IPA chart for English dialects

Language: Linguistics · Semiotics · Speech

Template:IPA sidebar This concise chart shows the most common applications of the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) to represent English language pronunciations.

See Pronunciation respelling for English for phonetic transcriptions used in different dictionaries.

AuE = Australian English^[1]
CaE = Canadian English^{[How to reference and link to summary or text]}
GA = General American^[2]^[3]
IrE = Irish English^{[How to reference and link to summary or text]}
NZE = New Zealand English^[4]
RP = Received Pronunciation (England)^[5]
ScE = Scottish English^{[How to reference and link to summary or text]}
SAE = South African English^{[How to reference and link to summary or text]}
WaE = Welsh English^{[How to reference and link to summary or text]}

Chart[]

Note: An image of the chart is also available.

Pan- Eng.^[6]	Phones	Examples
IPA: English Consonants
p	pʰ, p	pen, spin, tip
b	b	but, web
t	tʰ, t, ɾ, ʔ^[7]	two, sting, bet
d	d, ɾ^[8]	do, odd
tʃ	tʃʰ, tʃ	chair, nature, teach
dʒ	dʒ	gin, joy, edge
k	kʰ, k	cat, kill, skin, queen, unique, thick
ɡ	ɡ	go, get, beg
f	f	fool, enough, leaf, off, photo
v	v	voice, have, of
θ	θ^[9]	thing, teeth
ð	ð^[10]	this, breathe, father
s	s	see, city, pass
z	z	zoo, rose
ʃ	ʃ	she, sure, emotion, leash
ʒ	ʒ	pleasure, beige, seizure
x (k)	x	loch (Scottish)^[11]
h	h, ɦ	ham
m	m^[12]	man, ham
n	n	no, tin
ŋ	ŋ	ringer, sing,^[13] finger, drink
l	l, ɫ^[14]	left, bell
r	ɹʷ, ɹ, ɾ^[15]	run, very
w	w	we, queen
j	j	yes
hw (w)	hw^[16]	what

IPA: Marginal Sounds
ʔ	ʔ	uh-(ʔ)oh

IPA: Reduced vowels^[17]
ə	Reduced /ʌ, æ, ɑː, ɒ/
ɪ̈ (ə)	Reduced /ɪ, iː, ɛ, eɪ, aɪ/
ʊ̈ (ə)	Reduced /ʊ, uː/
ɵ (ə)	Reduced /oʊ/
ɚ (ə)	Reduced /ɝː/ (ɜr)

