SAMPA: English Consonants
SAMPA Examples IPA
p pen, spit, lip p
b bed, rib b
t two, sting, bet t
d do, odd d
4 better, matter (GenAm) ɾ
tS chair, nature, teach tʃ
dZ gin, joy, edge dʒ
k cat, kill, skin, queen, thick k
g go, get, beg ɡ
f fool, enough, leaf f
v voice, have, of v
T thing, breath θ
D this, breathe ð
s see, city, pass s
z zoo, rose z
S she, sure, emotion, leash ʃ
Z pleasure, beige ʒ
h ham h
m man, ham m
n no, tin n
N singer, ring ŋ
l left, bell l
r\ run, very ɹ
w we w
j yes j
W what (some accents, such as Scottish) ʍ
x loch (Scottish) x


SAMPA: English Vowels
SAMPA Examples IPA
RP GenAm AuE RP GenAm AuE
A: A 6: father ɑː ɑ ɐː
i: i i: see iː i iː
I I I city ɪ ɪ ɪ
E E e bed ɛ ɛ e
3: 3` 3: bird ɜː ɝ ɜː
{ { {[1] lad, cat, ran æ æ æ
A: Ar\ 6: arm ɑː ɑɹ ɐː
V V 6 run, enough ʌ ʌ ɐ
Q A O not, wasp ɒ ɑ ɔ
O: O or A[2] o: law, caught ɔː ɔ or ɑ oː
U U U put ʊ ʊ ʊ
u: u }: soon, through uː u ʉː
@ @ @ about ə ə ə
@ @` @ winner ə ɚ ə


SAMPA: English Diphthongs
SAMPA Examples IPA
RP GenAm AuE RP GenAm AuE
eI eI or e {I day eɪ eɪ or e æɪ
aI aI Ae my aɪ aɪ ɑɪ
OI OI oI boy ɔɪ ɔɪ oɪ
@U oU or o @} no əʊ oʊ or o əʉ
aU aU {O now aʊ aʊ æɔ
I@ ir\ I@ near, here ɪə iɹ ɪə
E@ er\ e: hair, there ɛə eɹ eː
U@ Ur\ U@ tour ʊə ʊɹ ʊə
ju: ju j}: pupil juː ju jʉː


SAMPA: Other symbols used in transcription of English pronunciation
SAMPA Explanation IPA
" Primary stress (placed before the stressed syllable), for example "happy" /"h{pi/ ˈ
% Secondary stress, for example "battleship" /"b{tl=%SIp/ ˌ
. Syllable separator .
= Syllabic consonant, for example /"rIdn=/ for ridden ◌̩
  1. ^ See bad–lad split for more discussion of this vowel in Australian and English English.
  2. ^ See low back merger for more discussion of this vowel in North American English.

See also

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