The following list connects symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet (also here for paste-able symbols) to the relevant word classes from Wells (1982) and key word examples from Ladefoged (1975:87; 2001:115-116), Denes & Pinson (1993:13) and other sources.
/i e æ a ɔ o u/ /ɪ ɛ ʌ ʊ/ /aj aw ɔj/ (key words, IPA symbols, and sound files can be found at the UCLA Phonetics site)
| Well’s Word Class | IPA Symbol | Labov/Trager/Block | Standard American English key words |
| FLEECE | /i/ | iy | beet, bead, bee; heat, heed, he |
| KIT | /ɪ/ | i | bit, bid; hit, hid |
| FACE | /e/ | ey | bait, bayed, bay; hate, hayed, hay |
| DRESS | /ɛ/ | e | bet, bed; *het, head |
| TRAP, BATH | /æ/ | æ | bat, bad; hat, had |
| PALM | /a/ | ah | |
| LOT | /a/ | o | bot, bod, bah; hot, ha |
| THOUGHT | /ɔ/ | oh | bought, baud; haut, hawed; caw |
| STRUT | /ʌ/ | ʌ | butt, bud; hut, HUD; cut |
| GOAT | /o/ | ow | boat, bode, beau; hoed, hoe |
| FOOT | /ʊ/ | u | book, put; hood |
| GOOSE | /u/ | uw | boot, booed, boo; hoot, who’d, who |
| PRICE | /aj/ | ay | bite, bide, buy; height, hide, hi |
| CHOICE | /ɔj/ | oy | *boid, boil, boy |
| MOUTH | /aw/ | aw | bout, bow; how’d, how |