SAMPA: simplified chart of

consonants
(the paired signs are voiceless/voiced

consonants)
  Bilabial Labiodentals Dentals Alveolars Postalveolars Palatals Velars Uvulars
Stops
or affricates
pb
   
td
tSdZ
c (stroked j?)
kg
q 
Fricatives
(phi ?) B
fv
TD
sz
SZ
C 
xG
hh\
Nasals m F   n   J N  
Laterals       l   L (dark l?)  
Rhotics (flaps or trills)      
r
rr
(retroflex r?)
      R
Semivowels w
H
        j    



SAMPA: simplified list of

consonants

SAMPA IPA Description Examples
p p voiceless bilabial stop English pen
b b voiced bilabial stop English but
t t voiceless alveolar stop English two
d d voiced alveolar stop English do
tS t + (long s?) voiceless postalveolar affricate English chair, picture, Spanish mucho, Italian cena, German Deutsche
dZ d + (z with tail?) voiced postalveolar affricate English gin, joy, Italiangiorno
c c voiceless palatal stop Greek [ce] 'and'
(stroked j?) overstroked j, j voiced palatal stop  ??
k k voiceless velar stop English cat, kill, queen
g g voiced velar stop English go, get
q q voiceless uvular stop Arabic qof
(phi ?) Greek phi voiceless bilabial fricative Japanese fu
B Greek beta voiced bilabial fricative Spanish cabo, calvo
f f voiceless labiodental fricative English fool, enough
v v voiced labiodental fricative English voice, German Welt
T Greek theta voiceless dental fricative English thing, Castilian Spanish caza
D Icelandic eth ð, or Greek delta voiced dental fricative English this, Spanish cada
s s voiceless alveolar fricative English see, pass,

city, Spanish sí, German

Gross
z z voiced alveolar fricative English zoo, roses, German See
S (long s?) voiceless postalveolar fricative English she, sure, emotion, French chemin, Italian scendo
Z (z with tail?) voiced postalveolar fricative French jour, English pleasure
C cedilla, ç voiceless palatal fricative German Ich, Greek [Ceri] 'hand', some English pronunciations of human
x x voiceless velar fricative Scots loch, Spanish ajo, German Buch
G Greek gamma voiced velar fricative Spanish algo
h h voiceless uvular fricative English ham, German Hand
h\ h with upper tail to the right voiced uvular fricative Some English pronunciations of aha
m m bilabial nasal English man
F m with downward right tail labiodental nasal Spanish infierno
n n alveolar nasal English no
J n with downward left tail palatal nasal US English canyon, Spanish

año, French oignion, Italian gnocchi, Hungarian anyu

N n with downward right tail velar nasal English singer, ring
l l alveolar lateral English left
L turned down y palatal lateral Italian aglio, Catalan colla
(dark l?) small capital L velar lateral English milk (dark l), Catalan alga
r r without seriff alveolar flap US English better, Spanish pero
rr r with seriff alveolar trill Spanish perro, rey
(retroflex r?) r with downward tail to the left retroflex alveolar flap English run, very
R small capital R uvular trill French rue, standard German Reich
w w rounded back semivowel English we, Frech oui, Spanish hueso
H turned down h rounded front semivowel French huit
j j unrounded front semivowel English yes, Frech yeux, German ja



SAMPA: simplified chart of

vowels
(the paired signs are unrounded/rounded

vowels)
  Front Central Back
Closed or high
i
I
y
1}
(upside-down m?) u
U
Half closed
e2
@ (stroked o?)
(squeezed gamma?) o
Half open
E
3
9
 
 
VO
Open or low
{&
a
AQ


Vowel modifiers:

  • [ ~ ] after a vowel indicates that

it is nasalised (e.g. French bon [bO~] ).

  • [ : ] after a vowel indicates that

it is lengthened (e.g. Japanese shōshō [So:So:], English see [si:] ).


SAMPA: simplified list of

vowels

SAMPA IPA Description Examples
i i front closed unrounded vowel English see, Spanish , French vite, German mieten
I small capital I front closed unrounded vowel, but somewhat more centralised and relaxed English city, German mit
e e front half closed unrounded vowel US English bear, Spanish él,

French année, German mehr, Italian rete, Catalan més

E Greek epsilon front half open unrounded vowel English bed,

French même, German Herr, Italian ferro,

Catalan mes
3 Greek epsilon mirrored to the left front half open unrounded vowel, but somewhat more centralised and relaxed English bird
{ ae ligature, æ front open unrounded vowel English cat
y y front closed rounded vowel French du, German Tür
2 slashed o, ø front half closed rounded vowel French deux (hence '2'), German Höhle
9 oe ligature, œ front half open rounded vowel French neuf (hence '9'), German Hölle
& small capital OE ligature, Œ front open rounded vowel  ??
1 overstroked i, i central closed unrounded vowel Russian [m1s] 'mouse'
@ turned down e, schwa central neutral unrounded vowel English about, winner,

German bitte

a a central open vowel Spanish da, French bateau, lac, German Haar
} overstroked u, u central closed rounded vowel Swedish sju
(stroked o?) overstroked o, o central neutral rounded vowel  ??
u u back closed rounded vowel English soon, Spanish , French gt, German Hut
U turned down small capital Greek omega front closed rounded vowel somewhat more centralised and relaxed English put, German Mutter
o o back half closed rounded vowel US English sore,

Spanish yo, French beau, German Sohle, Italian dove,

Catalan ona
O c mirrored to the left back half open rounded vowel English law, caught,

Italian uomo,

Catalan dona
Q 'b' with no upper tail back open rounded vowel English not, cough, German Toll
(upside-down m?) upside-down m back closed unrounded vowel (?) Vietnamese &x01B0; (?) Korean &xC73C;
(squeezed gamma?) squeezed Greek gamma back half closed unrounded vowel (?) Vietnamese &x01A1; (?) Korean &xC5B4;
V turned down v back half open unrounded vowel English run, enough
A 'd' with no upper tail back open unrounded vowel English arm, US English law, standard French âme


SAMPA: English

Consonants

SAMPA Examples
pEnglish pen
bEnglish but
tEnglish two
dEnglish do
tSEnglish chair, picture
dZEnglish gin, joy
kEnglish

cat, kill,

queen
gEnglish go, get
fEnglish fool, enough
vEnglish voice
TEnglish thing
DEnglish this
sEnglish

see, pass,

city
zEnglish zoo, roses
SEnglish

she, sure,

emotion
ZEnglish pleasure
xScots loch
hEnglish ham
mEnglish man
nEnglish no
JUS English canyon
NEnglish singer, ring
lEnglish left
(dark l?) English milk (dark l)
(retroflex r?) English run, very
rUS English better
wEnglish we
jEnglish yes
SAMPA: English

Vowels (RP)

SAMPA Examples
isee
Icity
Ebed
3bird
{cat
Aarm, US English law
Vrun, enough
Qnot, cough
Olaw, caught
Uput
usoon
@about, winner


SAMPA: English

Diphthongs (RP)

SAMPA Examples
eIday
aImy
OIboy
@Uno
aUnow
I@near, here
E@hair, there
U@poor
O@more
jupupil

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