English (Nigeria) MFA dictionary v3.1.0#

  • Maintainer: Montreal Forced Aligner

  • Language: English

  • Dialect: Nigerian English

  • Phone set: MFA

  • Number of words: 13,832

  • Phones: a aj aw aː b bʲ c cʰ cʷ d dʒ dʲ d̪ e f fʲ h i iː j k kp kʰ kʷ l m mʲ n o p pʰ pʲ s t tʃ tʰ tʲ tʷ t̪ u uː v vʲ w z ç ð ŋ ɔ ɔj ɛ ɛː ɜ ɜː ɟ ɟʷ ɡ ɡb ɡʷ ɫ ɱ ɲ ɹ ʃ ʊ ʎ θ

  • License: CC BY 4.0

  • Compatible MFA version: v3.1.0

  • Citation:

@techreport{mfa_english_nigeria_mfa_dictionary_2024,
	author={McAuliffe, Michael and Sonderegger, Morgan},
	title={English (Nigeria) MFA dictionary v3.1.0},
	address={\url{https://mfa-models.readthedocs.io/pronunciation dictionary/English/English (Nigeria) MFA dictionary v3_1_0.html}},
	year={2024},
	month={Jun},
}
image("https://montreal-forced-aligner.readthedocs.io/en/latest/_static/logo_stacked_light.svg")

Installation#

Install from the MFA command line:

mfa model download dictionary english_nigeria_mfa

Or download from the release page.

The dictionary available from the release page and command line installation has pronunciation and silence probabilities estimated as part acoustic model training (see Silence probability format and training pronunciation probabilities for more information. If you would like to use the version of this dictionary without probabilities, please see the [plain dictionary](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/MontrealCorpusTools/mfa-models/main/dictionary/english/mfa/English (Nigeria) MFA dictionary v3_1_0.dict).

Intended use#

This dictionary is intended for forced alignment of English transcripts.

This dictionary uses the MFA phone set for English, and was used in training the English MFA acoustic model. Pronunciations can be added on top of the dictionary, as long as no additional phones are introduced.

Performance Factors#

When trying to get better alignment accuracy, adding pronunciations is generally helpful, especially for different styles and dialects. The most impactful improvements will generally be seen when adding reduced variants that involve deleting segments/syllables common in spontaneous speech. Alignment must include all phones specified in the pronunciation of a word, and each phone has a minimum duration (by default 10ms). If a speaker pronounces a multisyllabic word with just a single syllable, it can be hard for MFA to fit all the segments in, so it will lead to alignment errors on adjacent words as well.

Ethical considerations#

Deploying any Speech-to-Text model into any production setting has ethical implications. You should consider these implications before use.

Demographic Bias#

You should assume every machine learning model has demographic bias unless proven otherwise. For pronunciation dictionaries, it is often the case that transcription accuracy and lexicon coverage for the prestige variety modeled in this dictionary compared to other variants. If you are using this dictionary in production, you should acknowledge this as a potential issue.

IPA Charts#

Consonants#

Obstruent symbols to the left of are unvoiced and those to the right are voiced.

Manner

Labial

Labiodental

Dental

Alveolar

Alveopalatal

Palatal

Velar

Glottal

Nasal
Occurrences:
2,637
Examples:
* mass:
[m a s]
* palm:
[pʰ a m]
* aims:
[e m s]
* human:
[uː m a n]
Occurrences:
619
Examples:
* minna:
[mʲ i n a]
* comic:
[kʰ ɔ mʲ i k]
* mixup:
[mʲ i k s ɔ p]
* emir:
[ɛ mʲ i a]
Occurrences:
9
Examples:
Occurrences:
6,195
Examples:
* want:
[w ɔ n t]
* skin:
[s c i n]
* pine:
[pʰ aj n]
* night:
[n aj]
Occurrences:
1,037
Examples:
* tiny:
[tʰ aj ɲ i]
* sandy:
[s a ɲ dʲ i]
* ndidi:
[ɲ dʲ iː dʲ i]
* candy:
[kʰ a ɲ dʲ i]
Occurrences:
1,634
Examples:
* think:
[t̪ i ŋ k]
* ewing:
[j uː w i ŋ ɡ]
* ancor:
[a ŋ k ɔ]
* young:
[j ɔ ŋ ɡ]

