Type phonetic transcriptions without hunting for symbols. Click any sound on the consonant, vowel, diacritic or tone charts, start with the most common English sounds, or type a letter and press = to cycle to its IPA relatives (n= → ŋ, s= → ʃ, t= → θ). Your text is saved in this browser.
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Hover or focus a symbol to see its name and shortcut.
Shortcut cheat sheet: type a letter, then press = once or more
Pressing = again moves to the next symbol in the row and wraps back to the plain letter. To type a real “=”, untick shortcut typing or press = after a space.
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How to use the IPA Keyboard
Pick a chart: English sounds, Consonants, Clicks & others, Vowels, Diacritics or Stress & tones.
Click symbols to insert them at the cursor. Hover a key to read its name, for example “voiced dental fricative”.
Or type with shortcuts: type a plain letter, then press = once or more to turn it into an IPA symbol (e= ə, e== ɛ, n= ŋ, '= ˈ). The cheat sheet lists every sequence.
Add diacritics after the symbol they modify: click ̃ after a to get ã, or ̩ after n for syllabic n̩.
Copy the transcription, wrap it in /slashes/, or download it as a text file.
IPA symbols for English sounds
Dictionaries use slightly different conventions for British and American English. These are the symbols you will meet most often:
Symbol
Example
Symbol
Example
Symbol
Example
ɪ
kit
iː
fleece
θ
thin
ɛ (e)
dress
uː
goose
ð
this
æ
trap
ɑː
palm
ʃ
ship
ʌ
strut
ɔː
thought
ʒ
measure
ʊ
foot
ɜː / ɝ
nurse
tʃ
church
ɒ
lot (UK)
eɪ
face
dʒ
judge
ə
about
aɪ
price
ŋ
sing
ɚ
letter (US)
ɔɪ
choice
j
yes
i
happy
aʊ
mouth
ɹ (r)
red
ˈ
stress: /ˈæpəl/
oʊ / əʊ
goat (US / UK)
ɾ
butter (US)
Shortcut typing at a glance
Type the letter, then press = the number of times shown. The sequence wraps back to the plain letter.
Type
Result
Type
Result
Type
Result
e=
ə
n=
ŋ
s=
ʃ
e==
ɛ
n==
ɲ
z=
ʒ
a=
ɑ
t=
θ
r=
ɹ
a==
æ
d=
ð
r==
ɾ
i=
ɪ
u=
ʊ
v==
ʌ
o=
ɔ
?=
ʔ
'= / '==
ˈ / ˌ
:=
ː
g=
ɡ
5= … 1=
˥ … ˩
How the IPA chart is organised
Consonants are arranged by place of articulation (lips → throat: bilabial, labiodental, dental, alveolar, postalveolar, retroflex, palatal, velar, uvular, pharyngeal, glottal) and by manner (plosive, nasal, trill, tap, fricative, approximant). Where symbols come in pairs, the left one is voiceless and the right one voiced: p/b, s/z, θ/ð.
Vowels are placed by tongue height (close → open) and backness (front → back). In each pair the right-hand vowel is rounded: i/y, e/ø, ɯ/u.
Suprasegmentals cover what spans more than one sound: stress ˈ ˌ, length ː, syllable breaks and intonation groups. Tones can be written with tone letters (˥˩) or with accents over vowels (á, à).
Frequently asked questions
How do I type IPA symbols on a normal keyboard?
Use the on-screen charts, or turn on shortcut typing: type the closest plain letter and press = to cycle through related symbols. For example n= gives ŋ, s= gives ʃ, z= gives ʒ, t= gives θ, d= gives ð, e= gives ə and r= gives ɹ.
What is the difference between /slashes/ and [brackets]?
Slashes mark a phonemic transcription, the distinct sounds a language uses (/kæt/). Square brackets mark a phonetic transcription with more physical detail, such as aspiration ([kʰæt]). Angle brackets ⟨cat⟩ mark spelling.
Why do some symbols show a dotted circle?
Diacritics such as ̃ (nasalized) or ̩ (syllabic) are combining characters: they attach to the symbol before them. The dotted circle only shows where the mark will sit; type or click the base symbol first, then the diacritic.
Will my IPA text display correctly in other apps?
The symbols are standard Unicode, so they paste into Word, Google Docs, email and websites. If a symbol shows as a box, the font lacks it; free fonts made for phonetics, such as Doulos SIL, Charis SIL or Gentium, cover the whole IPA chart.
Is ɡ different from g?
Yes, technically. The IPA prescribes the single-storey “script g” (ɡ, U+0261) for the voiced velar plosive, although an ordinary g is widely accepted. The keyboard inserts the official ɡ; type g= if you need it from the shortcut.
Which IPA chart does this follow?
The symbols and names follow the International Phonetic Association’s current chart (2020 revision), including tone letters, the labiodental flap ⱱ and r-coloured vowels ɚ and ɝ commonly used for American English.
Is my text saved or uploaded?
Your text is stored only in this browser’s local storage so it is still there when you return. Nothing is sent to a server.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.