IPA Chart (International Phonetic Alphabet)
The IPA Chart (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a language reference tool covering ipa chart, ipa vowel chart, ipa consonant chart, international phonetic alphabet chart. Use the chart below to look up values instantly. Printable and downloadable versions are available on this page.
IPA Sound Player
Click any IPA symbol to see its description and example words, or look up the IPA transcription of a common English word.
Quick IPA Lookup — type a common English word
~80 common words supported. Use the AI chat for any word.
IPA Consonants Chart
| IPA Symbol | Manner | Place | Voiced | English Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| p | Plosive | Bilabial | No | pen, cap, spit |
| b | Plosive | Bilabial | Yes | bag, cab, habit |
| t | Plosive | Alveolar | No | top, cat, bottle |
| d | Plosive | Alveolar | Yes | dog, bad, folder |
| k | Plosive | Velar | No | cat, back, school |
| ɡ | Plosive | Velar | Yes | go, big, figure |
| ʔ | Plosive | Glottal | No | uh-oh, button (BrE) |
| m | Nasal | Bilabial | Yes | man, ham, summer |
| n | Nasal | Alveolar | Yes | no, sun, winner |
| ŋ | Nasal | Velar | Yes | sing, ring, bank |
| f | Fricative | Labiodental | No | fan, leaf, after |
| v | Fricative | Labiodental | Yes | van, live, ever |
| θ | Fricative | Dental | No | thin, bath, nothing |
| ð | Fricative | Dental | Yes | this, breathe, other |
| s | Fricative | Alveolar | No | sit, bus, class |
| z | Fricative | Alveolar | Yes | zoo, buzz, easy |
| ʃ | Fricative | Post-alveolar | No | ship, wish, sugar |
| ʒ | Fricative | Post-alveolar | Yes | measure, vision, beige |
| h | Fricative | Glottal | No | hat, ahead, whole |
| tʃ | Affricate | Post-alveolar | No | church, match, nature |
| dʒ | Affricate | Post-alveolar | Yes | judge, age, soldier |
| l | Lateral Approximant | Alveolar | Yes | lip, ball, filler |
| r | Approximant | Alveolar | Yes | red, car, ferry |
| j | Approximant | Palatal | Yes | yes, yellow, beyond |
| w | Approximant | Labio-velar | Yes | wet, away, swim |
International Phonetic Association — see IPA Full Chart (2015 revision)
IPA Vowels Chart
| IPA Symbol | Height | Backness | Rounded | English Examples |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| i | Close (high) | Front | No | see (French/Spanish) |
| y | Close | Front | Yes | French tu, German über |
| u | Close | Back | Yes | moon, food |
| ɯ | Close | Back | No | Turkish kız |
| e | Close-mid | Front | No | French été, Spanish mesa |
| o | Close-mid | Back | Yes | go (short o) |
| ə | Mid | Central | — | about, sofa, banana |
| ɛ | Open-mid | Front | No | bed, head, many |
| œ | Open-mid | Front | Yes | French peur, German hölle |
| ɔ | Open-mid | Back | Yes | caught, law, saw |
| ʌ | Open-mid | Back | No | cup, love, blood |
| a | Open (low) | Front | No | father, car (general) |
| æ | Near-open | Front | No | cat, man, back |
| ɪ | Near-close | Near-front | No | bit, sit, women |
| ʊ | Near-close | Near-back | Yes | book, good, put |
International Phonetic Association — see IPA Vowel Chart
IPA Symbols for English Sounds
| IPA Symbol | Sound Type | Example Words |
|---|---|---|
| p | Voiceless bilabial plosive | pen, cap, spit |
| b | Voiced bilabial plosive | bag, cab, habit |
| t | Voiceless alveolar plosive | top, cat, bottle |
| d | Voiced alveolar plosive | dog, bad, folder |
| k | Voiceless velar plosive | cat, back, school |
| ɡ | Voiced velar plosive | go, big, figure |
| f | Voiceless labiodental fricative | fan, leaf, after |
| v | Voiced labiodental fricative | van, live, ever |
| θ | Voiceless dental fricative | thin, bath, nothing |
| ð | Voiced dental fricative | this, breathe, other |
| s | Voiceless alveolar fricative | sit, bus, class |
| z | Voiced alveolar fricative | zoo, buzz, easy |
| ʃ | Voiceless postalveolar fricative | ship, wish, sugar |
| ʒ | Voiced postalveolar fricative | measure, vision, beige |
| h | Voiceless glottal fricative | hat, ahead, whole |
| tʃ | Voiceless postalveolar affricate | church, match, nature |
