IPA Superscript
The IPA uses a variety of diacritics for phonetic detail, which can be added to base symbols in various positions. They can indicate a secondary articulation, an aspiration, or the addition of a sound or letter within a word. A superscript letter can function as a diacritic and pass elements of its pronunciation to the base letter. For example, an aspiration, which is a brief puff of air, can be conveyed with a superscript [h], as in spill [spʰɪl]. Superscript length marks or double the diacritics: ⟨kʰʰ⟩ can also indicate the length of aspiration of a consonant.
Superscripts and Diacritics
Superscript letters can be meaningfully modified by combining diacritics, just as baseline letters can. It is an established practice in the IPA to turn any IPA letter into a superscript to relay its elements to the base consonant. Superscripts as icons show the release or onset of a consonant, the off-glide or on-glide of a vowel, and quick or weak segments. These icons may also indicate the following:
- Pre-nasalization ([ᵐb])
- Pre-stopping ([ᵖm, ᵗs])
- Affrication ([tᶴ])
- Pre-affrication ([ˣk])
- Trilled
- Fricative
- Nasal
- Lateral release ([tʳ, tᶿ, dⁿ, dˡ])
- Rhoticization ([ɑʵ])
- Diphthongs ([aᶷ])
In 2020, the IPA approved the encoding of superscript IPA letters to the Unicode Commission for broader coverage of the IPA alphabet. The International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association requested endorsement of superscript variants of all extIPA fricative letters, especially the fricative release of consonants.
What is Secondary Articulation?
Turning a letter into a superscript after a letter corresponding to a secondary articulation in IPA transcriptions is common. Secondary articulation in phonetics occurs when the pronunciation of a consonant equals the combined articulation of several simpler consonants, including one approximant (a speech sound created by the passage of air between the lips). It doesn’t cover the primary articulation but creates shades of approximant-like articulation. Types of articulation supported by the IPA include:
- Labialization: A sound involving the rounding or contraction of the lips. It is the secondary articulation most frequently encountered.
- Palatalization: Pronunciation involves part of the tongue moving near the hard palate. In the IPA, consonants pronounced this way are transcribed by connecting the letter ⟨ʲ⟩ to the base consonant. When labialization and palatalization are simultaneous, it is Labio-palatalization.
- Velarization: Articulation created by raising the back of the tongue to the velum, as in “dark” L, [lˠ].
- Pharyngealization: Articulation occurs primarily in the throat when the pharynx or epiglottis is constricted. It is commonly found in North Africa and the Middle East.
- Glottalization: Involves the complete or particle closure of the glottis (opening between the vocal folds) during the articulation of another sound. Glottalized consonants and vowels can sound like creaky voices.
It can sometimes be challenging to differentiate primary and secondary articulation.
More to come!