X-SAMPA

From KneeQuickie

X-SAMPA is a phonetic script used to represent speech, that uses only 7-bit ASCII characters, so that it can be typed in any computer keyboard. It was developed in 1995 by John C. Wells, based on a previous code called SAMPA (Speech Assessment Methods Phonetic Alphabet), developed by a European group.

Each X-SAMPA character sequence has a direct correspondence with an IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) symbol. All IPA symbols represented by lowercase letters are the same in X-SAMPA (this is not always the case with IPA symbols that use small caps letters). Other symbols are represented either by a character that has a graphical similarity (such as [3] for [ɜ]) or a character sequence that uses an "escape" character, such as the backslash (such as [J\] for [ɟ]). It should be noted, especially for novices, that X-SAMPA distinguishes upper-case and lower-case letters.

The people of ZBB have developed Z-SAMPA, an extension to X-SAMPA that represents some characters neglected by IPA (such as those that may not exist in natural languages).

See also: IPA, Z-SAMPA, Graphical X-SAMPA chart, X-SAMPA in Wikipedia, IPA in Unicode (Wikipedia)

In the tables below:

• code = hexadecimal code for the IPA character. To use it in HTML, write ʈ = ʈ for example. Codes in italic are ASCII characters that can be typed normally (codes below 128).
• IPA = IPA character in Unicode
• XS = X-SAMPA representation
• description = description of the phoneme
• example = example of a language that uses it

Consonants

See also: Table of consonants (Wikipedia)

Pulmonic

See also: in IPA

Clicks

See also: in IPA

Voiced implosives

See also: in IPA

Ejectives

See also: in IPA

Affricates and double articulation

In IPA, affricates and double articulations can be represented by two symbols joined by a tie-bar if necessary. (Some common affricates were represented by a ligature, but they are considered obsolete now). In X-SAMPA, they are represented by an '_' (underscore) connecting the symbols. (In Z-SAMPA, they can be represented by ')' (close parentheses) after both symbols, which is better because it does not conflict with the notation for diacriticals).

Vowels

i (i) - y (y) ------ ɨ (1) - ʉ (}) ------- ɯ (M) - u (u)
       \                   \                     |
        \    ɪ (I) - ʏ (Y)  \              ʊ (U) | 
         \                   \                   | 
    e (e) - ø (2) ---- ɘ (@\)- ɵ (8) ----- ɤ (7) - o (o) 
           \                 \                   |
            \               ə (@)                |
             \                 \                 |
        ɛ (E) - œ (9) -- ɜ (3) - ɞ (3\) -- ʌ (V) - ɔ (O)
               \                \                |
          æ ({) \              ɐ (6)             |
                 \                \              |
            a (a) - ɶ (&) ---------------- ɑ (A) - ɒ (Q)

See also: in IPA, Table of vowels (in Wikipedia)

Suprasegmentals

See also: in IPA

Tones

See also: in IPA

Examples given with letter 'e'

Diacritics

See also: in IPA

Notes:

• not all browser/font combinations display combining diacritics correctly.
• this is shown with big font size, because some diacritics are undistinguishable when very small.
• some diacritics are used above a symbol if it has a descender, like g, ŋ
• the second column was meant to show the diacritic on its own, but some of them simply disappear, so a letter "o" was added as support, (even though the combination may not make sense).

Numeric symbols

Many people find it difficult to remember the X-SAMPA numbers, so here are them all together.