[Wikipedia-l] policy suggestion: SAMPA

[Karen AKA Kajikit]

Ray Saintonge wrote:
> 
> Jaap van Ganswijk wrote:

> >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.

Ah, but WHICH prononciation of an English language word? American?
English? Australian? Canadian? The correct official dictionary version
often varies by country, and what people actually say is even more
widely different.

Actually, this would be a good addition to the page on international
language differences... instead of just seeing that the Yanks say
a-LOOM-in-um and the rest of the world prefers al-u-MIN-e-um you could
hear it and it might make more sense...

-- 

Karen AKA Kajikit

And on the seventh day, God said 'What my world needs is a creature that
will truly appreciate it in all its facets' - 
and so He made the kitten.

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