Use the English to IPA converter
Enter English text to generate IPA notation from the tool's curated dictionary-based word list. Choose American (General American) or British (RP-style) pronunciation, then select Transcription only or Word-aligned (word above IPA).
Enter or upload text
- Type or paste English text into the input box.
- To load a file, select Upload and choose a
.txtortext/plainfile. The picker applies that file-type filter. - You can also drop a text file anywhere on the page. The shared text uploader applies the same
.txtandtext/plainfilter before reading it. - Check the output box after the text is loaded. The file is read in the browser with JavaScript.
Choose Accent and View
Use Accent to choose the pronunciation set. Use View to choose the layout. Changing either control regenerates the output immediately.
- American (General American)
- British (RP-style)
- Transcription only
- Word-aligned (word above IPA)
Review the output and warnings
Transcription only keeps the source punctuation and line breaks in place. In Word-aligned (word above IPA), each source line is reformatted into two aligned rows: spacing is normalized, trailing punctuation stays with its word chunk, and a blank line separates source lines.
The converter does not guess words outside its list. In Transcription only, an unrecognized word appears in square brackets. In Word-aligned (word above IPA), it appears as ?. The warnings panel lists unrecognized words and groups repeated occurrences with a count.
Copy or download the result
- Review the output and any warnings.
- Select Copy to copy the transcription.
- Select Download .txt to save the result as a plain-text file.
Important limitations and browser processing
- The converter uses a curated common-word list, not a full dictionary. Words absent from the list, including uncommon or specialized vocabulary, may be flagged and are not guessed.
- Word-aligned (word above IPA) reformats each line, so it does not preserve the original spacing exactly.
- Entered text and locally read file contents are processed by the browser-side JavaScript. The directly inspected converter files contain no network request that sends this content to a server.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is IPA notation?
The International Phonetic Alphabet is a standardized symbol set used to represent the sounds of speech precisely, independent of a language's normal spelling.
What's the difference between American and British IPA transcriptions here?
American reflects a rhotic General American pronunciation (r pronounced after vowels); British reflects a non-rhotic RP-style pronunciation, with some differing vowel sounds as well.
What happens to words this tool doesn't recognize?
In Transcription only, they appear in square brackets. In Word-aligned (word above IPA), they appear as ?. Both are listed in the warnings panel, and repeated words are grouped with a count.
Is this the same as the NATO Phonetic Alphabet Converter?
No. NATO code words spell out letters for radio communication; IPA represents the sounds of spoken words. They serve different purposes.
Does this tool read text aloud?
No. It only produces written IPA notation - it does not generate audio or perform text-to-speech.
Is my text sent to a server?
Entered text and locally read files are processed by the browser-side JavaScript; the directly inspected converter files contain no network request that sends this content to a server.