Stop Plain
Occurrences:
1,731
Examples:
* spot:
[s p ɔ t]
* apron:
[e p u n]
* maps:
[m a p s]
* spar:
[s p a]
Occurrences:
193
Examples:
* pure:
[pʲ ʊ a]
* speak:
[s pʲ iː k]
* topic:
[tʰ ɔ pʲ i k]
* april:
[e pʲ i ɫ]
Occurrences:
1,520
Examples:
* broke:
[b ɹ o k]
* brown:
[b ɹ aw n]
* boils:
[b ɔj ɫ z]
* baby:
[b e bʲ i]
Occurrences:
302
Examples:
* derby:
[d a bʲ i]
* bbc:
[bʲ iː bʲ iː s iː]
* shebi:
[ʃ ɛ bʲ i]
* beats:
[bʲ iː t s]
Occurrences:
98
Examples:
* thing:
[t̪ i ŋ]
* think:
[t̪ i ŋ k]
* booth:
[b u t̪]
* south:
[s aw t̪]
Occurrences:
54
Examples:
* that:
[d̪ a]
* the:
[d̪ i]
* other:
[ɔ d̪ a]
* dey:
[d̪ e]
Occurrences:
4,573
Examples:
* adopt:
[a d ɔ p t]
* lasts:
[l a s t s]
* count:
[kʰ aw n t]
* lift:
[ʎ i f t]
Occurrences:
1,190
Examples:
* steep:
[s tʲ iː p]
* sixty:
[s i k s tʲ i]
* listi:
[ʎ i s tʲ i]
* latin:
[l a tʲ i n]
Occurrences:
16
Examples:
* twin:
[tʷ i n]
* twill:
[tʷ i ɫ]
* twins:
[tʷ i n z]
* twice:
[tʷ aj s]
Occurrences:
3,473
Examples:
* danes:
[d e n z]
* cloud:
[k l aw d]
* goad:
[ɡ o d]
* drove:
[d ɹ o v]
Occurrences:
832
Examples:
* sid:
[ɛ s aj dʲ iː]
* dish:
[dʲ i ʃ]
* dupe:
[dʲ uː p]
* andy:
[a ɲ dʲ i]
Occurrences:
544
Examples:
* clips:
[c ʎ i p s]
* akin:
[a c i n]
* naked:
[n e c i d]
* skies:
[s c iː z]
Occurrences:
37
Examples:
* queen:
[cʷ iː n]
* quick:
[cʷ i k]
* query:
[cʷ i ɹ i]
* quill:
[cʷ i ɫ]
Occurrences:
195
Examples:
* ngos:
[ɛ ɲ ɟ iː o z]
* get:
[ɟ i]
* angry:
[a ɲ ɟ ɹ i]
* guy:
[ɟ aj]
Occurrences:
22
Examples:
Occurrences:
2,156
Examples:
* stuck:
[s t ɔ k]
* crown:
[k ɹ o n]
* pork:
[pʰ ɔ k]
* acts:
[a k s]
Occurrences:
129
Examples:
* choir:
[kʷ aj a]
* akwu:
[a kʷ u]
* quite:
[kʷ aj t]
* quote:
[kʷ o t]
Occurrences:
1,976
Examples:
* big:
[bʲ i ɡ]
* groom:
[ɡ ɹ uː m]
* lying:
[l aj i ŋ ɡ]
* leg:
[l ɛ ɡ]
Occurrences:
10
Examples:
* gweje:
[ɡʷ ɛ dʒ e]

Aspirated
Occurrences:
987
Examples:
* pooh:
[pʰ uː]
* pause:
[pʰ ɔ z]
* paths:
[pʰ a ð z]
* polls:
[pʰ o ɫ z]
Occurrences:
1,067
Examples:
* tail:
[tʰ e ɫ]
* token:
[tʰ o k ɛ n]
* tuwo:
[tʰ ɔ uː]
* tokyo:
[tʰ o cʰ i o]
Occurrences:
314
Examples:
* kings:
[cʰ i ŋ ɡ z]
* keg:
[cʰ ɛ ɡ]
* kim:
[cʰ i m]
* shaky:
[ʃ e cʰ i]
Occurrences:
1,351
Examples:
* can't:
[kʰ a n t]
* karo:
[kʰ a ɹ o]
* okada:
[o kʰ a d a]
* codes:
[kʰ o d z]

Affricate
Occurrences:
690
Examples:
* tries:
[tʃ aj s]
* chew:
[tʃ i ʊ]
* chili:
[tʃ i ʎ i]
* chase:
[tʃ e s]
Occurrences:
972
Examples:
* joe:
[dʒ o]
* job:
[dʒ ɔ b]
* forge:
[f ɔ dʒ]
* jill:
[dʒ i ɫ]

Sibilant
Occurrences:
6,595
Examples:
* cyber:
[s aj b a]
* stoke:
[s t o k]
* midst:
[mʲ i d s t]
* nooks:
[n ʊ k s]
Occurrences:
2,777
Examples:
* nays:
[n e z]
* plans:
[p l a n z]
* tours:
[tʰ ʊ a z]
* buses:
[b ɔ s ɛ z]
Occurrences:
1,495
Examples:
* sheik:
[ʃ iː k]
* azure:
[a ʃ a]
* sean:
[ʃ ɔ n]
* shook:
[ʃ ʊ k]

