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English (US) MFA dictionary v3.0.0#

  • Maintainer: Montreal Forced Aligner

  • Language: English

  • Dialect: General American English

  • Phone set: MFA

  • Number of words: 80,723

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

  • License: CC BY 4.0

  • Compatible MFA version: v3.0.0

  • Citation:

@techreport{mfa_english_us_mfa_dictionary_2024,
	author={McAuliffe, Michael and Sonderegger, Morgan},
	title={English (US) MFA dictionary v3.0.0},
	address={\url{https://mfa-models.readthedocs.io/pronunciation dictionary/English/English (US) MFA dictionary v3_0_0.html}},
	year={2024},
	month={Feb},
}

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

Installation#

Install from the MFA command line:

mfa model download dictionary english_us_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 (US) MFA dictionary v3_0_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:
17,807
Examples:
* mares:
[m ɛ ɹ z]
* murr:
[m ɝ]
* amps:
[æ m p s]
* morey:
[m ɒ ɹ i]
Occurrences:
3,365
Examples:
* mammy:
[m æ mʲ i]
* sami:
[s ɑː mʲ i]
* mien:
[mʲ iː n]
* cameo:
[cʰ æ mʲ i ow]
Occurrences:
17
Examples:
* mmhm:
[m ʔ m̩]
* from:
[f ɹ m̩]
* him:
[m̩]
Occurrences:
3
Examples:
Occurrences:
35,173
Examples:
* inter:
[ɪ n tʰ ɝ]
* vin:
[vʲ ɪ n]
* snore:
[s n ɒ ɹ]
* pints:
[pʰ aj n t s]
Occurrences:
148
Examples:
* iron:
[aj ɹ n̩]
* want:
[w n̩ t]
* and:
[n̩ d]
* even:
[iː v n̩]
Occurrences:
7,279
Examples:
* units:
[j ʉː ɲ ɪ t s]
* gnu:
[ɲ ʉː]
* neve:
[ɲ iː v]
* beany:
[bʲ iː ɲ i]
Occurrences:
7,625
Examples:
* thong:
[θ ɑ ŋ]
* swink:
[s w ɪ ŋ k]
* wonka:
[w ɐ ŋ k ə]
* clink:
[c ʎ ɪ ŋ k]

