Help:IPA/Yiddish

This page describes how IPA is used to transcribe Yiddish words at Wikipedia. It follows the pronunciation of "Standard Yiddish" (or "YIVO Yiddish"), as described in such works as Uriel Weinreich's College Yiddish and Modern English-Yiddish Yiddish-English Dictionary. 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 Yiddish phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Yiddish.

---- \| style="vertical-align:top;" \| {\| class="wikitable" ! colspan="4"\| Consonants
IPA	Letter(s)	English examples	Romanization
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|b}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ב}} (beys) \| but \| b
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|d}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ד}} (daled) \| do \| d
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|dʒ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|דזש}} (daled zayen shin) \| joy \| dzh
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|f}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|פֿ ף}} (fey, i.e. pey with rafe on nonfinal form) \| fool, leaf \| f
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ɡ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ג}} (giml) \| go \| g
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|h}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ה}} (hey) \| hen \| h
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|j}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|י}} (yud) \| yes \| y
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|k}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|כּ}} (kof with dagesh)Only in words of Hebrew origin. {{script\|Hebr\|ק}} (kuf) \| skin, thick \| k
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|l}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ל}} (lamed) \| bell \| l
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ʎ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ל}} \| Similar to million; Italian figlio \| l
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|m}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|מ ם}} (mem) \| man, tam \| m
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|n}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|נ ן}} (nun) \| no, tin \| n
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ŋ}}Not a separate phoneme of Yiddish, but an allophone of {{IPA\|/n/}} before {{IPA\|/ɡ, k/}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|נ}} when followed by {{script\|Hebr\|ג}} or {{script\|Hebr\|ק}} \| finger, drink \| n in the combinations ng, nk
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|p}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|פּ}} (pey with dagesh) \| spin, tip \| p
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|r}}The rhotic {{IPA\|/r/}} is a phonetically variable consonant. It may be either alveolar or uvular, but it is more commonly a flap/tap {{IPA\|[{{IPA link\|ɾ}} ~ {{IPA link\|ʀ̆}}]}} than a trill {{IPA\|[{{IPA link\|r}} ~ {{IPA link\|ʀ}}]}} ({{Harvcoltxt\|Kleine\|2003\|p=263}}). \| {{script\|Hebr\|ר}} (reysh) \| American atom or French rouge \| r
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|s}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ס}} (samekh) {{script\|Hebr\|שׂ}} (sin, i.e. shin with a sin dot) {{script\|Hebr\|ת}} (sof, i.e. tof with no dagesh) \| see, pass \| s
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ʃ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ש}} (shin) \| she, leash \| sh
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|t}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ט}} (tes) {{script\|Hebr\|תּ}} (tof with dagesh) \| sting, bet \| t
align="center" \| t͡s \| {{script\|Hebr\|צ ץ}} (tsadek) \| tsunami, sits \| ts
align="center" \| tʃ \| {{script\|Hebr\|טש}} (tes shin) \| chair, teach \| tsh
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|v}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|בֿ}} (veys, i.e. beys with rafe) {{script\|Hebr\|וו}} (tsvey vovn) \| voice \| v
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|χ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ח}} (khes) {{script\|Hebr\|כ ך}} (khof, i.e. kof with no dagesh) \| Like Scottish loch but with the tongue further back; French proche \| kh
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|z}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ז}} (zayen) \| zoo \| z
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ʒ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|זש}} (zayen shin) \| pleasure \| zh

----

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

{| class="wikitable"

! colspan="4"| Consonants

IPA

Letter(s)

English examples

Romanization

align="center" | {{IPA link|b}}

| {{script|Hebr|ב}} (beys)

| but

| b

align="center" | {{IPA link|d}}

| {{script|Hebr|ד}} (daled)

| do

| d

align="center" | {{IPA link|dʒ}}

| {{script|Hebr|דזש}} (daled zayen shin)

| joy

| dzh

align="center" | {{IPA link|f}}

| {{script|Hebr|פֿ ף}} (fey, i.e. pey with rafe on nonfinal form)

| fool, leaf

| f

align="center" | {{IPA link|ɡ}}

| {{script|Hebr|ג}} (giml)

| go

| g

align="center" | {{IPA link|h}}

| {{script|Hebr|ה}} (hey)

| hen

| h

align="center" | {{IPA link|j}}

| {{script|Hebr|י}} (yud)

| yes

| y

align="center" | {{IPA link|k}}

| {{script|Hebr|כּ}} (kof with dagesh)Only in words of Hebrew origin.
{{script|Hebr|ק}} (kuf)

| skin, thick

| k

align="center" | {{IPA link|l}}

| {{script|Hebr|ל}} (lamed)

| bell

| l

align="center" | {{IPA link|ʎ}}

| {{script|Hebr|ל}}

| Similar to million; Italian figlio

| l

align="center" | {{IPA link|m}}

| {{script|Hebr|מ ם}} (mem)

| man, tam

| m

align="center" | {{IPA link|n}}

| {{script|Hebr|נ ן}} (nun)

| no, tin

| n

align="center" | {{IPA link|ŋ}}Not a separate phoneme of Yiddish, but an allophone of {{IPA|/n/}} before {{IPA|/ɡ, k/}}

| {{script|Hebr|נ}} when followed by {{script|Hebr|ג}} or {{script|Hebr|ק}}

| finger, drink

| n in the combinations ng, nk

align="center" | {{IPA link|p}}

| {{script|Hebr|פּ}} (pey with dagesh)

| spin, tip

| p

align="center" | {{IPA link|r}}The rhotic {{IPA|/r/}} is a phonetically variable consonant. It may be either alveolar or uvular, but it is more commonly a flap/tap {{IPA|[{{IPA link|ɾ}} ~ {{IPA link|ʀ̆}}]}} than a trill {{IPA|[{{IPA link|r}} ~ {{IPA link|ʀ}}]}} ({{Harvcoltxt|Kleine|2003|p=263}}).

