Help:IPA/Afrikaans

The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Afrikaans pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see Template:IPA and {{section link|Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation#Entering IPA characters}}.

See Afrikaans phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Afrikaans, as well as dialectal variations that are not represented here.

style="background: none;" \| style="vertical-align: top;" \| {\| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em;" ! colspan="3" \| Consonants
IPA ! Examples ! English approximation
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|b}} \| {{lang\|af\|beet}} \| beet
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|d}} \| {{lang\|af\|dak}} \| duck
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|f}} \| {{lang\|af\|fiets}}, {{lang\|af\|ver}} \| far
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɦ}} \| {{lang\|af\|hoekom}} \| behind
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|j}} \| {{lang\|af\|ja}} \| yes
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|k}} \| {{lang\|af\|kat}} \| skin
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|l}} \| {{lang\|af\|land}} \| land
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|m}} \| {{lang\|af\|mens}} \| man
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|n}} \| {{lang\|af\|nek}} \| neck
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ŋ}} \| {{lang\|af\|eng}} \| long
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|p}} \| {{lang\|af\|pen}}, {{lang\|af\|rib}}, {{lang\|af\|lip}} \| sport
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|r}} \| {{lang\|af\|ras}} \| rolled r
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|s}} \| {{lang\|af\|sak}}, {{lang\|af\|seep}} \| sock
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|t}} \| {{lang\|af\|tak}}, {{lang\|af\|hond}} \| stop
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|χ}} \| {{lang\|af\|generaal}}, {{lang\|af\|weg}} \| loch (Scottish English)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|v}} \| {{lang\|af\|wang}} \| van
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ʋ}} \| {{lang\|af\|kwaad}}, {{lang\|af\|twaalf}}[ʋ] is an allophone of /v/ in onset consonant clusters such as /kv/ and /tv/. \| water
colspan="3" \| Loan consonants
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ʔ}} \| {{lang\|af\|beïnvloed}} {{IPA\|[bəˈʔənflut]}} \| the catch in uh-oh!
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɡ}} \| {{lang\|af\|ghries}},{{IPA\|/ɡ/}} is not a native phoneme of Afrikaans; it occurs only in loanwords like gholf or as an allophone of {{IPA\|/χ/}} at the end of suffixed root nouns or adjectives when both preceded by a short vowel + R cluster and followed by a schwa. {{lang\|af\|berge}}, {{lang\|af\|erger}} \| goal
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|z}} \| {{lang\|af\|Zoeloe}} \| zoo
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ʃ}} \| {{lang\|af\|sjabloon}}, {{lang\|af\|chef}} \| shall
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ʒ}} \| {{lang\|af\|genre}} \| vision
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|tʃ}} \| {{lang\|af\|tjek}}, {{lang\|af\|Tsjeggië}} \| chat
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|dʒ}} \| {{lang\|af\|djihad}}, {{lang\|af\|jellie}} \| jump
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɲ}} \| {{lang\|af\|oranje}} \| onion
colspan="3" \| Stress
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ˈ}} \| rowspan="2" \| {{lang\|af\|vóórkom}} {{IPA\|[ˈfuərkɔm]}} {{lang\|af\|voorkóm}} {{IPA\|[ˌfuərˈkɔm]}} \| rowspan="2" \| as in commandeer {{IPA\|/ˌkɒmənˈdiər/}}
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ˌ}}

style="background: none;"

| style="vertical-align: top;" |

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em;"

! colspan="3" | Consonants

IPA

! Examples

! English approximation

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|b}}

| {{lang|af|beet}}

| beet

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|d}}

| {{lang|af|dak}}

| duck

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|f}}

| {{lang|af|fiets}}, {{lang|af|ver}}

| far

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɦ}}

| {{lang|af|hoekom}}

| behind

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|j}}

| {{lang|af|ja}}

| yes

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|k}}

| {{lang|af|kat}}

| skin

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|l}}

| {{lang|af|land}}

| land

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|m}}

| {{lang|af|mens}}

| man

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|n}}

| {{lang|af|nek}}

| neck

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ŋ}}

| {{lang|af|eng}}

| long

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|p}}

| {{lang|af|pen}}, {{lang|af|rib}}, {{lang|af|lip}}

| sport

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|r}}

| {{lang|af|ras}}

| rolled r

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|s}}

| {{lang|af|sak}}, {{lang|af|seep}}

| sock

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|t}}

| {{lang|af|tak}}, {{lang|af|hond}}

| stop

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|χ}}

| {{lang|af|generaal}}, {{lang|af|weg}}

| loch (Scottish English)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|v}}

| {{lang|af|wang}}

| van

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ʋ}}

| {{lang|af|kwaad}}, {{lang|af|twaalf}}[ʋ] is an allophone of /v/ in onset consonant clusters such as /kv/ and /tv/.

| water

colspan="3" | Loan consonants

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ʔ}}

| {{lang|af|beïnvloed}}
{{IPA|[bəˈʔənflut]}}

| the catch in uh-oh!

