International Phonetic Alphabet Help
You've come to this page because you want some help in using the international phonetic alphabet, perhaps to spell your nation's name phonetically so people will know how to pronounce it or perhaps to learn to pronounce another nation's name.
Consonants
| IPA | Speech | Examples | HTML code |
| b | buy, cab | b | |
| d | die, cad | d | |
| thy, breathe, father | ð | ||
| dʒ | giant, badge, jam | dʒ | |
| f | phi, caff | f | |
| ɡ | guy, bag | ɡ | |
| h | high, ahead | h | |
| j | yes, yacht | j | |
| k | chi, sky, crack | k | |
| l | lie, sly, gal | l | |
| m | my, smile, cam | m | |
| n | nigh, snide, can | n | |
| ŋ | sang, sink, singer | ŋ | |
| ŋɡ | finger, anger | ŋɡ | |
| θ | thigh, math | θ | |
| p | pie, spy, cap | p | |
| r | rye, try, very | r | |
| s | sigh, mass | s | |
| ʃ | shy, cash, emotion | ʃ | |
| t | tie, sty, cat | t | |
| tʃ | China, catch | tʃ | |
| v | vie, have | v | |
| w | wye, swine | w | |
| hw | why | hw | |
| z | xi, zoo, has | z | |
| ʒ | pleasure, vision, beige | ʒ | |
| Marginal consonants | |||
| x | ugh, loch, Chanukah | x | |
| ʔ | - | uh-oh /ˈʌʔoʊ/ | ʔ |
Vowels
| IPA | Speech | Examples | HTML code |
| ɑː | balm, baht, father, bra | ɑː | |
| ɒ | bot, pod, John, doll | ɒ | |
| æ | bat, pad, shall, ban | æ | |
| aɪ | bite, ride, file, fine, pie | aɪ | |
| aʊ | bout, loud, foul, down, how | aʊ | |
| ɛ | bet, bed, fell, men | ɛ | |
| eɪ | bait, made, fail, vein, pay | eɪ | |
| ɪ | bit, lid, fill, bin | ɪ | |
| iː | beat, seed, feel, mean, sea | iː | |
| ɔː | bought, Maud, dawn, fall, straw | ɔː | |
| ɔɪ | exploit, void, foil, coin, boy | ɔɪ | |
| oʊ | boat, code, foal, bone, go | oʊ | |
| ʊ | foot, good, full, woman | ʊ | |
| uː | boot, food, fool, soon, chew | uː | |
| juː | cued, cute, mule, tune, queue | juː | |
| ʌ | butt, mud, dull, gun | ʌ | |
| R-colored vowels | |||
| ɑr | bard, part, barn, snarl, star (also /ɑːr./) | ɑr | |
| ɒr | moral, forage | ɒr | |
| ær | barrow, marry | ær | |
| aɪər | fire | aɪər | |
| aʊər | hour | aʊər | |
| ɛr | error, merry | ɛr | |
| ɛər | scared, scarce, cairn, there, Mary (/eɪr./) | ɛər | |
| ɪr | mirror, Sirius | ɪr | |
| ɪər | beard, fierce, nearer, serious (/iːr./) | ɪər | |
| ɔr | born, for, aural (/ɔːr./) | ɔr | |
| ɔɪər | - | loir | ɔɪər |
| ɔər | - | boar, four, more, oral (/oʊr./) | ɔər |
| ʊr | - | courier | ʊr |
| ʊər | boor, moor, tourist (/uːr./) | ʊər | |
| jʊər | cure | jʊər | |
| ʌr | borough, hurry | ʌr | |
| ɜr | bird, hurt, curl, burn, furry (/ɝː/) | ɜr | |
| Reduced vowels | |||
| ə | - | Rosa’s, a mission | ə |
| ɪ | roses, emission, is | ɪ | |
| ɵ | kilogram, omission | ɵ | |
| ʊ | beautiful, curriculum ([jʊ]) | ʊ | |
| i | happy, serious | i | |
| ər | perform, mercer (also /ɚ/) | ər | |
| ən | button | ən | |
| əm | rhythm | əm | |
| əl | bottle | əl | |
Stress
| IPA | Examples | HTML |
| ˈ | intonation /ˌɪntɵˈneɪʃən/, battleship /ˈbtəlʃɪp/ | ˈ |
| ˌ | ˌ |
Syllabification
| IPA | Examples | HTML |
| . | shellfish /ˈʃel.fɪʃ/, selfish /ˈself.ɨʃ/ nitrate /ˈnaɪ.treɪt/, night-rate /ˈnaɪt.reɪt/ hire /ˈhaɪər/, higher /ˈhaɪ.ər/ moai /ˈmoʊ.aɪ/ | . |
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