The Extended Speech Assessment Methods Phonetic Alphabet (X-SAMPA) is a variant of SAMPA developed in 1995 by John C. Wells, professor of phonetics at University College London.[1] It is designed to unify the individual language SAMPA alphabets, and extend SAMPA to cover the entire range of characters in the 1993 version of International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA). The result is a SAMPA-inspired remapping of the IPA into 7-bit ASCII.
SAMPA was devised as a hack to work around the inability of text encodings to represent IPA symbols. Later, as Unicode support for IPA symbols became more widespread, the necessity for a separate, computer-readable system for representing the IPA in ASCII decreased. However, X-SAMPA is still useful as the basis for an input method for true IPA.
Summary
[edit]Notes
[edit]- The IPA symbols that are ordinary lower case letters have the same value in X-SAMPA as they do in the IPA.
- X-SAMPA uses backslashes as modifying suffixes to create new symbols. For example,
O
is a distinct sound fromO\
, to which it bears no relation. Such use of the backslash character can be a problem, since many programs interpret it as an escape character for the character following it. For example, such X-SAMPA symbols do not work in EMU, so backslashes must be replaced with some other symbol (e.g., an asterisk: '*') when adding phonemic transcription to an EMU speech database. The backslash has no fixed meaning. - X-SAMPA diacritics follow the symbols they modify. Except for
~
for nasalization,=
for syllabicity, and`
for retroflexion and rhotacization, diacritics are joined to the character with the underscore character_
. - The underscore character is also used to encode the IPA tiebar:
k_p
codes for /k͡p/. - The numbers
_1
to_6
are reserved diacritics as shorthand for language-specific tone numbers. - The IETF language tags registry has assigned
fonxsamp
as the subtag for text transcribed in X-SAMPA.[2]
Lower-case symbols
[edit]X-SAMPA | IPA | IPA image | Description | Examples |
---|---|---|---|---|
a |
a | ![]() |
open front unrounded vowel | French dame [dam]
|
b |
b | ![]() |
voiced bilabial plosive | English bed [bEd] , French bon [bO~]
|
b_< |
ɓ | ![]() |
voiced bilabial implosive | Sindhi ɓarʊ [b_<arU ]
|
c |
c | ![]() |
voiceless palatal plosive | Hungarian latyak ["lQcQk]
|
d |
d | ![]() |
voiced alveolar plosive | English dig [dIg] , French doigt [dwa]
|
d` |
ɖ | ![]() |
voiced retroflex plosive | Swedish hord [hu:d`]
|
d_< |
ɗ | ![]() |
voiced alveolar implosive | Sindhi ɗarʊ [d_<arU ]
|
e |
e | ![]() |
close-mid front unrounded vowel | French blé [ble]
|
f |
f | ![]() |
voiceless labiodental fricative | English five [faIv] , French femme [fam]
|
g |
ɡ | ![]() |
voiced velar plosive | English game [geIm] , French longue [lO~g]
|
g_< |
ɠ | ![]() |
voiced velar implosive | Sindhi ɠəro [g_<@ro ]
|
h |
h | ![]() |
voiceless glottal fricative | English house [haUs]
|
h\ |
ɦ | ![]() |
voiced glottal fricative | Czech hrad [h\rat]
|
i |
i | ![]() |
close front unrounded vowel | English be [bi:] , French oui [wi] , Spanish si [si]
|
j |
j | ![]() |
palatal approximant | English yes [jEs] , French yeux [j2]
|
j\ |
ʝ | ![]() |
voiced palatal fricative | Greek γειά [j\a]
|
k |
k | ![]() |
voiceless velar plosive | English skip [skIp] , Spanish carro ["karo]
