[Wikipedia-l] policy suggestion: SAMPA

[Ray Saintonge]

Jaap van Ganswijk wrote:

>At 2002-08-05 17:03 +0100, tarquin wrote:
>
>>Paper encyclopedias expect their readers to learn the order of the letters of the alphabet. Learning SAMPA is relatively simple. While the table on [[SAMPA]] is increasingly complex, there is a shorter version on a sub-page which a link like [[pronounced]] should direct readers to.
>>It's a small effort to learn, for a large gain afterwards.
>>
>
>Unlike what is possible in a paper encyclopedium,
>why not add a small wav file of someone
>pronouncing the word correctly?
>
This is a much better idea than most attempts at divining pronunciation 
into a strange set of symbols including highly accepted sets such as 
IPA.  The .wav file would, of course, be by a native speaker of the 
language.  It could also be a vehicle for understanding the precise 
manner in which Americans don't speak English.

There would still be room for making written explanations about words 
that are not pronounced in an intuitive manner, such as "mnemosyne" and 
"more" when used to refer to a custom.

Eclecticology