SAMPA (Speech Assessment Methods Phonetic Alphabet), as well as the more recent X-SAMPA (Extended SAMPA) is a machine-readable phonetic alphabet, frequently used in technical applications like speech recognition or speech synthesis.
Vowel Phonemes
| IPA Symbol |
(X-)SAMPA Transcription |
Example Word |
Description |
Word Transcription |
| iː |
i: |
sýr (cheese) |
close front long (í, ý) |
si:r |
| ɪ |
I |
list (leaf) |
close-mid near-front short (i, y) |
lIst |
| ɛ |
E |
pes (dog) |
open-mid front short |
pEs |
| ɛː |
E: |
lék (medicine) |
open-mid front long |
lE:k |
| a |
a |
sad (orchard) |
open central short |
sat |
| aː |
a: |
sám (alone) |
open central long |
sa:m |
| o |
o |
rok (year) |
mid back short |
rok |
| oː |
o: |
tón (tone) |
mid back long |
to:n |
| u |
u |
sud (barrel) |
close back short |
sut |
| uː |
u: |
sůl (salt) |
close back long (ú, ů) |
su:l |
| o͡u |
o_u |
soud (court) |
mid back to close back diphthong |
so_ut |
| a͡u |
a_u |
auto (car) |
open central to close back diphthong |
a_uto / ?a_uto |
| ɛ͡u |
E_u |
neuron (neuron) |
mid front to close back diphthong |
nE_uron |
Consonant Phonemes
| IPA Symbol |
(X-)SAMPA Transcription |
Example Word |
Description |
Word Transcription |
| p |
p |
pes (dog) |
voiceless bilabial plosive |
pEs |
| b |
b |
bok (side) |
voiced bilabial plosive |
bok |
| t |
t |
trik (trick) |
voiceless alveolar plosive |
trIk |
| d |
d |
dům (house) |
voiced alveolar plosive |
du:m |
| c |
c |
ticho (silence) |
voiceless (alveo-)palatal plosive (ť) |
cIxo |
| ɟ |
J\ |
děda (grandfather) |
voiced (alveo-)palatal plosive (ď) |
J\Eda |
| k |
k |
kam (where) |
voiceless velar plosive |
kam |
| ɡ |
g |
guma (rubber) |
voiced velar plosive |
guma |
| f |
f |
fotbal (football) |
voiceless labiodental fricative |
fodbal |
| v |
v |
voják (soldier) |
voiced labiodental fricative |
voja:k |
| s |
s |
sud (barrel) |
voiceless alveolar fricative |
sut |
| z |
z |
zub (tooth) |
voiced alveolar fricative |
zup |
| ʃ |
S |
šok (shock) |
voiceless postalveolar fricative |
Sok |
| ʒ |
Z |
žár (glow) |
voiced postalveolar fricative |
Za:r |
| x |
x |
chuť (taste) |
voiceless velar fricative |
xuc |
| ɦ |
h\ |
hlad (hunger) |
voiced laryngeal fricative |
h\lat |
| ʦ |
t_s |
cíl (target) |
voiceless alveolar affricate |
t_si:l |
| ʧ |
t_S |
část (part) |
voiceless postalveolar affricate |
t_Sa:st |
| m |
m |
mír (peace) |
voiced bilabial nasal |
mi:r |
| n |
n |
nos (nose) |
voiced alveolar nasal |
nos |
| ɲ |
J |
nic (nothing) |
voiced (alveo-)palatal nasal (ň) |
JIt_s |
| r |
r |
rok (year) |
voiced alveolar trill |
rok |
| l |
l |
les (forest) |
voiced alveolar lateral approximant |
lEs |
| j |
j |
jak (how) |
voiced palatal glide |
jak |
| r̝ |
P\ |
řád (order) |
voiced alveolar fricative trill (ř) |
P\a:t |
Consonant Allophonic Variants
| IPA Symbol |
(X-)SAMPA Transcription |
Example Word |
Description |
Word Transcription |
| ɣ |
G |
bych byl (I would be) |
voiced velar fricative (ch, in voicing assimilation) |
bIG bIl |
| ʣ |
d_z |
moc dobrý (very good) |
voiced alveolar affricate (in voicing assimilation) |
mod_z dobri: |
| ʤ |
d_Z |
proč bys (why would you) |
voiced postalveolar affricate (in voicing assimilation) |
prod_Z bIs |
| r̝̊ |
Q\ |
bouřka (storm) |
voiceless alveolar fricative trill (ř, in voicing assimilation) |
bo_uQ\ka |
| ŋ |
N |
banka (bank) |
voiced velar nasal (in place assimilation) |
baNka |
| ɱ |
F |
tramvaj (tram) |
voiced labiodental nasal (in place assimilation) |
traFvaj |
Other Symbols
| IPA Symbol |
(X-)SAMPA Transcription |
Example Word |
Description |
Word Transcription |
| C̩ |
= |
krk, vlk (throat, wolf) |
syllabic consonant |
kr=k, vl=k |
| ʔ |
? |
na okně (on the window) |
glottal stop before word-initial vowels |
na ?okJE |