|
l |
l | ![]() |
alveolar lateral approximant | English lay [leI] , French mal [mal]
|
l` |
ɭ | ![]() |
retroflex lateral approximant | Svealand Swedish sorl [so:l`]
|
l\ |
ɺ | ![]() |
alveolar lateral flap | Wayuu püülükü [pM:l\MkM]
|
m |
m | ![]() |
bilabial nasal | English mouse [maUs] , French homme [Om]
|
n |
n | ![]() |
alveolar nasal | English nap [n{p] , French non [nO~]
|
n` |
ɳ | ![]() |
retroflex nasal | Swedish hörn [h2:n`]
|
o |
o | ![]() |
close-mid back rounded vowel | French veau [vo]
|
p |
p | ![]() |
voiceless bilabial plosive | English speak [spik] , French pose [poz] , Spanish perro ["pero]
|
p\ |
ɸ | ![]() |
voiceless bilabial fricative | Japanese fuku [p\M_0kM]
|
q |
q | ![]() |
voiceless uvular plosive | Arabic qasbah ["qQs_Gba]
|
r |
r | ![]() |
alveolar trill | Spanish perro ["pero]
|
r` |
ɽ | ![]() |
retroflex flap | Bengali gari [gar`i:]
|
r\ |
ɹ | ![]() |
alveolar approximant | English red [r\Ed]
|
r\` |
ɻ | ![]() |
retroflex approximant | Malayalam വഴി ["v@r\`i]
|
s |
s | ![]() |
voiceless alveolar fricative | English seem [si:m] , French session [sE"sjO~]
|
s` |
ʂ | ![]() |
voiceless retroflex fricative | Swedish mars [mas`]
|
s\ |
ɕ | ![]() |
voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative | Polish świerszcz [s\v'ers`ts`]
|
t |
t | ![]() |
voiceless alveolar plosive | English stew [stju:] , French raté [Ra"te]
|
t` |
ʈ | ![]() |
voiceless retroflex plosive | Swedish mört [m2t`]
|
u |
u | ![]() |
close back rounded vowel | English boom [bu:m] , Spanish su [su]
|
v |
v | ![]() |
voiced labiodental fricative | English vest [vEst] , French voix [vwa]
|
v\ (or P ) |
ʋ | ![]() |
labiodental approximant | Dutch west [v\Est] /[PEst]
|
w |
w | ![]() |
labial-velar approximant | English west [wEst] , French oui [wi]
|
x |
x | ![]() |
voiceless velar fricative | Scots loch [lOx] or [5Ox] ; German Buch, Dach; Spanish caja, gestión
|
x\ |
ɧ | ![]() |
voiceless palatal-velar fricative | Swedish sjal [x\A:l]
|
y |
y | ![]() |
close front rounded vowel | French tu [ty] German über ["y:b6]
|
z |
z | ![]() |
voiced alveolar fricative | English zoo [zu:] , French azote [a"zOt]
|
z` |
ʐ | ![]() |
voiced retroflex fricative | Mandarin Chinese rang [z`aN]
|
z\ |
ʑ | ![]() |
voiced alveolo-palatal fricative | Polish źrebak ["z\rEbak]
|
Capital symbols
[edit]X-SAMPA | IPA | IPA image | Description | Example |
---|---|---|---|---|
A |
ɑ | ![]() |
open back unrounded vowel | English father ["fA:D@ (r\ )] (RP and Gen.Am.)
|
B |
β | ![]() |
voiced bilabial fricative | Spanish lavar [la"Ba4]
|
B\ |
ʙ | ![]() |
bilabial trill | Reminiscent of shivering ("brrr") |
C |
ç | ![]() |
voiceless palatal fricative | German ich [IC] , English human ["Cjum@n] (broad transcription uses [hj -])
|
D |
ð | ![]() |
voiced dental fricative | English then [DEn]
|
E |
ɛ | ![]() |
open-mid front unrounded vowel | French même [mE:m] , English met [mEt] (RP and Gen.Am.)
|
F |
ɱ | ![]() |
labiodental nasal | English emphasis ["EFf@sIs] (spoken quickly, otherwise uses [Emf -])
|
G |
ɣ | ![]() |
voiced velar fricative | Greek γωνία [Go"nia]
|
G\ |
ɢ | ![]() |
voiced uvular plosive | Inuktitut nirivvik [niG\ivvik]
|
G\_< |
ʛ | ![]() |
voiced uvular implosive | Mam ʛa [G\_<a ]
|
H |
ɥ | ![]() |
labial-palatal approximant | French huit [Hit]
|
H\ |
ʜ | ![]() |
