IPA Chart
Interactive IPA Chart
The International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) is a set of symbols that linguists use to describe the sounds of spoken languages.
This page lets you hear the sounds that the symbols represent, but remember that it is only a rough guide. There is lots of variation in how these sounds are said depending on the language and context. For example, in English voiceless plosives usually end with a puff of air called aspiration, but the voiceless plosives on this page aren't aspirated.
Choose a symbol to hear the sound it represents.
For best results, please use a browser with HTML5 Audio support. The latest version of any popular web browser will do.
Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the right represents a rounded vowel.
Where symbols appear in pairs, the one to the right represents a voiced consonant.
Areas shaded grey indicate articulations judged impossible.
Each audio clip is the work of Peter Isotalo, User:Denelson83, UCLA Phonetics Lab Archive 2003, User:Halibutt, User:Pmx or User:Octane, and made available under a free and/or copyleft licence. For details on the licensing and attribution requirements of a particular clip, browse to it from the general phonetics page at the Wikimedia Commons. Vowel trapezoid background by User:Denelson83; see File:Blank vowel trapezoid.png on Wikimedia Commons for details.
Queries and comments can be directed to [email protected]