Stop Plain
Occurrences:
8,937
Examples:
* prong:
[p ɹ ɑ ŋ]
* cop:
[kʰ ɑ p]
* cropt:
[k ɹ ɑ p t]
* romp:
[ɹ ɑ m p]
Occurrences:
1,796
Examples:
* puree:
[pʲ ʊ ɹ ej]
* tepid:
[tʰ ɛ pʲ ɪ d]
* mappy:
[m æ pʲ i]
* hopi:
[h ow pʲ i]
Occurrences:
12
Examples:
* puy:
[pʷ iː]
Occurrences:
11,568
Examples:
* abba:
[æ b ə]
* bram:
[b ɹ æ m]
* lube:
[ʎ ʉː b]
* breve:
[b ɹ ɛ v]
Occurrences:
2,604
Examples:
* canby:
[cʰ æ n bʲ i]
* colby:
[kʰ ow ɫ bʲ i]
* rebbe:
[ɹ ɛ bʲ i]
* niobe:
[n aj ow bʲ i]
Occurrences:
88
Examples:
* throw:
[t̪ ɹ ow]
* think:
[t̪ ɪ ŋ k]
* mouth:
[m aw t̪]
* north:
[n ɒ ɹ t̪]
Occurrences:
51
Examples:
* those:
[d̪ ow z]
* their:
[d̪ ɚ]
* these:
[d̪ iː z]
* there:
[d̪ ɚ]
Occurrences:
23,428
Examples:
* tilt:
[tʲ ɪ ɫ t]
* mart:
[m ɑ ɹ t]
* celt:
[cʰ ɛ ɫ t]
* pasta:
[pʰ ɑ s t ə]
Occurrences:
9,364
Examples:
* until:
[ɐ n tʲ ɪ ɫ]
* footy:
[f ʊ tʲ i]
* ott:
[ow tʲ iː tʲ iː]
* stint:
[s tʲ ɪ n t]
Occurrences:
150
Examples:
* twist:
[tʷ ɪ s t]
* twere:
[tʷ ɛ ɹ]
* twit:
[tʷ ɪ t]
* tweak:
[tʷ iː k]
Occurrences:
17,704
Examples:
* weed:
[w iː d]
* wilde:
[w aj ɫ d]
* feeds:
[fʲ iː d z]
* honed:
[h ow n d]
Occurrences:
5,692
Examples:
* oddie:
[ɑ dʲ i]
* dylan:
[dʲ ɪ l ə n]
* dips:
[dʲ ɪ p s]
* heady:
[h ɛ dʲ i]
Occurrences:
4,510
Examples:
* crane:
[c ɹ ej n]
* pinky:
[pʰ ɪ ɲ c i]
* cribs:
[c ɹ ɪ b z]
* tukey:
[tʰ ʉː c i]
Occurrences:
511
Examples:
* quin:
[cʷ ɪ n]
* query:
[cʷ ɪ ɹ i]
* squib:
[s cʷ ɪ b]
* quit:
[cʷ ɪ]
Occurrences:
2,760
Examples:
* glean:
[ɟ ʎ iː n]
* geek:
[ɟ iː k]
* gules:
[ɟ ʉ ɫ z]
* grier:
[ɟ ɹ ɪ ɹ]
Occurrences:
91
Examples:
* guido:
[ɟʷ i d ow]
* gwen:
[ɟʷ ɛ n]
* gwilt:
[ɟʷ ɪ ɫ t]
* gwent:
[ɟʷ ɛ n t]
Occurrences:
13,789
Examples:
* linc:
[ʎ ɪ ŋ k]
* panic:
[pʰ æ ɲ ɪ k]
* lucha:
[ʎ ʉː k ə]
* flick:
[fʲ ʎ ɪ k]
Occurrences:
549
Examples:
* quays:
[kʷ ej z]
* quake:
[kʷ ej k]
* quaff:
[kʷ ɒ f]
* quite:
[kʷ aj]
Occurrences:
5,327
Examples:
* mingo:
[mʲ ɪ ŋ ɡ ow]
* goth:
[ɡ ɑ θ]
* begum:
[b ə ɡ ɐ m]
* sig:
[s ɪ ɡ]
Occurrences:
71
Examples:
* guam:
[ɡʷ ɑ m]
* guava:
[ɡʷ ɑ v ə]
* guan:
[ɡʷ ɑ n]
* guano:
[ɡʷ ɑː n ow]
Occurrences:
124
Examples:
* that:
[d̪ æ ʔ]
* shut:
[ʃ ɐ ʔ]
* got:
[ɡ ɑ ʔ]
* bit:
[bʲ ɪ ʔ]

Aspirated
Occurrences:
6,016
Examples:
* pump:
[pʰ ɐ m p]
* pcp:
[pʰ iː s iː pʰ iː]
* pale:
[pʰ ej ɫ]
* pave:
[pʰ ej v]
Occurrences:
5,458
Examples:
* tartu:
[tʰ ɑ ɹ tʰ ʉ]
* taupo:
[tʰ aw p ow]
* talk:
[tʰ ɒ k]
* telex:
[tʰ ɛ l ɛ k s]
Occurrences:
3,335
Examples:
* cache:
[cʰ æ ʃ ej]
* quay:
[cʰ iː]
* kiev:
[cʰ iː ɛ f]
* kit:
[cʰ ɪ t]
Occurrences:
5,529
Examples:
* kong:
[kʰ ɑ ŋ]
* codec:
[kʰ ow d ɛ k]
* cocks:
[kʰ ɑ k s]
* cornu:
[kʰ ɒ ɹ ɲ ʉ]

Affricate
Occurrences:
3,430
Examples:
* lynch:
[ʎ ɪ n tʃ]
* situ:
[s iː tʃ ʉ]
* chaus:
[tʃ aw s]
* true:
[tʃ ʉ]
Occurrences:
5,021
Examples:
* jex:
[dʒ ɛ k s]
* jammu:
[dʒ æ m ʉ]
* jimi:
[dʒ ɪ mʲ i]
* ginny:
[dʒ ɪ ɲ i]

Sibilant
Occurrences:
37,358
Examples:
* orse:
[ɒ ɹ s]
* sith:
[s iː θ]
* oops:
[ʉː p s]
* quits:
[cʷ ɪ t s]
Occurrences:
16,239
Examples:
* diggs:
[dʲ ɪ ɡ z]
* bobs:
[b ɑ b z]
* they:
[z ej]
* wins:
[w ɪ n z]
Occurrences:
7,000
Examples:
* shame:
[ʃ ej m]
* shot:
[ʃ ɑ ʔ]
* sherd:
[ʃ ɝ d]
* shout:
[ʃ aw t]
Occurrences:
565
Examples:
* mysia:
[mʲ ɪ ʒ ə]
* loge:
[l ow ʒ]
* usual:
[j ʉː ʒ ʊ ɫ̩]
* zhao:
[ʒ aw]

