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Wikipedia:IPA


Below is a basic key to the symbols of the International Phonetic Alphabet. For the smaller set of symbols that is sufficient for English, see Wikipedia:IPA for English. Several rare IPA symbols are not included; these are found in the main IPA article. For the Manual of Style guideline for pronunciation, see Wikipedia:Manual of Style (pronunciation).Template:IPAkeysTemplate:Anchor

For each IPA symbol, an English example is given where possible; here "RP" stands for Received Pronunciation. The foreign languages that are used to illustrate additional sounds are primarily the ones most likely to be familiar to English speakers, French, German, and Spanish. For symbols not covered by those, recourse is taken to the populous languages Mandarin Chinese, Hindustani, Arabic, and Russian. For sounds still not covered, other smaller but well-known languages are used, such as Swahili, Turkish, and Zulu.

The left-hand column displays the symbols like this: Template:Audio-pipe. Click on the speaker icon to hear the sound; click on the symbol itself for a dedicated article with a more complete description and examples from multiple languages. All the sounds are spoken more than once, and the consonant sounds are spoken once followed by a vowel and once between vowels.

Template:Pp-semiTemplate:Inline audio

Template:CompactTOC8

Main symbols

The symbols are arranged by similarity to letters of the Latin alphabet. Symbols which do not resemble any Latin letter are placed at the end.

