Frequently Asked Questions
How do I type ə, ʃ, ŋ and other common IPA symbols?
Press Shift, then the letter: Shift + E gives ə, Shift + S gives ʃ, Shift + N gives ŋ, Shift + T gives θ, Shift + D gives ð, Shift + Z gives ʒ, Shift + I gives ɪ and Shift + U gives ʊ. A second series sits under AltGr: AltGr + E gives ɛ, AltGr + A gives æ, AltGr + 0 gives ʌ, AltGr + ` gives ɒ and AltGr + - gives ɜ. Click the keys on screen, or use your own keyboard: it already types the same combinations by default (switch off the physical keyboard option to type plain letters).
Where are the stress mark ˈ and the length mark ː?
Both are on the number row, without Shift: ˈ (primary stress) is on the key left of 1, ˌ (secondary stress) on 1, ː (long) on 2 and ˑ (half-long) on 3. Type the stress mark before the stressed syllable, as in /ˈwɔːtə/. The same row also holds ʰ, ʲ, ʷ, ˠ, ˤ, ⁿ, ˡ, the linking mark ‿ and the minor group bar |.
How do I add a diacritic such as nasal ◌̃ or voiceless ◌̥?
Type the base letter first, then the diacritic: the marks on the number row with Shift are combining characters that attach to the symbol before them. For example, ɑ then Shift + 1 gives ɑ̃, n then Shift + 3 gives syllabic n̩, t then Shift + 5 gives dental t̪, and Shift + 2 adds the voiceless ring ◌̥. Breathy voice ◌̤ is AltGr + 9 and creaky voice ◌̰ is AltGr + '.
What is the difference between IPA and a dictionary's own respelling?
Many dictionaries use a respelling system tied to English spelling (such as "KAT-uh-lawg"). IPA is international: each symbol stands for one sound whatever the language, so /ʃ/ is the same sound in English ship, French chat and German Schule. Linguists write broad (phonemic) transcriptions between slashes /…/ and narrow (phonetic) ones between square brackets […]; both / and [ ] are on the plain layer.
Which fonts display IPA correctly?
Fonts designed for phonetics, such as Charis SIL, Doulos SIL and Gentium, cover the whole IPA chart and place diacritics accurately. Noto Sans and Noto Serif also display it well. Common system fonts show most symbols but may position combining diacritics badly or show empty boxes for rarer ones; if that happens, switch the text to one of these fonts.
Can I paste the transcription into Word or Google Docs?
Yes. The symbols are standard Unicode characters, so the copy button followed by Ctrl + V (Cmd + V on a Mac) pastes them into Word, Google Docs, an email or a slide as ordinary, editable text. If a symbol appears as a box, change the font of that passage, for example to Charis SIL or Noto Sans.
Does the IPA keyboard work on a phone?
Yes, it runs in the mobile browser with nothing to install. Use the Shift key for the first IPA series and the Alt key, which replaces AltGr on small screens, for the second series and the tone letters. Then copy the text and paste it into any app.
Are all IPA symbols on this keyboard?
Most of the chart is there, but not everything. Missing symbols include the vowels ɵ ɘ ɞ ɶ, the implosives ɗ and ʛ, the consonants ɟ ɢ ɴ ʜ ɥ, the rhotic vowel ɚ and the tie bar (t͡ʃ). Affricates such as tʃ and dʒ can still be written as two letters, which is common in broad transcription.