Fricative
Occurrences:
8,365
Examples:
* poof:
[pʰ ʉː f]
* cufa:
[kʰ ɐ f ə]
* quaff:
[kʷ ɒ f]
* fand:
[f æ n d]
Occurrences:
2,216
Examples:
* fits:
[fʲ ɪ t s]
* feces:
[fʲ iː s iː z]
* feeds:
[fʲ iː d z]
* fused:
[fʲ ʉː z d]
Occurrences:
5,741
Examples:
* viler:
[v aj l ɚ]
* mover:
[m ʉː v ɚ]
* dive:
[d aj v]
* kiev:
[cʰ iː ɛ v]
Occurrences:
1,756
Examples:
* vida:
[vʲ ɪ d ə]
* levin:
[l ɛ vʲ ɪ n]
* covey:
[kʰ ɐ vʲ i]
* vis:
[vʲ ɪ s]
Occurrences:
2,565
Examples:
* leath:
[ʎ i θ]
* ith:
[ɪ θ]
* troth:
[t ɹ ow θ]
* faith:
[f ej θ]
Occurrences:
646
Examples:
* lathe:
[l ej ð]
* then:
[ð ɪ n]
* hythe:
[h aj ð]
* their:
[ð ɛ ɹ]
Occurrences:
988
Examples:
* heels:
[ç iː ɫ z]
* hayat:
[ç ej ɑ t]
* higgs:
[ç ɪ ɡ z]
* helix:
[ç iː ʎ ɪ k s]
Occurrences:
3,790
Examples:
* hurts:
[h ɝ t s]
* hyoid:
[h aj ɔj d]
* horde:
[h ɒ ɹ d]
* hacks:
[h æ k s]

Approximant
Occurrences:
4,539
Examples:
* swap:
[s w ɑː p]
* swart:
[s w ɒ ɹ t]
* wets:
[w ɛ t s]
* widdy:
[w ɪ dʲ i]
Occurrences:
35,999
Examples:
* graff:
[ɟ ɹ æ f]
* rise:
[ɹ aj z]
* track:
[t ɹ æ k]
* deere:
[dʲ ɪ ɹ]
Occurrences:
1,172
Examples:
* years:
[j ɪ ɹ z]
* uriah:
[j ʊ ɹ aj ə]
* ufos:
[j ʉː ɛ f ow z]
* yeh:
[j ɛ]

Tap
Occurrences:
170
Examples:
* hide:
[h aj ɾ]
* older:
[ow ɫ ɾ ɚ]
* motor:
[m ow ɾ ɚ]
* kid:
[cʰ ɪ ɾ]
Occurrences:
119
Examples:
* party:
[pʰ ɑ ɹ ɾʲ i]
* dated:
[d ej ɾʲ ɪ d]
* study:
[s t ɐ ɾʲ i]
* added:
[æ ɾʲ ɪ d]
Occurrences:
76
Examples:
* wanna:
[w ə ɾ̃ ə]
* eenie:
[iː ɾ̃ i]
* gonna:
[ɡ ə ɾ̃ ə]
* ended:
[ɛ ɾ̃ ɪ ɾ]

