English (US) MFA dictionary v3.1.0#

  • Maintainer: Montreal Forced Aligner

  • Language: English

  • Dialect: General American English

  • Phone set: MFA

  • Number of words: 61,057

  • Phones: aj aw 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: v3.1.0

  • Citation:

@techreport{mfa_english_us_mfa_dictionary_2024,
	author={McAuliffe, Michael and Sonderegger, Morgan},
	title={English (US) MFA dictionary v3.1.0},
	address={\url{https://mfa-models.readthedocs.io/pronunciation dictionary/English/English (US) 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_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_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:
13,284
Examples:
* mates:
[m ej t s]
* brims:
[b ɹ ɪ m z]
* mice:
[m aj s]
* worm:
[w ɝ m]
Occurrences:
2,355
Examples:
* mused:
[mʲ ʉː z d]
* roomy:
[ɹ ʉː mʲ i]
* mini:
[mʲ ɪ ɲ i]
* myth:
[mʲ ɪ θ]
Occurrences:
22
Examples:
* 'em:
[m̩]
* them:
[m̩]
* from:
[f ɹ m̩]
* some:
[s m̩]
Occurrences:
1
Examples:
Occurrences:
26,910
Examples:
* kiln:
[cʰ ɪ ɫ n]
* shin:
[ʃ ɪ n]
* wrens:
[ɹ ɛ n z]
* mansi:
[m ɑː n s i]
Occurrences:
170
Examples:
* then:
[d̪ n̩]
* went:
[w n̩]
* isn't:
[ɪ z n̩ t]
* taken:
[tʰ ej k n̩]
Occurrences:
5,242
Examples:
* sonya:
[s ow ɲ ə]
* nimoy:
[ɲ iː m ɔj]
* menus:
[m ɛ ɲ ʉ z]
* nab:
[ɲ æ b]
Occurrences:
6,200
Examples:
* tring:
[tʲ ɹ ɪ ŋ]
* eng:
[ɛ ŋ]
* sang:
[s æ ŋ]
* anger:
[æ ŋ ɡ ɚ]

