X-SAMPA

Template:Short description Template:IPA notice 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. 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

Notes

• 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 from O\, 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 .
• 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.

Lower-case symbols

X-SAMPA	IPA	IPA image	Description	Examples
		File:IPA Unicode 0x0061.svg	open front unrounded vowel	French
		File:IPA Unicode 0x0062.svg	voiced bilabial plosive	English bed , French
b_<		File:IPA Unicode 0x0253.svg	voiced bilabial implosive	Sindhi [b_<arU]
c		File:IPA Unicode 0x0063.svg	voiceless palatal plosive	Hungarian ["lQcQk]
d		File:IPA Unicode 0x0064.svg	voiced alveolar plosive	English dig [dIg], French [dwa]
d`		File:IPA Unicode 0x0256.svg	voiced retroflex plosive	Swedish [hu:d`]
d_<		File:IPA Unicode 0x0257.svg	voiced alveolar implosive	Sindhi [d_<arU]
e		File:IPA Unicode 0x0065.svg	close-mid front unrounded vowel	French [ble]
f		File:IPA Unicode 0x0066.svg	voiceless labiodental fricative	English five [faIv], French [fam]
g		File:IPA Unicode 0x0261.svg	voiced velar plosive	English game [geIm], French [lO~g]
g_<		File:IPA Unicode 0x0260.svg	voiced velar implosive	Sindhi [g_<@ro]
h		File:IPA Unicode 0x0068.svg	voiceless glottal fricative	English house [haUs]
h\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0266.svg	voiced glottal fricative	Czech [h\rat]
i		File:IPA Unicode 0x0069.svg	close front unrounded vowel	English be [bi:], French [wi], Spanish [si]
j		File:IPA Unicode 0x006A.svg	palatal approximant	English yes [jEs], French [j2]
j\		File:IPA Unicode 0x029D.svg	voiced palatal fricative	Greek [j\a]
k		File:IPA Unicode 0x006B.svg	voiceless velar plosive	English skip [skIp], Spanish ["karo]
l		File:IPA Unicode 0x006C.svg	alveolar lateral approximant	English lay [leI], French [mal]
l`		File:IPA Unicode 0x026D.svg	retroflex lateral approximant	Svealand Swedish [so:l`]
l\		File:IPA Unicode 0x027A.svg	alveolar lateral flap	Wayuu [pM:l\MkM]
m		File:IPA Unicode 0x006D.svg	bilabial nasal	English mouse [maUs], French [Om]
n		File:IPA Unicode 0x006E.svg	alveolar nasal	English nap [n{p], French [nO~]
n`		File:IPA Unicode 0x0273.svg	retroflex nasal	Swedish [h2:n`]
o		File:IPA Unicode 0x006F.svg	close-mid back rounded vowel	French [vo]
p		File:IPA Unicode 0x0070.svg	voiceless bilabial plosive	English speak [spik], French [poz], Spanish ["pero]
p\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0278.svg	voiceless bilabial fricative	Japanese [p\M_0kM]
q		File:IPA Unicode 0x0071.svg	voiceless uvular plosive	Arabic ["qQs_Gba]
r		File:IPA Unicode 0x0072.svg	alveolar trill	Spanish ["pero]
r`		File:IPA Unicode 0x027D.svg	retroflex flap	Bengali [gar`i:]
r\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0279.svg	alveolar approximant	English red [r\Ed]
r\`		File:IPA Unicode 0x027B.svg	retroflex approximant	Malayalam ["v@r\`i]
s		File:IPA Unicode 0x0073.svg	voiceless alveolar fricative	English seem [si:m], French [sE"sjO~]
s`		File:IPA Unicode 0x0282.svg	voiceless retroflex fricative	Swedish [mas`]
s\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0255.svg	voiceless alveolo-palatal fricative	Polish [s\v'ers`ts`]
t		File:IPA Unicode 0x0074.svg	voiceless alveolar plosive	English stew [stju:], French [Ra"te]
t`		File:IPA Unicode 0x0288.svg	voiceless retroflex plosive	Swedish [m2t`]
u		File:IPA Unicode 0x0075.svg	close back rounded vowel	English boom [bu:m], Spanish [su]
v		File:IPA Unicode 0x0076.svg	voiced labiodental fricative	English vest [vEst], French [vwa]
v\ (or P)		File:IPA Unicode 0x028B.svg	labiodental approximant	Dutch [v\Est]/[PEst]
w		File:IPA Unicode 0x0077.svg	labial-velar approximant	English west [wEst], French [wi]
x		File:IPA Unicode 0x0078.svg	voiceless velar fricative	Scots [lOx] or [5Ox]; German , ; Spanish ,
x\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0267.svg	voiceless palatal-velar fricative	Swedish [x\A:l]
y		File:IPA Unicode 0x0079.svg	close front rounded vowel	French [ty] German ["y:b6]
z		File:IPA Unicode 0x007A.svg	voiced alveolar fricative	English zoo [zu:], French [a"zOt]
z`		File:IPA Unicode 0x0290.svg	voiced retroflex fricative	Mandarin Chinese [z`aN]
z\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0291.svg	voiced alveolo-palatal fricative	Polish ["z\rEbak]