IPA										Lexical set	Examples
^[6]Pan- English	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias AUS\|30px\|Template:Country alias AUS]] AuE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias CAN\|30px\|Template:Country alias CAN]] CaE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias USA\|30px\|Template:Country alias USA]] GA	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias IRL\|30px\|Template:Country alias IRL]] IrE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias NZL\|30px\|Template:Country alias NZL]] NZE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias ENG\|30px\|Template:Country alias ENG]] RP	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias SCO\|30px\|Template:Country alias SCO]] ScE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias RSA\|30px\|Template:Country alias RSA]] SAE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias WAL\|30px\|Template:Country alias WAL]] WaE	Lexical set	Examples
IPA: English Vowels
æ	æ, æː^[18]	æ	æ, eə^[18]	ɑ/æ	ɛ	æ	a	æ	a	TRAP	lad, bad, cat^[19]
ɑː	aː	ɑ/ɒ	ɑ	ɑː	ɐː	ɑː	a		aː	PALM	father
ɒ	ɔ		ɑ	ɑ	ɒ	ɒ	ɔ	ɔ	ɒ	LOT	not, wasp
ɔː	oː		ɔ	ɔː	oː	ɔː	ɔ	oː	ɒː	THOUGHT	law, caught^[20], all, halt, talk
ə	ə	ə	ə		ɘ	ə	ə	ə	ə	COMMA	about
ɨ	ə	ɨ	ɨ			ɪ	ɨ	ə	ɨ	COMMA	spotted
ɪ	ɪ	ɪ	ɪ	ɪ		ɪ	ɪ	ɪ, ə^[21]	ɪ	KIT	sit
i	i	i	i		i	i	i	iˑ	iː	HAPPY	city
iː	iː			iː	iː	iː		iː		FLEECE	see
iː	iː			eː	iː	iː		iː		FLEECE	meat
eɪ	æɪ	eɪ/e	eɪ		æe	eɪ	e	eɪ	eː	FACE	date
eɪ	æɪ	eɪ/e	eɪ		æe	eɪ	e	eɪ	ei	FACE	day, pain, whey, rein
ɛ	e	ɛ	ɛ	ɛ	e	ɛ	ɛ	e	ɛ	DRESS	bed^[22]
ɜr	ɜː(ɹ)	ɝ/ɹ̩	ɝ/ɹ̩	ʌɾ^[23]	ɵː(ɹ)	ɜː(ɹ)	ʌɾ^[23]	øː(ɹ)	ɜː(ɾ)	NURSE	burn
				ɛɾ^[23]			ɛɾ^[23]				herd, earth
				ɪɾ^[23]			ɪɾ^[23]				bird
ər	ə(ɹ)	ɚ/ɹ̩	ɚ/ɹ̩		ɘ(ɹ)	ə(ɹ)	əɾ	ə(ɹ)	ə(ɾ)	LETTER	winner^[24]
ʌ	a	ʌ	ʌ	ɔ, ʊ	ɐ	ʌ	ʌ	ɐ	ɜ	STRUT	run, won, flood
ʊ	ʊ	ʊ	ʊ	ɔ, ʊ	ʊ	ʊ	ʉ	ʊ	ʊ	FOOT	put
ʊ	ʊ	ʊ	ʊ	uː	ʊ	ʊ		ʊ	ʊ	FOOT	hood