Stop Plain
Occurrences:
6,858
Examples:
* crip:
[c ɹ ɪ p]
* plump:
[p l ɐ m p]
* apsis:
[æ p s ɪ s]
* proby:
[p ɹ ow bʲ i]
Occurrences:
1,255
Examples:
* vapid:
[v ej pʲ ɪ d]
* jumpy:
[dʒ ɐ m pʲ i]
* lipid:
[ʎ ɪ pʲ ɪ d]
* aping:
[ej pʲ ɪ ŋ]
Occurrences:
8
Examples:
* puy:
[pʷ iː]
Occurrences:
8,119
Examples:
* buys:
[b aj z]
* oboe:
[ow b ow]
* box:
[b ɑ k s]
* bloke:
[b l ow k]
Occurrences:
1,831
Examples:
* digby:
[dʲ ɪ ɟ bʲ i]
* kirby:
[kʰ ɝ bʲ i]
* cosby:
[kʰ ow z bʲ i]
* belay:
[bʲ iː l ej]
Occurrences:
90
Examples:
* death:
[d ɛ t̪]
* thick:
[t̪ ɪ k]
* bath:
[b æ t̪]
* thing:
[t̪ ɪ n]
Occurrences:
52
Examples:
* there:
[d̪ ɛ ɹ]
* the:
[d̪ iː]
* them:
[d̪ ɛ m]
* with:
[w ɪ d̪]
Occurrences:
17,839
Examples:
* gut:
[ɡ ɐ t]
* admit:
[ə d mʲ ɪ t]
* shaft:
[ʃ æ f t]
* that:
[æ t]
Occurrences:
7,179
Examples:
* still:
[s tʲ ɪ ɫ]
* teach:
[tʲ iː tʃ]
* patty:
[pʰ æ tʲ i]
* gated:
[ɟ ej tʲ ɪ d]
Occurrences:
108
Examples:
* tweed:
[tʷ iː d]
* twirl:
[tʷ ɝ ɫ]
* fatwa:
[f ɑ tʷ ɑ]
* twist:
[tʷ ɪ s t]
Occurrences:
14,110
Examples:
* dagon:
[d ej ɡ ɑ n]
* drama:
[d ɹ ɑ m ə]
* embed:
[ɛ m b ɛ d]
* winds:
[w ɪ n d z]
Occurrences:
4,360
Examples:
* dukes:
[dʲ ʉː k s]
* dish:
[dʲ ɪ ʃ]
* mundy:
[m ɐ n dʲ i]
* ferdy:
[f ɝ dʲ i]
Occurrences:
3,266
Examples:
* shaky:
[ʃ ej c i]
* skin:
[s c ɪ n]
* corky:
[kʰ ɒ ɹ c i]
* cribs:
[c ɹ ɪ b z]
Occurrences:
348
Examples:
* quin:
[cʷ ɪ n]
* kweli:
[cʷ ɛ ʎ i]
* quick:
[cʷ ɪ k]
* equip:
[ɪ cʷ ɪ p]
Occurrences:
1,982
Examples:
* mcgee:
[m ə ɟ iː]
* givin:
[ɟ ɪ vʲ ɪ n]
* soggy:
[s ɑ ɟ i]
* bogie:
[b ow ɟ i]
Occurrences:
55
Examples:
* gwent:
[ɟʷ ɛ n t]
* gwen:
[ɟʷ ɛ n]
* guido:
[ɟʷ i d ow]
* gwilt:
[ɟʷ ɪ ɫ t]
Occurrences:
9,757
Examples:
* exo:
[ɛ k s ow]
* shuck:
[ʃ ɐ k]
* mink:
[mʲ ɪ ŋ k]
* sark:
[s ɑː k]
Occurrences:
418
Examples:
* equal:
[iː kʷ ɫ̩]
* quart:
[kʷ ɒ ɹ t]
* kwame:
[kʷ ɑ m ej]
* quay:
[kʷ ej]
Occurrences:
3,806
Examples:
* imago:
[ɪ m ɑ ɡ ow]
* brieg:
[b ɹ iː ɡ]
* rig:
[ɹ ɪ ɡ]
* borg:
[b ɒ ɹ ɡ]
Occurrences:
48
Examples:
* guan:
[ɡʷ ɑ n]
* guam:
[ɡʷ ɑ m]
* segue:
[s ɛ ɡʷ ej]
* guano:
[ɡʷ ɑː n ow]
Occurrences:
74
Examples:
* mmhm:
[m̩ ʔ m̩]
* error:
[ɝ ʔ ɚ]
* putin:
[pʲ ʉː ʔ ə n]
* 're:
[ʔ ɚ]

Aspirated
Occurrences:
4,358
Examples:
* pampa:
[pʰ æ m p ə]
* parti:
[pʰ ɑ ɹ tʲ i]
* piss:
[pʰ ɪ s]
* poem:
[pʰ ow m̩]
Occurrences:
3,777
Examples:
* tuple:
[tʰ ɐ p ə ɫ]
* toxin:
[tʰ ɑ k s ɪ n]
* taped:
[tʰ ej p t]
* told:
[tʰ ow ɫ d]
Occurrences:
2,294
Examples:
* cute:
[cʰ ʉː t]
* kept:
[cʰ ɛ p t]
* cali:
[cʰ æ ʎ i]
* qaeda:
[cʰ ej d ə]
Occurrences:
4,327
Examples:
* cone:
[kʰ ow n]
* baku:
[b ɑː kʰ ʉː]
* calm:
[kʰ ɒː m]
* corso:
[kʰ ɒ ɹ s ow]

Affricate
Occurrences:
2,544
Examples:
* chip:
[tʃ ɪ p]
* roach:
[ɹ ow tʃ]
* dench:
[d ɛ n tʃ]
* gooch:
[ɡ ʉː tʃ]
Occurrences:
3,607
Examples:
* jules:
[dʒ ʉː ɫ z]
* jakie:
[dʒ ej c i]
* lunge:
[l ɐ n dʒ]
* jonny:
[dʒ ɑ ɲ i]

Sibilant
Occurrences:
27,855
Examples:
* macs:
[m æ k s]
* sook:
[s ʊ k]
* leeks:
[ʎ iː k s]
* slot:
[s l ɑː t]
Occurrences:
12,973
Examples:
* izzie:
[ɪ z i]
* ruins:
[ɹ ʉ ɪ n z]
* noisy:
[n ɔj z i]
* mrs:
[mʲ ɪ s ɪ z]
Occurrences:
5,340
Examples:
* shea:
[ʃ i ə]
* shute:
[ʃ ʉː t]
* shape:
[ʃ ej p]
* shard:
[ʃ ɑ ɹ d]
Occurrences:
400
Examples:
* asian:
[ej ʒ ə n]
* usual:
[j ʉː ʒ ʊ ə ɫ]
* niger:
[ɲ iː ʒ ɛ ɹ]
* zhang:
[ʒ æ ŋ]

