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English (UK) MFA dictionary v2.2.1#

  • Maintainer: Montreal Forced Aligner

  • Language: English

  • Dialect: British English

  • Phone set: MFA

  • Number of words: 74,962

  • Phones: a aj aw b bʲ c cʰ cʷ d dʒ dʲ d̪ e ej f fʲ fʷ h i iː j k kʰ kʷ l m mʲ m̩ n n̩ p pʰ pʲ pʷ s t tʃ tʰ tʲ tʷ t̪ v vʲ vʷ w z ç ð ŋ ɐ ɑ ɑː ɒ ɒː ɔj ə əw ɛ ɛː ɜ ɜː ɟ ɟʷ ɡ ɡʷ ɪ ɫ ɫ̩ ɱ ɲ ɹ ʃ ʉ ʉː ʊ ʎ ʒ ʔ θ

  • License: CC BY 4.0

  • Compatible MFA version: v2.1.0

  • Citation:

@techreport{mfa_english_uk_mfa_dictionary_2023,
	author={McAuliffe, Michael and Sonderegger, Morgan},
	title={English (UK) MFA dictionary v2.2.1},
	address={\url{https://mfa-models.readthedocs.io/pronunciation dictionary/English/English (UK) MFA dictionary v2_2_1.html}},
	year={2023},
	month={May},
}

G2P models
../../_images/full_logo_yellow.svg

Installation#

Install from the MFA command line:

mfa model download dictionary english_uk_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 (UK) MFA dictionary v2_2_1.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:
15,537
Examples:
* stum:
[s t ɐ m]
* proem:
[p ɹ əw ə m]
* matty:
[m a tʲ i]
* mohur:
[m əw h ə]
Occurrences:
3,401
Examples:
* romeo:
[ɹ əw mʲ ɪ əw]
* mitt:
[mʲ ɪ t]
* ming:
[mʲ ɪ ŋ]
* barmy:
[b ɑː mʲ i]
Occurrences:
3
Examples:
Occurrences:
1
Examples:
Occurrences:
31,578
Examples:
* brine:
[b ɹ aj n]
* unto:
[ɐ n tʰ ʊ]
* snart:
[s n ɑː t]
* ripon:
[ɹ ɪ pʰ ɒ n]
Occurrences:
166
Examples:
Occurrences:
5,942
Examples:
* fungi:
[f ɐ ɲ ɟ iː]
* nake:
[ɲ ej k]
* muni:
[mʲ ʉː ɲ i]
* nero:
[ɲ iː ɹ əw]
Occurrences:
5,983
Examples:
* chang:
[tʃ a ŋ]
* jang:
[dʒ a ŋ]
* crunk:
[k ɹ ɐ ŋ k]
* aging:
[ej dʒ ɪ ŋ]

Stop
Occurrences:
8,959
Examples:
* plow:
[p l aw]
* nopal:
[n əw p ə ɫ]
* helps:
[h ɛ ɫ p s]
* clap:
[c ʎ a p]
Occurrences:
10,188
Examples:
* jibs:
[dʒ ɪ b z]
* barb:
[b ɑː b]
* urban:
[ɜː b ə n]
* bunny:
[b ɐ ɲ i]
Occurrences:
69
Examples:
Occurrences:
66
Examples:
Occurrences:
20,007
Examples:
* juts:
[dʒ ɐ t s]
* storm:
[s t ɒː m]
* pesto:
[pʰ ɛ s t əw]
* utter:
[ɐ t ə]
Occurrences:
15,499
Examples:
* qaeda:
[cʰ ʉː ej d ə]
* hamid:
[h a mʲ ɪ d]
* domal:
[d əw m ə ɫ]
* breda:
[b ɹ ej d ɑː]
Occurrences:
3,790
Examples:
* wiki:
[w ɪ c i]
* skene:
[s c iː ɲ i]
* porky:
[pʰ ɒː c i]
* pinky:
[pʰ ɪ ɲ c i]
Occurrences:
1,666
Examples:
* algae:
[a ɫ ɟ i]
* get:
[ɟ ɪ t]
* glean:
[ɟ ʎ iː n]
* gyoza:
[ɟ əw z ə]
Occurrences:
13,330
Examples:
* exon:
[ɛ k s ə n]
* atka:
[ɑː t k ə]
* dafuq:
[d ə f ɐ k]
* fatx:
[f a tʰ ɛ k s]
Occurrences:
5,687
Examples:
* bugan:
[b ɐ ɡ ə n]
* gowns:
[ɡ aw n z]
* gabon:
[ɡ ə b ɒ n]
* gup:
[ɡ ɐ p]
Occurrences:
482
Examples:
* spot:
[s p ɒ ʔ]
* hat:
[h a ʔ]
* item:
[aj ʔ ə m]
* flat:
[f l a ʔ]