uː	ʉː	u	u		ʉː	uː		ʉː	uː	GOOSE	through, you
uː	ʉː	u	u		ʉː	uː		ʉː	ɪu^[25]		threw, yew
juː	jʉː	(j)u	(j)u	juː	jʉː	juː	jʉ		ɪu^[25]		cute, dew, ewe
aɪ	ɑe	aɪ	aɪ, ʌi^[26]	ɔɪ	ɑe	aɪ	aɪ	aː	ai	PRICE	my, wise, high
ɔɪ	oɪ	ɔɪ	ɔɪ		oe	ɔɪ	oi	ɔɪ	ɒi	CHOICE	boy, hoist
oʊ	əʉ	oʊ/o	oʊ	oː	ɐʉ	əʊ	o	œʉ	oː	GOAT	no, toe, soap
oʊ	əʉ	oʊ/o	oʊ	oː	ɐʉ	əʊ	o	œʉ	ou	GOAT	tow, soul, roll, cold, folk
aʊ	æɔ	aʊ, ʌu^[26]	aʊ		æo	aʊ	aʊ	ɑː	au	MOUTH	now, trout
ɑr	aː(ɹ)	ɑɹ	ɑɹ		ɐː(ɹ)	ɑː(ɹ)	aɾ		aː(ɾ)	START	arm, car
ɪər	ɪə(ɹ)	ɪɹ	ɪɹ		ɪə(ɹ)	ɪə(ɹ)	iɾ	ɪə(ɹ)	ɪə(ɾ)	NEAR	deer, here
ɛər	eː(ɹ)	ɛɹ	ɛɹ		eə(ɹ)	eə(ɹ)^[27]	eɾ	ɛː(ɹ}	ɛː(ɾ)	SQUARE	mare, there, bear
ɔr	oː(ɹ)	ɔɹ	ɔɹ	ɑɾ	oː(ɹ)	ɔː(ɹ)	ɔɾ		ɒː(ɾ)	NORTH	sort, warm
ɔər	oː(ɹ)	ɔɹ	oɹ, ɔɹ	oːɾ	oː(ɹ)	ɔː(ɹ)	oɾ		oː(ɾ)	FORCE	tore, boar, port
ʊər	ʊə(ɹ), ʉːə(ɹ)	ʊɹ	ʊɹ		ʊɐ(ɹ), ʉːɐ(ɹ)	ʊə(ɹ)^[28]	uɾ		ʊə(ɾ)	CURE	tour, moor
jʊər	jʊə(ɹ), jʉːə(ɹ)	jʊɹ, jɝ	jʊɹ, jɝ		jʊɐ(ɹ), jʉːɐ(ɹ)	jʊə(ɹ), jɔ:(ɹ)	juɾ		ɪʊə(ɾ)	CURE	pure, Europe
^[6]Pan- English	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias AUS\|30px\|Template:Country alias AUS]] AuE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias CAN\|30px\|Template:Country alias CAN]] CaE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias USA\|30px\|Template:Country alias USA]] GA	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias IRL\|30px\|Template:Country alias IRL]] IrE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias NZL\|30px\|Template:Country alias NZL]] NZE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias ENG\|30px\|Template:Country alias ENG]] RP	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias SCO\|30px\|Template:Country alias SCO]] ScE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias RSA\|30px\|Template:Country alias RSA]] SAE	[[Image:Template:Country flag alias WAL\|30px\|Template:Country alias WAL]] WaE	Lexical set	Examples

