Articulate vs Phoneme

Articulate is the most comprehensive way to learn the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and the Americanist Phonetic Alphabet (APA) on your phone. Whether you're a linguistics student, speech-language pathologist, language learner, actor, or accent coach, Articulate takes you from zero to fluent IPA reader through structured lessons, hands-on practice, and interactive reference tools. STRUCTURED LEARNING PATH 16 expertly crafted lessons across two phases guide you from the basics to advanced phonetic analysis: Phase 1 — Fundamentals: Learn the vocal tract, place and manner of articulation, voicing, the vowel space, how to read IPA transcriptions, and the differences between IPA and APA notation. Phase 2 — Phonemic vs. Phonetic: Master phonemes and allophones, minimal pairs, diacritics, broad vs. narrow transcription, and English dialect analysis. INTERACTIVE IPA CHARTS Tap any of the 92 phonemes on beautifully designed consonant and vowel charts to hear native speaker pronunciations, see articulatory descriptions, and explore example words across multiple languages. 9 PRACTICE MODES Build real skills with varied exercises: Flash Cards — Review symbols with configurable difficulty Listen & Identify — Hear a sound, pick the symbol Symbol Identification — See a symbol, name it Minimal Pairs — Train your ear on confusable sounds Speak & Check — Say a phoneme and get AI pronunciation coaching Free-Form Transcription — Type IPA with a built-in on-screen keyboard Articulation Quiz — Match descriptions to symbols Word Transcription — Transcribe English words Mixed Challenge — Random mix of all exercise types GAMES & CHALLENGES Symbol Match — Memory card game across three difficulty levels Speed Round — Answer questions against the clock with combo multipliers up to 5x REFERENCE TOOLS Common English Phonemes quick reference IPA to APA conversion table for switching between notation systems Dual notation support — view IPA, APA, or both side-by-side throughout the app NATIVE SPEAKER AUDIO Every phoneme includes high-quality audio recordings. Example words feature pronunciation from speakers of English, Spanish, French, German, Arabic, Mandarin, Japanese, Hindi, and more. TRACK YOUR PROGRESS See your phonemes explored, audio plays, favorites, and recently viewed sounds. Optional account creation syncs your progress across devices. CUSTOMIZABLE EXPERIENCE Choose your notation system (IPA, APA, or both) Auto-play audio on card load Show or hide difficulty indicators DESIGNED FOR Linguistics students and professors Speech-language pathologists Language learners and polyglots Actors and accent coaches Anyone curious about how human speech works All lessons, audio, and practice modes are included — no downloads or subscriptions required. An internet connection is needed only for Speak & Check pronunciation feedback and optional account sync. What's New: Initial release! 16 structured lessons, 92 interactive phonemes with native speaker audio, 9 practice modes, games, IPA charts, and pronunciation coaching.

Phoneme is a fast, legible IPA reference and pronunciation trainer built for EFL and ESL teachers — and anyone who wants to understand English sounds. REFERENCE — ALWAYS FREE • Complete chart of 38 English phonemes (24 consonants, 14 vowels and diphthongs) • Tap any IPA symbol to hear it spoken and read the articulation cue • Keyword examples for every sound (e.g. ə → "schwa", ʃ → "shoe") • Designed around the International Phonetic Alphabet standard • Works offline — no account, no internet required The free Reference tab is always accessible. No paywall, no timer, no nudge. TRAIN — ONE-TIME UNLOCK ($4.99) Unlock permanent access to all drill modes: • Minimal-pair drills — contrast similar sounds side by side (ship vs. sheep, bit vs. beat). The classic exercise for ear training. • Hear-and-choose — listen to a phoneme and tap the correct IPA symbol. Builds auditory discrimination. • Identify-the-symbol — see the IPA glyph and match it to the spoken keyword. Reinforces symbol literacy. • Printable IPA charts and minimal-pair contrast handouts for classroom use — export as PDF for your students. • Session progress tracking — streaks and accuracy history so you can see which sounds need more work. One payment. No subscription. Yours permanently. BUILT FOR EFL CLASSROOMS Phoneme was designed with CELTA and DELTA teachers in mind. Every screen is optimised for quick reference during a lesson — pull up the chart, tap a sound, hand the phone to a student. The IPA chart layout follows standard teaching conventions. The drill modes cover the exercises that appear most frequently in phonemic awareness curricula: minimal pairs for contrastive analysis, listening discrimination, and symbol recognition. If you teach pronunciation, these are the exercises your students need. DESIGN Phoneme uses a retro Mac OS 8 window aesthetic — beveled chrome, sandy beige background, crisp IPA glyphs in Accent Orange on a white content area. It looks different because it is different: a reference tool that takes its visual identity seriously. PRIVACY No account required. The IPA Reference works entirely offline. Optional sign-in (magic link or Google) is available to sync your Train Unlock across devices. We use anonymous product analytics to improve the app — we do not sell your data, we do not track you across other apps, and we do not show ads. See our privacy policy at phoneme.app/privacy.