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɡ}}

| {{lang|af|ghries}},{{IPA|/ɡ/}} is not a native phoneme of Afrikaans; it occurs only in loanwords like gholf or as an allophone of {{IPA|/χ/}} at the end of suffixed root nouns or adjectives when both preceded by a short vowel + R cluster and followed by a schwa. {{lang|af|berge}}, {{lang|af|erger}}

| goal

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|z}}

| {{lang|af|Zoeloe}}

| zoo

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ʃ}}

| {{lang|af|sjabloon}}, {{lang|af|chef}}

| shall

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ʒ}}

| {{lang|af|genre}}

| vision

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|tʃ}}

| {{lang|af|tjek}}, {{lang|af|Tsjeggië}}

| chat

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|dʒ}}

| {{lang|af|djihad}}, {{lang|af|jellie}}

| jump

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɲ}}

| {{lang|af|oranje}}

| onion

colspan="3" | Stress

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ˈ}}

| rowspan="2" | {{lang|af|vóórkom}} {{IPA|[ˈfuərkɔm]}}
{{lang|af|voorkóm}} {{IPA|[ˌfuərˈkɔm]}}

| rowspan="2" | as in commandeer
{{IPA|/ˌkɒmənˈdiər/}}

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ˌ}}

| style="vertical-align: top;" |

class="wikitable" ! colspan="3" \| Vowels
IPA ! Examples ! English approximation
colspan="3" \| Monophthongs (oral)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|a}} \| {{lang\|af\|bad}} \| British cat; somewhat like cut in other dialects.
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɑː}} \| {{lang\|af\|aap}} \| father
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|æ}} \| {{lang\|af\|bel}}, {{lang\|af\|sleg}}, {{lang\|af\|lekker}}, {{lang\|af\|ster}}{{IPA\|[æ]}} is not a phoneme, but an allophone of {{IPA\|/ɛ/}} that appears before {{IPA\|/l/}}, {{IPA\|/r/}}, {{IPA\|/x/}} and {{IPA\|/k/}}, especially in the northern parts of South Africa (former Transvaal and Free State). In other regions, predominantly the Cape Provinces, this is not the case. Also, this allophonic phenomenon is largely absent in the Afrikaans as spoken by most coloured speakers, irrespective of geographic region ({{Harvcoltxt\|Wissing\|2016}}). \| American and Australian back (short)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|æː}} \| {{lang\|af\|perd}}, {{lang\|af\|ver}}, {{lang\|af\|wêreld}}, {{lang\|af\|bêre}}{{IPA\|[æː]}} is not a phoneme, but an allophone of {{IPA\|/ɛ/}}. When followed by {{IPA\|/r/}}, {{IPA\|/ɛ/}} is both lengthened and lowered by speakers in some regions ({{Harvcoltxt\|Wissing\|2016}}). \| American and Australian mad (long)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɛ̝\|ɛ}} \| {{lang\|af\|met}}, {{lang\|af\|wen}}, {{lang\|af\|september}} \| met
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɛ̝\|ɛː}} \| {{lang\|af\|nè}}, {{lang\|af\|mens}}, {{lang\|af\|hê}} \| modern RP square
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ə}} \| {{lang\|af\|vis}}, {{lang\|af\|hemel}}, {{lang\|af\|vanaand}}{{IPA\|/ə/}} appears both as a stressed vowel, as in {{lang\|af\|vis}}, and as an unstressed vowel, as in {{lang\|af\|hemel}}. In unstressed positions, vowels are frequently reduced to schwa, as the first vowel in {{lang\|af\|vanaand}}. \| again
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|əː}} \| {{lang\|af\|wîe}}{{IPA\|/əː/}} occurs in no other word ({{Harvcoltxt\|Donaldson\|1993\|p=7}}). \| fur
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|i}} \| {{lang\|af\|nies}}, {{lang\|af\|polisie}} \| deep (short)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|iː}} \| {{lang\|af\|spieël}}, {{lang\|af\|bier}}As phonemes, {{IPA\|/iː/}} and {{IPA\|/uː/}} occur only in spieël and koeël, respectively. In other cases, {{IPA\|[iː]}} and {{IPA\|[uː]}} occur as allophones of {{IPA\|/i/}} and {{IPA\|/u/}} before {{IPA\|/r/}}. {{IPA\|/y/}} is also lengthened to {{IPA\|[yː]}} before {{IPA\|/r/}} ({{Harvcoltxt\|Donaldson\|1993\|pp=4–6}}). \| deep (long)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɔ̝\|ɔ}} \| {{lang\|af\|bot}} \| story (short)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɔ̝\|ɔː}} \| {{lang\|af\|môre}}{{IPA\|/œː/}} and {{IPA\|/ɔː/}} occur only in a few words ({{Harvcoltxt\|Donaldson\|1993\|p=7}}. \| story (long)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɞ̝\|œ}} \| {{lang\|af\|hut}} \| roughly like book (short)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|ɞ̝\|œː}} \| {{lang\|af\|rûe}} \| roughly like book (long)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|u}} \| {{lang\|af\|hoed}}, {{lang\|af\|polisie}} \| cool (short)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|uː}} \| {{lang\|af\|koeël}}, {{lang\|af\|moer}} \| cool (long)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|y}} \| {{lang\|af\|nuut}} \| roughly like cute; French tu
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA link\|yː}} \| {{lang\|af\|uur}} \| roughly like true; German über
colspan="3" \| Monophthongs (nasal)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|ɑ̃ː}} \| {{lang\|af\|dans}} \| no English equivalent, long nasalized {{IPAblink\|ɑ}}; French sans
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|ɛ̃ː}} \| {{lang\|af\|mens}} \| no English equivalent, long nasalized {{IPAblink\|ɛ̝\|ɛ}}; French vin
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|ɔ̃ː}} \| {{lang\|af\|spons}} \| no English equivalent, nasalized {{IPAblink\|ɔː}}; French dupont
colspan="3" \| Diphthongs
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|ai}} \| {{lang\|af\|baie}} \| price
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|aːi}} \| {{lang\|af\|braai}} \| prize
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|əi}} \| {{lang\|af\|rys}}, {{lang\|af\|reis}} \| may
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|iə}} \| {{lang\|af\|eer, ere}} \| ear
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|iu}} \| {{lang\|af\|eeu}} \| ew
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|oːi}} \| {{lang\|af\|nooi}} \| boy
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|œu}} \| {{lang\|af\|ou}} \| boat
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|œy}} \| {{lang\|af\|ui}} \| house (Scottish English)
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|uə}} \| {{lang\|af\|so, boot}} \| rural
style="text-align: center;" \| {{IPA\|yœ}} \| {{lang\|af\|seun}} \| roughly like fear in some accents

