View source for Help:Pronunciation respelling key

{{Information page|H:RESPELL|H:PRK}}
{{IPA notice}}
The following pronunciation respelling key is used in some Wikipedia articles to [[Pronunciation respelling for English|respell the pronunciations of English words]]. It does not use special symbols or diacritics apart from the [[schwa]] (''ə''), which is used for the first sound in the word "about".

{{Horizontal TOC|nonum=y}}

==Key==
Both the IPA and respelling for English on Wikipedia are designed to record all distinctive sounds found in major varieties of English. That is, we record differences found in some varieties but not in others, such as those between "father" and "farther", "wine" and "whine", and "cot" and "caught". This does not mean these differences are, or must be, always distinguished; if you speak a dialect that does not distinguish "father" and "farther", for example, simply ignore the difference between {{respell|FAH|dhər|link=no}} and {{respell|FAR|dhər|link=no}}.

For a more thorough discussion of the sounds and dialectal variation, see [[Help:IPA/English]].

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="float: left; margin-right: 2em;"
|+ Vowels
! Rspl.
! class="unsortable" | Example(s)
! [[Help:IPA/English|IPA]]
|-
| ''a''<ref name="checked">{{IPA|/æ, ɛ, ɪ, ɒ, ʌ, ʊ/}} (''a, e(h), i(h), o, u(h), uu'') are [[checked vowel]]s, meaning never occurring at the end of a word or before a vowel. When a checked vowel is followed by a consonant and a stressed vowel, which is rare nonetheless, it is acceptable in some cases to attribute the following consonant to the same syllable as the checked vowel, as in {{respell|bal|AY|link=no}}, even though in IPA it is customary to attribute it to the following syllable, as in {{IPAc-en|b|æ|ˈ|l|eɪ}}. However, when the following consonant is a voiceless plosive ({{IPA|/p, t, k/}}) pronounced with [[Aspirated consonant|aspiration]] (a slight delay in the following vowel), it must be attributed to the same syllable as the following vowel, as in {{respell|ta|TOO|link=no}}, because {{respell|tat|OO|link=no}} may result in a different pronunciation than intended (compare "whatever" {{respell|whot|EV|ər|,_whut-|link=no}}, wherein {{IPA|/t/}} is not aspirated and may be [[T-glottalization|glottalized]] or [[Flapping|flapped]]). Similarly, when a vowel is followed by {{IPA|/s/}}, one or more consonants, and a stressed vowel, the syllabification must be retained, as in {{respell|fruh|STRAY|shən|link=no}}, because {{respell|frus|TRAY|shən|link=no}} may result in a different pronunciation than intended.</ref>
| b'''a'''t
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/æ/}}
|-
| ''ah''
| f'''a'''ther
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɑː/}}
|-
| ''air''
| b'''ear''', M'''ar'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɛər/}}
|-
| ''ar''
| f'''ar'''ther
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɑːr/}}
|-
| ''arr''
| m'''arr'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ær/}}
|-
| ''aw''
| b'''ough'''t
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɔː/}}
|-
| ''ay''
| b'''ai'''t
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/eɪ/}}
|-
| ''e''<ref name="checked"/>
| b'''e'''t
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɛ/}}
|-
| ''eh''<ref>{{IPA|/ɛ/}} in syllable-final positions may be respelled ''eh'' instead of ''e'' when otherwise it may be misinterpreted as another sound such as {{IPA|/i(ː)/}} or {{IPA|/eɪ/}}.</ref>
| pr'''e'''stige
|-
| rowspan="2" | ''ee''
| b'''ea'''t
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/iː/}}
|-
| happ'''y''', ser'''i'''ous
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/i/}}
|-
| ''eer''
| b'''eer''', n'''ear'''er
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɪər/}}
|-
| ''err''
| m'''err'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɛr/}}
|-
| ''ew''<ref name="ew">''ew'' and ''ewr'' are for when {{IPA|/juː/}} or {{IPA|/jʊər/}} takes place right after a consonant within the same syllable. When {{IPA|/juː/}} or {{IPA|/jʊər/}} begins a syllable (e.g. "youth", "Europe", "value"), use ''yoo(r)''—unless it is subject to [[yod-dropping]] or [[yod-coalescence]]: "Lithuania" {{respell|LITH|ew|AY|nee|ə|link=no}}.</ref>
| c'''u'''te, b'''eau'''ty, d'''ew'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/juː/}}
|-
| ''ewr''<ref name="ew"/>
| c'''ure''', l'''ure'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/jʊər/}}
|-
| ''eye''<ref name="eye">{{IPA|/aɪ/}} is respelled ''eye'' when it begins a syllable or is preceded by {{IPA|/j/}} and otherwise ''y''. When ''y'' is followed by a consonant within the same syllable, place an ''e'' after the consonant as necessary: "price" {{respell|PRYSE|link=no}}, "tight" {{respell|TYTE|link=no}}.</ref>
| '''i'''tem, y'''i'''kes
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/aɪ/}}
|-
| ''i''<ref name="checked"/>
| b'''i'''t
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɪ/}}
|-
| ''ih''<ref>{{IPA|/ɪ/}} in syllable-final positions may be respelled ''ih'' instead of ''i'' when otherwise it may be misinterpreted as another sound such as {{IPA|/aɪ/}}.</ref>
| h'''i'''storic
|-
| ''ire''
| h'''ire'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/aɪər/}}
|-
| ''irr''
| m'''irr'''or
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɪr/}}
|-
| ''o''<ref name="checked"/>
| b'''o'''t
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɒ/}}
|-
| ''oh''
| b'''oa'''t
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/oʊ/}}
|-
| ''oir''
| c'''oir'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɔɪər/}}
|-
| rowspan="2" | ''oo''
| b'''oo'''t, y'''ou'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/uː/}}
|-
| infl'''u'''ence, fr'''u'''ition
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/u/}}
|-
| ''oor''
| p'''oor''', t'''our'''ist
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ʊər/}}
|-
| ''or''
| h'''or'''se, h'''oar'''se, p'''our''', f'''or'''um
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɔːr/}}
|-
| ''orr''
| m'''or'''al
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɒr/}}
|-
| ''ow''
| b'''ou'''t, v'''ow'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/aʊ/}}
|-
| ''owr''
| fl'''our'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/aʊər/}}
|-
| ''oy''
| ch'''oi'''ce, b'''oy'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɔɪ/}}
|-
| ''u''<ref name="checked"/>
| b'''u'''t
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ʌ/}}
|-
| ''uh''<ref>{{IPA|/ʌ/}} in syllable-final positions is respelled ''uh'' instead of ''u'' to better distinguish it from {{IPA|/u(ː), ʊ/}}.</ref>
| fr'''u'''stration
|-
| ''ur''
| b'''ir'''d, f'''urr'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɜːr/}}
|-
| ''urr''
| h'''urr'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ʌr/}}
|-
| ''uu''<ref name="checked"/>
| b'''oo'''k
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ʊ/}}
|-
| ''uurr''
| c'''our'''ier
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ʊr/}}
|-
| ''y''<ref name="eye"/>
| b'''i'''te, b'''i'''de
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/aɪ/}}
|-
| ''ə''
| '''a'''bout, comm'''a'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ə/}}
|-
| ''ər''
| lett'''er'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ər/}}
|}