voiceless epiglottal fricative | Agul мехӀ [mEH\]
|
I |
ɪ | ![]() |
near-close front unrounded vowel | English kit [kIt]
|
I\ |
ᵻ | ![]() |
near-close central unrounded vowel (non-IPA) | Polish ryba [rI\bA]
|
J |
ɲ | ![]() |
palatal nasal | Spanish año ["aJo] , English canyon ["k{J@n] (broad transcription uses [-nj -])
|
J\ |
ɟ | ![]() |
voiced palatal plosive | Hungarian egy [EJ\]
|
J\_< |
ʄ | ![]() |
voiced palatal implosive | Sindhi ʄaro [J\_<aro ]
|
K |
ɬ | ![]() |
voiceless alveolar lateral fricative | Welsh llaw [KaU]
|
K\ |
ɮ | ![]() |
voiced alveolar lateral fricative | Mongolian долоо [tOK\O:]
|
L |
ʎ | ![]() |
palatal lateral approximant | Italian famiglia [fa"miLLa] , Castilian: llamar [La"mar]
|
L\ |
ʟ | ![]() |
velar lateral approximant | Korean 달구지 [t6L\gudz\i]
|
M |
ɯ | ![]() |
close back unrounded vowel | Korean 음식 [M:ms\_hik_}]
|
M\ |
ɰ | ![]() |
velar approximant | Spanish fuego ["fweM\o]
|
N |
ŋ | ![]() |
velar nasal | English thing [TIN]
|
N\ |
ɴ | ![]() |
uvular nasal | Japanese さん san [saN\]
|
O |
ɔ | ![]() |
open-mid back rounded vowel | American English off [O:f]
|
O\ |
ʘ | ![]() |
bilabial click | |
P (or v\ ) |
ʋ | ![]() |
labiodental approximant | Dutch west [PEst] /[v\Est] , allophone of English phoneme /r\/
|
Q |
ɒ | ![]() |
open back rounded vowel | RP lot [lQt]
|
R |
ʁ | ![]() |
voiced uvular fricative | German rein [RaIn]
|
R\ |
ʀ | ![]() |
uvular trill | French roi [R\wa]
|
S |
ʃ | ![]() |
voiceless postalveolar fricative | English ship [SIp]
|
T |
θ | ![]() |
voiceless dental fricative | English thin [TIn]
|
U |
ʊ | ![]() |
near-close back rounded vowel | English foot [fUt]
|
U\ |
ᵿ | ![]() |
near-close central rounded vowel (non-IPA) | English euphoria [jU\"fO@r\i@]
|
V |
ʌ | ![]() |
open-mid back unrounded vowel | Scottish English strut [str\Vt]
|
W |
ʍ | ![]() |
voiceless labial-velar fricative | Scots when [WEn]
|
X |
χ | ![]() |
voiceless uvular fricative | Klallam sχaʔqʷaʔ [sXa?q_wa?]
|
X\ |
ħ | ![]() |
voiceless pharyngeal fricative | Arabic ح ḥāʾ [X\A:]
|
Y |
ʏ | ![]() |
near-close front rounded vowel | German hübsch [hYpS]
|
Z |
ʒ | ![]() |
voiced postalveolar fricative | English vision ["vIZ@n]
|
Other symbols
[edit]X-SAMPA | IPA | IPA image | Description | Example |
---|---|---|---|---|
. |
. | ![]() |
syllable break | |
" |
ˈ | ![]() |
primary stress | |
% |
ˌ | ![]() |
secondary stress | American English pronunciation [pr\@%nVn.si."eI.S@n]
|
' (or _j ) |
ʲ | ![]() |
palatalized | Russian Земля (Earth) [z'I"ml'a] or [z_jI"ml_ja]
|
: |
ː | ![]() |
long | |
:\ |
ˑ | ![]() |
half long | Estonian differentiates three vowel lengths |
- |
separator | Polish trzy [t-S1] vs. czy [tS1] (affricate)
| ||
@ |
ə | ![]() |
schwa | English arena [@"r\i:n@]
|
@\ |
ɘ | ![]() |
close-mid central unrounded vowel | Paicĩ kɘ̄ɾɘ [k@\_M4@\_M]
|
@` |
ɚ | ![]() |
r-coloured schwa | American English color ["kVl@`]
|
{ |
æ | ![]() |
near-open front unrounded vowel | English trap [tr\{p]
|
} |
ʉ | ![]() |
close central rounded vowel | Swedish sju [x\}:] ; AuE/NZE boot [b}:t]
|
1 |
ɨ | ![]() |
close central unrounded vowel | Welsh tu [t1] , American English rose's ["r\oUz1z]
|
2 |
ø | ![]() |
close-mid front rounded vowel | Danish købe ["k2:b@] , French deux [d2]
|
3 |
ɜ | ![]() |
open-mid central unrounded vowel | English nurse [n3:s] (RP) or [n3`s] (Gen.Am.)