Upper-case symbols

X-SAMPA	IPA	IPA image	Description	Example
		File:IPA Unicode 0x0251.svg	open back unrounded vowel	English father ["fA:D@(r\)] (RP and Gen.Am.)
B		File:IPA Unicode 0x03B2.svg	voiced bilabial fricative	Spanish [la"Ba4]
B\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0299.svg	bilabial trill	Medumba [mB\}_H]
C		File:IPA Unicode 0x00E7.svg	voiceless palatal fricative	German [IC], English human ["Cjum@n] (broad transcription uses [hj-])
D		File:IPA Unicode 0x00F0.svg	voiced dental fricative	English then [DEn]
E		File:IPA Unicode 0x025B.svg	open-mid front unrounded vowel	French [mE:m], English met [mEt] (RP and Gen.Am.)
F		File:IPA Unicode 0x0271.svg	labiodental nasal	English emphasis ["EFf@sIs] (spoken quickly, otherwise uses [Emf-])
G		File:IPA Unicode 0x0263.svg	voiced velar fricative	Greek [Go"nia]
G\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0262.svg	voiced uvular plosive	Inuktitut [niG\ivvik]
G\_<		File:IPA Unicode 0x029B.svg	voiced uvular implosive	Mam [G\_<a]
H		File:IPA Unicode 0x0265.svg	labial-palatal approximant	French [Hit]
H\		File:IPA Unicode 0x029C.svg	voiceless epiglottal fricative	Agul [mEH\]
I		File:IPA Unicode 0x026A.svg	near-close front unrounded vowel	English kit [kIt]
I\		File:IPA Unicode 0x1D7B.svg	near-close central unrounded vowel (non-IPA)	Polish [rI\bA]
J		File:IPA Unicode 0x0272.svg	palatal nasal	Spanish ["aJo], English canyon ["k{J@n] (broad transcription uses [-nj-])
J\		File:IPA Unicode 0x025F.svg	voiced palatal plosive	Hungarian [EJ\]
J\_<		File:IPA Unicode 0x0284.svg	voiced palatal implosive	Sindhi [J\_<aro]
K		File:IPA Unicode 0x026C.svg	voiceless alveolar lateral fricative	Welsh [KaU]
K\		File:IPA Unicode 0x026E.svg	voiced alveolar lateral fricative	Mongolian [tOK\O:]
L		File:IPA Unicode 0x028E.svg	palatal lateral approximant	Italian [fa"miLLa], Castilian: [La"mar]
L\		File:IPA Unicode 0x029F.svg	velar lateral approximant	Korean [t6L\gudz\i]
M		File:IPA Unicode 0x026F.svg	close back unrounded vowel	Korean [M:ms\_hik_}]
M\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0270.svg	velar approximant	Spanish ["fweM\o]
N		File:IPA Unicode 0x014B.svg	velar nasal	English thing [TIN]
N\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0274.svg	uvular nasal	Japanese [saN\]
O		File:IPA Unicode 0x0254.svg	open-mid back rounded vowel	American English off [O:f]
O\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0298.svg	bilabial click
P (or v\)		File:IPA Unicode 0x028B.svg	labiodental approximant	Dutch [PEst]/[v\Est], allophone of English phoneme /r\/
Q		File:IPA Unicode 0x0252.svg	open back rounded vowel	RP lot [lQt]
R		File:IPA Unicode 0x0281.svg	voiced uvular fricative	German [RaIn]
R\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0280.svg	uvular trill	French [R\wa]
S		File:IPA Unicode 0x0283.svg	voiceless postalveolar fricative	English ship [SIp]
T		File:IPA Unicode 0x03B8.svg	voiceless dental fricative	English thin [TIn]
U		File:IPA Unicode 0x028A.svg	near-close back rounded vowel	English foot [fUt]
U\		File:IPA Unicode 0x1D7F.svg	near-close central rounded vowel (non-IPA)	English euphoria [jU\"fO@r\i@]
V		File:IPA Unicode 0x028C.svg	open-mid back unrounded vowel	Scottish English strut [str\Vt]
W		File:IPA Unicode 0x028D.svg	voiceless labial-velar fricative	Scots [WEn]
X		File:IPA Unicode 0x03C7.svg	voiceless uvular fricative	Klallam [sXa?q_wa?]
X\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0127.svg	voiceless pharyngeal fricative	Arabic [X\A:]
Y		File:IPA Unicode 0x028F.svg	near-close front rounded vowel	German [hYpS]
Z		File:IPA Unicode 0x0292.svg	voiced postalveolar fricative	English vision ["vIZ@n]

