EC2-1

THE INTERNATIONAL PHONETIC ALPHABET (revised to

2005)
CONSONANTS (PULMONIC)
Bilabial Labiodental Dental

p
b

Plosive
Nasal
Trill

t d
m

Tap or Flap
Fricative

Alveolar

F
B

Retroflex

Palatal

Velar

Uvular

Pharyngeal

v
f v T
D

Lateral
approximant

Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the right represents a voiced consonant. Shaded areas denote articulations judged
impossible.

Clicks

> Bilabial
Dental
! (Post)alveolar
Palatoalveolar
Alveolar lateral

Voiced implosives

Bilabial
Dental/alveolar
Palatal
Velar
Uvular

p
t
k
s

Ejectives
Examples:
Bilabial
Dental/alveolar
Velar
Alveolar fricative

CONSONANTS (NON-PULMONIC)

VOWELS
Front

Central

Back

Where symbols appear in

pairs, the one to the right
represents a rounded
vowel.
SUPRASEGMENTALS

"
OTHER SYMBOLS

Voiceless labial-velar fricative

Voiced labial-palatal approximant

Glottal

c
k
q
/

g
G
n
=
N

r
R
|

s
S Z
J x
X
? h
z

H
L

Lateral
fricative
Approximant

Post
alveolar

Voiced labial-velar approximant

Primary stress

 Voiceless epiglottal fricative

Alveolo-palatal fricatives
Voiced alveolar lateral flap
Simultaneous S and x

ts

Voiced epiglottal fricativeAffricates and double articulationscan be represented by two symbols joined by a tie bar if necessary.

Epiglottal plosive

Voiceless
n9
9 d9
Voiced
s3
3 t3
Aspirated
t
d
More rounded O7
7
Less rounded
O

Advanced
u

Retracted
e2
2
Centralized
e

Mid-centralized e+
+
Syllabic
n`
`
Non-syllabic
e8
8
Rhoticity

b
a
Creaky voiced
b0
0 a0
Linguolabial
t
d
Labialized
tW
W dW
Palatalized t
d
Velarized t
d
Pharyngealized t
d
Velarized or pharyngealized
Raised
e6
6 fricative)
Lowered e
Breathy voiced

approximant)

DIACRITICS

Advanced Tongue Root

Retracted Tongue Root

Dental
t1
1 d1
Apical
t
d
Laminal
t4
4 d4
Nasalized
e)
)
Nasal release
d
Lateral release
d
No audible release
} d}

6 = voiced alveolar
( B = voiced bilabial
e5
e
(

Diacritics may be placed above a symbol with a descender, e.g.

Secondary stress

foUn"tISn
Long
Extra-short

e
e*

kp

Half-long

Minor (foot) group Major (intonation) group Syllable break

Linking (absence of a break)

TONES AND WORD ACCENTS

i.kt

N(

_ Extra e CONTOUR
e! High e$ Falling e@
rising
e~ efi rising e Extralow e& $ fallingRising Downstep Global rise Upstep Global fall
LEVEL

High

or

high

Low

or

Rising

Low

Mid

e%