| {{script|Hebr|ר}} (reysh)

| American atom or French rouge

| r

align="center" | {{IPA link|s}}

| {{script|Hebr|ס}} (samekh)
{{script|Hebr|שׂ}} (sin, i.e. shin with a sin dot)
{{script|Hebr|ת}} (sof, i.e. tof with no dagesh)

| see, pass

| s

align="center" | {{IPA link|ʃ}}

| {{script|Hebr|ש}} (shin)

| she, leash

| sh

align="center" | {{IPA link|t}}

| {{script|Hebr|ט}} (tes)
{{script|Hebr|תּ}} (tof with dagesh)

| sting, bet

| t

align="center" | t͡s

| {{script|Hebr|צ ץ}} (tsadek)

| tsunami, sits

| ts

align="center" | tʃ

| {{script|Hebr|טש}} (tes shin)

| chair, teach

| tsh

align="center" | {{IPA link|v}}

| {{script|Hebr|בֿ}} (veys, i.e. beys with rafe)
{{script|Hebr|וו}} (tsvey vovn)

| voice

| v

align="center" | {{IPA link|χ}}

| {{script|Hebr|ח}} (khes)
{{script|Hebr|כ ך}} (khof, i.e. kof with no dagesh)

| Like Scottish loch but with the tongue further back; French proche

| kh

align="center" | {{IPA link|z}}

| {{script|Hebr|ז}} (zayen)

| zoo

| z

align="center" | {{IPA link|ʒ}}

| {{script|Hebr|זש}} (zayen shin)

| pleasure

| zh

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

class="wikitable" ! colspan="4"\| Vowels
colspan="4"\| Full vowels (monophthongs)
IPA ! Letter(s) ! English examples ! Romanization
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ä\|a}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|אַ}} (pasekh alef) \| father \| a
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ɛ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ע}} (ayin) \| bed \| e
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ɪ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|י}} (yud) \| bid \| i
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ɔ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|אָ}} (komets alef) \| boss \| o
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ʊ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ו}} (vov) \| foot \| u
colspan="4"\| Diphthongs
align="center" \| {{IPA\|aɪ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ײַ}} (pasekh tsvey yudn) \| fine, why \| ay
align="center" \| {{IPA\|ɛɪ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|יי}} (tsvey yudn) \| day, pain \| ey
align="center" \| {{IPA\|ɔɪ}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|וי}} (vov yud) \| loin, boy \| oy
colspan=4 \| Reduced vowels
align="center" \| {{IPA link\|ɜ\|ə}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ע}} or none \| sofa \| e
align="center" \| {{IPA\|l̩}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|ל}} \| bottle \| l
align="center" \| {{IPA\|n̩}} \| {{script\|Hebr\|נ ן}} \| button \| n

class="wikitable"

! colspan="4"| Vowels

colspan="4"| Full vowels (monophthongs)

IPA

! Letter(s)

! English examples

! Romanization

align="center" | {{IPA link|ä|a}}

| {{script|Hebr|אַ}} (pasekh alef)

| father

| a

align="center" | {{IPA link|ɛ}}

| {{script|Hebr|ע}} (ayin)

| bed

| e

align="center" | {{IPA link|ɪ}}

| {{script|Hebr|י}} (yud)

| bid

| i

align="center" | {{IPA link|ɔ}}

| {{script|Hebr|אָ}} (komets alef)

| boss

| o

align="center" | {{IPA link|ʊ}}

| {{script|Hebr|ו}} (vov)

| foot

| u

colspan="4"| Diphthongs

align="center" | {{IPA|aɪ}}

| {{script|Hebr|ײַ}} (pasekh tsvey yudn)

| fine, why

| ay

align="center" | {{IPA|ɛɪ}}

| {{script|Hebr|יי}} (tsvey yudn)

| day, pain

| ey

align="center" | {{IPA|ɔɪ}}

| {{script|Hebr|וי}} (vov yud)

| loin, boy

| oy

colspan=4 | Reduced vowels

align="center" | {{IPA link|ɜ|ə}}

| {{script|Hebr|ע}} or none

| sofa

| e

align="center" | {{IPA|l̩}}

| {{script|Hebr|ל}}

| bottle

| l

align="center" | {{IPA|n̩}}

| {{script|Hebr|נ ן}}

| button

| n

class="wikitable" ! colspan=3\|Other symbols used in transcription of Yiddish
IPA	Explanation
{{IPA\|ˈ}} \| Primary stress (placed before the stressed syllable), e.g. {{lang\|yi\|אײזל}} {{IPA\|[ˈɛɪzl̩]}} 'donkey'
{{IPA\|ˌ}} \| Secondary stress, e.g. {{lang\|yi\|מאַמע־לשון}} {{IPA\|[ˈmaməˌlɔʃn̩]}} 'Yiddish as mother tongue'

class="wikitable"

! colspan=3|Other symbols used in transcription of Yiddish

IPA

Explanation

| Primary stress (placed before the stressed syllable), e.g. {{lang|yi|אײזל}} {{IPA|[ˈɛɪzl̩]}} 'donkey'

| Secondary stress, e.g. {{lang|yi|מאַמע־לשון}} {{IPA|[ˈmaməˌlɔʃn̩]}} 'Yiddish as mother tongue'

Notes

Bibliography

{{citation

|last=Kleine

|first=Ane

|year=2003

|title=Standard Yiddish

|journal=Journal of the International Phonetic Association

|volume=33

|issue=2

|pages=261–265

|doi=10.1017/S0025100303001385

}}

Help:IPA/Yiddish

Notes

Bibliography

See also