IPA: Other symbols used in transcription of English pronunciation
IPA	Explanation
ˈ	Primary stress indicator (placed before the stressed syllable); for example, rapping /ˈɹæpɪŋ/
ˌ	Secondary stress/full vowel indicator (placed before the stressed syllable); for example, pronunciation /pɹɵˌnʌnsiˈeɪʃən/
.	Syllable separation indicator; for example, ice cream /ˈʌɪs.krim/ vs. I scream /ˌaɪ.ˈskrim/
̩	Syllabic consonant indicator (placed under the syllabic consonant); for example, ridden /ˈɹɪdn̩/

Notes[]

↑ Harrington, Cox & Evans (1997)
↑ Kenyon & Knott (1944/1953)
↑ Kenyon (1950)
↑ Bauer et al. (2007:97–102)
↑ Roach (2004:241–243). See Pronunciation respelling for English#International Phonetic Alphabet for the alternative system devised by Clive Upton for Oxford University Press dictionaries.
↑ ^6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 This is the compromise IPA transcription used in the entries of Wikipedia articles. It covers most dialects of English.
↑ Pronounced [ɾ] in some positions in GA and Australian English, and is possible in RP in words like butter, [ʔ] in some positions in English English, American English and Australian English, and [t̞] non-initially in Irish English.
↑ Pronounced [ɾ] in some positions in GA and Australian English.
↑ Pronounced [t̪] in some varieties of Irish English, merges with /f/ in some varieties of English English, and merges with /t/ in some varieties of Caribbean English.
↑ Pronounced [d̪] in some varieties of Irish English, merges with /v/ in some varieties of English English, and merges with /d/ in some varieties of Caribbean English.
↑ Marginal elsewhere.
↑ Pronounced [ɱ] before f (e.g. symphony [ˈsɪɱfəni)
↑ In some dialects (e.g. Brummie) "ringer", "sing" etc are pronounced with an additional /ɡ/, like "finger": /ˈɹɪŋɡə/ rather than /ˈɹɪŋə/
↑ [ɫ] traditionally does not occur in Irish English, though this is changing; [l] does not occur in Australian, New Zealand, Scottish, or American English. RP and some other English accents, along with South African English, however, have clear [l] in syllable onsets and dark [ɫ] in syllable rimes.
↑ The tap [ɾ] is found in some varieties of Scottish and Irish English.
↑ Some dialects, such as Scottish English, Irish English, and much of the American South dialects; see whine and wine and voiceless labiovelar approximant
↑ /ɔː, aʊ, ɔɪ/ are never reduced. In some dialects, such as Australian, all reduced vowels become [ə].
↑ ^18.0 ^18.1 See bad-lad split and æ-tensing for these distinctions.
↑ Often transcribed /a/ for RP, for example in dictionaries of the Oxford University Press.
↑ See low back merger for more discussion of this vowel in American English.
↑ It is not clear whether this a true phonemic split, since the distribution of the two sounds is predictable; see Kit-bit split.
↑ Often transcribed /e/ for RP, for example in Collins English Dictionary.
↑ ^23.0 ^23.1 ^23.2 ^23.3 ^23.4 ^23.5 See Fern-fir-fur merger for this distinction.
↑ Sometimes transcribed for GA as [əɹ], especially in transcriptions that represent both rhotic and non-rhotic pronunciations, as [ə(ɹ)].
↑ In Welsh English, you, yew and ewe are /juː/, /jɪu/ and /ɪu respectively; in all other varieties of English they are homophones.
↑ ^26.0 ^26.1 In Canadian English, the raised diphthongs [ʌi] and [ʌu] are found before voiceless consonants, as in right [ɹʷʌit] and out [ʌut]; in other environments, [aɪ] and [aʊ] are used. In much of US English, this happens with /ʌɪ/, primarily when what would originally be the [aɪ] sound precedes are "hard" consonent (k, f and t being hard, but not g, v and t, so the diphthongs of dike, life and sight are different from tiger, live and side). See Canadian raising.
↑ Alternative symbols used in British dictionaries are /ɛː/ (Oxford University Press) and /ɛə/.
↑ >Roach (2004:241–243), pp. 21–22, 25–26. Roach notes that many people in England use /ɔː/ for this vowel, but also that RP is supposed to distinguish between maw /mɔː/ and moor /mʊə/, tore /tɔː/ and tour /tʊə/, paw /pɔː/ and poor /pʊə/.

References[]

Gimson, A. C. (1980). An Introduction to the Pronunciation of English, 3rd edn., London: Edward Arnold.
Harrington, J. (1997). An acoustic phonetic study of broad, general, and cultivated Australian English vowels. Australian Journal of Linguistics 17: 155–84.
Kenyon, John Samuel (1950). American Pronunciation, 10th, Ann Arbor: George Wahr.
Kenyon, John S. (1944/1953). A Pronouncing Dictionary of American English, Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster.
Bauer, L. (2007). New Zealand English. Journal of the International Phonetic Association 37 (1): 97–102.
Schneider, Edgar W. (2004). A Handbook of Varieties of English, Berlin: Mouton de Gruyter.
Roach, Peter (2004), "British English: Received Pronunciation", Journal of the International Phonetic Association 34 (2): 239–245, doi:10.1017/S0025100304001768
Wells, J. C. (2000). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary, 2nd edn., Harlow, Essex: Pearson Education Limited.

External links[]

Learning the IPA for English, (Standard American English)
Online keyboard with MP3 sound files for IPA symbols
IPA chart with AIFF sound files for IPA symbols
IPA chart with MP3 sound files for all IPA symbols on the chart (limited version is available to anyone)
The International Phonetic Alphabet (revised to 2005) Symbols for all languages are shown on this one-page chart.
lexconvert a GPL command-line program to convert between Unicode IPA and the ASCII notations of various English speech synthesizers
LONGMAN Dictionary of Contemporary English ONLINE uses IPA.
Online IPA editor for English
Online/Offline IPA editor for English
IPA transcription systems for English — discussion by John C. Wells of RP transcriptions

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[1] Harrington, Cox & Evans (1997)

[2] Kenyon & Knott (1944/1953)

[3] Kenyon (1950)

[4] Bauer et al. (2007:97–102)

[5] Roach (2004:241–243). See Pronunciation respelling for English#International Phonetic Alphabet for the alternative system devised by Clive Upton for Oxford University Press dictionaries.