   Symbol   ExamplesDescription
A
Template:Audio-pipeMandarin 他 tā, German MannFor many English speakers, the first part of the ow sound in cow. Found in some dialects of English in cat or father.
[ ä ]Spanish casa, French patte
Template:Audio-pipeGerman Aachen, French gareLong [a].
Template:Audio-pipeRP cut, German Kaiserslautern(With English, [ɐ] is normally written "[ʌ]".)
Template:Audio-pipeFinnish Linna, Dutch bad
Template:Audio-pipeRP father, French pâteLong [ɑ].
[ ɑ̃ ]French Caen, sans, tempsNasalized [ɑ].
Template:Audio-pipeRP cotLike [ɑ], but with the lips slightly rounded.
Template:Audio-pipeLike [ɔ], but without the lips being rounded. (When "[ʌ]" is used for English, it may really be [ɐ] or [ɜ].)
Template:Audio-pipeRP cat
B
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish babble
Template:Audio-pipeSwahili bwanaLike a [b] said with a gulp.
Template:Audio-pipeLike the brrr sound made when cold.
Template:Audio-pipeSpanish la BambaLike [b], but with the lips not quite touching.
C
Template:Audio-pipeTurkish kebap "kebab", Czech stín "shadow", Greek και "and"Between English tune (RP) and cute. Sometimes used instead for [tʃ] in languages like Hindi.
Template:Audio-pipeGerman IchMore y-like than [x]. Some English speakers have a similar sound in huge. To produce this sound, try whispering loudly the word "ye" as in "Hear ye!".
Template:Audio-pipeMandarin Xi'an, Polish ścianaMore y-like than [ʃ]; something like English she.
Template:Audio-pipesee under O
D
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish dad
Template:Audio-pipeSwahili DodomaLike [d] said with a gulp.
Template:Audio-pipeAmerican English harderLike [d] with the tongue curled or pulled back.
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish the, bathe
Template:Audio-pipe1English adze, Italian zero
Template:Audio-pipe1English judge
Template:Audio-pipe1Polish niedźwiedź "bear"Like [dʒ], but with more of a y-sound.
Template:Audio-pipe1Polish dżem "jam"Like [dʒ] with the tongue curled or pulled back.
E
Template:Audio-pipeSpanish fe; French clé
Template:Audio-pipeGerman KleeLong [e]. Similar to English hey, before the y sets in.
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish above, Hindi ठग [ʈʰəɡ] (thug) "thief"(Only occurs in English when not stressed.)
[ ɚ ]American English runner
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish bet
[ ɛ̃ ]French Agen, vin, main; Polish mięsoNasalized [ɛ].
Template:Audio-pipeRP bird (long)
[ ɝ ]American English bird
F
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish fun
Template:Audio-pipesee under J
Template:Audio-pipesee under J
G
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish gag(Should look like . No different from a Latin "g")
Template:Audio-pipeSwahili UgandaLike [ɡ] said with a gulp.
Template:Audio-pipeLike [ɡ], but further back, in the throat. Found in Persian and some Arabic dialects for /q/, as in Gaddafi.
Template:Audio-pipesee under ZEnglish beige.
H
Template:Audio-pipeAmerican English house
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish ahead, when said quickly.
[ ʰ ]The extra puff of air in English top [tʰɒp] compared to stop [stɒp], or to French or Spanish [t].
Template:Audio-pipeArabic محمد MuhammadFar down in the throat, like [h], but stronger.
Template:Audio-pipesee under U
[ ɮ ]see under L
I
Template:Audio-pipeFrench ville, Spanish Valladolid
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish seaLong [i].
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish sit
Template:Audio-pipeRussian ты "you"Often used for unstressed English roses.
J
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish yes, hallelujah, German Junge
[ ʲ ]Russian Ленин [ˈlʲenʲɪn]Indicates a sound is more y-like.
Template:Audio-pipeSpanish cayo (some dialects)Like [j], but stronger.
Template:Audio-pipeTurkish gör "see", Czech díra "hole"Between English dew (RP) and argue. Sometimes used instead for [dʒ] in languages like Hindi.
Template:Audio-pipeSwahili jamboLike [ɟ] said with a gulp.
K
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish kick, skip
L
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish leaf
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish wool
Russian малый [ˈmɑɫɨj] "small"		"Dark" el.
Template:Audio-pipeWelsh llwyd [ɬʊɪd] "grey"
Zulu hlala [ɬaːla] "sit"		Rather like [l] and [ʃ] or [l] and [θ] said together. Found in Welsh names like Lloyd and Llywelyn and Nelson Mandela's Xhosa name Rolihlahla.
Template:Audio-pipeLike [l] with the tongue curled or pulled back.
Template:Audio-pipeA flapped [l], like [l] and [ɾ] said together.
Template:Audio-pipeZulu dla "eat"Rather like [l] and [ʒ], or [l] and [ð], said together.
M
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish mime
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish symphonyLike [m], but lips touch teeth as they do in [f].
[ ɯ ]see under W
Template:Audio-pipesee under W
N
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish nun
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish sing
Template:Audio-pipeSpanish Peña, French champagneRather like English canyon.
Template:Audio-pipeHindi वरुण [ʋəruɳ] VarunaLike [n] with the tongue curled or pulled back.
Template:Audio-pipeCastilian Spanish Don Juan [doɴˈχwan]Like [ŋ], but further back, in the throat.
O
Template:Audio-pipeSpanish no, French eau
Template:Audio-pipeGerman Boden, French VosgesLong [o]. Somewhat reminiscent of English no.
Template:Audio-pipeGerman Oldenburg, French Garonne
Template:Audio-pipeRP law, French LimogesLong [ɔ].
[ ɔ̃ ]French Lyon, son; Polish wążNasalized [ɔ].
Template:Audio-pipeFrench feu, bœufsLike [e], but with the lips rounded like [o].
Template:Audio-pipeGerman Goethe, French Deûle, neutreLong [ø].
Template:Audio-pipeSwedish dumHalfway between [o] and [ø]. Similar to [ʊ] but with the tongue slightly more down and front.
