WikSpeak


Using WikSpeak


New Features:

Phoneme Pop-ups

Now there's an easy way to listen to every phoneme composing an English word! By positioning the pointer on any IPA symbol within the phonetic transcription and holding down the left mouse button, the selected IPA symbol is shown in a small pop-up and the corresponding phoneme is played. The pop-up is closed when the button is released.
See screenshot.

Built-in Phonetic Transcriptions

Previous WikSpeak versions required an Internet connection to access all features, but beginning with WikSpeak 1.0, the program only requires an Internet connection to retrieve pronunciations (when the "Sound" checkbox is enabled).  Phonetic transcriptions are now built into the program and they can be displayed at any time, even if the program is offline.

 
WikSpeak Modes

Wikspeak works in two modes: Manual and Automatic. Manual is the default mode.

Manual Mode:

Type an english word in the text box and click the "Enter" button. The phonetic transcription will be shown in the field below. WikSpeak will only show phonetic transcriptions when the "Sound" checkbox is disabled.

Automatic Mode:

WikSpeak works in automatic mode by placing a checkmark in the "Auto" checkbox.
In this mode, the textbox will instantly display a word that has been selected and copied within the text of any application. The phonetic transcription will also be displayed, and a sample of the word's pronunciation will be given if the "Sound" checkbox is enabled.
The automatic mode is appropriate when reading text from any application such as a web browser, word processing program, etc.


The IPA chart for English

When the "Chart" button is pressed a second window is opened showing the IPA Chart for English. This window is a cross-reference between IPA symbols and English phonemes. Actually each symbol is a button to play the sound from the corresponding IPA symbol.

Please Note:

Users must be aware that the program provides phonetic transcriptions in British English (Received Pronunciation) while the pronunciations are given in American English; therefore, some transcriptions don't match exactly with their pronunciations. Even in these cases, the phonetic transcriptions are useful given the difference is often subtle. This issue will be fixed in a future WikSpeak release.
There is an article recommended for users worried about this issue, with a chart comparing British, American and other English pronunciations showing the differences using IPA symbols. See Chart comparing British, American and other English pronunciations.