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="float: left;"
|+ Consonants
! Rspl.
! class="unsortable" | Example(s)
! [[Help:IPA/English|IPA]]
|-
| ''b''
| '''b'''uy
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/b/}}
|-
| ''ch''<ref name="tch">{{IPA|/tʃ/}} after a vowel in the same syllable is respelled ''tch'' instead of ''ch'' to better distinguish it from {{IPA|/k, x/}}.</ref>
| '''ch'''urch, na'''t'''ure
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/tʃ/}}
|-
| ''d''
| '''d'''ye, la'''dd'''er
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/d/}}
|-
| ''dh''
| '''th'''y, '''th'''is
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ð/}}
|-
| ''f''
| '''f'''ight
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/f/}}
|-
| ''g''
| '''g'''o
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ɡ/}}
|-
| ''gh''<ref>{{IPA|/ɡ/}} may be respelled ''gh'' instead of ''g'' when otherwise it may be misinterpreted as {{IPA|/dʒ/}}.</ref>
| '''g'''uess, '''g'''uitar
|-
| ''h''
| '''h'''igh
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/h/}}
|-
| ''j''
| '''j'''ive
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/dʒ/}}
|-
| ''k''
| '''k'''ite, s'''k'''y, lo'''ck'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/k/}}
|-
| ''kh''
| lo'''ch''', '''Ch'''anukah
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/x/}}
|-
| ''l''
| '''l'''ie, s'''l'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/l/}}
|-
| ''m''
| '''m'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/m/}}
|-
| ''n''
| '''n'''igh
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/n/}}
|-
| ''ng''
| ri'''ng''', si'''ng'''er
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ŋ/}}
|-
| ''nk''<ref>{{IPA|/ŋk/}} is respelled ''nk'' rather than ''ngk'', since the assimilation is mandatory, except beyond a syllable boundary: "tinker" {{respell|TING|kər|link=no}}.</ref>
| si'''nk'''
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ŋk/}}
|-
| ''p''
| '''p'''ie, s'''p'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/p/}}
|-
| ''r''
| '''r'''ye, t'''r'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/r/}}
|-
| ''s''
| '''s'''igh
| rowspan="2" style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/s/}}
|-
| ''ss''<ref>{{IPA|/s/}} may be respelled ''ss'' instead of ''s'' when otherwise it may be misinterpreted as {{IPA|/z/}}: "ice" {{respell|EYESS|link=no}}, "tense" {{respell|TENSS|link=no}} (compare ''eyes'', ''tens'').</ref>
| i'''c'''e, ten'''s'''e
|-
| ''sh''
| '''sh'''y
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ʃ/}}
|-
| ''t''
| '''t'''ie, s'''t'''y, la'''tt'''er
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/t/}}
|-
| ''tch''<ref name="tch"/>
| chur'''ch''', na'''t'''ural
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/tʃ/}}
|-
| ''th''
| '''th'''igh
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/θ/}}
|-
| ''v''
| '''v'''ine
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/v/}}
|-
| ''w''
| '''w'''ine
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/w/}}
|-
| ''wh''
| '''wh'''ine
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/hw/}}
|-
| ''y''
| '''y'''ou
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/j/}}
|-
| ''z''
| '''z'''oo
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/z/}}
|-
| ''zh''
| plea'''s'''ure
| style="text-align:center" | {{IPA|/ʒ/}}
|}
{{clear}}

