IPA Keyboard (English)

Using these characters

/kæt/ · /ʃiː/

Keep spelling separate from pronunciation. Dictionaries can differ in notation and accent; check the source, including its slashes or brackets. Stress and length marks are part of the transcription, not decorative punctuation.

Typing with this keyboard

1. Type ordinary text in the editor and place the cursor where the symbol belongs. Examples available on this keyboard: ˈ · ˌ · ː · æ · ɑ · ʌ.
2. Click the required character. For characters with an uppercase partner, use Shift or the uppercase setting. Check each button's hint and your settings for shortcuts.
3. Use the copy-all button, then check letters and marks in the receiving document. Keep important writing in a separate document.

Type and copy English phonetic symbols

Use this IPA keyboard to prepare pronunciation notes, lesson materials or dictionary transcriptions. Type ordinary letters such as b, k and m in the editor, then click keys for æ, ə, ɪ, ŋ, θ and other phonetic symbols. For /kæt/, type /k, click æ, and type t/. Use Copy all to transfer the result to your document.

British and American English transcriptions

Choose the accent and transcription system before writing a lesson. A common British dictionary transcription of go uses /ɡəʊ/, while an American transcription uses /ɡoʊ/. Non-rhotic British descriptions commonly write car as /kɑː/; rhotic American descriptions include the r, for example /kɑr/. These are examples of dictionary conventions, not descriptions of every British or American accent.

Why dictionaries sometimes use different symbols

The vowel in bed may be written e or ɛ in English dictionaries. English r is often written r in broad dictionary transcriptions, while ɹ specifies an approximant in more detailed phonetic work. For American r-coloured vowels, you may encounter ɝ in a stressed syllable and ɚ in an unstressed one. Check your dictionary’s pronunciation key and keep its conventions consistent rather than replacing every symbol mechanically.

The stress mark ˈ goes before the stressed syllable, as in /əˈbaʊt/; ː is a length mark, not an ordinary colon. Slashes / / usually mark a phonemic transcription, while brackets [ ] mark phonetic detail. Symbols help describe pronunciation, but listening to the target accent is still useful.

Which IPA tool should I use?

This keyboard is for entering and editing symbols yourself. For consonants, vowels and diacritics beyond English, use the full IPA keyboard. To get a starting transcription from written English, use Text to IPA, which uses a US pronunciation dictionary and does not resolve sentence context or every unfamiliar word.

Pronunciation references: Cambridge pronunciation symbols and Oxford pronunciation guide.

Read more

• What is IPA? Meaning and history of the International Phonetic Alphabet
• How to read English IPA
• The kinds of IPA symbols: consonants, vowels and diacritics
• Copied characters look different: fonts and Unicode
• Using Phonokey: a practical introduction

Unicode reference: characters and combining marks