This book is at the same time a presentation and an investigation of the phological system of the world's most widespread and most widely studies languate, English. It is intended both for teachers and prospective teachers of English who require a full understanding of the sound system of English and for students of linguists who know English and need to acquire an understanding of phonology. As representation, the text incorporates all central aspects of research in the phonology of English. As investigation, it involves the reader at every step, its many integral exercises leading the student to discover facts, to formulate general statements and apply concepts. In succession the book deals with varieties of English, consonants, vowels, syllable structure, allophonic variation, phonotactic constraints, the rhythm, intonation and mobile accent of utterances, placement of stress in words, the effects of rapid, casual speech on pronounciation, and the morpheme variation which results from historic phonological processes. The chapter on vowels presents a `general inventory' and varous `particular inventories' as a means of dealing with the troublesome matter of dialect differences in vowel systems. The chapter on phonotactics is the most through ever published, and it serves as the basis of an explanation for certain other facts, for example the different forms of the regular plural ending of nouns. In presenting an account of not just the varieties of American and British English, but also other widespread variants, this is the most comprehensive introductory guide to the pronounciation of English today.