class="wikitable"

! colspan="3" | Vowels

IPA

! Examples

! English approximation

colspan="3" | Monophthongs (oral)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|a}}

| {{lang|af|bad}}

| British cat; somewhat like cut in other dialects.

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɑː}}

| {{lang|af|aap}}

| father

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|æ}}

| {{lang|af|bel}}, {{lang|af|sleg}}, {{lang|af|lekker}}, {{lang|af|ster}}{{IPA|[æ]}} is not a phoneme, but an allophone of {{IPA|/ɛ/}} that appears before {{IPA|/l/}}, {{IPA|/r/}}, {{IPA|/x/}} and {{IPA|/k/}}, especially in the northern parts of South Africa (former Transvaal and Free State). In other regions, predominantly the Cape Provinces, this is not the case. Also, this allophonic phenomenon is largely absent in the Afrikaans as spoken by most coloured speakers, irrespective of geographic region ({{Harvcoltxt|Wissing|2016}}).

| American and Australian back (short)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|æː}}

| {{lang|af|perd}}, {{lang|af|ver}}, {{lang|af|wêreld}}, {{lang|af|bêre}}{{IPA|[æː]}} is not a phoneme, but an allophone of {{IPA|/ɛ/}}. When followed by {{IPA|/r/}}, {{IPA|/ɛ/}} is both lengthened and lowered by speakers in some regions ({{Harvcoltxt|Wissing|2016}}).

| American and Australian mad (long)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɛ̝|ɛ}}

| {{lang|af|met}}, {{lang|af|wen}}, {{lang|af|september}}

| met

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɛ̝|ɛː}}

| {{lang|af|nè}}, {{lang|af|mens}}, {{lang|af|hê}}

| modern RP square

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ə}}

| {{lang|af|vis}}, {{lang|af|hemel}}, {{lang|af|vanaand}}{{IPA|/ə/}} appears both as a stressed vowel, as in {{lang|af|vis}}, and as an unstressed vowel, as in {{lang|af|hemel}}. In unstressed positions, vowels are frequently reduced to schwa, as the first vowel in {{lang|af|vanaand}}.