===Syllables and stress===
[[Syllable]]s are separated by hyphens ("-"). The [[stress (linguistics)|stress]] on a syllable is indicated by capital letters. For example, the word "pronunciation" ({{IPAc-en|p|r|ə|ˌ|n|ʌ|n|s|i|ˈ|eɪ|ʃ|ən}}) is respelled {{respell|prə|NUN|see|AY|shən|link=no}}. In this example, the primary and secondary stress are not distinguished, as the difference is automatic. In words where primary stress precedes secondary stress, however, the secondary stress should not be differentiated from unstressed syllables, because to respell "motorcycle" ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|oʊ|t|ər|ˌ|s|aɪ|k|əl}}), for example, as {{respell|MOH|tər|SY|kəl|link=no}} instead of {{respell|MOH|tər|sy|kəl|link=no}} would incorrectly suggest the pronunciation {{IPAc-en|ˌ|m|oʊ|t|ər|ˈ|s|aɪ|k|əl}}.

==When to use and when not to use==
As designated in [[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation]], the standard set of symbols used to show the pronunciation of English words on Wikipedia is the [[International Phonetic Alphabet]] (IPA). The IPA has significant advantages over this respelling system, as it can be used to accurately represent pronunciations from any language in the world, and (being an international standard) is often more familiar to European/Commonwealth and non-native speakers of English. On the other hand, the IPA (being designed to represent sounds from any language in the world) is not as intuitive for those chiefly familiar with English orthography, for whom this respelling system is likely to be easier for English words and names. So, while the IPA is the required form of representing pronunciation, respelling remains optional. It should not be used for representing non-English words or an approximation thereof. See documentation for {{tl|Respell}} for examples and instructions on using the template.

Sometimes another means of indicating a pronunciation is more desirable than this respelling system, such as when a name is intended to be a homonym of an existing English word or phrase, or in case of an [[initialism]] or a name composed of numbers or symbols. When citing a homonym, it should not be enclosed in the {{tl|respell}} template. In such cases, an IPA notation is usually nevertheless needed, but not necessarily so; see {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation|Other transcription systems}} for further discussion.

Respelling should also be avoided when a respelled syllable would be the same as an existing word that is pronounced differently. "Maui" {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|aʊ|i|link=no}} respelled as {{respell|MOW|ee|link=no}}, "metonymy" {{IPAc-en|m|ɛ|ˈ|t|ɒ|n|ɪ|m|i}} as {{respell|meh|TON|im|ee|link=no}}, and "cobalt" {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|oʊ|b|ɒ|l|t}} as {{respell|KOH|bolt|link=no}} are susceptible to being misinterpreted as {{IPAc-en|ˈ|m|oʊ|i|link=no}}, {{IPAc-en|m|ɛ|ˈ|t|ʌ|n|ɪ|m|i}}, and {{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|oʊ|b|oʊ|l|t}}, because of the words "mow", "ton", and "bolt", so only IPA should be provided for such words, if any.

Particularly, respelling {{IPA|/aʊ/}} could prove problematic as there are a variety of monosyllabic words spelled with "ow" and pronounced with {{IPA|/oʊ/}}: ''blow'', ''blown'', ''bow'', ''bowl'', ''flow'', ''flown'', ''glow'', ''grow'', ''grown'', ''growth'', ''growths'', ''low'', ''mow'', ''mown'', ''own'', ''row'', ''show'', ''slow'', ''snow'', ''sow'', ''sown'', ''stow'', ''strow'', ''throw'', ''tow'', and ''trow''. There is no universal solution to this problem ("ou" also varies as in ''loud'', ''soup'', and ''soul''), so respelling a word including {{IPA|/aʊ/}} may be best avoided altogether; however, sometimes the benefit of respelling may outweigh the disadvantage, especially for longer words, so exercise discretion.

==Notes==
{{reflist|30em}}

==See also==
*{{tl|Respell}}: the template and instructions for adding pronunciation respelling
*[[Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation]]
*[[Pronunciation respelling for English]]
*[[Help:IPA/English]]
*[[Help:IPA/Conventions for English]]

{{IPA keys}}

[[Category:Wikipedia pronunciation]]