ | ɔɪ | adroit, noise, join, toy, royal |
| MOUTH | aw | aʊ | aʊ | out, house, loud, count, crowd, cow |
| NEAR | ɪː | ɪə | ɪr | beer, sincere, fear, beard, serum |
| SQUARE | ɛː | ɛə | ɛr | care, fair, pear, where, scarce, vary |
| START | ɑː | ɑː | ɑr | far, sharp, bark, carve, farm, heart |
| NORTH | oː | ɔː | ɔr | for, war, short, scorch, born, warm |
| FORCE | oː | ɔː | or | four, wore, sport, porch, borne, story |
| CURE | oː~ɵː | ʊə | ʊr | poor, tourist, pure, plural, jury |
| happY | i | ɪ | ɪ | copy, scampi, taxi, sortie, committee, hockey, Chelsea |
| lettER | ə | ə | ər | paper, metre, calendar, stupor, succo(u)r, martyr |
| commA | ə | ə | ə | about, gallop, oblige, quota, vodka |
These sets were proposed by phonetician John C. Wells in 1982, according to the phonemes used in RP and a GA accent.
Standard Southern British Accent
The table in this note also includes the phonemes used in a Standard Southern British accent, as described by Dr. Geoff Lindsey. When compared to RP, SSB describes a more accurate representation of the English that’s currently spoken in Southern England.