|
3\ |
ɞ | ![]() |
open-mid central rounded vowel | Irish tomhail [t3\:l']
|
4 |
ɾ | ![]() |
alveolar flap | Spanish pero ["pe4o] , American English better ["bE4@`]
|
5 |
ɫ | ![]() |
velarized alveolar lateral approximant; also see _e |
English milk [mI5k] , Portuguese livro ["5iv4u]
|
6 |
ɐ | ![]() |
near-open central vowel | German besser ["bEs6] , Australian English mud [m6d]
|
7 |
ɤ | ![]() |
close-mid back unrounded vowel | Estonian kõik [k7ik] , Vietnamese mơ [m7_M]
|
8 |
ɵ | ![]() |
close-mid central rounded vowel | Swedish buss [b8s]
|
9 |
œ | ![]() |
open-mid front rounded vowel | French neuf [n9f] , Danish drømme [dR9m@]
|
& |
ɶ | ![]() |
open front rounded vowel | Swedish skörd [x\&d`]
|
? |
ʔ | ![]() |
glottal stop | Cockney English bottle ["bQ?o]
|
?\ |
ʕ | ![]() |
voiced pharyngeal fricative | Arabic ع ʿayn [?\Ajn]
|
* |
undefined escape character, SAMPA's "conjunctor" | |||
/ |
/ | ![]() |
(a) French vowel archiphonemes or indeterminacies (b) delimiter of phonemic transcriptions |
maison /mE/zO~/
|
< |
⟨ | ![]() |
begin nonsegmental notation, e.g., SAMPROSA[3] | |
<\ |
ʢ | ![]() |
voiced epiglottal fricative | Siwi arˤbˤəʢa (four) [ar_?\b_?\@<\a]
|
> |
⟩ | ![]() |
end nonsegmental notation | |
>\ |
ʡ | ![]() |
epiglottal plosive | Archi гӀарз (complaint) [>\arz]
|
^ |
ꜛ | ![]() |
upstep | |
! |
ꜜ | ![]() |
downstep | |
!\ |
ǃ | ![]() |
postalveolar click | Zulu iqaqa (polecat) [i:!\a:!\a]
|
| |
| | ![]() |
minor (foot) group | |
|\ |
ǀ | ![]() |
dental click | Zulu icici (earring) [i:|\i:|\i]
|
|| |
‖ | ![]() |
major (intonation) group | |
|\|\ |
ǁ | ![]() |
alveolar lateral click | Zulu xoxa (to converse) [|\|\O:|\|\a]
|
=\ |
ǂ | ![]() |
palatal click | |
-\ |
‿ | ![]() |
linking mark |
Diacritics
[edit]X-SAMPA | IPA | IPA image | Description |
---|---|---|---|
_" |
̈ | ![]() |
centralized |
_+ |
̟ | ![]() |
advanced |
_- |
̠ | ![]() |
retracted |
_/ |
̌ | ![]() |
rising tone |
_0 |
̥ | ![]() |
voiceless |
_< |
implosive (IPA uses separate symbols for implosives) | ||
= (or _= ) |
̩ | ![]() |
syllabic |
_> |
ʼ | ![]() |
ejective |
_?\ |
ˤ | ![]() |
pharyngealized |
_\ |
̂ | ![]() |
falling tone |
_^ |
̯ | ![]() |
non-syllabic |
_} |
̚ | ![]() |
no audible release |
` |
˞ | ![]() |
rhotacization in vowels, retroflexion in consonants (IPA uses separate symbols for consonants, see t` for an example)
|
~ (or _~ ) |
̃ | ![]() |
nasalization |
_A |
̘ | ![]() |
advanced tongue root |
_a |
̺ | ![]() |
apical |
_B |
̏ | ![]() |
extra low tone |
_B_L |
᷅ | ![]() |
low rising tone |
_c |
̜ | ![]() |
less rounded |
_d |
̪ | ![]() |
dental |
_e |
̴ | ![]() |
velarized or pharyngealized; also see 5
|
<F> |
↘ | ![]() |
global fall |
_F |
̂ | ![]() |
falling tone |
_G |
ˠ | ![]() |
velarized |
_H |
́ | ![]() |
high tone |
_H_T |
᷄ | ![]() |
high rising tone |
_h |
ʰ | ![]() |
aspirated |
_j (or ' ) |
ʲ | ![]() |
palatalized |
_k |
̰ | ![]() |
creaky voice |
_L |
̀ | ![]() |
low tone |
_l |
ˡ | ![]() |
lateral release |
_M |
̄ | ![]() |
mid tone |
_m |
̻ | ![]() |
laminal |
_N |
̼ | ![]() |
linguolabial |
_n |
ⁿ | ![]() |
nasal release |
_O |
̹ | ![]() |
more rounded |
_o |
̞ | ![]() |
lowered |
_q |
̙ | ![]() |
retracted tongue root |
<R> |
↗ | ![]() |
global rise |
_R |
̌ | ![]() |
rising tone |
_R_F |
᷈ | ![]() |
rising falling tone |
_r |
̝ | ![]() |
raised |
_T |
̋ | ![]() |
extra high tone |
_t |
̤ | ![]() |
breathy voice |
_v |
̬ | ![]() |
voiced |
_w |
ʷ | ![]() |
labialized |
_X |
̆ | ![]() |
extra-short |
_x |
̽ | ![]() |
mid-centralized |
Charts
[edit]Consonants
[edit]Consonants (pulmonic) | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Place of articulation → | Labial | Coronal | Dorsal | Laryngeal | |||||||||||||
Manner of articulation ↓ | Bilabial | Labio‐ dental |
Dental | Alveolar | Post‐ alveolar |
Retro‐ flex |
Palatal | Velar | Uvular | Pharyn‐ geal |
Epi‐ glottal |
Glottal | |||||
Nasal | m
|
F
|
n
|
n`
|
J
|
N
|
N\
|
||||||||||
Plosive | p b
|
p_d b_d
|
t d
|
t` d`
|
c J\
|
k g
|
q G\
|
>\
|
?
