X-SAMPA Class

[Zontas]

Hi kids! Do you like Zontas?!

X-Sampa Class

Lesson Zero: Introduction (Feel Free To Skip)

So, picture this, one day you're minding your own business conlanging, ironing, and unicycling, then one day you decide to upload you're MAGNIFICENT conlang on to the internet. Just one one problem, your computer is has a vendetta against unicode. So you ask yourself, how do hell do I write phonetic symbols on my computer without crappocorrect turning them into transparent uneven sided tetragons? That's right, the answer is just place .pdfs whenever needed, however this lesson is for people who don't control the flow of time and/or don't know how to use image uploading sites a la Imgur, Dropbox, etc.

You might also be one of the fives of people who are just plain lazy and will never get around to learning the system yourself. That's okay, I was there once too. Then I started products almost exclusively on a computer that doesn't butcher special characters. Of course, whenever I start anything on Google Docs or Macrosoft Word, they tend to have an unflinching tendency to not only lack characters I need, but make me input only one character at a time.

Enough about me, it's time the lessons get started. My name's Helios and this is the guide on CBB to X-SAMPA. And, yes I am aware about the varieties of X-SAMPA, but that will be covered in a future lesson. I will also won't be using Z-Sampa due to limited use outside conlanging. Also, X-SAMPA is always capitalized.

Lesson One: Basic Notes

First off, if you don't know jack about phonology or how it's written in standard IPA form, please visit Ossicone's guide on it (the only non-admin sticky on this forum, I think the title has "Professor Mao" in it). I'll wait. Note that just because this is commonly used by conlangers, doesn't mean you can use non-human distinctions like "bilabial lateral", it also doesn't change the meaning of things like parentheses, flipped open triangles and brackets. Also pay attention to the fact text editors like bold, indent, underline, or anything isn't used at all.

Let's begin with something quite easy. The following are EXACTLY the same as their IPA counterparts:

-First off we have four vowels, while they do exist in English, and match their their IPA counterparts, aren't part of standard GA or RP:

[*]/a/ is the "o" in stock for Caribbean English speakers, it is replaced by the phoneme /ɑ/ or /ɒ/ or even /ɔ/ for most people. It's pronunciation can be picked up via listening to it on Wikipedia.

[*]/e/ substitutes short "e" in Oceanic dialects, but isn't known to exist even as a marginal phoneme in any other natively anglophone dialect. Also can be learned on Wikipedia. Try not to delve into /ɛ/ or /eɪ/.

[*]/o/ substitutes short "o" in Oceanic dialects, and is marginally found in words like holy. Once again able to be mastered via listening on Wikipedia. Try not to delve into /ɔ/ or /oʊ/.

[*]/y/ is found in Kiwi English (New Zealander), and is pronounced like /i/ (see below) with rounded lips. Careful not to pronounce /u/ or /iu/ instead of /y/. If you need extra help, try imitating a North Germanic accent.

-The next batch of letters are found in English, and match their IPA counterparts, and always match their typical English spelling grapheme. You don't need to waste your time learning these.

/b/, /d/, /f/, /g/, /h/, /m/, /n/, /s/, /v/, /w/, /z/

-The following do, do, and don't.

[*]/l/ means clear <l> as in love, never as in hull.

[*]/r/ actually refers to the way Rammstein's lead singer pronounces English /r/, but the symbol is often used because of the huge variety of rhotics (r-like sounds) that makes Mandarin look regimented.

[*]/u/ is technically a bit more front than standard /u/ in English (but too back to be /ʉ/), but the IPA lacks an official symbol for the phoneme, so a generalisation is often used.

[*]/j/ can technically be represented by <j> in some loans such as Jaegarmeister, Johann, and Vojvodina, but is more commonly represented by <y> in words like young or year.

[*]/i/ is also sometimes represented to fit in with its IPA symbol ("machine"), but is normally represented by long "e" ("spree").

[*]/p/, /t/, and /k/ are unaspirated (minus the breathing, as in "spin"- not "pin").

-Lastly, we have /x/ and some stress marks.

/x/ is known only to exist in South African English and Scottish English. Try pronouncing /k/ but cause friction on the air blown out of your mouth instead of halting it. Avoid pronouncing /h/ or /k/. It should sound something like the <ch> in "yech".

Also, yes I am aware /c/ and /q/ are exactly like their IPA relatives, but because they don't exist in any dialect of English, they will be mentioned in further lessons.

If you wanna mark stress, then start by learning the following, all of which go before the syllable they affect:

/"/ Primary Stress ("healer")
/%/ Secondary Stress ("participle")
/./ Unstressed Syllable/ Syllable Break ("ranter")

Well do you have them all down? Good. Here's a review quiz.

Part I: Transcribe into English: (timed for nine minutes)

1. /jir/
2. /kul/
3. /ho"li/
4. /spjud/
5. /stir/

Part II: Transcribe into X-SAMPA

6. read
7. wheel
8. glue
9. roost
10. Zeeb

Part III: Extra Credit/ Next Lesson Preview

Translate into English

11./"faI.@r/
12./p_hOr"IdZ/
13./gVn"sliN.@r/

Translate into X-Sampa

14. Spain
15. could

Also, to prevent cheating from other people and yourself- please send answers to tests via private message. I will respond ASAIC. However, please ask questions in the thread.