| dʒ | Voiced postalveolar affricate | judge, age, soldier |
| m | Voiced bilabial nasal | man, ham, summer |
| n | Voiced alveolar nasal | no, sun, winner |
| ŋ | Voiced velar nasal | sing, ring, bank |
| l | Voiced lateral approximant | lip, ball, filler |
| r | Voiced alveolar approximant | red, car, ferry |
| j | Voiced palatal approximant | yes, yellow, beyond |
| w | Voiced labio-velar approximant | wet, away, swim |
| iː | Close front long vowel | see, team, believe |
| ɪ | Near-close near-front vowel | bit, sit, women |
| ɛ | Open-mid front unrounded vowel | bed, head, many |
| æ | Near-open front unrounded vowel | cat, man, back |
| ɑː | Open back unrounded vowel | father, car, palm |
| ɔː | Open-mid back rounded vowel | law, caught, saw |
| ʊ | Near-close back rounded vowel | book, good, put |
| uː | Close back long vowel | food, move, rule |
| ʌ | Open-mid back unrounded vowel | cup, love, blood |
| ə | Mid central vowel — schwa | about, sofa, banana |
| eɪ | Diphthong | day, make, veil |
| oʊ | Diphthong | go, coat, stone |
| aɪ | Diphthong | my, buy, night |
| aʊ | Diphthong | cow, out, brown |
| ɔɪ | Diphthong | boy, coin, choice |
International Phonetic Association standard for General American English — see IPA Official Website and Cambridge ELT IPA Guide
IPA Sound Player
Click any symbol to see its phonetic description and English examples, or type a common word to find its IPA transcription.
Quick IPA Lookup — type a common English word
~80 common words supported. Use the AI chat for any word.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the International Phonetic Alphabet?
The IPA is a standardised phonetic notation system developed by the International Phonetic Association in 1888 to represent the sounds of all human languages using consistent symbols. It is used by linguists, language teachers, speech therapists, singers, and dictionaries to precisely transcribe pronunciation.
What is the schwa sound?
The schwa (ə) is the most common vowel sound in English — the unstressed central vowel heard in words like about, sofa, and banana. It is represented by the upside-down e symbol and appears in most unstressed syllables in spoken English.
Why does English need IPA if it has its own spelling?
English spelling is notoriously inconsistent — the letters ough can be pronounced differently in through, though, thought, thorough, rough, and cough. IPA provides an unambiguous one-to-one correspondence between symbol and sound that regular spelling cannot.
What are the diphthongs in English?
A diphthong is a vowel that glides from one position to another within a single syllable. Standard American English has five main diphthongs: /aɪ/ (my), /aʊ/ (cow), /ɔɪ/ (boy), /eɪ/ (day), and /oʊ/ (go).
What is the difference between voiced and voiceless consonants?
Voiced consonants are produced with the vocal cords vibrating — place your hand on your throat while saying V and Z to feel the vibration. Voiceless consonants are produced without vocal cord vibration — F and S produce no vibration. Many English consonants come in voiced-voiceless pairs: p/b, t/d, k/g, f/v, s/z, ʃ/ʒ, tʃ/dʒ.
How do I read IPA in a dictionary?
Dictionary IPA transcriptions are enclosed in forward slashes (phonemic — broad transcription) or square brackets (phonetic — narrow transcription). Read each symbol as the sound it represents — for example /kæt/ is the word cat: /k/ as in key, /æ/ as in cat, /t/ as in top.
What does the colon after a vowel symbol mean in IPA?
A colon (or the triangular colon ː) after a vowel indicates a long vowel — the vowel sound is held for a longer duration. For example /iː/ in see is a long vowel while /ɪ/ in bit is a short vowel.
Is IPA the same in all languages?
The IPA symbols are universal and represent the same sounds regardless of which language is being transcribed. However the specific set of phonemes (meaningful sound distinctions) varies by language — English uses approximately 44 phonemes while some languages use over 100.