Template:Audio-pipeFrench bœuf, seul, German GöttingenLike [ɛ], but with the lips rounded like [ɔ].
Template:Audio-pipeFrench œuvre, heureLong [œ].
[ œ̃ ]French brun, parfumNasalized [œ].
Template:Audio-pipesee under other
Template:Audio-pipesee under other
P
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish pip
Q
Template:Audio-pipeArabic Qur’ānLike [k], but further back, in the throat.
R
Template:Audio-pipeSpanish perro, Scots borrow"Rolled R". (Generally used for English [ɹ] when there's no need to be precise.)
Template:Audio-pipeSpanish pero, Tagalog daliri, Malay kabar, American English kitty/kiddie"Flapped R".
Template:Audio-pipeA trill in the back of the throat. Found for /r/ in some conservative registers of French.
Template:Audio-pipeHindi साड़ी [sɑːɽiː] "sari"Like flapped [ɾ], but with the tongue curled back.
Template:Audio-pipeRP borrow
Template:Audio-pipeAmerican English borrow, butterLike [ɹ], but with the tongue curled or pulled back, as pronounced by many English speakers.
Template:Audio-pipeFrench Paris, German RiemannSaid back in the throat, but not trilled.
S
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish sass
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish shoe
Template:Audio-pipeMandarin 少林 (Shàolín), Russian Пушкин (Pushkin)Acoustically similar to [ʃ], but with the tongue curled or pulled back.
T
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish tot, stop
Template:Audio-pipeHindi ठग [ʈʰəɡ] (thug) "thief"Like [t], but with the tongue curled or pulled back.
Template:Audio-pipe2English cats, Russian царь tsar
Template:Audio-pipe 2English church
Template:Audio-pipe2Mandarin 北京 Template:Audio-pipe, Polish ciebie "you"Like [tʃ], but with more of a y-sound.
Template:Audio-pipe2Mandarin zh, Polish czasLike [tʃ] with the tongue curled or pulled back .
U
Template:Audio-pipeFrench vous "you"
Template:Audio-pipeFrench Rocquencourt, German Schumacher, close to RP foodLong [u].
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish foot, German Bundesrepublik
Template:Audio-pipeAustralian English food (long)Like [ɨ], but with the lips rounded as for [u].
Template:Audio-pipeFrench luiLike [j] and [w] said together.
Template:Audio-pipesee under W
V
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish verve
Template:Audio-pipeHindi वरुण [ʋəruɳə] "Varuna"Between [v] and [w]. Used by some Germans and Russians for v/w, and by some speakers of British English for r.
Template:Audio-pipeArabic / Swahili ghali "expensive", Spanish suegroSounds rather like French [ʁ] or between [g] and [h].
Template:Audio-pipeMandarin HénánLike [o] but without the lips rounded, something like a cross of [ʊ] and [ʌ].
[ ʌ ]see under A
W
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish wow
[ ʷ ]English rain [ɹʷeɪn]Indicates a sound has lip rounding, quick.
Template:Audio-pipewhat (some dialects)like [h] and [w] said together
Template:Audio-pipeTurkish kayık "caïque"Like [u], but with the lips flat; something like [ʊ].
Template:Audio-pipeSpanish agua
X
Template:Audio-pipeScottish English loch, German Bach, Russian хороший [xɐˈroʂɨj] "good", Spanish jovenbetween [k] and [h]
Template:Audio-pipenorthern Standard Dutch Scheveningen, Castilian Spanish Don Juan [doɴˈχwan] Like [x], but further back , in the throat. Some German and Arabic speakers have [χ] for [x].
Y
Template:Audio-pipeFrench rueLike [i], but with the lips rounded as for [u].
Template:Audio-pipeGerman Bülow, French sûrLong [y].
Template:Audio-pipeGerman EisenhüttenstadtLike [ɪ], but with the lips rounded as for [ʊ].
Template:Audio-pipeItalian tagliatelleLike [l], but more y-like. Rather like English volume.
Template:Audio-pipesee under U
Template:Audio-pipesee under V
[ ɣ ]see under V
Z
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish zoos
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish vision, French journal
Template:Audio-pipeformal Russian жжёшь [ʑːoʂ] "you burn", Polish źleMore y-like than [ʒ], something like beigey.
Template:Audio-pipeMandarin 人民日报 Rénmín Rìbào "People's Daily", Russian жир "fat"Like [ʒ] with the tongue curled or pulled back .
[ ɮ ]see under L
other
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish thigh, bath
Template:Audio-pipeJapanese 富士 [ɸɯdʑi] Fuji, Māori [ˌɸaːɾeː'nuiː] wharenuiLike [p], but with the lips not quite touching
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish uh-oh, Hawai‘i, German die AngstThe 'glottal stop', a catch in the breath. For some people, found in button [ˈbʌʔn̩], or between vowels across words: Deus ex machina [ˌdeɪəsˌʔɛksˈmɑːkɨnə]; in some nonstandard dialects, in a apple [ʌˈʔæpl̩].
Template:Audio-pipeArabic عربي (carabī) "Arabic"A light sound deep in the throat.
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish tsk-tsk! or tut-tut!, Zulu icici "earring"(The English click used for disapproval.) Several distinct sounds, written as digraphs, including [ kǀ ], [ ɡǀ ], [ ŋǀ ]. The Zimbabwean MP Ncube has this click in his name, as did Cetshwayo.
Template:Audio-pipeEnglish tchick! tchick!, Zulu ixoxo "frog"(The English click used to urge on a horse.) Several distinct sounds, written as digraphs, including [ kǁ ], [ ɡǁ ], [ ŋǁ ]. Found in the name of the Xhosa.
Template:Audio-pipeZulu iqaqa "polecat"(The English click used to imitate the trotting of a horse.) A hollow popping sound, like a cork pulled from a bottle. Several distinct sounds, written as digraphs, including [ kǃ ], [ ɡǃ ], [ ŋǃ ].
  • Template:NoteTemplate:Note These symbols are officially written with a tie linking them (e.g. t͡ʃ), and are also sometimes written as single characters (e.g. ʧ) though the latter convention is no longer official. They are written without ligatures here to ensure correct display in all browsers.