Lateral
Occurrences:
12,457
Examples:
* flag:
[f l æ ɡ]
* pluck:
[p l ɐ k]
* valet:
[v æ l ej]
* latte:
[l æ tʰ ej]
Occurrences:
11,333
Examples:
* hells:
[h ɛ ɫ z]
* bulks:
[b ɐ ɫ k s]
* ultra:
[ɐ ɫ t ɹ ə]
* deal:
[dʲ ɪ ɫ]
Occurrences:
104
Examples:
* awful:
[ɒ f ɫ̩]
* total:
[tʰ ow ɾ ɫ̩]
* it'll:
[ɪ ɾ ɫ̩]
* til:
[t ɫ̩]
Occurrences:
9,986
Examples:
* lyric:
[ʎ ɪ ɹ ɪ k]
* licks:
[ʎ ɪ k s]
* lydia:
[ʎ ɪ dʲ i ə]
* lippy:
[ʎ ɪ pʲ 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:
16,954
Examples:
* italy:
[ɪ t ə ʎ i]
* brazy:
[b ɹ ej z i]
* miny:
[mʲ ɪ ɲ i]
* guido:
[ɟʷ i d ow]
Occurrences:
6,488
Examples:
* devon:
[dʲ iː v ə n]
* healy:
[ç iː ʎ i]
* vns:
[vʲ iː ɛ n ɛ s]
* aweel:
[ə w iː ɫ]
Occurrences:
2,305
Examples:
* situ:
[s iː tʃ ʉ]
* sudan:
[s ʉ d ɑ n]
* zumba:
[z ʉ m b ə]
* judo:
[dʒ ʉ d ow]
Occurrences:
4,765
Examples:
* knew:
[ɲ ʉː]
* clew:
[c ʎ ʉː]
* numen:
[n ʉː m ə n]
* rules:
[ɹ ʉː ɫ z]
Occurrences:
45,698
Examples:
* gases:
[ɡ æ s ɪ z]
* rim:
[ɹ ɪ m]
* kiddo:
[cʰ ɪ d ow]
* print:
[p ɹ ɪ n t]
Occurrences:
2,577
Examples:
* woof:
[w ʊ f]
* yuri:
[j ʊ ɹ i]
* muran:
[m ʊ ɹ ə n]
* puri:
[pʲ ʊ ɹ i]

Close-Mid
Occurrences:
11,519
Examples:
* chaus:
[cʰ ej ɐ s]
* melee:
[m ə l ej]
* basel:
[b ej s ə ɫ]
* beta:
[b ej t ə]
Occurrences:
10,348
Examples:
* brose:
[b ɹ ow z]
* sew:
[s ow]
* tarot:
[tʰ ɛ ɹ ow]
* barco:
[b ɑ ɹ k ow]
Occurrences:
47,987
Examples:
* mesas:
[m ej s ə s]
* alum:
[æ l ə m]
* tonia:
[tʰ ow ɲ i ə]
* bevan:
[b ɛ v ə n]
Occurrences:
10,110
Examples:
* hamer:
[h ej m ɚ]
* femur:
[fʲ iː m ɚ]
* meter:
[mʲ iː ɾ ɚ]
* bhaer:
[b ej ɚ]

Open-Mid
Occurrences:
19,196
Examples:
* hen:
[h ɛ n]
* hex:
[h ɛ k s]
* any:
[ɛ ɲ i]
* nzt:
[ɛ n z iː tʲ iː]
Occurrences:
3,570
Examples:
* herm:
[h ɝ m]
* verve:
[v ɝ ɹ v]
* third:
[t̪ ɝ d]
* dern:
[d ɝ n]
Occurrences:
16,270
Examples:
* waxed:
[w æ k s t]
* hasan:
[h ə s æ n]
* hanse:
[h æ n z ə]
* fact:
[f æ k t]
Occurrences:
7,606
Examples:
* cuff:
[kʰ ɐ f]
* qatar:
[kʰ ɐ t ɚ]
* plug:
[p l ɐ ɡ]
* gub:
[ɡ ɐ b]

Open
Occurrences:
0
Examples:
Occurrences:
22
Examples:
* like:
[l aː k]
* rise:
[ɹ aː s]
* types:
[tʰ aː p s]
* might:
[m aː t]
Occurrences:
10,888
Examples:
* tall:
[tʰ ɑ ɫ]
* saucy:
[s ɑ s i]
* longo:
[l ɑ ŋ ɡ ow]
* kart:
[kʰ ɑ ɹ t]
Occurrences:
2,496
Examples:
* lager:
[l ɑː ɡ ɚ]
* olaf:
[ow l ɑː f]
* capri:
[kʰ ɑː p ɹ i]
* baden:
[b ɑː d ə n]
Occurrences:
5,421
Examples:
* porky:
[pʰ ɒ ɹ c i]
* laura:
[l ɒ ɹ ə]
* dorky:
[d ɒ ɹ c i]
* lory:
[l ɒ ɹ i]
Occurrences:
1,603
Examples:
* audi:
[ɒː dʲ i]
* hogg:
[h ɒː ɡ]
* auld:
[ɒː ɫ d]
* rall:
[ɹ ɒː ɫ]

Diphthongs#

  • aj

  • aw

  • ej

  • ow

  • ɔj

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