Fricative
Occurrences:
1,318
Examples:
* ralph:
[ɹ a ɫ f]
* golf:
[ɡ ɔ ɫ f]
* after:
[a f t a]
* faces:
[f e s ɛ z]
Occurrences:
349
Examples:
* feels:
[fʲ iː ɫ z]
* fees:
[fʲ iː z]
* fiat:
[fʲ i a t]
* sofia:
[s o fʲ i a]
Occurrences:
1,133
Examples:
* van:
[v a n]
* seven:
[s ɛ v ɛ n]
* lover:
[l ɔ v a]
* drove:
[dʒ ɹ o v]
Occurrences:
290
Examples:
* envy:
[ɛ m vʲ i]
* navy:
[n e vʲ i]
* evil:
[iː vʲ i ɫ]
* heavy:
[ç iː vʲ i]
Occurrences:
338
Examples:
* north:
[n ɔ θ]
* bath:
[b a θ]
* youth:
[j uː θ]
* path:
[pʰ a θ]
Occurrences:
159
Examples:
* they:
[ð e]
* the:
[ð e]
* their:
[ð ɛː]
* these:
[ð iː z]
Occurrences:
124
Examples:
* him:
[ç i m]
* hills:
[ç i ɫ z]
* hear:
[ç i a]
* heal:
[ç iː ɫ]
Occurrences:
510
Examples:
* had:
[h a d]
* whom:
[h uː m]
* hut:
[h ɔ t]
* who's:
[h uː z]

Approximant
Occurrences:
689
Examples:
* aware:
[a w ɛː]
* wings:
[w i ŋ ɡ z]
* word:
[w ɔ d]
* was:
[w ɔ s]
Occurrences:
4,877
Examples:
* noro:
[n ɔ ɹ o]
* dream:
[d ɹ iː m]
* praat:
[p ɹ a t]
* opera:
[ɔ p ɛ ɹ a]
Occurrences:
312
Examples:
* jung:
[j ʊ ŋ ɡ]
* urea:
[j ʊ ɹ i a]
* years:
[j aː z]
* yuan:
[j ʊ a n]

Lateral
Occurrences:
1,971
Examples:
* plank:
[p l a ŋ k]
* plum:
[p l ɔ m]
* slice:
[s l aj s]
* lands:
[l a n d z]
Occurrences:
1,731
Examples:
* salt:
[s ɔ ɫ t]
* twill:
[tʷ i ɫ]
* hell:
[h ɛ ɫ]
* trial:
[tʃ aj a ɫ]
Occurrences:
1,359
Examples:
* listi:
[ʎ i s tʲ i]
* liver:
[ʎ i v a]
* lever:
[ʎ iː v a]
* newly:
[ɲ uː ʎ i]

Vowels#

Vowel symbols to the left of are unrounded and those to the right are rounded.

Front

Near-Front

Central

Near-Back

Back

Close
Occurrences:
9,562
Examples:
* mary:
[m ɛː ɹ i]
* gifts:
[ɟ i f t s]
* skins:
[s c i n z]
* sin:
[s i n]
Occurrences:
1,204
Examples:
* seeks:
[s iː k s]
* peat:
[pʰ iː t]
* eat:
[iː t]
* he's:
[iː z]
Occurrences:
707
Examples:
* focus:
[f o k u s]
* uzoma:
[u z o m a]
* mosun:
[m ʊ s u n]
* enugu:
[ɛ ɲ u ɡ uː]
Occurrences:
1,036
Examples:
* proof:
[p ɹ uː f]
* onu:
[o n uː]
* louis:
[l uː i]
* rooms:
[ɹ uː m s]
Occurrences:
825
Examples:
* unto:
[ɔ n tʰ ʊ]
* title:
[tʰ aj t ʊ ɫ]
* moot:
[m ʊ t]
* soot:
[s ʊ t]

Close-Mid
Occurrences:
2,070
Examples:
* gbure:
[ɡb uː ɹ e]
* jide:
[dʒ i d e]
* wave:
[w e v]
* play:
[p l e]
Occurrences:
1,482
Examples:
* edo:
[ɛ d o]
* mando:
[m a n d o]
* show:
[ʃ o]
* notes:
[n o t s]

Open-Mid
Occurrences:
6,011
Examples:
* reps:
[ɹ ɛ p s]
* kept:
[cʰ ɛ]
* enzo:
[ɛ n z o]
* index:
[i n d ɛ k s]
Occurrences:
226
Examples:
* girl:
[ɡ ɛː ɫ]
* vary:
[v ɛː ɹ i]
* sarah:
[s ɛː ɹ a]
* wears:
[w ɛː z]
Occurrences:
16
Examples:
* bury:
[b ɜ ɹ i]
Occurrences:
1
Examples:
Occurrences:
6,017
Examples:
* segun:
[ʃ ɛ ɡ ɔ n]
* golf:
[ɡ ɔ f]
* ross:
[ɹ ɔ s]
* plum:
[p l ɔ m]

Open
Occurrences:
7,976
Examples:
* ogaba:
[o ɡ a b a]
* hanya:
[h a ɲ a]
* ancor:
[a ŋ k ɔ]
* brash:
[b ɹ a ʃ]
Occurrences:
614
Examples:
* herbs:
[h aː b z]
* yard:
[j aː d]
* kurt:
[kʰ aː t]
* hers:
[h aː z]

Diphthongs#

  • aj

  • aw

  • ɔj

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