SAMPA chart explained

pronounced as /notice/The following show the typical symbols for consonants and vowels used in SAMPA, an ASCII-based system based on the International Phonetic Alphabet. SAMPA is not a universal system as it varies from language to language.

Consonants

		Bilabial	Labio- dental	Dental	Alveolar	Post- alveolar	Palatal	Velar	Uvular	Pharyngeal	Glottal
Nasal		m	F		n		J	N
Stop		p b		t d ts dz		tS dZ	c J\	k g	q G\		?
Fricative		p\ B	f v	T D	s z	S Z	C j\	x G	X R	X\ ?\	h h\
Approximant			P		r\		j H	w
					l		L	5
Rhotic					4 r				R\

Consonant modifiers

!SAMPA!IPA!Description

`		retroflex consonant (e.g. d` = pronounced as /link/)
_a	pronounced as /◌̺/	apical consonant
_d	pronounced as /◌̪/	dental consonant
_G	pronounced as /◌ˠ/	velarized consonant
_h	pronounced as /◌ʰ/	aspirated consonant
_j, '	pronounced as /◌ʲ/	palatalized consonant
_m	pronounced as /◌̻/	laminal consonant
_w	pronounced as /◌ʷ/	labialized consonant
_<		implosive consonant (e.g. b_< = pronounced as /link/)
_>	pronounced as /ʼ/	ejective consonant
_=, =	pronounced as /◌̩/	syllabic consonant