Fricative
Occurrences:
5,952
Examples:
* frown:
[f ɹ aw n]
* fogs:
[f ɒ ɡ z]
* flows:
[f l ow z]
* farce:
[f ɑ ɹ s]
Occurrences:
1,596
Examples:
* fifty:
[fʲ ɪ fʲ i]
* sofia:
[s ow fʲ i ə]
* feral:
[fʲ ɪ ɹ ə ɫ]
* fiske:
[fʲ ɪ s k]
Occurrences:
4,435
Examples:
* vonda:
[v ɑ n d ə]
* ovum:
[ow v ə m]
* avon:
[ej v ɑ n]
* gov:
[ɡ ɐ v]
Occurrences:
1,344
Examples:
* jovi:
[dʒ ow vʲ i]
* viva:
[vʲ iː v ə]
* livin:
[ʎ ɪ vʲ ɪ n]
* bevy:
[b ɛ vʲ i]
Occurrences:
1,731
Examples:
* swath:
[s w ɑ θ]
* sloth:
[s l ɒ θ]
* third:
[θ ɝ d]
* thump:
[θ ɐ m p]
Occurrences:
511
Examples:
* thou:
[ð ow]
* their:
[ð ɛ ɹ]
* lathe:
[l ej ð]
* oaths:
[ow ð z]
Occurrences:
732
Examples:
* haiti:
[ç ej tʲ i]
* hayat:
[ç ej ɑ t]
* hijab:
[ç ɪ dʒ ɑː b]
* hugh:
[ç ʉː]
Occurrences:
2,888
Examples:
* habit:
[h æ bʲ ɪ t]
* hawks:
[h ɒː k s]
* haiku:
[h aj kʰ ʉ]
* haunt:
[h ɑː n t]

Approximant
Occurrences:
3,541
Examples:
* whirr:
[w ɝ]
* wall:
[w ɒ ɫ]
* winds:
[w ɪ n d z]
* will:
[w ɪ ɫ]
Occurrences:
27,142
Examples:
* tree:
[tʲ ɹ iː]
* bric:
[b ɹ ɪ k]
* cargo:
[kʰ ɑ ɹ ɡ ow]
* crust:
[k ɹ ɐ s t]
Occurrences:
750
Examples:
* yorke:
[j ɒ ɹ k]
* y'all:
[j ɑ ɫ]
* yoo:
[j ʉː]
* unary:
[j ʉː n ə ɹ i]

Tap
Occurrences:
178
Examples:
* dad:
[d æ ɾ]
* mad:
[m æ ɾ]
* bid:
[bʲ ɪ ɾ]
* speed:
[s pʲ iː ɾ]
Occurrences:
132
Examples:
* party:
[pʰ ɑ ɹ ɾʲ i]
* ready:
[ɹ ɛ ɾʲ i]
* lady:
[l ej ɾʲ i]
* patty:
[pʰ æ ɾʲ i]
Occurrences:
77
Examples:
* many:
[m ɛ ɾ̃ i]
* tryna:
[tʃ ɹ aj ɾ̃ ə]
* money:
[m ɐ ɾ̃ i]
* funny:
[f ɐ ɾ̃ i]

