X-SAMPA

Template:Short description Template:More citations needed 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 Template:Transliteration [p\M_0kM]
q		File:IPA Unicode 0x0071.svg	voiceless uvular plosive	Arabic Template:Transliteration ["qQs_Gba]
r		File:IPA Unicode 0x0072.svg	alveolar trill	Spanish ["pero]
r`		File:IPA Unicode 0x027D.svg	retroflex flap	Bengali Template:Transliteration [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 Template:Transliteration [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	Reminiscent of shivering ("brrr")
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 Template:Transliteration [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 Template:Transliteration [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 roseTemplate:`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 Template:Transliteration [?\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
-\		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
_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
_\ (or _F)		File:IPA Unicode 0x0302.svg	falling tone
_^		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
_F (or _\)		File:IPA Unicode 0x0302.svg	falling tone
_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		File:IPA Unicode 0x030C.svg	rising tone
_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