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Merriam-Webster notation
From Teflpedia
Merriam-Webster notation is a type of transcription notation for pronunciation used in dictionaries produced by Merriam-Webster for American English. It uses symbols placed between backslash brackets, rather than forward slash brackets of IPA.
IPA pronunciation key[edit | edit source]
The table below is a complement to Guide to IPA Symbols. Some combinations not shown in the guide are /aj/, /aw/, /ij/, /oj/, /ow/, and /uw/.
| Sample words | Merriam-Webster’s | Teflpedia | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| trap | \æ\ | ||
| bath | \/æ/ Brit /ɑː/ | /ɑː,BrE æAmE/ | |
| aunt | \æ, ɑː\ | /ɑː,BrE æAmE/ | |
| palm, father | \ɑː\ | /ɑː/ | |
| lot | \ɑː\ | /ɒ/ | |
| cloth | \ɑː\ | /ɒBrE, ɔːAmE/ | Cot-caught merger |
| thought | \ɑː\ | /ɔː/ | Cot-caught merger |
| start | \ɑɚ\ | /ɑːr/ | Narrow notation: /ɑːr/ sounds [ɑɚ] at the end of the syllable or before a consonant |
| safari | \ɑr\ | /ɑːr/ | Narrow notation: /ɑːr/ is a bit shorter if followed by a vowel |
| sorry | \ɑr\ | /ɒr/ | Narrow notation: /ɑːr/ is a bit shorter if followed by a vowel |
| \ɑr, or\ | \ɒr,BrE, ɔːrAmE\ | ||
| dress | \ɛ\ | /e/ | |
| marry, carry | \er\ | /ær/ | Mary-marry-merry merger |
| merry, cherry | \er\ | /er/ | |
| Mary, scary | \er\ | /eər/ | Mary-marry-merry merger |
| aerobics | \eɚ\ | /eər/ | Exception to the Mary-marry-merry merger |
| square | \eɚ\ | /eər/ | Narrow notation: /er/ at the end of the syllable sounds [eɚ] |
| face | \eɪ\ | /eɪ/ | |
| player | \ej\ | /eɪ/ | Narrow notation: /eɪ/ before an unstressed vowel sounds [ej] |
| payout | /eɪ\ | /eɪ/ | Narrow notation: /eɪ/ before a stressed vowel (primary or secondary stress) sounds [eɪ] |
| kit | \ɪ\ | /ɪ/ | |
| fleece | \iː\ | /iː/ | |
| idea | \iːj\ | /iː/ | Narrow notation: stressed /iː/ before a vowel sounds [iːj] |
| create | \i\ | /iː/ | Narrow notation: unstressed /iː/ before a stressed vowel is shorter |
| happy | \i\ | /iː/ | Narrow notation: unstressed /iː/ at the end of the word is shorter |
| mirror | \i\ | /ɪ/ | Mirror-nearer merger |
| material | \i\ | /ɪə/ | Mirror-nearer merger |
| near | \iɚ\ | /ɪər/ | |
| various, immediate | \ij\ | /iː/ | Narrow notation: unstressed /iː/ before a vowel sounds [ij] |
| north, force | \oɚ\ | /ɔːr/ | Narrow notation: /ɔː/ before /r/ sounds [o] in most American dialects. /ɔːr/ sounds [oɚ] at the end of the syllable or before a consonant. |
| glory | \or\ | /ɔːr/ | Narrow notation: /ɔː/ before /r/ sounds [o] in most American dialects |
| drawer | \ɑːɚ\ | /ɔːr/ | Possibly an error. A person who draws is a [ˈdrɑːɚ], but a box that slides should be [ˈdroɚ]. See http://www.dictionary.com/browse/drawer |
| moral, laurel | \or\ | /ɒrBrE, ɔːrAmE/ | Narrow notation: /ɔː/ before /r/ sounds [o] in most American dialects |
| goat | \oʊ\ | /əʊ/ | |
| obey | \oʊ\ | /ə,BrE əʊAmE/ | |
| rower | \ow\ | /əʊ/ | Narrow notation: /oʊ/ before a vowel sounds [ow]. |
| foot | \ʊ\ | /ʊ/ | |
| goose | \uː\ | /uː/ | |
| influence | \uːw\ | /uː/ | Narrow notation: /uː/ before a vowel sounds [uw] |
| individual | \əw\ | /ʊ/ | Narrow notation: unstressed /uː/ before a vowel sounds [əw] |