Other symbols

X-SAMPA	IPA	IPA image	Description	Example
.		File:Unicode 0x002E.svg	syllable break
"		File:IPA Unicode 0x02C8.svg	primary stress
%		File:IPA Unicode 0x02CC.svg	secondary stress	American English pronunciation [pr\@%nVn.si."eI.S@n]
' (or _j)		File:IPA Unicode 0x02B2.svg	palatalized	Russian (Earth) [z'I"ml'a] or [z_jI"ml_ja]
:		File:Length sign.svg	long
:\		File:IPA Unicode 0x02D1.svg	half long	Estonian differentiates three vowel lengths
-			separator	Polish [t-S1] vs. [tS1] (affricate)
@		File:IPA Unicode 0x0259.svg	schwa	English arena [@"r\i:n@]
@\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0258.svg	close-mid central unrounded vowel	Chuvash пӗррехинче [p@\rrEXints\E]
@`		File:IPA Unicode 0x025A.svg	r-coloured schwa	American English color ["kVl@`]
{		File:IPA Unicode 0x00E6.svg	near-open front unrounded vowel	English trap [tr\{p]
}		File:IPA Unicode 0x0289.svg	close central rounded vowel	Swedish [x\}:]; AuE/NZE boot [b}:t]
1		File:IPA Unicode 0x0268.svg	close central unrounded vowel	Welsh [t1], American English rose's ["r\oUz1z]
2		File:IPA Unicode 0x00F8.svg	close-mid front rounded vowel	Danish ["k2:b@], French [d2]
3		File:IPA Unicode 0x025C.svg	open-mid central unrounded vowel	English nurse [n3:s] (RP) or [n3`s] (Gen.Am.)
3\		File:IPA Unicode 0x025E.svg	open-mid central rounded vowel	Irish [t3\:l']
4		File:IPA Unicode 0x027E.svg	alveolar flap	Spanish ["pe4o], American English better ["bE4@`]
5		File:IPA Unicode 0x026B.svg	velarized alveolar lateral approximant; also see _e	English milk [mI5k], Portuguese ["5iv4u]
6		File:IPA Unicode 0x0250.svg	near-open central vowel	German ["bEs6], Australian English mud [m6d]
7		File:IPA Unicode 0x0264.svg	close-mid back unrounded vowel	Estonian [k7ik], Vietnamese [m7_M]
8		File:IPA Unicode 0x0275.svg	close-mid central rounded vowel	Swedish [b8s]
9		File:IPA Unicode 0x0153.svg	open-mid front rounded vowel	French [n9f], Danish [dR9m@]
&		File:IPA Unicode 0x0276.svg	open front rounded vowel	Swedish [x\&d`]
?		File:IPA Unicode 0x0294.svg	glottal stop	Cockney English bottle ["bQ?o]
?\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0295.svg	voiced pharyngeal fricative	Arabic [?\Ajn]
*			undefined escape character, SAMPA's "conjunctor"
/		File:Unicode 0x002F.svg	(a) French vowel archiphonemes or indeterminacies (b) delimiter of phonemic transcriptions	/mE/zO~/
<		File:Unicode 0x27E8.svg	begin nonsegmental notation, e.g., SAMPROSA
<\		File:IPA Unicode 0x02A2.svg	voiced epiglottal fricative	Siwi (four) [ar_?\b_?\@<\a]
>		File:Unicode 0x27E9.svg	end nonsegmental notation
>\		File:IPA Unicode 0x02A1.svg	epiglottal plosive	Archi гӀарз (complaint) [>\arz]
^		File:Unicode 0xA71B.svg	upstep
!		File:Unicode 0xA71C.svg	downstep
!\		File:IPA Unicode 0x01C3.svg	postalveolar click	Zulu (polecat) [i:!\a:!\a]
		File:IPA Unicode 0x007C.svg	minor (foot) group
\		File:IPA Unicode 0x01C0 alt.svg	dental click	\i:|\i]
			File:IPA Unicode 0x2016.svg	major (intonation) group
\|\		File:IPA Unicode 0x01C1 alt.svg	alveolar lateral click	\|\O:|\|\a]
=\		File:IPA Unicode 0x01C2 alt.svg	palatal click	Taa [=\~u_Fm]
-\		File:IPA Unicode 0x203F.svg	linking mark

