Sounds & phonemes

The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a writing system devised by the International Phonetic Association which allows for every sound distinguished by humans in speech to be written down. This allows for anyone who reads IPA to understand exactly what is said and how to pronounce it. Below are the main tables of sounds comprising the IPA, plus a content list to get to them more easily.

  • Vowels
  • Consonants
    • Pulmonic
    • Non-pulmonic
    • Coarticulated

Vowels

 VOWELS  Front    Central     Back 
 Close   i · y   ɨ · ʉ   ɯ · u
     ɪ · ʏ     ʊ   
 Close-Mid  e · ø   ɘ · ɵ    ɤ · o 
      ə    
 Open-Mid  ɛ · œ   ɜ · ɞ    ʌ · ɔ 
  æ   ɐ    
 Open  a · Œ†       ɑ · ɒ

N.B. Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the right of the dot is rounded. 

† Due to technical difficulty, this symbol should be in smallcaps and not majuscule.

Vowels are sounds made without any obstruction or stricture in the mouth – this contrasts with consonants, which exhibit some obstruction. Vowels can be modified in terms of pitch, loudness, and quality (i.e. shape of the mouth). They are often voiced, and are often associated with stress, tone and other prosodic variations.

In phonology, vowels are defined as syllabic, meaning they form the peak of a syllable (the loudest, most sonorous part of a syllable). They are only found in the nuclei of syllables, the coda and onset being optional – syllabic consonants such as in English “table” /tei.bl̩/ can also occur instead of vowels.


Consonants

CONSONANTS 

(PULMONIC)

 Bilabial   Labiodental   Dental   Alveolar   Postalveolar   Retroflex   Palatal   Velar   Uvular   Pharyngeal   Glottal 
Plosive p · b     t · d   ʈ · ɖ c · ɟ k · ɡ q · ɢ   ʔ
Nasal m ɱ   n   ɳ ɲ ŋ ɴ    
Trill ʙ     r         ʀ    
Tap or Flap   ⱱ   ɾ   ɽ          
Fricative ɸ · β f · v θ · ð s · z ʃ · ʒ ʂ · ʐ ç · ʝ x · ɣ χ · ʁ ħ · ʕ h · ɦ
Lateral fricative       ɬ · ɮ              
Approximant   ʋ   ɹ   ɻ j ɰ ʁ*    
Lateral approximant       l   ɭ ʎ ʟ      

N.B. Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the right of the dot is voiced. 

* /ʁ/ can be an approximant, but is more often articulated as a fricative.

Place → Labial Coronal Dorsal Laryngeal
Manner ↓ Bi­labial Labio­dental Linguo­labial Dental Alveolar Post­alveolar Retro­flex Palatal Velar Uvular Pharyn­geal/epi­glottal Glottal
Nasal m̥ m   ɱ   n̼     n̥ n     ɳ̊ ɳ ɲ̊ ɲ ŋ̊ ŋ   ɴ        
Stop p b p̪ b̪ t̼ d̼     t d     ʈ ɖ c ɟ k ɡ q ɢ ʡ   ʔ  
Sibilant affricate                 ts dz t̠ʃ d̠ʒ ʈʂ ɖʐ tɕ dʑ                
Non-sibilant affricate pɸ bβ p̪f b̪v     t̪θ d̪ð tɹ̝̊ dɹ̝ t̠ɹ̠̊˔ d̠ɹ̠˔     cç ɟʝ kx ɡɣ qχ ɢʁ   ʡʢ ʔh  
Sibilant fricative                 s z ʃ ʒ ʂ ʐ ɕ ʑ                
Non-sibilant fricative ɸ β f v θ̼ ð̼ θ ð θ̠ ð̠ ɹ̠̊˔ ɹ̠˔   ɻ˔ ç ʝ x ɣ χ ʁ ħ ʕ h ɦ
Approximant     ʋ̥ ʋ         ɹ̥ ɹ     ɻ̊ ɻ j̊ j ɰ̊ ɰ           ʔ̞
Tap/flap   ⱱ̟   ⱱ   ɾ̼     ɾ̥ ɾ     ɽ̊ ɽ           ɢ̆   ʡ̆    
Trill ʙ̥ ʙ             r̥ r     ɽ̊r̥ ɽr         ʀ̥ ʀ ʜ ʢ    
Lateral affricate                 tɬ dɮ     ʈɭ̊˔   cʎ̝̊   kʟ̝̊ ɡʟ̝            
Lateral fricative                 ɬ ɮ     ɭ̊˔ ɭ˔ ʎ̝̊ ʎ̝ ʟ̝̊ ʟ̝            
Lateral approximant                 l̥ l     ɭ̊ ɭ ʎ̥ ʎ ʟ̥ ʟ   ʟ̠        
Lateral tap/flap                   ɺ       ɭ̆   ʎ̆   ʟ̆