|
||||||||
Fricative | p\ B
|
f v
|
T D
|
s z
|
S Z
|
s` z`
|
C j\
|
x G
|
X
|
R
|
X\
|
?\
|
H\
|
<\
|
h h\
| ||
Approximant | B_o
|
v\
|
r\
|
r\`
|
j
|
M\
|
|||||||||||
Trill | B\
|
r
|
* | R\
|
* | ||||||||||||
Tap or Flap | *† | *† | 4
|
r`
|
* | ||||||||||||
Lateral Fricative | K K\
|
* | * | * | |||||||||||||
Lateral Approximant | l
|
l`
|
L
|
L\
|
|||||||||||||
Lateral Flap | l\
|
* | * | * |
- Asterisks (*) mark sounds that do not have X-SAMPA symbols. Daggers (†) mark IPA symbols that have recently been added to Unicode. Since April 2008, the latter is the case of the labiodental flap, symbolized by a right-hook v in the IPA:
. A convention for the labiodental flap does not yet exist in X-SAMPA.
Coarticulated | |
---|---|
W
|
Voiceless labialized velar approximant |
w
|
Voiced labialized velar approximant |
H
|
Voiced labialized palatal approximant |
s\
|
Voiceless palatalized postalveolar (alveolo-palatal) fricative |
z\
|
Voiced palatalized postalveolar (alveolo-palatal) fricative |
x\
|
Voiceless "palatal-velar" fricative |
Affricates and double articulation | |
---|---|
ts
|
voiceless alveolar affricate |
dz
|
voiced alveolar affricate |
tS
|
voiceless postalveolar affricate |
dZ
|
voiced postalveolar affricate |
ts\
|
voiceless alveolo-palatal affricate |
dz\
|
voiced alveolo-palatal affricate |
tK
|
voiceless alveolar lateral affricate |
kp
|
voiceless labial-velar plosive |
gb
|
voiced labial-velar plosive |
Nm
|
labial-velar nasal stop |
Consonants (non-pulmonic) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Clicks | Implosives | Ejectives | |||
O\
|
Bilabial | b_<
|
Bilabial | _>
|
For example: |
|\
|
Laminal alveolar ("dental") | d_<
|
Alveolar | p_>
|
Bilabial |
!\
|
Apical (post-) alveolar ("retroflex") | J\_<
|
Palatal | t_>
|
Alveolar |
=\
|
Laminal postalveolar ("palatal") | g_<
|
Velar | k_>
|
Velar |
|\|\
|
Lateral coronal ("lateral") | G\_<
|
Uvular | s_>
|
Alveolar fricative |
Vowels
[edit]See also
[edit]- Comparison of ASCII encodings of the International Phonetic Alphabet
- List of phonetics topics
- SAMPA, a language-specific predecessor of X-SAMPA
- SAMPA chart for English
References
[edit]- ^ Wells, J.C. "Computer-coding the IPA: a proposed extension of SAMPA" (PDF). UCL Phonetics and Linguistics. University College London. Retrieved 16 March 2016.
- ^ "Language Subtag Registry" (text). IETF. 2022-08-08. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ For a summary of SAMPROSA, see Wells, J.C. (19 September 1995). "SAMPROSA (SAM Prosodic Transcription)". UCL Phonetics and Linguistics. University College London. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
External links
[edit]- Computer-coding the IPA: A proposed extension of SAMPA
- X-SAMPA to IPA to CXS converter
- Web-based translator for X-SAMPA documents. Produces Unicode text, XML text, PostScript, PDF, or LaTeX TIPA.
- Z-SAMPA, a backward-compatible extension of X-SAMPA sometimes used for conlangs