| sanctuary | \əwe\ Brit /uə/ | /uːə,BrE uːeAmE/ | Narrow notation: unstressed /uː/ before a stressed vowel is split between syllables |
| tour | \uɚ\ | /ʊər/ | |
| tourist | \ur\ | /ʊər/ | |
| cute | \juː\ | /juː/ | |
| new | \uː\ Brit /juː/ | /juː/ | |
| continuous | \juw\ | /juː/ | Narrow notation: /uː/ before a vowel sounds [uw] |
| genuine | \jəw\ | /juː/ | Narrow notation: unstressed /uː/ before a vowel sounds [əw] |
| curable | \jur\ | /jʊər/ | |
| strut | \ʌ\ | /ʌ/ | |
| nurse | \ɚ\ | /ɜːr/ | (*) |
| sure | /ɚ/ Brit /ɔː/ | /ʊər, ɔːrBrE/ | (*) |
| furry | \ɚr\ | /ɜːr/ | (*) |
| hurry | \ɚr\ | /ʌr,BrE ɜːrAmE/ | (*) Hurry-furry merger |
| insurance | \ɚr\ | /ʊər, ɔːrAmE/ | (*) |
| cure | \jɚ\ | /jʊər/ | (*) |
| mural | \jɚr\ | /jʊər/ | (*) |
| comma | \ə\ | /ə/ | |
| letter | \ɚ\ | /ər/ | |
| numerous | \ər\ | /ər/ | |
| people | \əl\ | /əl/ | |
| dental | \l̟\ | /əl/ | See IPA phonetic symbol [l̩]; the diacritic used here is not the one corresponding to syllabic consonant; it is a small plus sign below the consonant, and according to Wikipedia it means relative articulation.[1] |
| open | \ən\ | /ən/ | |
| lesson | \n̩\ | /ən/ | See IPA phonetic symbol [n̩] |
| rhythm | \əm\ | /əm/ | |
| price, virus | \aɪ\ | /aɪ/ | |
| diet | \aj\ | /aɪ/ | Narrow notation: /aɪ/ before a vowel sounds [aj] |
| fire | \ajɚ\ | /aɪər/ | Narrow notation: /aɪ/ before a vowel sounds [aj] |
| wiring | \ajɚr\ | /aɪər/ | Narrow notation: /aɪ/ before a vowel sounds [aj] |
| mouth, dowry | \aʊ\ | /aʊ/ | |
| towel | \aw\ | /aw/ | Narrow notation: /aʊ/ before a vowel sounds [aw] |
| hour | /awɚ\ | /aʊər/ | Narrow notation: /aʊ/ before a vowel sounds [aw] |
| flowering | \awɚr\ | /aʊər/ | Narrow notation: /aʊ/ before a vowel sounds [aw] |
| choice | \oɪ\ | /ɔɪ/ | |
| employer | \oj\ | /ɔɪ/ | Narrow notation: /ɔɪ/ before a vowel sounds [oj] |
| just, fudge | \ʤ\ | /dʒ/ | IPA doesn’t use ligatures any more |
| witch, which | \w\ | /w/ |
(*) Merriam-Webster’s uses the same symbol \ɚ\ for stressed /ɜːr/ and for unstressed /ər/.
Symbols not used in the dictionary[edit | edit source]
The following table shows symbols present in the Guide to IPA Symbols but not in the dictionary entries.
| Sample words | IPA Guide | Dictionary | Teflpedia | Comments | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| cot, eat, boot | : | ː | ː | By mistake the guide uses colon instead of triangular colon | |
| toe, attack | tʰ | \t\ | /t/ | Narrow notation | |
| choose, achieve | tʃʰ | \tʃ\ | /tʃ/ | Narrow notation | |
| later | ɾ | \t\ | /t/ | See IPA phonetic symbol [ɾ] | |
| riddle | ɾ | \d\ | /d/ | See IPA phonetic symbol [ɾ] | |
| cot, bomb | ɒ | British cot bomb | \ɑː\ | /ɒ/ | |
| caught, paw | ɔ: | British caught paw port | \ɑː\ | /ɔː/ | |
| port | ɔ: | British caught paw port | \oɚ\ | /ɔːr/ | |
| merge, bird | ə: | British merge bird | \ɚ\ | /ɜːr/ | |
| oat, own, zone, blow | əʊ | British oat own zone blow | \oʊ\ | /əʊ/ | |
| near, deer | ɪə | British near, deer | \iɚ\ | /ɪər/ | |
| bare, fair | ɛə | British bare, fair | \eɚ\ | /eər/ | |
| boor, tour | ʊə | British boor, tour | \uɚ\ | /ʊər/ | |
References[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Wikipedia, small plus sign below