Affricate
Occurrences:
2,884
Examples:
* dutch:
[d ɐ tʃ]
* cho:
[tʃ əw]
* tree:
[tʃ iː]
* botch:
[b ɒ tʃ]
Occurrences:
4,803
Examples:
* jima:
[dʒ ɪ m ə]
* dpg:
[dʲ iː pʰ iː dʒ iː]
* gmpp:
[dʒ iː ɛ m pʰ iː pʰ iː]
* jeter:
[dʒ iː t ə]

Sibilant
Occurrences:
32,893
Examples:
* syn:
[s ɪ n]
* son:
[s ɒ n]
* sata:
[s ej t ə]
* json:
[dʒ ej s ə n]
Occurrences:
13,431
Examples:
* crows:
[k ɹ əw z]
* noisy:
[n ɔj z i]
* aegis:
[iː dʒ ɪ dʲ iː z]
* gobs:
[ɡ ɒ b z]
Occurrences:
6,485
Examples:
* shish:
[ʃ ɪ ʃ]
* ghosh:
[ɡ əw ʃ]
* apish:
[ej p ɪ ʃ]
* shad:
[ʃ a d]
Occurrences:
496
Examples:
* ezhes:
[ɛ ʒ ɪ z]
* zhe:
[ʒ iː]
* zhuzh:
[ʒ ʊ ʒ]
* azul:
[a ʒ ɒː ɫ]

Fricative
Occurrences:
7,323
Examples:
* fock:
[f ɒ k]
* smurf:
[s m ɜː f]
* morph:
[m ɒː f]
* skift:
[s c ɪ f t]
Occurrences:
2,184
Examples:
* fuchs:
[fʲ ʉː k s]
* cafe:
[kʰ a fʲ i]
* fios:
[fʲ ɪ s]
* beefy:
[bʲ iː fʲ i]
Occurrences:
3
Examples:
* fwoom:
[fʷ ʉː m]
Occurrences:
6,134
Examples:
* veils:
[v ej ɫ z]
* rival:
[ɹ aj v ə ɫ]
* have:
[h a v]
* voted:
[v əw tʲ ɪ d]
Occurrences:
546
Examples:
* mvp:
[ɛ m vʲ iː pʰ iː]
* vila:
[vʲ iː l ə]
* mtv:
[ɛ m tʰ iː vʲ iː]
* cofe:
[s iː ə vʲ iː]
Occurrences:
8
Examples:
* vworp:
[vʷ ɒː p]
Occurrences:
2,359
Examples:
* thor:
[θ ɒː]
* thoth:
[θ əw θ]
* athos:
[a θ ɒ s]
* dryth:
[d ɹ aj θ]
Occurrences:
525
Examples:
* lithe:
[l aj ð]
* with:
[w ɪ ð]
* those:
[ð əw z]
* oaths:
[əw ð z]
Occurrences:
918
Examples:
* hyp:
[ç ɪ p]
* heal:
[ç iː ɫ]
* hiply:
[ç ɪ p ʎ i]
* hits:
[ç ɪ t s]
Occurrences:
3,523
Examples:
* hope:
[h əw p]
* haut:
[h ɒː t]
* behan:
[b ə h ɑː n]
* hells:
[h ɛ ɫ z]

Approximant
Occurrences:
3,790
Examples:
* noir:
[n w ɑː]
* swalk:
[s w ɒː ɫ k]
* wiley:
[w aj ʎ i]
* woy:
[w ɔj]
Occurrences:
25,101
Examples:
* ruga:
[ɹ ʉː ɡ ə]
* sari:
[s ɑː ɹ i]
* eric:
[ɛ ɹ ɪ k]
* hijra:
[ç ɪ dʒ ɹ ə]
Occurrences:
1,367
Examples:
* yup:
[j ɐ p]
* yelps:
[j ɛ ɫ p s]
* ukase:
[j ʉː cʰ ej z]
* utica:
[j ʉː tʲ ɪ k ə]

Lateral
Occurrences:
11,706
Examples:
* luo:
[l ʉː əw]
* lesbo:
[l ɛ z b əw]
* lyne:
[l aj n]
* alary:
[ej l ə ɹ i]
Occurrences:
10,371
Examples:
* diels:
[d aj ə ɫ z]
* mohel:
[m ɔj ə ɫ]
* elcic:
[iː ɛ ɫ s iː aj s iː]
* smile:
[s m aj ə ɫ]
Occurrences:
142
Examples:
Occurrences:
8,151
Examples:
* hilly:
[ç ɪ ʎ i]
* gully:
[ɡ ɐ ʎ i]
* limp:
[ʎ ɪ m p]
* cilia:
[s ɪ ʎ i ə]