Diacritic marks

All diacritics are here shown on a carrier letter such as the vowel a.

SymbolExampleDescription
[ ˈa ]pronunciation
[pʰɹɜʊ̯ˌnɐnsiˈeɪʃn̩]		Main stress. The mark denotes the stress of the following syllable.
[ ˌa ]Weaker stress. The mark denotes the stress of the following syllable.
[ aː ]English shh! [ʃː]Long. Often used with English vowels or diphthongs: Mayo /ˈmeːoː/ for [ˈmeɪ̯ɜʊ̯], etc.
[ aˑ ]RP caught [ˈkʰɔˑt]Semi-long. (Although the vowel is different, this is also longer than cot [ˈkʰɒt].)
[ a̯ ]English cow [kʰaʊ̯], koi [kʰɔɪ̯]This vowel does not form a syllable of its own, but runs into the vowel next to it. (In English, the diacritic is generally left off: [kaʊ].)
[ ã ]French vin blanc [vɛ̃blɑ̃] "white wine" A nasal vowel, as with a Texas twang.
[ n̥ ]Sounds like a loud whisper; [n̥] is like a whispered breath through the nose. [l̥] is found in Tibetan Lhasa.
[ n̩ ]English buttonA consonant without a vowel. (English [n̩] is often transcribed /ən/.)
[ d̪ ]Spanish dos, French deuxThe tongue touches the teeth more than it does in English.
[ kʰ ]English comeAspirated consonant, pronounced with a puff of air. Similarly [tʰ pʰ tsʰ tʃʰ tɕʰ].
[ k’ ]Zulu ukuza "come"Like a popped [k], pushed from the throat. Similarly [tʼ pʼ qʼ tʃʼ tsʼ tɬʼ].
[ á ]Mandarin 妈妈 [mámā] "mother" High tone (Pinyin: mā)Careful!
The Pinyin Romanization used for Mandarin has these same diacritics, but with different values.
However, Thai Romanization uses them the way the IPA does.
[ ā ]Mandarin 妈妈 [mámā] "mother" Mid tone.
[ à ]Mandarin 马的 [màdɤ] "horse's" Low tone (Pinyin: mǎ).
[ â ]Mandarin 骂 [mâ] "scold" Falling tone (Pinyin: mà).
[ ǎ ]Mandarin 麻 [mǎ] "hemp" Rising tone (Pinyin: má).
[ . ]English courtship [ˈkɔrt.ʃɪp] Syllable break. (this is often redundant and therefore left off)