Simplified list of consonants

SAMPA	IPA	Description	Examples
p	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless bilabial plosive	English pen, Croatian pas ('dog')
b	pronounced as /ink/	voiced bilabial plosive	English but, Polish brat ('brother')
t	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless alveolar plosive	English two, Spanish tomar ('capture')
d	pronounced as /ink/	voiced alveolar plosive	English do, Polish dom ('house')
ts	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless alveolar affricate	Italian calza ('sock'), German Zeit ('time')
dz	pronounced as /ink/	voiced alveolar affricate	Italian zona ('zone'), Canadian French dur ('hard')
tS	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless postalveolar affricate	English chair, Spanish mucho ('many')
dZ	pronounced as /ink/	voiced postalveolar affricate	English gin, Italian giorno ('day')
c	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless palatal plosive	Hungarian tyúk ('hen'), Dutch schatje ('darling')
J\	pronounced as /ink/	voiced palatal plosive	Hungarian egy ('one'), Czech dítě ('child')
k	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless velar plosive	English skill, Spanish casa ('house')
g	pronounced as /ink/	voiced velar plosive	English go, Hungarian gép ('machine')
q	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless uvular plosive	Arabic qof, Somali qaab
p\	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless bilabial fricative	Japanese fu, Ainu fuchi
B	pronounced as /ink/	voiced bilabial fricative	Catalan roba 'clothes', Spanish huevo 'egg'
f	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless labiodental fricative	English fool, Spanish fama ('fame')
v	pronounced as /ink/	voiced labiodental fricative	English voice, German Welt 'world'
T	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless dental fricative	English thing, Castilian Spanish caza 'hunt'
D	pronounced as /ink/	voiced dental fricative	English this, Icelandic fræði 'science'
s	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless alveolar fricative	English see, Spanish sí ('yes')
z	pronounced as /ink/	voiced alveolar fricative	English zoo, German sein 'to be'
S	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless postalveolar fricative	English she, French chou 'cabbage'
Z	pronounced as /ink/	voiced postalveolar fricative	French jour 'day', English pleasure
C	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless palatal fricative	Standard German ich 'I', Icelandic hjá 'next to'
j\ (jj)	pronounced as /ink/	voiced palatal fricative	Standard Spanish ayuda
x	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless velar fricative	Scots loch, Spanish ajo
G	pronounced as /ink/	voiced velar fricative	Greek γάλα ('milk'), Icelandic saga ('story')
	pronounced as /ink/	velar approximant	Spanish algo
X\	pronounced as /ink/	voiceless pharyngeal fricative	Arabic h.â
?\	pronounced as /ink/	voiced pharyngeal fricative	Arabic 'ayn|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |h| pronounced as /ink/| voiceless glottal fricative| English ham, German Hand|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |h\|pronounced as /ink/| voiced glottal fricative| Hungarian lehet 'it can be'|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |m| pronounced as /ink/| bilabial nasal| English man, French main 'hand'|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |F|pronounced as /ink/| labiodental nasal| Spanish infierno, Hungarian kámfor|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |n| pronounced as /ink/| alveolar nasal| English, Spanish and Italian no|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |J|pronounced as /ink/| palatal nasal| Spanish año, French oignon, Hungarian lány|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |N|pronounced as /ink/| velar nasal| English ring, Tagalog ngayón|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |l| pronounced as /ink/| alveolar lateral approximant| English left, Spanish largo|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |L|pronounced as /ink/| palatal lateral approximant| Italian aglio, Catalan colla|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |5|pronounced as /ink/| velarized dental lateral| English meal Catalan alga|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |4 (r)|pronounced as /ink/| alveolar tap| Spanish pero, Italian essere|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |r (rr)|pronounced as /ink/| alveolar trill| Spanish perro, Italian terra|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |r\|pronounced as /ink/| alveolar approximant| English run|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |R|pronounced as /ink/| uvular trill| Standard German Reich|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |P| pronounced as /ink/| labiodental approximant| Dutch Waar, Finnish vesi|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |w| pronounced as /ink/| labial-velar approximant| English we, French oui|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |H|pronounced as /ink/| labial-palatal approximant| French nuit|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |j| pronounced as /ink/| palatal approximant| English yes, Polish już|} Vowels Vowels front central back close [[close front unrounded vowel|i]] • [[close front rounded vowel|y]] [[close central unrounded vowel|1]] • [[close central rounded vowel|}]] [[close back unrounded vowel|M]] • [[close back rounded vowel|u]] near-close [[near-close front unrounded vowel|I]] • [[near-close front rounded vowel|Y]] • [[near-close back rounded vowel|U]] close-mid [[close-mid front unrounded vowel|e]] • [[close-mid front rounded vowel|2]] [[close-mid central unrounded vowel|@\]] • [[close-mid central rounded vowel|8]] [[close-mid back unrounded vowel|7]] • [[close-mid back rounded vowel|o]] mid [[schwa|@]] open-mid [[open-mid front unrounded vowel|E]] • [[open-mid front rounded vowel|9]] [[open-mid central unrounded vowel|3]] • [[open-mid central rounded vowel|3\]] [[open-mid back unrounded vowel|V]] • [[open-mid back rounded vowel|O]] near-open [[near-open front unrounded vowel|{]] • [[near-open central vowel|6]] open [[open front unrounded vowel|a]] • [[open front rounded vowel|&]] [[open back unrounded vowel|A]] • [[open back rounded vowel|Q]] Vowel modifiers SAMPA IPA Description Examples ~, _~ pronounced as /◌̃/ nasalized vowel French bon [<code>bO~</code>], Portuguese sim [<code>si~</code>] : pronounced as /ː/ long vowel English see [<code>si:</code>]) ` pronounced as /◌˞/ r-colored vowel US English bird [<code>b3`d</code>] _^ pronounced as /◌̯/ non-syllabic vowel " pronounced as /ˈ/ primary stress % pronounced as /ˌ/ secondary stress Simplified list of vowels SAMPA IPA Description Examples i pronounced as /ink/ close front unrounded vowel English see, Spanish sí, French vie, German wie, Italian visto I pronounced as /ink/ near-close front unrounded vowel English city, German mit, Canadian French vite e pronounced as /ink/ close-mid front unrounded vowel US English bear, Spanish él, French année, German mehr, Italian rete, Catalan més E pronounced as /ink/ open-mid front unrounded vowel English bed, French même, German Männer, Italian ferro, Catalan mes, Spanish perro {|pronounced as /ink/|near-open front unrounded vowel|English cat, Finnish mäki|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |y|pronounced as /ink/|close front rounded vowel|French du, German Tür, Finnish hyvä|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |Y|pronounced as /ink/|near-close front rounded vowel|German hübsch, Swedish ylle|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |2|pronounced as /ink/|close-mid front rounded vowel|French deux (hence '2'), German Höhle, Danish købe|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |9|pronounced as /ink/|open-mid front rounded vowel|French neuf (hence '9'), German Hölle|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |1|pronounced as /ink/|close central unrounded vowel|Polish mysz|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |@|pronounced as /ink/|mid central vowel|English about, German bitte, Swedish beredd|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |6|pronounced as /ink/|near-open central unrounded vowel|German besser, Catalan mare|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |3|pronounced as /ink/|open-mid central unrounded vowel|English bird|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |a|pronounced as /pronounced as /link/~pronounced as /link//|open front unrounded vowel/ open central unrounded vowel|Spanish barra, French bateau, German Haar, Italian pazzo|-| style="text-align: center; font-size: larger; width: 2em;" |} pronounced as /ink/ close central rounded vowel Scottish English pool, Swedish sju 8 pronounced as /ink/ close-mid central rounded vowel Swedish kust &amp; pronounced as /ink/ open front rounded vowel Swedish öra M pronounced as /ink/ close back unrounded vowel Japanese fuji, Korean geu 7 pronounced as /ink/ close-mid back unrounded vowel Korean eoreum, Estonian kõrv V pronounced as /ink/ open-mid back unrounded vowel RP and US English run, enough A pronounced as /ink/ open back unrounded vowel English arm, US English law, Canadian French âme, Finnish alku u pronounced as /ink/ close back rounded vowel English soon, Spanish tú, French goût, German Hut, Italian tutto U pronounced as /ink/ near-close back rounded vowel English put, (non-US)Buddhist, German Mutter o pronounced as /ink/ close-mid back rounded vowel US English sore, Scottish English boat, Spanish yo, French beau, German Sohle, Italian dove, Catalan ona O pronounced as /ink/ open-mid back rounded vowel British English law, caught, Italian cosa, Catalan dona, Spanish ojo, German Wort Q pronounced as /ink/ open back rounded vowel British English not, cough, Hungarian kar See also SAMPA chart for English X-SAMPA External links SAMPA computer readable phonetic alphabet