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:
12,244
Examples:
* anti:
[a n tʲ i]
* pory:
[pʰ ɒː ɹ i]
* filmy:
[fʲ ɪ ɫ mʲ i]
* loewy:
[l ʉː i]
Occurrences:
8,874
Examples:
* vth:
[vʲ iː tʰ iː ej tʃ]
* pmee:
[pʰ iː mʲ iː]
* plea:
[p ʎ iː]
* kiwis:
[cʰ iː w i z]
Occurrences:
816
Examples:
* lujvo:
[l ʉ ʒ v əw]
* uluru:
[ʉː l ʉ ɹ ʉː]
* umar:
[ʉ m ɑː]
* bellu:
[b ɛ ʎ ʉ]
Occurrences:
5,753
Examples:
* vroom:
[v ɹ ʉː m]
* used:
[j ʉː z d]
* rube:
[ɹ ʉː b]
* goto:
[ɡ əw tʰ ʉː]
Occurrences:
42,620
Examples:
* jilt:
[dʒ ɪ ɫ t]
* inman:
[ɪ n m ə n]
* evade:
[ɪ v ej d]
* neary:
[ɲ ɪ ə ɹ i]
Occurrences:
2,937
Examples:
* shula:
[ʃ ʊ l ə]
* quran:
[kʰ ʊ ə n]
* unken:
[ʊ ŋ k ə n]
* kure:
[kʰ ʊ ə]

Close-Mid
Occurrences:
1
Examples:
Occurrences:
10,077
Examples:
* kate:
[cʰ ej t]
* aging:
[ej dʒ ɪ ŋ]
* fady:
[f ej dʲ i]
* gays:
[ɡ ej z]
Occurrences:
52,861
Examples:
* basta:
[b a s t ə]
* who:
[d ɐ b ə ʎ ʉː ej tʃ əw]
* cowra:
[kʰ aw ɹ ə]
* atom:
[a t ə m]

Open-Mid
Occurrences:
15,191
Examples:
* never:
[n ɛ v ə]
* ident:
[aj d ɛ n t]
* sql:
[ɛ s c ʉː ɛ ɫ]
* efta:
[ɛ f tʰ ɑː]
Occurrences:
1,047
Examples:
* arian:
[ɛː ɹ i ə n]
* khene:
[cʰ ɛː n]
* share:
[ʃ ɛː]
* hare:
[h ɛː]
Occurrences:
190
Examples:
* furor:
[fʲ ɜ ɹ ə]
* wirth:
[w ɜ θ]
* herzl:
[h ɜ t s ə ɫ]
* turku:
[tʰ ɜ k ʉː]
Occurrences:
3,196
Examples:
* merle:
[m ɜː ɫ]
* verst:
[v ɜː s t]
* birsy:
[b ɜː s i]
* curio:
[cʰ ɜː ɹ i əw]
Occurrences:
6,301
Examples:
* govvy:
[ɡ ɐ vʲ i]
* sough:
[s ɐ f]
* nandi:
[n ɐ n dʲ i]
* sufi:
[s ɐ fʲ i]

Open
Occurrences:
14,077
Examples:
* ratt:
[ɹ a t]
* knap:
[n a p]
* badly:
[b a dʲ ʎ i]
* imax:
[aj m a k s]
Occurrences:
737
Examples:
* rohan:
[ɹ əw h ɑ n]
* vann:
[v ɑ n]
* waag:
[w ɑ ɡ]
* baca:
[b ə kʰ ɑ]
Occurrences:
5,483
Examples:
* maar:
[m ɑː]
* douar:
[d ʉː ɑː]
* varna:
[v ɑː n ə]
* nazir:
[n ɑː z ɪ ə]
Occurrences:
10,048
Examples:
* oka:
[ɒ k ə]
* onto:
[ɒ n tʰ ʉː]
* boron:
[b ɒː ɹ ɒ n]
* coxa:
[kʰ ɒ k s ə]
Occurrences:
4,935
Examples:
* warns:
[w ɒː n z]
* malt:
[m ɒː ɫ t]
* mhorr:
[m ɒː]
* vworp:
[vʷ ɒː p]

Diphthongs#

  • aj

  • aw

  • ej

  • ɔj

  • əw

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