The Pronunciation of English was written originally as a detailed description of the phonetics of English, presented from the point of view of the native English-speaking student. However, it soon established itself as a standard textbook in universities where English is a foreign language, because it provides in a lucid and authoritative manner the basic information needed by foreign students of the language.

Most of the book is devoted to a descriptive account of English pronunciation. This is followed by illustrative texts in phonetic transcription of Received Pronunciation and several regional varieties, Scottish and American pronunciation and reconstructions of Shakespearian and Chaucerian speech.