Brackets

Two types of brackets are commonly used to enclose transcriptions in the IPA:

  • [Square brackets] indicate the phonetic details of the pronunciation, regardless of whether they are actually meaningful to a native speaker. This is what a foreigner who does not know the structure of a language might hear. For instance, the English word lulls is pronounced [ˈlɐɫz], with different el sounds at the beginning and end. This may be obvious to speakers of other languages, though a native English speaker might not believe it. Likewise, Spanish la bomba has two different b sounds to foreign ears, [laˈβomba], though a Spaniard might not be able to hear it. Omitting such detail does not make any difference to the identity of the word.
  • /Slashes/ indicate meaningful sounds called phonemes. Changing the symbols between slashes would either change the identity of the word or produce nonsense. Since there is no meaningful difference between the two el sounds in the word lulls, they need to be transcribed with the same symbol: /ˈlʌlz/. Similarly, Spanish la bomba is transcribed phonemically with a single b sound, /laˈbomba/. Thus a reader who is not familiar with the language in question might not know how to interpret these transcriptions.

A third kind of bracket is occasionally seen:

  • Either //double slashes// or |pipes| (or occasionally other conventions) show that the enclosed sounds are theoretical constructs that aren't actually heard. (This is part of morphophonology.) For instance, most phonologists argue that the -s at the ends of verbs, which surfaces as either /s/ in talks /tɔːks/ or as /z/ in lulls /lʌlz/, has a single underlying form. If they decide this form is an s, they would write it //s// (or |s|) to claim that phonemic /tɔːks/ and /lʌlz/ are essentially //tɔːks// and //lʌls// underneath. If they were to decide it was essentially the latter, //z//, they would transcribe these words //tɔːkz// and //lʌlz//.

Lastly,

  • ‹Angle brackets› may be used to represent the orthographic representation: ‹lulls›, ‹la bomba› (technically ⟨lulls⟩, ⟨la bomba⟩, but this is not universally supported). Because they're easier to type, the less-than and greater-than signs (< >) that appear on most keyboards are commonly used for this purpose.[1]

Rendering issues

Voiced velar plosive

These two characters should look similar:

ɡ

If in the box to the left you see the symbol ‘ ’ rather than a lower-case open-tail g, you may be experiencing a well-known bug in the font MS Reference Sans Serif or other; switching to Lucida Sans Unicode or Arial Unicode should fix it.

On your current font: [ɡ].

Template:MFSample

Affricates and double articulation

The tie bar is intended to cover both letters of an affricate or doubly articulated consonant. However, if your browser uses Arial Unicode MS to display IPA characters, the following incorrectly formed sequences may look better than the correct order (letter, tie bar, letter) due to a bug in that font:

ts͡, tʃ͡, tɕ͡, dz͡, dʒ͡, dʑ͡, tɬ͡, kp͡, ɡb͡, ŋm͡.

Here is how the proper configuration displays in your default font:

t͡s, d͡z, t͡ʃ, d͡ʒ, t͡ɕ, d͡ʑ, t͡ɬ, k͡p, ɡ͡b, ŋ͡m,

and in other several fonts:Template:MFSample

Angle brackets

True angle brackets, ⟨ ⟩, are unsupported by several common fonts, and so have been replaced by ‹ › or < > in most Wikipedia articles. However,

See also

  • IPA charts for diphthongs in various languages
  • Wikipedia:Manual of Style (pronunciation)#Entering IPA characters

External links

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