[PE-6] 6.0 ^6.1 ^6.2 This is the compromise IPA transcription used in the entries of Wikipedia articles. It covers most dialects of English.

[7] Pronounced [ɾ] in some positions in GA and Australian English, and is possible in RP in words like butter, [ʔ] in some positions in English English, American English and Australian English, and [t̞] non-initially in Irish English.

[8] Pronounced [ɾ] in some positions in GA and Australian English.

[9] Pronounced [t̪] in some varieties of Irish English, merges with /f/ in some varieties of English English, and merges with /t/ in some varieties of Caribbean English.

[10] Pronounced [d̪] in some varieties of Irish English, merges with /v/ in some varieties of English English, and merges with /d/ in some varieties of Caribbean English.

[11] Marginal elsewhere.

[12] Pronounced [ɱ] before f (e.g. symphony [ˈsɪɱfəni)

[13] In some dialects (e.g. Brummie) "ringer", "sing" etc are pronounced with an additional /ɡ/, like "finger": /ˈɹɪŋɡə/ rather than /ˈɹɪŋə/

[14] [ɫ] traditionally does not occur in Irish English, though this is changing; [l] does not occur in Australian, New Zealand, Scottish, or American English. RP and some other English accents, along with South African English, however, have clear [l] in syllable onsets and dark [ɫ] in syllable rimes.

[r-15] The tap [ɾ] is found in some varieties of Scottish and Irish English.

[16] Some dialects, such as Scottish English, Irish English, and much of the American South dialects; see whine and wine and voiceless labiovelar approximant

[17] /ɔː, aʊ, ɔɪ/ are never reduced. In some dialects, such as Australian, all reduced vowels become [ə].

[badlad-18] 18.0 ^18.1 See bad-lad split and æ-tensing for these distinctions.

[oxforda-19] Often transcribed /a/ for RP, for example in dictionaries of the Oxford University Press.

[cotcaught-20] See low back merger for more discussion of this vowel in American English.

[kit-21] It is not clear whether this a true phonemic split, since the distribution of the two sounds is predictable; see Kit-bit split.

[collinse-22] Often transcribed /e/ for RP, for example in Collins English Dictionary.

[FFFM-23] 23.0 ^23.1 ^23.2 ^23.3 ^23.4 ^23.5 See Fern-fir-fur merger for this distinction.

[r-colored_schwa-24] Sometimes transcribed for GA as [əɹ], especially in transcriptions that represent both rhotic and non-rhotic pronunciations, as [ə(ɹ)].

[25] In Welsh English, you, yew and ewe are /juː/, /jɪu/ and /ɪu respectively; in all other varieties of English they are homophones.

[canadianraising-26] 26.0 ^26.1 In Canadian English, the raised diphthongs [ʌi] and [ʌu] are found before voiceless consonants, as in right [ɹʷʌit] and out [ʌut]; in other environments, [aɪ] and [aʊ] are used. In much of US English, this happens with /ʌɪ/, primarily when what would originally be the [aɪ] sound precedes are "hard" consonent (k, f and t being hard, but not g, v and t, so the diphthongs of dike, life and sight are different from tiger, live and side). See Canadian raising.

[airsymbol-27] Alternative symbols used in British dictionaries are /ɛː/ (Oxford University Press) and /ɛə/.

[28] >Roach (2004:241–243), pp. 21–22, 25–26. Roach notes that many people in England use /ɔː/ for this vowel, but also that RP is supposed to distinguish between maw /mɔː/ and moor /mʊə/, tore /tɔː/ and tour /tʊə/, paw /pɔː/ and poor /pʊə/.

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IPA chart for English dialects

Contents

Chart[]

See also[]

Notes[]

References[]

External links[]

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