Lateral
Occurrences:
8,966
Examples:
* clubs:
[k l ɐ b z]
* louse:
[l aw s]
* lordy:
[l ɒ ɹ dʲ i]
* lang:
[l æ ŋ]
Occurrences:
8,548
Examples:
* abdul:
[ɑ b d ʊ ɫ]
* gal:
[ɡ æ ɫ]
* hold:
[h ow ɫ d]
* kill:
[cʰ ɪ ɫ]
Occurrences:
103
Examples:
* usual:
[j ʉː ʒ ʊ ɫ̩]
* awful:
[ɒ f ɫ̩]
* devil:
[d ɛ v ɫ̩]
* april:
[ej p ɹ ɫ̩]
Occurrences:
7,583
Examples:
* lydia:
[ʎ ɪ dʲ i ə]
* flits:
[fʲ ʎ ɪ t s]
* ably:
[ej bʲ ʎ i]
* deli:
[d ɛ 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:
12,090
Examples:
* study:
[s t ɐ ɾʲ i]
* habib:
[h ə bʲ i b]
* lucy:
[ʎ ʉː s i]
* marcy:
[m ɑ ɹ s i]
Occurrences:
4,390
Examples:
* liege:
[ʎ iː ʒ]
* heed:
[ç iː d]
* seat:
[s iː t]
* bea:
[bʲ iː]
Occurrences:
1,573
Examples:
* rheum:
[ɹ ʉ m]
* juno:
[dʒ ʉ n ow]
* capua:
[kʰ æ pʰ ʉ ə]
* matsu:
[m æ t s ʉ]
Occurrences:
3,283
Examples:
* usual:
[j ʉː ʒ ʊ ə ɫ]
* babu:
[b ɑː b ʉː]
* judeo:
[dʒ ʉː dʲ iː ow]
* noose:
[n ʉː s]
Occurrences:
34,543
Examples:
* amit:
[ə mʲ ɪ t]
* whims:
[w ɪ m z]
* irvin:
[ɝ vʲ ɪ n]
* gwilt:
[ɟʷ ɪ ɫ t]
Occurrences:
1,782
Examples:
* foot:
[f ʊ t]
* urine:
[j ʊ ɹ ɪ n]
* hooky:
[h ʊ c i]
* looks:
[l ʊ k s]

Close-Mid
Occurrences:
8,507
Examples:
* pepe:
[pʰ ɛ p ej]
* faint:
[f ej n t]
* raver:
[ɹ ej v ɚ]
* dene:
[d ɛ ɲ ej]
Occurrences:
6,930
Examples:
* hoped:
[h ow p t]
* roach:
[ɹ ow tʃ]
* koyo:
[kʰ ow j ow]
* holy:
[h ow ʎ i]
Occurrences:
33,967
Examples:
* josef:
[dʒ ow s ə f]
* abba:
[æ b ə]
* eaten:
[iː t ə n]
* regan:
[ɹ ej ɡ ə n]
Occurrences:
8,257
Examples:
* liner:
[l aj n ɚ]
* taker:
[tʰ ej k ɚ]
* peter:
[pʰ iː t ɚ]
* honor:
[ɑ ɾ̃ ɚ]

Open-Mid
Occurrences:
14,238
Examples:
* renin:
[ɹ ɛ ɲ ɪ n]
* cents:
[s ɛ n t s]
* craig:
[c ɹ ɛ ɡ]
* met:
[m ɛ]
Occurrences:
2,790
Examples:
* lure:
[l ɝ]
* burt:
[b ɝ t]
* error:
[ɝ ʔ ɚ]
* furze:
[f ɝ z]
Occurrences:
11,327
Examples:
* jammy:
[dʒ æ mʲ i]
* zante:
[z æ n tʲ i]
* cham:
[cʰ æ m]
* nat:
[ɲ æ t]
Occurrences:
5,831
Examples:
* flux:
[f l ɐ k s]
* skulk:
[s k ɐ ɫ k]
* nuts:
[n ɐ t s]
* mundy:
[m ɐ n dʲ i]

Open
Occurrences:
8,299
Examples:
* dom:
[d ɑ m]
* slobs:
[s l ɑ b z]
* tar:
[tʰ ɑ ɹ]
* rko:
[ɑ ɹ cʰ ej ow]
Occurrences:
1,669
Examples:
* dewan:
[d ə w ɑː n]
* swami:
[s w ɑː mʲ i]
* mario:
[m ɑː ɹ i ow]
* pshaw:
[ʃ ɑː]
Occurrences:
4,200
Examples:
* mambo:
[m ɒ m b ow]
* core:
[kʰ ɒ ɹ]
* atoll:
[æ tʰ ɒ ɫ]
* force:
[f ɒ ɹ s]
Occurrences:
1,230
Examples:
* gaunt:
[ɡ ɒː n t]
* glory:
[ɡ l ɒː ɹ i]
* shawn:
[ʃ ɒː n]
* aurum:
[ɒː ɹ ə m]

Diphthongs#

  • aj

  • aw

  • ej

  • ow

  • ɔj

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