| This is the pronunciation key for IPA transcriptions of Maltese on Wikipedia.It provides a set of symbols to represent the pronunciation of Maltese in Wikipedia articles, and example words that illustrate the sounds that correspond to them. Integrity must be maintained between the key and the transcriptions that link here; do not change any symbol or value without establishing consensus on the talk page first. | |
Wikipedia key to pronunciation of Maltese
The charts below show the way in which the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) represents Maltese language pronunciations in Wikipedia articles. For a guide to adding IPA characters to Wikipedia articles, see Template:IPA and Wikipedia:Manual of Style/Pronunciation § Entering IPA characters.
See Maltese phonology for a more thorough look at the sounds of Maltese.
Consonants
IPA |
Example |
English approximation
|
b |
ballun |
boy
|
d |
dar |
duck
|
d͡z |
gazzetta |
pads
|
d͡ʒ |
ġelat |
jail
|
ʒ |
televixin |
vision
|
f |
fwieħa |
four
|
ɡ |
gallettina |
game
|
ħ |
ħadem |
hat or Arabic ḥarām حَرَامْ[1]
|
j |
jum |
yes
|
k |
kelb |
scar
|
l |
libsa |
look
|
m |
mara |
mole
|
n |
nadif |
no
|
p |
paġna |
spat
|
r |
re |
real or American atom[2]
|
s |
saqaf |
sow
|
ʃ |
xadina |
shell
|
t |
tieqa |
stake
|
t͡s |
zokk |
sits
|
t͡ʃ |
ċavetta |
chew
|
v |
vazun |
vet
|
w |
warda |
wall
|
z |
żaqq |
zoo
|
ʔ |
Luqa |
Cockney button
|
|
Vowels
IPA |
Example |
English approximation
|
ɐ |
fatt |
RP cut
|
ɐː |
rani |
somewhat like RP father
|
ɛ |
belt |
met
|
ɛː |
dehra |
fairy
|
iː |
id |
beet
|
ɪ |
wisa' |
bit
|
ɪː |
wied |
bit but longer
|
ɔː |
sod |
lawn
|
ɔ |
moħħ |
off
|
uː |
mur |
pool
|
ʊ |
kuntratt |
look
|
Diphthongs
|
ɐɪ̯ |
għid |
right
|
ɐːɪ̯ |
għajn |
ride
|
ɛɪ̯ |
bejn |
rain
|
ɐʊ̯ |
għawm |
Scottish cow
|
ɐːʊ̯ |
Għawdex |
Scottish cow but longer
|
ɛʊ̯ |
jew |
somewhat like go (some dialects[3]); Italian and Spanish Europa
|
ɔʊ̯ |
għum |
hole
|
ɔɪ̯ |
supereroj |
boy
|
|
- ^ Varies between [ħ~χ~h] depending on the speaker.
- ^ The realization of the phoneme /r/ varies; some speakers pronounce it as an approximant [ɻ] virtually identical to that used for real in the western United States, while others pronounce it as a tap [ɾ], similar to the pronunciation of ⟨t⟩ and ⟨d⟩ between vowels in American and Australian English. When geminated, it may be pronounced as a lengthened approximant [ɻː], a tap [ɾ], or a trill [r].
- ^ These dialects include Southern England (including Received Pronunciation), English Midlands, Australian, New Zealand, the Southern American, Midland American, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Western Pennsylvania and younger Californian English. Other dialects of English, such as most other forms of American, Northern England, Welsh, Scottish and Irish English, have no close equivalent vowel.