Diacritics

X-SAMPA	IPA	IPA image	Description
		File:IPA Unicode 0x0308.svg	centralized
_+		File:IPA Unicode 0x031F.svg	advanced
_-		File:IPA Unicode 0x0320.svg	retracted
_/		File:IPA Unicode 0x030C.svg	rising tone
_R
_0		File:IPA Unicode 0x0325.svg	voiceless
_<			implosive (IPA uses separate symbols for implosives)
= (or _=)		File:IPA Unicode 0x0329.svg	syllabic
_>		File:IPA Unicode 0x02BC on ring.svg	ejective
_?\		File:IPA Unicode 0x02C1.svg	pharyngealized
_\		File:IPA Unicode 0x0302.svg	falling tone
_F
_^		File:IPA Unicode 0x032F.svg	non-syllabic
_}		File:IPA Unicode 0x031A.svg	no audible release
`		File:IPA Unicode 0x02DE.svg	rhotacization in vowels, retroflexion in consonants (IPA uses separate symbols for consonants, see t` for an example)
~ (or _~)		File:IPA Unicode 0x0303.svg	nasalization
_A		File:IPA Unicode 0x0318.svg	advanced tongue root
_a		File:IPA Unicode 0x033A.svg	apical
_B		File:IPA Unicode 0x030F.svg	extra low tone
_B_L		File:IPA Unicode 0x1DC5.svg	low rising tone
_c		File:IPA Unicode 0x031C.svg	less rounded
_d		File:IPA Unicode 0x032A.svg	dental
_e		File:IPA Unicode 0x0334.svg	velarized or pharyngealized; also see 5
_f		File:IPA global decrease from Gentium ancora.svg	global fall
_G		File:IPA Unicode 0x02E0.svg	velarized
_H		File:IPA Unicode 0x0301.svg	high tone
_H_T		File:IPA Unicode 0x1DC4.svg	high rising tone
_h		File:IPA Unicode 0x02B0.svg	aspirated
_j (or ')		File:IPA Unicode 0x02B2.svg	palatalized
_k		File:IPA Unicode 0x0330.svg	creaky voice
_L		File:IPA Unicode 0x0300.svg	low tone
_l		File:IPA Unicode 0x02E1.svg	lateral release
_M		File:IPA Unicode 0x0304.svg	mid tone
_m		File:IPA Unicode 0x033B.svg	laminal
_N		File:IPA Unicode 0x033C.svg	linguolabial
_n		File:IPA Unicode 0x207F.svg	nasal release
_O		File:IPA Unicode 0x0339.svg	more rounded
_o		File:IPA Unicode 0x031E.svg	lowered
_q		File:IPA Unicode 0x0319.svg	retracted tongue root
_r		File:IPA global increase from Gentium ancora.svg	global rise
_R_F		File:IPA Unicode 0x1DC8.svg	rising falling tone
_r		File:IPA Unicode 0x031D.svg	raised
_T		File:IPA Unicode 0x030B.svg	extra high tone
_t		File:IPA Unicode 0x0324.svg	breathy voice
_v		File:IPA Unicode 0x032C.svg	voiced
_w		File:IPA Unicode 0x02B7.svg	labialized
_X		File:IPA Unicode 0x0306.svg	extra-short
_x		File:IPA Unicode 0x033D.svg	mid-centralized

Charts

Consonants

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: File:Unicode 0x0475.svg. 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
dK\	voiced 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

	Front	Central	Back
Close	File:Blank vowel trapezoid.svg i • y 1 • } M • u I • Y I\ • U\ • U e • 2 @\ • 8 7 • o e_o • 2_o @ • o_o E • 9 3 • 3\ V • O { • 6 a • & a_" A • Q
Near‑close
Close‑mid
Mid
Open‑mid
Near‑open
Open

See also

• 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

External links

• 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