| again

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|əː}}

| {{lang|af|wîe}}{{IPA|/əː/}} occurs in no other word ({{Harvcoltxt|Donaldson|1993|p=7}}).

| fur

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|i}}

| {{lang|af|nies}}, {{lang|af|polisie}}

| deep (short)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|iː}}

| {{lang|af|spieël}}, {{lang|af|bier}}As phonemes, {{IPA|/iː/}} and {{IPA|/uː/}} occur only in spieël and koeël, respectively. In other cases, {{IPA|[iː]}} and {{IPA|[uː]}} occur as allophones of {{IPA|/i/}} and {{IPA|/u/}} before {{IPA|/r/}}. {{IPA|/y/}} is also lengthened to {{IPA|[yː]}} before {{IPA|/r/}} ({{Harvcoltxt|Donaldson|1993|pp=4–6}}).

| deep (long)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɔ̝|ɔ}}

| {{lang|af|bot}}

| story (short)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɔ̝|ɔː}}

| {{lang|af|môre}}{{IPA|/œː/}} and {{IPA|/ɔː/}} occur only in a few words ({{Harvcoltxt|Donaldson|1993|p=7}}.

| story (long)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɞ̝|œ}}

| {{lang|af|hut}}

| roughly like book (short)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|ɞ̝|œː}}

| {{lang|af|rûe}}

| roughly like book (long)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|u}}

| {{lang|af|hoed}}, {{lang|af|polisie}}

| cool (short)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|uː}}

| {{lang|af|koeël}}, {{lang|af|moer}}

| cool (long)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|y}}

| {{lang|af|nuut}}

| roughly like cute; French tu

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA link|yː}}

| {{lang|af|uur}}

| roughly like true; German über

colspan="3" | Monophthongs (nasal)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|ɑ̃ː}}

| {{lang|af|dans}}

| no English equivalent, long nasalized {{IPAblink|ɑ}}; French sans

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|ɛ̃ː}}

| {{lang|af|mens}}

| no English equivalent, long nasalized {{IPAblink|ɛ̝|ɛ}}; French vin

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|ɔ̃ː}}

| {{lang|af|spons}}

| no English equivalent, nasalized {{IPAblink|ɔː}}; French dupont

colspan="3" | Diphthongs

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|ai}}

| {{lang|af|baie}}

| price

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|aːi}}

| {{lang|af|braai}}

| prize

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|əi}}

| {{lang|af|rys}}, {{lang|af|reis}}

| may

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|iə}}

| {{lang|af|eer, ere}}

| ear

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|iu}}

| {{lang|af|eeu}}

| ew

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|oːi}}

| {{lang|af|nooi}}

| boy

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|œu}}

| {{lang|af|ou}}

| boat

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|œy}}

| {{lang|af|ui}}

| house (Scottish English)

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|uə}}

| {{lang|af|so, boot}}

| rural

style="text-align: center;" | {{IPA|yœ}}

| {{lang|af|seun}}

| roughly like fear in some accents

Notes

References

{{cite book

|last=Donaldson

|first=Bruce C.

|year=1993

|chapter=1. Pronunciation

|title=A Grammar of Afrikaans

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ftzioRvJzTUC

|place=Berlin

|publisher=Mouton de Gruyter

|pages=1–35

|isbn=978-3-11-0134261

|access-date=16 April 2017

}}

{{cite book

|last=Lass

|first=Roger

|year=1987

|chapter=Intradiphthongal Dependencies

|editor-last1=Anderson

|editor-first1=John

|editor-last2=Durand

|editor-first2=Jaques

|title=Explorations in Dependency Phonology

|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=CWEjAAAAQBAJ

|place=Dordrecht

|publisher=Foris Publications Holland

|pages=109–131

|isbn=9067652970

|access-date=16 April 2017

}}

{{cite web

|last=Wissing

|first=Daan

|year=2016

|title=Afrikaans phonology – segment inventory

|url=http://www.taalportaal.org/taalportaal/topic/pid/topic-14610909940908011

|website=Taalportaal

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170415194042/http://www.taalportaal.org/taalportaal/topic/pid/topic-14610909940908011

|archive-date=15 April 2017

|url-status=live

|access-date=16 April 2017

}}

{{cite journal |last1=Wissing |first1=Daan |title=Afrikaans |journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association |date=2020 |volume=50 |issue=1 |pages=127–140 |doi=10.1017/S0025100318000269}}

Help:IPA/Afrikaans

Notes

References

See also